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Adams is denied campaign matching funds

By ARIAMA C. LONG Amsterdam News Staff

The New York City Campaign Finance Board (NYCCFB) has voted to withhold about $4 million in public matching funds from Mayor Eric Adams’s 2025 reelection campaign. Only one mayoral candidate was approved: former New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, who ran for mayor in 2021 and lost to Adams.

Adams was denied because his campaign failed to demonstrate eligibility and he may be noncompliant based on the federal indictment he faces.

“After thoroughly reviewing all available information, including the details of the indictment of Mayor Adams, the Board has determined there is reason to believe the Adams campaign has engaged in conduct detrimental to the matching funds program, in violation of law, including the Campaign Finance Act and Board Rules,” said NYCCFB Chair Frederick Schaffer. “His campaign also failed to provide documents and information requested by the Board.”

The city’s matching funds program gives qualifying candidates $8 for every $1 they receive, up to the first $175 in donations for City Council seats and $250 for citywide offices. The program is meant to encourage diverse candidates to run for all city offices by raising small-dollar contributions from future con-

stituents. Assuming candidates meet all requirements of the Campaign Finance Act and NYCCFB rules, they can look forward to serious payouts.

This month, NYCCFB gave out a first round total of $4,844,084 to 19 candidates for the upcoming 2025 elections. There are seven additional payment dates before next year’s June primary election and five payment dates before the general election in November 2025.

Adams, who is embroiled in a federal indictment for campaign fraud and bribery in 2021, hadn’t raised much in donations since that news broke headlines in September. Before the NYCCFB vote, it was rumored that Adams would be denied public matching

campaign funds. He was reportedly fundraising for his re-election in Puerto Rico at a Dec. 10 campaign party hosted by cryptocurrency entrepreneur Brock Pierce and tech founder Michael Brooks.

“Even without the funding, we have outraised substantially everyone else that’s in the race,” said Adams at his press conference on Dec. 16. “When I was running the last time, they changed the rules in the middle of the game, and I had to turn back $750,000 because of a proposal — a law that went through the City Council. There’s always been hurdles for me in this business.”

Adams can technically raise cash on his See CAMPAIGN FUNDS on page 27

Suing Daniel Penny ‘last option’ for accountability, says Neely family lawyer

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

Jordan Neely’s father Andre Zachery filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Daniel Penny days before a Manhattan jury acquitted Penny for negligent homicide on Dec. 9. Zachery’s lawyer, Donte Mills, says the civil case now stands as the family’s final shot at accountability and maintains that they are seeking far more than a payout.

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“That’s not how our legal system works. Wrongful death happens when you believe somebody killed someone else, or they died as a result of someone else, and that person was negligent,” said Mills. “I think that’s the case here. But as far as recovery from wrongful death — we didn’t put an amount in the lawsuit [and it is] up to the jury — that’s for the value of the life of the person who died. That has nothing to do with the family, we also don’t even distribute the money. The court does.

“Our job is to hold Daniel Penny responsible, and then a court decides distribution we have nothing to do with that. What the compensation is for is the fact that a life was taken and Jordan’s life had value.”

Neely died on May 1, 2023 shortly after Penny held him in a chokehold for six minutes while on an uptown F train, which prosecuSee NEELY FAMILY on page 27

Attorney Donte Mills, left, comforts an emotional Andre Zachery, father of Jordan Neely, outside the criminal court, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)

(Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko via Pexels)

Mayor Eric Adams, Trump, and immigration

New York City

Mayor Eric Adams meets with President-elect

Donald Trump’s incoming border czar Tom Homan and President Joe Biden’s Department of Homeland Security Official

Kenneth Genalo at Gracie Mansion in New York on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024. (Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)

By ARIAMA C. LONG

point in more than 17 months, said the city.

Mayor Eric Adams’s recent meeting with President-elect Donald Trump’s “Border Czar” Tom Homan only furthered the city’s divide as both agreed to root out immigrants “who commit repeated violent crimes.”

Adams has been knee-deep in immigration issues for the past two years with the influx of more than 225,000 migrants and asylum seekers to the city, and has been brokering criticism from all political sides. According to the city, it spent over $6.65 billion with “little to no help from the federal government” to provide shelter and services for those newly arrived people.

Earlier this year, Biden implemented border restrictions via executive order, which slowed the flow of newcomers into the country. As a result, the number of asylum seekers in city shelters has decreased for 22 straight weeks and is now at its lowest

In October 2024, Adams began announcing closures of Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Centers (HERRCs) housing migrants, including 25 shelters citywide and nine hotels upstate New York.

Trump has appointed Caleb Vitello as director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Rodney Scott as director of Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and Homan to carry out his mass deportation plans–as outlined in Project 2025. Last week, Adams sat down with Homan and Biden’s U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official Kenneth Genalo.

“We’re going to protect the rights of immigrants in this city that are hardworking, giving back to the city in a real way,” said Adams in his press debrief after their meeting. “We’re not going to be a safe haven for those who commit repeated violent crimes against innocent migrants, immigrants, and long-standing New Yorkers. That was my

conversation today with the border czar to figure out how we go after those individuals who are repeatedly committing crimes in our city.”

In addition to weeding out “dangerous” “criminals,” the immigration plans they discussed included a national resettlement strategy, work authorization for asylum seekers already in cities, and creating “lawful processes” to remove undocumented New Yorkers who have been convicted of a major felony. He is also proposing more federal funding for New York City; a legislative solution for Dreamers; increased border security measures; and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for people from Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Venezuela, Ecuador, Guinea, and Mauritania.

Advocates, like New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) President and CEO Murad Awawdeh, were incensed by Adams’s stance on immigration and public safety. Since

Trump says Biden is “stupid”

By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews

Joe Biden may still be the president, but Trump has the news throttle, and even more so with yesterday’s so-called news conference. It was merely another opportunity for Trump to boast about his victory and disseminate a fresh batch of lies and misinformation.

A fact check of the news conference from Mar-a-Lago on Monday revealed a bundle of mistruths and exaggerations, including declaring he won the youth vote over Vice President Harris “by 34 points.” Several exit polls reported that Harris won 51 to 54% of voters under 30, thus beating Trump by 4 to 12 points.

But those inaccuracies were soon overshadowed by Trump assailing Biden for selling border wall materials, calling it “a criminal act.” However, it only took him a few beats to return falsehoods, claiming that his administration built 571 miles of border wall, although the Government Accounting Office reported that the actual figure was about 450 miles.

Resuming his attack, Trump called Biden “stupid” for allowing Ukrainian forces to use American long-range weapons to strike deeper into Russian territory.

Trump was asked how he will respond to the recent assassination of Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, who was in charge of Russia’s radiological, biological, and chemical protection forces. Ukraine’s security services allegedly were behind the assassination, which came a day after Ukrainian prosecutors charged the general in absentia with the use of banned chemical substances in the war on Ukraine. There has been no response yet to the assassination, although Trump will probably find some way to blame Biden.

Key to the City resource fair continues as migrant needs persist and Trump presidency looms

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

NYCHA’s Ingersoll Community Center opened doors for the Key to the City resource fair this past Thursday, Dec. 12, in downtown Brooklyn. The event was hosted by the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) with the New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) and Councilmember Crystal Hudson’s office, boasting a “one-stop shop” for immigrant needs, from legal services to free feminine hygiene products.

“New York City is a proud sanctuary city to the over 3 million immigrants who call this city home,” said Hudson in an email statement. “Now more than ever, with direct threats to our communities, we must ensure that those who keep our city running have access to vital resources and ser-

vices. I am proud to partner with the New York Immigration Coalition and its Key to the City events now and always.”

Key to the City dates back roughly a decade, since the influx of migrant bus arrivals starting in 2022. NYLAG Immigrant Protection Unit Co-director Jodi Ziesemer said pivoting is nothing new, pointing to hosting fairs in Nepali communities when Nepal received Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or in Arab American neighborhoods when current President-elect Donald Trump ordered the “Muslim Ban” in his first term.

“Key to the City is not targeted or limited to any specific population or immigration need,” said Ziesmer. “There’s a lot of programming that is happening, including from the city to assist newly arrived immigrants with asylum applications and other types of services, and certainly we do serve

newly arrived immigrants through Key to the City. In 2022, early on, [at] an event that was near one of the shelters that was housing a number of migrants, [we] saw a huge outpouring of community needs and really discovered that people didn’t understand how to access legal services.”

Over the past 18 months, Ziesmer has seen a growing need for West African language services at Key to the City events, particularly due to the increased attendance of Guinean asylum seekers. For this resource fair, NYIC’s Director of Community Programming Jesus Casado Gonzalez said surrounding NYCHA residents were the focus because the developments boasted a large Spanish-speaking population.

For months, organizers have prepared for the possibility, and now reality, of another Trump presidency. To them, Key to the City

Amsterdam News Staff

Table at Thursday’s Key to the City event in Brooklyn. (Photo courtesy of NYIC)

Man harasses State Senator Cleare’s office again despite previous arrest for terrorist threats

By ARIAMA C. LONG Amsterdam News Staff

Police arrested Vadim Dergachev, 42, again on Dec. 4 after he returned to the Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. State Office three times. He was previously arrested (Nov. 18, 2024) for allegedly making terrorist threats, specifically to State Sen. Cordell Cleare’s staff. Dergachev now faces additional charges including for a hate crime over allegedly violating the court order of protection.

“When I heard about what was happening here, because I was away, I thought about my staff. If anything happened to my staff, how I would feel,” said Cleare at a press conference in the lobby of the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building on Friday, Dec. 6.

“My staff works for a person who believes in an open door policy because my community deserves to be able to have access to my office and to me. It’s what they expect from me and we deliver that every single day that we’re here.”

Cleare said of Dergachev’s behavior that “it’s actions like this that make us have to curb the work that we do, the services we deliver to our people, and that’s not fair, so we have to make sure that we’re safe enough to do the work that we’re supposed to do.”

Cleare said that Dergachev violated an order of protection several times by coming back to the building and is currently being held on bail. He claimed to be a Russian diplomat on Nov. 18, threatening to bomb the building, and said that he had the power to inflict harm on the staff. He was arrested and later released. He returned three times on Dec. 4. The continued threats raised questions about the need for more adequate security in the state office building.

Alongside Cleare at the press conference were dozens of community members in support of the senator: Harlem elected officials Assemblymember Al Taylor, Assemblymember Eddie Gibbs, Senator Robert Jackson, and representatives from the offices of Attorney General Letitia James, Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg, Congressmember Adriano Espaillat, and NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.

“The most important issue is the safety and security of the people that we represent. All of you — and not only all of you, but all of the staff that work in the office building here,” said Senator Robert Jackson. “In fact, they feel, based on the threats that have been made, that not enough is being done and we want action, not five

weeks from now or when someone gets shot or killed. We want action. When do we want action?

Now. Nothing has happened as of yet, but the threats are so crazy that you have to take it seriously.”

Electeds collectively railed against the building manager — the state Office of General Services (OGS) — for lack of action.

“November 18th, my sister was

threatened [with] violence,” said Gibbs. “I’m a bit upset with the commissioner of OGS because she [has] the audacity not to meet with us yet. But I believe that if the state building was located two miles south of here and a man walked in and threatened a young lady, [of] differently color than our senator, they would shut the building down, they would change the security operations.”

The electeds also demanded more security be added to all state buildings, especially for Black elected officials.

“I’m not that guy that sits here and says, ‘Hey, let NYPD, let OGS handle it,’” Gibbs continued. “I wasn’t raised that way and I believe that a lot of other brothers in

Scammers continue to target elderly New Yorkers — but they can be stopped

By TANDY LAU

Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the guilty plea of Bronx-based Social Security Administration employee Victor Anthony Valdez on Dec. 4 for participating in scams against elderly New Yorkers and New Jerseyans. The scheme itself was run out from the Dominican Republic, where call centers would pose as the victims’ grandchildren in distress (or a representative of the grandchild, such as an attorney) and beg for money. The Americanbased Valdez allegedly would then pick up the cash of those duped.

“The defendant admitted today to his role in a scam targeting vulnerable seniors,” said U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger for the District

of New Jersey in a statement. “The defendant and his co-conspirators took advantage of grandparents’ love and concern for their grandchildren they believed to be in trouble, convincing them to pay thousands of dollars.”

The practice is known as a “grandparent scam.” Victims are often told their grandchildren were arrested and jailed, and pressured into transferring money either through a courier like Valdez or by gift card codes. How can older New Yorkers protect themselves from such scams? Department for the Aging Commissioner Lorraine CortésVázquez pointed to her agency’s Elderly Crime Victims Resource Center (ECVRC) and Elder Justice network, which connects victims to law enforcement and case consultations.

“During this holiday season, it’s especially important to stay vigilant against potential scams,” said Cortés-Vázquez over email. “If you do become a victim, remember you are not alone and help is available. To avoid becoming a victim, older adults should always verify who they are speaking with by either asking questions only a family member could answer, or contact[ing] them directly.

“Also, avoid transferring money or buying gift cards. New Yorkers who may have become a victim, or know someone who has, can reach ECVRC or the Elder Justice network by calling Aging Connect at 212-AGING-NYC (212-2446469).”

To prevent these scams, the Department of Aging advises telling grandparents to verify callers’ identity by asking questions only a

grandchild could know, along with keeping social media accounts private and refusing to volunteer personal information to strangers.

An NYPD spokesperson pointed to police resources advising elderly victims to reach out to their local precinct’s crime prevention officer, who can double as an “older adult liaison.” Every NYCHA development has an older adult liaison as well. All in all, 37,481 police officers are trained to recognize elder abuse, according to the Department of Aging.

The NYPD also advised caution about other phone scams. Fraudsters may pose as utility companies, hospitals, or government agencies like Immigration or the I.R.S. To be clear, utility companies do not cut off services over the phone and bill statements are initiated by the customer, not the provider.

Scammers will often name family members or provide vital information to make the call sound real. Regardless, the NYPD advises not to purchase any gift cards to pay over the phone. On a federal level, financial fraud against individuals 60 years and older can be reported to the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-3728311) during the week between 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

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.

See CLEARE on page 31

Senator Cordell Cleare held a press conference at Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. State Office Building lobby about public safety on Friday, Dec. 6 (Ariama C. Long photo)

Robert Owusu III’s interdisciplinary journey

By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff

Robert Owusu III was born and bred in Yonkers, New York. It’s where the Ghanaian American artist still lives and still maintains a studio.

Owusu’s artistic journey began with photography when he got his first camera in his early 20s. That later evolved into working in graphic design. Next, he worked with neon lights. Today, on any given day, he might make a sculpture; construct a piece of fine art; create a series of photos, videos, or digital art; redesign the fashion on a piece of clothing; or create a practical wall art piece.

“It’s pretty much a mixture of a couple of things,” the multidisciplinary artist said, “but overall, my standard for everything is pretty much in the storytelling of it. Each piece that I do always has a story to tell from the standpoint of my background or my growing up –– it’s all concepts of different things.”

Fascinated with artists like André 3000, Pharrell Williams, and Kanye West when he was younger, Owusu came to the art world through his interest in music and fashion. It was a professional move not immediately welcomed by his family.

Raised in a four-person home, consisting of his mother, father, and younger brother, Owusu said his immigrant family upbringing directed him toward a specific way of viewing the world. Both of his parents were born in Ghana and his extended family is scattered throughout Connecticut; New Jersey; London, England; and back home in Ghana.

When he was preparing to attend the University of Hartford in Connecticut, he had no thoughts of attending an art school. “Just like most of my first-generation [immigrant] counterparts, your parents, the majority of them, risked their freedom to make a living in the United States. What they want is the best for their kids; they want stability. Most of my people are in the medical field. They’re doing billing, billing for hospitals, or Medicaid. They know about stability, they know that [if] you do this amount of school, you’re guaranteed this amount [of income] if you acquire a job, et cetera. Anybody [who] goes a different route [is] not really presented with open arms.”

After entering college with a declared interest in medicine, Owusu left with a degree in marketing. “If you really believe in what you believe in, you have to go against the grain across the board,” he said. “That might be going against what the parents want for you, but at the same time, they’re not out in the world of newer jobs, the many different industries that are being built and created in real time. It’s kind of up to the individual to take a gamble with that.” Owusu has gambled on art. He uses different art mediums to reimagine ideas. It took him three years to establish himself as a working artist, with individual and brand-name clients now reaching out to

Black New Yorker

him under his Thiird.co company name. Today, his art is known because of the different products he creates. “Somebody might be wearing a garment that I made and people want to know who made it, or somebody might go into somebody’s house and see an art piece and they’re interacting with the piece, and they might want to commission another. It’s all cohesive, right? Some people might know me for one thing, and it might kind of go into a bunch of other stuff that they didn’t know that I do. It’s kind of like a web. I guess you could say it all connects.”

This is exactly how Owusu wants to see his art functioning. He likes being able to reflect on all the influences that help him create his art and he wants to make art that is inspiring and affects people in several ways in the future.

“I’ll just pretty much push the boundaries,” he said. “I think that especially now, a lot of artists [work] in different mediums –– whether it’s cinematography, or whether it’s illustration work. There is a growing renaissance of multi-hyphen artists who want to be able to push boundaries. That’s pretty much my goal. I just want to be at a point where I’m able to wake up and do what I want to do. If I want to wake up one day and do a 60-foot sculpture, I’m able to do so. Creative freedom. That’s the path of creative freedom that I want, and I’m pretty much on the trajectory for that.”

THE URBAN AGENDA

By David R. Jones, Esq

Can Public Housing Survive A Second Trump Presidency?

Nearly eight years ago to the day, I used this column to convey a litany of concerns and uncertainties surrounding the future of the city’s public housing system under then incoming President, Donald Trump.

In the intervening years, New York’s affordable housing crisis has gotten worse, and the city’s public housing residents continue to suffer under subpar housing conditions mostly due to systemic lack of funding. As Trump prepares for a return to the White House, the stakes could not be higher for preserving and sustaining public housing, the city’s greatest affordable housing resource.

By sheer numbers alone, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) is the largest housing authority in the country, bigger than many small U.S. cities and home to more than half a million low- and moderate-income residents living in more than 300 public housing developments across the five boroughs.

Decades of government disinvestment at all levels have devastated NYCHA’s housing infrastructure leaving its residents -- who are predominantly Black and Latino -- to cope daily with leaky roofs, stalled and broken elevators, fragile plumbing and other deplorable conditions underscoring the widespread indifference to the housing needs of the working poor.

Trump’s choice for HUD Secretary in his first term, Ben Carson a retired neurosurgeon, led the agency in a direction that was counter to its mission, which in short is to: “ create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all.” In fact, during Trump’s first term, Carson proposed slashing the Housing and Urban Development budget by 13 to 18 percent. Apart from his efforts to decimate the HUD budget, Carson also proposed new rules raising tenant rent contributions, from 30 percent of adjusted income to 35 percent of gross income.

Perhaps hard to believe, but it was a Republican controlled Congress that rejected the rule changes. But that did not stop Trump and Carson from trying to gut the agency, including proposing the elimination of HUD’s Public Housing Capital Fund and reducing its operating funds by 37 percent, measures that would have crippled the agency’s capacity to both fund infrastructure upgrades in public housing systems and address general maintenance needs. The Trump Administration also proposed limiting eligibility for Section 8 vouchers and cutting $5 billion in federal funding for the program which would have eliminated more than 9,000 vouchers for New York City.

New York’s high cost of living has significantly limited housing options for many working families. Should Trump pursue similar budget cuts in his second term, it could lead to higher rates of

evictions and homelessness.

Judging by Trump’s nearly complete takeover of the GOP, it is highly conceivable that renewed efforts on his part to slash federal funding and dismantle parts of the federal government in a second term will meet with far less resistance from Congress. With control of the House of Representatives and U.S. Senate in Republican hands, there will be fewer guardrails in place to stop the president’s more destructive impulses. All the more reason our city and state leaders must prioritize the preservation of public housing.

While no specific details on his plans for housing emerged on the 2024 campaign trail, a chapter in Project 2025 on HUD written by former HUD Secretary Carson, calls for ending all Housing First policies, prohibits mixedstatus families from living in federally assisted housing and eliminates funding for affordable housing production or for reducing barriers to affordable housing production. The same chapter also tacitly endorses private investment when public housing land is sold.

Trump’s pick to lead HUD in his second term is Scott Turner, a former professional football player and Texas State Representative who previously served as executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council. In that role, Turner was in charge of attracting investment in so-called “Opportunity Zones,” which offer lucrative tax incentives for financing projects in economically depressed communities. Critics of the program called it a gimmick to give wealthy investors tax breaks to finance projects they would have backed even without the incentives.

It remains to be seen if Turner, who will oversee an agency responsible for addressing the nation’s housing needs, enforcing fair housing laws and sheltering more than four million low-income families through public housing, rental subsidies and voucher programs will be a strong advocate for preserving affordable housing. In articles he’s published on the America First Policy Institute website, he credits President Trump with helping Black Americans rise out of poverty and build wealth.

I know few people who agree with that assertion. But, if confirmed as HUD Secretary, Turner will certainly have the tools and resources to invest in the nation’s housing needs. And if he chooses to wield the agency’s authority, he can help America’s poorest citizens improve their lives and economic standing.

However, you cannot foster economic mobility among those must in need by cutting crucial funding areas in the HUD budget that allows public housing to fall into disrepair, low-income residents to be displaced and long-standing communities to decline. Let’s hope the future HUD Secretary agrees.

Multidisciplinary artist Robert Owusu III Courtesy photo)

No Child Left Behind: United for Brownsville fights for early intervention access in Brooklyn

By LEAH MALLORY Special to the AmNews

Early Intervention (EI) may be the key to ensuring your child is on track for proper development.

Whether a child is having challenges with speaking, walking, or playing like other children their age, research shows that early intervention can significantly improve life outcomes for children experiencing developmental challenges. However, in Black and Brown communities, several obstacles hinder children from accessing these crucial services.

In New York State, children between the ages of 0 to 3 years old with a developmental delay can receive assistance through the Early Intervention Program (EIP). Children must be referred to the program and demonstrate a significant delay in one or more developmental areas, such as communication or physical development, to qualify for assistance — but barriers often arise.

Georgina Gooden, a rehabilitation specialist and mother of a son with special needs, said she first learned of early intervention when her son’s Head Start teachers recommended that he be evaluated based on some concerning behaviors. On visiting her son’s pediatrician to address his behavior, though, Gooden said her concerns were dismissed.

The pediatrician told Gooden that “[my son] is going to grow out of it. ‘He’s going to do great,’ so I’m worrying about nothing,” she said. “But when the teachers brought it to my attention again in a meeting with the school counselor, they scheduled the evaluation. That’s when I had the evaluation done in person at my house.”

Gooden said she took parenting classes before becoming a mother and felt confident in her parenting skills. She recognized that her son needed intervention after identifying speech delays, but the evaluator disagreed with her assessment.

“When the evaluator came to my house, I thought I was doing a pretty good job, but he didn’t see us. He didn’t see my son. All he basically saw was our neighborhood, the color of our skin, and what we looked like,” she said. “He had some ‘great’ parenting tips for me and suggested that I could do with some more training as a mom. Following that, [my son] did not meet the qualifications to get early intervention services.”

Research validates Gooden’s experiences. Data from the NYS Department of Health reveals gaping disparities between different racial groups in access to early intervention.

Between 2018 and 2020, non-Hispanic Black children were less likely to receive a multidisciplinary evaluation to determine their eligibility for EIP compared to their non-Hispanic white counterparts. NonHispanic white children were referred to

EIP at an earlier age than other races of children, enabling them to receive services at a more optimal stage in their development. Non-Hispanic white children also experienced faster rates of service initiation compared to non-Hispanic Black children, with 66% and 41% service initiation rates, respectively. There is help. After being dismissed several times, Gooden thought it was the end until she discovered United for Brownsville (UB), a Brooklyn-based nonprofit fighting to improve racial equity in NYC through early intervention. Gooden first became aware of United for Brownsville through its food pantries and parenting workshops. One day, she learned they were seeking parents in Brownsville to join a new leadership group called the Family Advisory

Board (FAB).

Gooden eagerly joined the board, connecting with other parents who faced similar challenges in accessing early intervention services.

“[Early intervention] became a specific focus when members of the FAB identified it as an issue in Brownsville,” she said. “I was one of the persons that created the role for the first early intervention ambassador.”

The Early Intervention Ambassador program at United for Brownsville tackles the crises of inequity head-on, supporting families through every step of the process of accessing services.

“[The ambassador] supported me to get another evaluation done, whereby she went through the screening process with me, explained the language that I needed to use,

and explained what it is that I was seeing in a way that I could [understand],” Gooden said.

“When the evaluation was done a second time, she made sure the evaluation went through. She followed up with the evaluator.”

Demystifying early intervention for families is the essence of Danielle Herring’s work: She is the early intervention ambassador for United for Brownsville. She said cultural stigmas and distrust are often barriers that prevent families from using early intervention services.

“I address what they’re dealing with or what they’ve experienced, and then I actually acknowledge it after that,” said Herring. “Once we do that, we turn around and replace [their beliefs] with factual information about how the early intervention process could help them.”

Other barriers include situations like Gooden’s, such as being unaware of early intervention or, when informed, experiencing bias and discrimination from specialists.

David Harrington, co-executive director of United for Brownsville, noted that some obstacles might not necessarily relate to early intervention itself.

“[Families] may have many other unaddressed needs or complications in life like lack of transportation or not feeling comfortable having evaluations and services done in their home, so [Danielle] looks for ways to remove those barriers by inviting them to a neutral space,” he said. Examples include “[providing] MetroCards when we have them, [or] assisted technology for remote evaluations and services, and things like that.”

Challenges can even stem from pride. Herring, who has a 14-year-old son with special needs, discussed her personal experience in coming to terms with his diagnosis. “There’s a difference between the knowledge and the heart space when it comes to families, and I experienced that myself, even with my own son,” she said. “I was knowledgeable about early intervention, but when you’re coming from a heart space, and you’re a mom, you feel like it’s something that you did that was wrong. You feel like ‘I don’t want to label my son.’ In that case, a lot of times when families may have been aware of the process, [they think], ‘I didn’t want to [admit there was a problem]. I was thinking with my heart, and my heart was leading me,’ as opposed to the knowledge of what early intervention was.”

Access to early intervention has demonstrated long-term benefits, including physical, cognitive, behavioral, and social impacts: reduced childhood obesity; improved performance on standardized tests; increased higher education opportunities; decreased violence, aggression, and antisocial tendencies; and development of positive relationships.

Unequal access can contribute to more

Table on Brownsville website indicating impact (Photos courtesy United for Brownsville websites)

United for Brownsville Hope Summit 2023

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New Heritage 60th Anniversary Gala: a legacy of love, creativity and activism

By ARIAMA C. LONG Amsterdam News Staff

New Heritage Theatre Group (NHTG), the oldest Black nonprofit theater company in New York City, turns 60 years old this year! They held their anniversary gala at The City College Center for the Arts in Harlem.

“To another 60 years to come, to our staff, to the new vision, and to the roads we’re going to travel,” said NHTG Executive Producer Voza Rivers. “Thank you so much.”

NHTG was established in 1964 by playwright and actor Roger Furman. He created the group to present entertaining, informative, and quality productions and to preserve and institutionalize clas -

sic works of Black theater. Rivers was entrusted with the reins of the company in 1983, after Furman’s death. He changed the name from New Heritage Repertory Theatre to New Heritage Theatre Group.

In 1997, Jamal Joseph became the executive artistic director. Rivers and Joseph worked together to create groundbreaking youth programming, like the IMPACT Repertory Theatre.

NHTG was home to legendary talents such as poet Sonia Sanchez, actress Ruby Dee, and performer Harry Belafonte. Rivers is slated to retire in the near future.

At the Gala celebration, he was surrounded by family and longtime friends as well as avid supporters of the Black arts and

elected officials. Manhattan Deputy Borough President Keisha Sutton presented him with a city proclamation from Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, dubbing December 16 officially New Heritage Repertory Theatre Appreciation Day.

“As soon as the invitation came in, I said we have to get a proclamation to celebrate this moment,” said Sutton. “Everyone that has been a pillar of this institution has preserved, incubated, and grown an incredible institution that has done great work for the community and the arts to lift up who we are. To lift up our culture. I wanted to be here to say thank you for that personally.”

Commissioner of Cultural Affairs Laurie

Cumbo, who has known and worked with Rivers for years, was excited to honor Rivers’s lifetime of service to the arts. She credited Rivers, and other theater legends at NHTG, with spearheading the theaters of color initiative.

“They fought to make sure that the City Council allocated eight Black and Latino theaters in New York City so that they could get major and consistent dollars into their community,” said Cumbo. “What was so powerful was that when I became a city councilmember, I was able to take that eight to 54. It was a passing of the baton, and we need to continue the passing of batons so that the next generation can build and expand on what we did.”

A ‘great day in Harlem’: City College hosts centennial celebration of James Baldwin

By JENINE HOLMES

Special to the AmNews

On Dec. 5, 2024, the ground-floor NAC Ballroom at City College held an electric event of joy and inspiration for one of Harlem’s favorite sons: James Baldwin. The event was more than a celebration of the author’s canon of work — his inspirational essays, innovative novels, a Broadway play. It was a homecoming: Baldwin attended City College in 1948, but elected to head to Paris before graduation. A century after his birth, the institute welcomed him home as a son of literature and letters.

The day was filled with music and readings provided by the City College Music Department, as well as students from Baldwin’s alma mater, DeWitt Clinton High School, creative luminaries, noted writers, CCNY faculty, and students, alongside community members who love Baldwin’s work. Herb Boyd, former professor of Black studies at City College and author of “Baldwin’s Harlem: A Biography of James Baldwin” (2008), led a keynote panel that provided an intimate discussion of Baldwin’s relationship to the community. Boyd and Trevor Baldwin, nephew of the writer and founder of the Baldwin United Fund, praised Baldwin for being “raised in the

crucible of racism” yet allowing his “talent and purpose to make his world view.”

Readings by Baldwin Writing Contest winners from the Harlem Renaissance High School followed, including Baldwin’s own “A Letter to My Nephew,” delivered by 12th grader Ahlanna Williams of Dewitt Clinton High School. Written in 1962, Baldwin’s words of wisdom and support are as relevant today as they were more than 60 years ago. The essay closed with: “… But you come from sturdy peasant stock, men who picked cotton, dammed rivers, built railroads, and in the teeth of the most terrifying odds, achieved an unassailable and monumental dignity. You come from a long line of great poets, some of the greatest poets since Homer. One of them said, ‘The very time I thought I was lost, my dungeon shook and my chains fell off.’”

A soul-soothing, jazzy rendition of “Go Tell it on the Mountain,” delivered by City College music department students, followed the readings, paired with a luncheon prepared by Jacob Soul Food, which made the perfect introduction to a special screening.

The event “newly brought back to life” Baldwin’s 1978 Langston Hughes Festival address, “The Artist in an Alien Culture,” recently discovered in the basement of a City College building, according to Emily Raboteau, professor of Black studies at CCNY. She described how the archival film, never seen before today,” was restored and renewed. The 40-minute black-and-white film delivered a rare treat: a new vision of

Baldwin being Baldwin, fresh and inspirational. Audience members applauded and cheered at sections of the speech as if they were witnessing the events in real-time. The afternoon concluded with two writer panels. “Baldwin in Harlem, Our Hometown Giant” featured Maurice Wallace, Kima Jones, Manan Ahmed Asif, and Boukary Sawadogo. Moderated by Emily Raboteau, the panel shared reflections on Baldwin through their favorite quotes from his works and how those words still sustain them today.

Moderator Kedon Willis held a discussion with Farah Jasmine Griffin, Rich Blint, and Soraya Palmer that provided a broader examination of “Baldwin in the World: His Trans-Atlantic Legacy,” focusing on Baldwin’s self-imposed exile in Turkey, Paris, and Switzerland.

This visionary afternoon — the brainchild of CCNY Baldwin scholar Professor Gordon Thompson, along with Raboteau, Michelle Valladares, William Gibbons, Shamecca Harris, Megan Skelly, Kedon Willis, Jerry Carlson, and Janee Moses — was yet another “great day in Harlem.” As thank you’s were warmly delivered and the audience slipped back into their coats, the afterglow remained in the room and the hallways of City College.

Manhattan Deputy Borough President Keisha Sutton and her mom with NHTG Gala attendees. (Ariama C. Long photos)

Trevor Baldwin in front of his Uncle James at City College during. Centennial celebration of the great writer. (Herb Boyd photo)

IMPACT Repertory Theatre youth performers sang, ‘Raise It Up’ at the NHTG Gala.

Divine Nine News

A D9 day at the Whitney

By KAYLYN KENDALL DINES Special to the AmNews

The Whitney Museum of American Art, in partnership with the National Pan-Hellenic Council and the Meatpacking District Management Association, recently hosted Divine Nine Day at the Whitney during the museum’s ongoing Free Second Sunday program.

On display through Feb. 9, the exhibit “Edges of Ailey” honors the life, artistic treasures and legacy of the late legendary Alvin Ailey.

According to the Whitney website, this is “the first large-scale museum exhibition to celebrate the life, dances, influences, and enduring legacy of visionary artist and choreographer Alvin Ailey. This dynamic showcase — described as an ‘extravaganza’ by curator Adrienne Edwards — brings together visual art, live performance, music, a range of archival materials, and a multiscreen video installation drawn from recordings of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT) repertory to explore the full range of Ailey’s personal and creative life.”

During Divine Nine Day at the Whitney this holiday season, members from the Black Greek Letter Organizations within the National Pan Hellenic Council came together to celebrate their accomplishments and the enduring legacy of their beloved sororities and fraternities.

They viewed rarely seen archives, performance footage, recorded interviews as well as historic gems such as notebooks, letters, poems, short stories, choreographic notes, drawings, and performance programs and posters gathered from Ailey’s archives.

Donna Walker-Kuhne, president and founder of Walker International Communications Group, Inc. (WICG) and graduate of the Howard University School of Law, said, “This past weekend was a testament to the power of collaboration and the enduring spirit of the Divine Nine. We made history, we celebrated our heritage, and we reaffirmed our commitment to service and excellence.

L to R: Amy Roth, chief operating officer of the Whitney; Erich McMillan-McCall, WICG associate & founder of Project1Voice; Brianna O’Brien Lowndes, chief managing officer of the Whitney; Maya Latimer, 2024-26 NPHC Greater New York president; Richard E. Pelzer II., WICG associate & founder of HarlemCLX; and Kevin M. Buist, 2020-2024 NPHC-NYC President.

Here’s to many more moments of unity and impact!”

Family and friends joined alumni from Historically Black Colleges and Universities as well as Predominantly White Institutions during this family-friendly day of art. While members of Divine Nine organizations posed for pictures and celebrated their collective unity and strength, the museum and the Ailey exhibit were

(Photos courtesy of Lia Chang)

also open to the public. Key in the coordination in this celebration of excellence, was Maya Latimer, 2024-26 National Pan Hellenic Council Greater New York (NPHCNYC) president; Kevin M. Buist, former 2020-2024 NPHC-NYC President, Melissa Estrado, Howard University Alumni Association (HUAA) Region I chair, and Erich McCall McMillan, a member of WICG team and

of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., who had the vision of bringing together the National Pan-Hellenic Association at the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Do you have ideas for the Divine Nine News column? We welcome your submissions at d9@amsterdamnews. com and https://amsterdamnews.com/ d9news.

To share your Divine Nine News, please contact us at d9@amsterdamnews.com and at amsterdamnews.com/d9news

All the colors of the Divine Nine organizations were represented in this “Great Day at the Whitney” photo.

Union Matters

There’s a power struggle behind the shakeup at NLRB

By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff

Last week, Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, perpetual Democratic Party adversaries, came together as instrumental in blocking Lauren McFerran’s reconfirmation to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

The political party in power typically gets three NLRB seats. With McFerran blocked, President-elect Donald Trump will be eligible to nominate two new people to the NLRB and determine the board’s political persuasion.

Since members have fixed terms, President Joe Biden tried to reappoint McFerran to preserve the board’s Democratic three-seat majority during the initial two years of the Trump administration. McFerran has been a member of the NLRB since 2014. In January 2021, Biden named her as the board’s chairperson. If McFerran had been reappointed, the Democratic Party could have protected the board’s 3-2 liberal/proworker majority until 2026. Now, because McFerran was not reconfirmed, the next U.S. president can appoint an agency chair who, because the new Trump administration is already shaped by wealthy donors such as Elon Musk (CEO of SpaceX and Tesla), Peter Thiel (co-founder of PayPal), and David Sacks (a former PayPal executive who co-founded the investment firm Craft Ventures), will most likely be less apt to make rulings that assist workers. Business leaders will have considerable influence over the federal government going forward.

“Thinking about where organized labor and where Black workers are at in 2024,” said Austin McCoy, West Virginia University history professor. “Having people like Elon Musk, who is basically going to be operating within the Trump administration, who we know runs Tesla and SpaceX, or even these billionaires who are sort of trying to curry favor with the Trump administration –– seeing this sort of close connection between billionaires and this incoming administration, they might be more empowered to do whatever they can to support unionization, but then also continue to turn the screws on workers in terms of working conditions: making it difficult to file grievances, making it difficult to improve work conditions. The fact that workers may not be able to earn as much money in terms of a lack of raises and things of that nature may not necessarily stop workers from trying to unionize, but it’s going to make it easier for private-sector companies

to try to obstruct the process.”

NLRB helped pacify the labor movement

The NLRB, established in 1935 under the National Labor Relations Act (the Wagner Act), is tasked with overseeing the dynamics between U.S. businesses and employees. When workers try to unionize or have their employers deal with health and safety concerns, for example, they can appeal for support or report their issues to the NLRB.

Before the establishment of the NLRB, strikes and sabotage were widespread in the U.S., and employers frequently compelled workers to refrain from union participation. “Employers often required that workers agree not to join a union or be involved in union activities during the term of their employment, and the federal courts held such agreements binding,” wrote the late University of Pennsylvania Professor Michael L. Wachter in a 2012 research paper.

“Concerted activity by employees was not

protected. If workers went out on strike and did not return to work when served with a state court-ordered injunction, the striking workers were in contempt of court. When confronted by police or Pinkerton guards, strikes would often turn violent. The next move in many strikes was for the state governor to call out the National Guard to restore order.”

The establishment of the NLRB helped pacify the more revolutionary tendencies in the labor movement. James Boggs, the Marxist labor activist, is recorded as writing in his “Pages from a Black Radical’s Notebook” that “From 1935 to the entry of the United States to the war in 1941, we saw in this country the greatest period of industrial strife and workers’ struggle for control of production that the United States has ever known. We saw more people than ever before become involved and interested in the labor movement as a social movement. Those who worked in the plants under a new Magna Carta of labor, the great Wagner Act,

not only had a new outlook where their own lives were concerned. They also had the power to intimidate management, from the foremen up to the top echelons, forcing them to yield to workers’ demands whenever production standards were in dispute. When management did not yield, the workers pulled the switches and shut down production until it did yield.”

The establishment of the NLRB has led to less labor unrest. Under the Biden-Harris administration, attempts were made to pass the PRO Act (Protecting the Right to Organize Act), which would have further strengthened labor protections.

Helping protect worker rights

While McFerran served as NLRB chair, the agency made important rulings, most notably its recent decision finding that captive-audience meetings –– when employees are forced to attend meetings with their boss while union election campaigns are going on –– are illegal. That new NLRB ruling is based on the union organizing that took place at the Amazon JFK8 Fulfillment Center on Staten Island. In 2021, workers there began organizing to create the Amazon Labor Union (ALU), the first-ever labor union at Amazon.

“When Biden took office, he also removed Trump’s general counsel and installed Jennifer Abruzzo,” said Professor McCoy. “It sounds like this is what’s going to happen again, where Trump is going to come in, and he’s going to remove the general counsel –– which is like the team of lawyers, and this is the head lawyer. He’s probably going to install someone that is more in line with his politics and policies. And I think this NLRB is going to seek to reverse some of the things that the Biden administration’s NLRB has done.”

Service Employees International Union (SEIU) International President April Verrett said when the vote against McFerran was announced: “Failing to move forward with Chair McFerran’s reconfirmation to the NLRB is truly a missed opportunity to ensure the NLRB remains an impartial agency that working people in every occupation can count on to help protect their rights. Now more than ever, it’s critical that the National Labor Relations Act is properly enforced. SEIU members and working people across this country are deeply disappointed that the Senate failed to reconfirm Chair McFerran, but we are not defeated. We are determined to keep fighting to build an economy that works for all people.”

AFL CIO was one of many unions advocating for Lauren McFerran’s reconfirmation to National Labor Relations Board. (Courtesy photo)

WHAT

DOES CONGESTION PRICING MEAN FOR OUR COMMUNITY?

Faster commutes. Safer streets. Cleaner air.

Congestion pricing is New York’s best route forward.

Opinion

Malcolm’s centennial moment arrives in May

As the New Year begins, let us be among the first to salute Malcolm X (ElHajj Malik El-Shabazz) on his centennial birthday. He was born on May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska to Earl and Louise Little. There is sure to be a raft of celebrations for the esteemed leader, who was brutally slain on February 21, 1965 in Washington Heights at the Audubon Ballroom, now renamed the Shabazz Center. We were part of the tributes to Max Roach and James Baldwin this year during their widespread centennial events, and Malcolm’s moments will be equally remarkable, if not exceeding his distinguished colleagues.

Last year, there were a number of memorials for Malcolm, including a splendid gathering in Omaha on 3448 Pinkney Street, where a campus has been built. There are also connections in Michigan where Malcolm lived in his early years, particularly Mason and East Lansing. We can expect a massive turnout to honor his legacy in Detroit where he delivered some of his most memorable speeches and where he began his relationship with Elijah Muhammad. And we certainly wouldn’t be surprised if people assemble in Roxbury, Massachusetts, where Malcolm spent precious time with his halfsister Ella Collins.

Baldwin was hailed in France and Roach had a moving feast of shout-outs across the nation. According to a wee bit of gossip, Malcolm will be remembered in Ghana and Nigeria, and possibly Cairo, Egypt — countries that opened their doors to him during his magnificent tour in 1964. Films, books, concerts, and symposia are already in the planning stages for him, and museums and libraries will roll out their collections of memorabilia, showcasing his impact on social and political developments.

We feel it’s never too soon to start the ball rolling for Malcolm, and in fact, we shouldn’t have to wait for the calendar to remind us of his importance, the enduring lessons he distilled in his speeches and his autobiography.

In advance of all the fanfare and hoopla, Happy Birthday, Malcolm, and our pages will try to cover each and every occasion where you are honored and celebrated.

States must act now to close the racial wealth gap

By MICHAEL A. GRANT

President-elect Donald Trump and the Republican Party weren’t the only big winners on Election Day. When the market rallied the following morning in response to the election results, the world’s top 10 richest individuals became a combined $64 billion richer — the “biggest daily increase” of wealth since 2012.

Wall Street’s enthusiasm is a clear indication that, although Trump is still shaping both his administration and his agenda, the policy scales over the next four years are all but certain to be tipping in favor of the nation’s top one percent.

This comes as no surprise, given that the president-elect did little in his first term to close the racial wealth gap, but did much to exacerbate it. There’s little evidence thus far that his second time in the Oval Office will be any different. As a result, it’s more important than ever that New York and other states work to remove the discriminatory obstacles hindering the ability of people of color to improve their economic standing.

One area where states could focus their efforts is reforming lawsuit lending, also known as third-party litigation funding, where investors, hedge funds, and other financiers fund lawsuits and allow plaintiffs to borrow against a potential settlement or judgement. This may not seem an obvious choice, but make no mistake, the wholly unregulated practice of lawsuit lending and its ripple effects negatively impact Black Americans and make it harder to close the wealth gap.

cal bills or day-to-day living expenses, with often disastrous consequences.

No regulation means lenders can charge as much interest as they want — and they do, at times requiring borrowers to pay back their loans at a rate of 100% or more. Lenders deny these are, in fact, traditional loans, since they only get their investment back if the borrower wins their case.

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Wilbert A. Tatum (1984-2009): Chairman of

A lack of rules and oversight have turned lawsuit lending into the wild west where unscrupulous lenders target vulnerable individuals who are suing over some harm or injustice and lack a financial safety net because they are unbanked or underbanked. These lenders provide access to quick cash to cover medi-

To make matters worse, lawsuit loans are not required to be disclosed at any point during the litigation process, masking potential ethical breaches and conflicts of interest – particularly among attorneys who refer their clients to lenders in return for a cut of the action. This makes a mockery of our justice system and can only be addressed by injecting transparency into the process and

whites for each car insured.

A report published earlier this year by the Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I) found that legal system abuse was an exacerbating factor in the increasing cost of auto insurance. Such fraudulent litigation brought by overzealous plaintiff attorneys drives up court costs and attorney fees for insurers and its policyholders who end up paying the price — or in the case of Black Americans, an even higher price. The report cited lawsuit funding, specifically, as contributing to this increase.

Triple-I CEO Sean Kevelighan noted the correlation between lawsuit lending and auto insurance costs, saying, “The price of insurance is the effect, not the cause of risk, and there must be more work done to curb legal system abuse, as auto insurers – both personal and commercial – are seeing significant increases in claims costs when attorneys enter into the picture.”

providing a level playing field for all participants.

The consequences of the unchecked and booming lawsuit lending industry reverberate throughout other sectors in our economy and disproportionately impact Black Americans.

For instance, the average cost of auto insurance increased 25% this year, but minorities’ wallets were hit harder than others. A Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Expenditure Survey (CE) reveals that “minorities pay far more than whites to insure each motor vehicle they own, and additional data indicate that minority consumers also receive less coverage for their expenditure.” Factoring in different levels of car ownership, Black Americans spend 100% more than

While not all transactions in the space have nefarious motivation, some common sense reforms - a simple interest rate cap and transparency provisions - will protect vulnerable New Yorkers while also preserving the industry’s ability to provide a financial lifeline to those in need.

The racial wealth gap between white and Black families already hit a record high of $1 million two years ago, and a report released earlier this year by McKinsey & Company found that “it would take more than three centuries for Black residents across the nation to reach parity with their White neighbors.” Black Americans can no longer afford governmental inaction – lawsuit lending reform is a sensible place for states like New York to start to chip away at this long-standing problem.

Michael A. Grant, J.D. is president emeritus of the National Bankers Association and former assistant professor of political science at Morgan State University.

Michael Grant

Quitting smoking is the best holiday gift you can give yourself

By JASLEEN KAUR

December is a time of holiday cheer and planning gifts for our loved ones, but how often do we reflect and consider the most meaningful gift we can give ourselves? This holiday season, give yourself the gift of a healthier, smoke-free future — because nothing brings more joy than celebrating with the people you love, free from the grasp of cigarette smoke.

Quitting smoking can ensure you are around for special moments with your families. People who quit smoking can add up to ten more years to their life.

Quitting will also ensure that your loved ones are safe from secondhand smoke exposure. Contrary to the popular belief,

secondhand smoke is harmful no matter how brief the exposure, particularly for young infants and children who can be at an increased risk of acute respiratory infection, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), slowed lung growth, among other problems.

There are many resources available for you to quit smoking whether it’s in the form of helplines, medications or by joining a support group to help you go through the journey. If you are ready to quit, you can visit the New York State Quitline, or call 866-NYQUITS (866-697-8487), which will give you resources to apply for a free starter kit of nicotine medications and talk to a quit coach to walk you through the process. You can also join free nicotine anonymous support

meetings to get community support from smokers who are in the similar shoes and are trying to quit.

This holiday season, give yourself the gift of quitting smoking and a path to a healthier future. By taking this step, you aren’t only improving your health and well being, but also keeping your loved ones safe and creating a brighter, smoke-free environment around you.

For more information on NYC SmokeFree or to lend support in ending NYC’s devastating tobacco epidemic please visit www. NYCSmokeFree.org

Jasleen Kaur is the Manhattan Reality Check Youth Engagement Manager for NYC Smoke-Free Public Health Solutions.

Are Americans really celebrating the murder of a health insurance CEO?

By MELISSA D. HALL

On Dec. 4, Americans woke up to a shocking headline: UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson had been assassinated on the streets of Manhattan en route to a year-end investors’ meeting, gunned down by a masked shooter. The murder of such a prominent corporate leader should have been met with an outpouring of sympathy for his family, right? Outrage over such a brazen act?

Surprisingly, no. Instead, the reaction from the public has been something entirely different, something darker.

Instead of mourning Thompson’s death and reflecting on his legacy as a father, a friend, and a top executive, the conversation turned in an unsettling direction: Many people are cheering. Online comments liken the alleged killer, a 26-yearold Ivy League graduate, to a modern-day Robin Hood. Some even brand him a hero for the American people.

“John Wick had to make things right,” one person commented on Instagram. Another commented, “Looks like his life was denied, and sympathy is out of network” — a chilling mockery of UnitedHealthcare’s reputation for denying claims.

This outpouring of twisted support for an alleged killer reflects something much deeper than just anger over one man’s death — it’s a symptom of a severely broken system. Americans are fed up with the state of healthcare. They’re tired of being denied life-saving treatments, leaving loved ones to suffer. While no rational person condones murder, this tragedy has put an intense spotlight on the frustrations many Americans have with a healthcare industry that seems to prioritize profit over people.

UnitedHealthcare, under Thompson’s leadership, has been scrutinized for denying a staggering 35% of claims. Many feel that, in death, Thompson has come to represent everything that is wrong with the American healthcare system: corporate greed, cal-

lous decision-making, and indifference to human suffering.

But should this rage be directed at a single individual, or should it be focused on the system that allows and even motivates denials in the first place — and is there an alternative?

It’s worth it to explore alternatives to our current healthcare system. Socialized medicine, for example, is hailed as the solution by many who are fed up with privatized healthcare. In countries like Japan, Canada, and Israel, where healthcare is guaranteed for all, profit is removed from the equation. Patients don’t have to worry about insurance companies denying their treatments because it’s all covered by the government. These countries rank higher in healthcare quality, although critics often point to the longer wait times for care, especially during emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic, when Canadian citizens had to come to the U.S. for vaccines due to shortages in their own country.

Introducing socialized medicine in the U.S. would come with a significant financial burden. A 2023 Gallup poll showed that while 57% of Americans believe the government should provide healthcare for everyone, the question remains: Are they ready for the cost? Estimates suggest it would take a staggering $37.8 trillion and a 20% tax hike to fund such a system. Are Americans truly prepared to pay that price, or would they prefer more modest reforms to the current system, such as holding insurers accountable?

The biggest barrier to socialized medicine is cost — both in terms of increased taxes for citizens and rising insurance premiums, as companies struggle to keep up with medical expenses. A more practical solution could be a government-run option for individuals with greater healthcare needs, which would ease the financial burden on the general public by reducing monthly premiums. This approach could stabilize the system without the enormous $37.8 trillion price tag. In fact, in 2010, former President Barack Obama proposed a government-run option

to compete with private insurers, particularly in rural areas where competition is limited. This strategy would also address the concerns of the 71% of Americans who, according to Gallup, are satisfied with their current private insurance.

Since Thompson’s assassination, the insurance industry has gone into damage control. Anthem Health reversed its controversial decision to limit coverage for anesthesia after public backlash, while other companies have quietly relaxed pre-authorization denials. The tragedy has, in a way, forced the industry to confront its worst tendencies. But will this be enough to quell the public’s anger?

Criminal defense experts are already predicting the shooter’s defense will center on what they call “front-loaded mitigation.” As mitigation expert Victoria Rusk explained, “The accused person is possibly living out the story of many Americans who do not have access to healthcare.” The public, so fed up with corporate healthcare greed, may already see him as a voice for their frustrations.

After the shooting, police found a backpack in Central Park containing Monopoly money and three bullets labeled “deposed,” “defend,” and “deny.” These clues seem to underscore the point that the alleged killer, like many Americans, views the healthcare system as a game rigged against the sick and the poor. Ultimately, this is not just a story about the horrific murder of a CEO. It’s tragically symptomatic of a healthcare system in crisis. Our government, legislators, insurers, brokers, and healthcare providers must work together to enact policy changes that truly work for the American people and the most vulnerable among us.

Melissa D. Hall is a Medicare expert and the founder and CEO of the Hall Insurance Group, a firm dedicated to helping seniors navigate their Medicare options. Since 2017, Hall and her team have served more than 3,000 seniors by providing personalized Medicare plans tailored to their individual needs.

Are you ready for the holidays?

The holidays can be a complicated time for lots of folks. For some, it is a time filled with family fun, drama, chaos, matching pajamas, and old memories and habits. It can also be a time to see old family members with whom you may disagree on a host of levels. For others, the holidays are a dreaded experience where memories of lost loved ones loom large. However you decide to spend the holidays, please remember that you can create new memories, new emotions, new habits, and a new narrative.

I recognize that I am extremely lucky in that I actually like hanging out with my family. We are a loud and loving bunch who like to play games and debate the rules of board games with legal precision. We also eat good food and share a cocktail or two. As my dad, an avid basketball fan, often says, “I’m in the fourth quarter! I’m just here to spend time with my kids and grandkids and enjoy life.” Although I am not in the fourth quarter of my life (I pray), I am trying to take his words to heart.

Just as with Thanksgiving, my family has decided not to shackle themselves to the kitchen and instead eat out or order in many of our meals. I am a true believer in my Black American and Caribbean American traditions and there is nothing better than my mother’s collard greens or her pigeon peas and rice and nothing better than my father’s Caesar salad and ceviche. However, what I value more is the time I have to

spend with them. So if I get some of my culinary treats once or twice each year, as opposed to every holiday, I will gladly make that trade off. I am realizing that the holidays are much more enjoyable (and the chances for drama are drastically decreased) when everyone is well rested and not feeling pressure to accomplish various tasks.

This year has flown by! It seems like yesterday I was making summer plans. This has also been a very emotionally draining year thinking about politics, the future of our nation, and all of the unrest in the world. What I am choosing to focus on this holiday season are gratitude, grace, and compassion. I find that focusing on all of the abundance surrounding me helps me stay focused on what truly matters. Keeping a gratitude journal is helpful as well. I know practicing grace and compassion with myself has definitely helped me extend it to others. Have a rest-filled, hopefully family and friend filled, holiday season. Try to downshift as we close out the year and think about what we would like to see for ourselves and others in 2025.

Christina Greer, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Fordham University; author of book “How to Build a Democracy: From Fannie Lou Hamer and Barbara Jordan to Stacey Abrams” and “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream” and is co-host of the podcast FAQ-NYC.

CHRISTINA GREER, PH.D.

Caribbean Update

Trinidad PM: Gov’t won’t allow U.S. troops to be based there

By BERT WILKINSON Special to the AmNews

In the past week, Prime Minister Keith Rowley of Trinidad was forced to show up at a post-cabinet press conference to quickly denounce a local newspaper report suggesting that the government had signed several bilateral agreements with the U.S., including one that would allow the U.S. to land or station troops in Trinidad in the event of an upheaval in the region or in neighboring Venezuela.

The Newsday report focused on one of five bilateral agreements the U.S. had signed with Trinidad through the Florida-based Southern Military Command after talks between the parties in the past week. Moving to quickly erase the diplomatic, political, and economic fallout that the report could have triggered, Rowley denounced it, saying that no one in the government was aware of anything that could have persuaded the island to sign such an agreement with Venezuela, with which it has strong friendly relations, even though he did not spell out the details of those agreements.

Rowley said the report had “serious implications for Trinidad. I am not discussing the agreement; I am simply saying that your interpretation of the agreement — that the United States can put troops in Trinidad and Tobago — is not what this is about. I’m simply saying that your interpretation is wrong. We don’t have a volatile relationship with Venezuela and we also have a very good relationship with the United States. We operate as an independent country, free to make our own foreign policy and treat with our associates as our national interests dictate.”

He concluded by asking, “What has changed to cause Trinidad and Tobago to be a platform for foreign troops on its territory in response to a Venezuelan situation?”

He said the status of forces agreements that were signed simply “allows our security agencies to have a relationship with the United States. That’s why we’re involved in it — of our security services.”

The brouhaha came at a time when Trinidad and its neighbor to the south are trying to kickstart a mega

cross-border natural gas deal that would bring billions to their economies while navigating around existing American sanctions against Venezuela. Critics say this was a major motivation for the prime minister to set the record straight, even though he did not divulge the details of the military and other cooperation agreements to the nation.

The Venezuelan media outlet “Telesur,” meanwhile, also reported that neighboring Guyana had signed similar agreements with the U.S. — deals that “would confirm Washington’s intention to expand interventionism in the region to harm the revolutionary processes such as those in Venezuela, Cuba[,] and Nicaragua, and to control resources.”

“Telesur” also quoted from a U.S. embassy statement celebrating the agreements with the Florida-based Southern Command, spelling them out as status of forces agreements (SOFAs), the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative Technical Assistance Field Team (CBSI-TAFT), and the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA).

Time to get your citizenship applications in

Donald Trumpeto is chomping at the bit as his Jan. 20 inauguration approaches. Among his controversial promises is a plan to terminate birthright citizenship via executive order on his first day in office, which is currently legally impossible. His administration is also reportedly preparing to revoke a long-standing policy that restricts U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from making arrests at or near sensitive locations such as houses of worship, schools, hospitals, funerals, weddings, and public demonstrations, according to NBC News.

This development has created waves of anxiety among immigrant communities. It also signals a stark reminder to lawful permanent residents eligible for U.S. citizenship to act swiftly. Applying for naturalization within the next four weeks could shield you from future uncertainties and it’s the best holiday gift to you. Here’s a guide to help eligible immigrants begin the naturalization process and secure their place in the U.S.

Step 1: Determine eligibility for naturalization.

• To apply for U.S. citizenship, you must meet the following general requirements.

• Age and residency

• Be at least 18 years old

• Hold lawful permanent resident status (a “Green Card”)

• Have continuously resided in the U.S. for at least 5 years (3 years if married to a U.S. citizen)

• Physical presence

• Physically present in the U.S. for 30 months during the last five years (or 18 months if married to a U.S. citizen)

• State residency

• Have lived in the state or USCIS district where you file for at least three months

• Citizenship through parents

• Parent was a U.S. citizen before you turned 18 — use Form N-600 (Application for Certificate of Citizenship) to claim it

• Evidence required includes rental or mortgage statements, tax transcripts, bank statements, car registration, passports, or other documents showing residence and physical presence

Step 2: Create a USCIS Online Account to file the application online.

• Visit USCIS.gov and create an account.

• Use a valid email address and follow the two-factor authentication process, which adds an extra layer of security.

Step 3: Complete and file Form N-400.

• Log in to your account and select “File a Form Online.” Complete all sections of Form N-400, leaving no fields blank. Review

American Ambassador Candace Bond noted that the agreements involving Trinidad and Tobago (TT) commit the U.S. to “providing expertise and resources to enhance TT’s security capabilities, and these agreements deepen strategic collaboration on a host of issues. TT’s leadership in implementing this framework for security cooperation demonstrates its potential as the cornerstone of peace and security in the Caribbean, and has opened the door to unprecedented and unequaled opportunities for defense cooperation between TT and the U.S.”

Despite Rowley’s denials, the paper said the deal allows U.S. troops to be deployed to the island during natural disasters and in the event of conflict in Venezuela because Trinidad is separated by just 7 miles of water via the Gulf of Paria.

“If I don’t come here today and as prime minister denounce this irresponsibility, if you were in Venezuela, what would you think? And if you are in Venezuela, where Trinidad and Tobago is negotiating with you all kinds of important matters

the instructions for detailed guidance.

Step 4: Upload supporting documents.

• Gather and upload required documents, such as:

• Copies of your permanent residency or Green Card

• Proof of physical presence (e.g., tax transcripts, utility bills)

• Identification documents (e.g., passport, driver’s license)

• Translations of any non-English documents

• Ensure all documents are clear, legible, and formatted as PDF, JPG, or JPEG.

Step 5: Pay the filing fee.

• The fee for online applications is $710, payable via credit card, debit card, or bank account. If mailing your application, the fee increases to $760. Payment is processed through Pay.gov, a secure government site.

Step 6: Attend Biometric Appointment.

• If required, USCIS will notify you of a biometric appointment to collect your fingerprints, photo, and signature. Check your USCIS online account for updates.

Step 7: Respond to Requests for Evidence (RFE).

• USCIS may request additional documents. Monitor your USCIS account to view notices and submit any required evidence promptly.

Step 8: Track your case.

• Log into your USCIS account regularly to monitor your case’s status. You can

but making its territory available for American incursions, in the event that it is determined that Venezuela has instability, what would you think?,” Rowley asked the media. “I cannot for the life of me understand who in Trinidad and Tobago would see it fit to publish a bold banner headline like that against the background of a picture of myself, Admiral [Alvin] Holsey, Minister [Fitzgerald] Hinds, and the U.S. Ambassador.

“I don’t want to call this mischief. I simply want to call it dangerous incompetence — to tell the world that we have entered into an arrangement, to tell Venezuela that we have entered into an arrangement, to tell Guyana and to tell Caricom that this big picture [on the front page] is representative of an action that we have taken with the head of SouthCom (Southern Command) Admiral Holsey, and it is about us creating an environment where the United States can place troops in Trinidad and Tobago to respond to instability in Venezuela. Whoever did this is not acting in the interest of the people of Trinidad and Tobago … I am so disturbed about this.”

also send and receive secure messages through the account.

Step 9: Attend your Naturalization Interview.

• If required, you will receive an appointment notice for an interview. During the interview, USCIS will test your knowledge of U.S. history and government, and assess your English proficiency.

Step 10: Receive a decision.

• USCIS will inform you of the decision via your online account or a mailed notice. If approved, you will be invited to take the Oath of Allegiance at a naturalization ceremony to complete your journey to citizenship.

Additional tips

• If filing by mail, submit two recent passport-style photos (2x2 inches) with a plain white background.

• Ensure all documents are signed and properly formatted to avoid delays or rejection.

• For help, contact the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283 (TTY: 800-767-1833).

Act now

With proposed policies threatening to heighten immigration enforcement, the time for eligible green card holders to act is now. Start your naturalization application today to safeguard your future and claim your rights as a U.S. citizen.

Felicia J. Persaud is the publisher of NewsAmericasNow.com, a daily news outlet focused on positive news about Black immigrant communities from the Caribbean and Latin America.

International News

Parents in Africa struggle with unpredictable school fees that force children to drop out

By RODNEY MUHUMUZA Associated Press

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — The day Shalom Mirembe, 20, was sent home from school last month because of unpaid tuition, her father lay dying in a hospital. Even as her mother sat by his bedside, school officials were calling and demanding payment.

For Mirembe’s mother, a shoe vendor who looks after four children, it was a heartbreaking moment in the daily struggle to pay often unpredictable and unregulated school fees. Constant threats demanding payment can leave her feeling helpless. Some officials are more tolerant, but eventually they all grow tired of her pleas.

“You have to care for this one, you have to care for the other one,” Justine Nangero said, describing a delicate balancing act to keep Mirembe and the others enrolled. “I try to fight to see that I pay to all these schools.”

It is a crushing issue for many in sub-Saharan Africa, where the lack of a few hundred dollars can determine a child’s future. The region has long had the world’s highest dropout rates. Reasons vary, but financial pain is the biggest. Last year, the World Bank said 54% of adults in sub-Saharan Africa rank the issue of paying school fees higher than medical bills and other expenses. It said school fees were the biggest source of financial worry for 40% of people in Uganda, where top governmentfunded schools now charge nearly $700 in tuition per three-month term. That’s a significant amount in this East African country, where annual GDP per capita was $864 in 2023. Attendance falls from 68% in grade school to 22% in secondary school, with financial difficulty the main reason for failure to continue studies, according to new figures

from the Uganda Bureau of Statistics.

More than anything, it’s the unpredictable tuition hikes — for sometimes questionable reasons — that haunt parents across the country of more than 45 million people. Some critics, including Uganda’s parliament speaker, have called for regulation to protect parents from exploitation.

The Equal Opportunities Commission, a government agency that tracks inequality and discrimination, released a report in September calling for punitive measures against government-supported schools that appear to set excessive fees. It warned that arbitrarily raising fees can force children to drop out.

Uganda does have a program for universal secondary education, introduced in 2007 and similar to one for primary education, but such schools are often rundown and undesirable for many families. They are generally tuition-free, but parents must sometimes pay burdensome fees for uniforms, textbooks, and other items.

When it comes to more popular, and more expensive, private schools, the government is not interested in price intervention, said Dennis Mugimba, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Education.

Setting fees for private schools is “purely administrative and it is adjusted according to the business environment,” he said. However, charges such as “capital development” should not be the responsibility of parents, he said.

Routine school expenses, for both private and some top government-funded schools, can include everything from a contribution toward purchase of a bus to procurement of laboratory equipment, but when the list of fees includes a ream of photocopying paper or a bag of cement from each student, questions emerge about where they end up.

Such private schools have mushroomed in

Uganda and now make up the majority of the country’s schools, addressing growing demand but also emphasizing the profitability of education as a business. That worries some experts.

“We can’t let education be treated like a market stall,” said Fagil Mandy, a former inspector of schools. Education authorities should standardize regulations to make school fees universally predictable, he said.

Wampewo Ntakke Secondary, the school that Mirembe attends outside the capital of Kampala, charges the equivalent of $300 per term. Its officials expect 70% of fees to be paid at the beginning of a term, but many parents fail to meet that threshold. Some, like Nangero, send their children to school having paid nothing, counting on the mercy of officials, but measures to track payments include gate passes that show how much is owed and when, and may be used to deny a student entry, said Joanita Seguya, a deputy head teacher at the school.

The school has more than 2,100 students, and roughly 400 are from working-class families that routinely struggle to pay fees, according to Seguya, who said the system can seem harsh. To accommodate some parents, the school accepts in-kind payments such as vegetables and fruit, she said.

Nangero, whose family shares a single room, has nothing of the sort to offer. Her shoe business, long drained of cash by school fees, has collapsed. The death of her husband, whose carpentry once supplemented the family income, has increased the pain.

She said anxiety over school fees is more damaging for her children, who spend days at home whenever school officials lose patience. She’s grateful that two of her sons in secondary school are now supported by an evangelical cleric — rare support made possible via con-

tact through their religious fellowship. Mirembe, who is taking her final exams this year, was able to start the school term in September because of a bursar’s sympathy, she said, but other officials were not so lenient weeks later as her father was near death.

“At least maybe I will come and pay something tomorrow,” her mother recalled pleading with one official. “And she told me, ‘No, we are not going to allow your daughter to be here.’” Mirembe arrived home hours before her father died.

Vincent Odoi, a teacher at her school, recalled the incident as unfortunate, saying administrators didn’t know of the family’s challenges. Mirembe was allowed to return days after her father’s burial, which some of her teachers attended.

Other families are not so fortunate. One is a nearby family of seven children who dropped out of school in recent years for lack of tuition. Their jobless father, Moses Serikomawa, described the scramble in vain for school fees as “like a cancer. It cannot be treated.”

Raising a total of more than $200 in school fees each term is too much trouble when the family sometimes lacks food, he said. His oldest child, who would be in high school now, dropped out after completing secondary school last year. Now the boy is idle.

“The children still want to go back to school,” Serikomawa said. “When I look at my children, there is no joy, no joy at all.”

The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters, and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Students sign out for classes at Wampewo Ntakke Secondary School in Kawempe tula village, Kampala, Uganda. (AP Photo/Hajarah Nalwadda)

Arts & Entertainment

Brooklyn Public Library’s bold James Baldwin exhibition, “Turkey Saved My Life”

By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff

László Jakab Orsós initially found out via email that there was a photo collection showcasing James Baldwin and his life in Turkey. He thought it was a scam. But he sent a reply, asking to see some of the images. “In less than a day, I was sitting in front of my computer, watching 10 exclusive photographs,” Orsós, the vice president of arts and culture at the Brooklyn Public Library (BPL), told the Amsterdam News. “Amazing works! So, then I thought, okay, this is actually a real thing.”

Turkish photographer and filmmaker Sedat Pakay had captured the photos. He’d formed a friendship with Baldwin when the author first traveled to the city of Istanbul and was granted access to the life Baldwin led while he lived there in the 1960s.

The photo archive is now on display as part of BPL’s centennial celebration of James Baldwin. The exhibition, “Turkey Saved My Life –– Baldwin in Istanbul, 1961–1971,” is on view through Feb. 28, 2025, in the Grand Lobby of BPL’s Central Library.

The Harlem-born and bred Baldwin grew up to become an internationally known writer and social activist. Normally associated with New York City and his life in France, Baldwin was also highly affected by the life

he led in Istanbul, and the photos in the BPL exhibition showcase this connection. While he remained a celebrated writer there, Baldwin found refuge in Turkey ––it was a place that had the kind of diversity that reminded him of New York but with a lot less of the racial hostility. As a gay African American, Baldwin stood out as different, but this southwestern Asian country offered him a distinctive perspective on life.

The many photos on display in the Central Library show the author touring famous historical sites and out in the middle of Turkish

crowds. But there are also intimate moments when he is with family and friends, cooking, talking, laughing, and establishing a life there. Many of the panelists who presented at the December 12 opening of the BPL exhibition explained that Turkey became a viable place for Baldwin to recalibrate. He made friends with other artists and collaborated with local and international performers while there. The country is also where he worked on his manuscripts for “Another Country,” “The Fire Next Time,” and “No Name in the Street.”

The photo exhibition sits in the main lobby and on the second floor of the Brooklyn Public Library, which means it is free and open to the public. BPL’s Orsós noted that the Central Library is not a professional gallery or museum: “Everything that we do turns to our public and tries to bring in people rather than scaring people off. So, no tickets, no guards. Most of the major works are going to be in the main lobby, open to public view. So people are having their coffee and reading their books and walking into the exhibition. They’ll see some of the most striking Sadat Pakay photos of Baldwin, a frail Black male navigating his life through Istanbul. … You see him in the city, you see him among his friends — he had different substantial friendships — major actors. You see him cooking at a party, you see him with his partner who was a swimming instructor, you see him among some of the most recognizable Istanbul landmarks.

“Sadat Pakay was a fantastic, very, very sensible photographer. So you see this face, the very known James Baldwin face, he’s close to the eyes, he sees his face, he sees his eyes, and he keeps looking into the camera, and in the backdrop, there is this soaring civilization, and he’s there kind of walking through that world and feeling increasingly more accepted and safe.” For more info, visit www.bklynlibrary.org.

A Baldwin portrait greets visitors to Brooklyn Public Library’s Grand Lobby (Karen Juanita Carrillo photo)

James Baldwin inside the Blue Mosque. (© Sedat Pakay photos)

Sherbet seller, customers, and Baldwin at Yeni Cami (New Mosque), Istanbul, circa 1965

Immigrant women are next generation of sustainable fashion designers

Nonprofit Custom Collaborative graduates 13th cohort of no- and low-income fashion entrepreneurs

By MARIELLE ARGUEZA Special to the AmNews

When COVID hit, property manager Juanairis Revis lost her job. The majority of residents in her building had perished during the worst of the pandemic. “I wasn’t doing anything; I was just collecting unemployment paychecks,” she said.

More than four months ago, tired of doing nothing all day and missing a sense of purpose, Revis enrolled in a 15-week course with Custom Collaborative, a nonprofit based in the Garment District. The course taught Revis and six other women the basics of clothesmaking and entrepreneurship, including trips to various ateliers and the Metropolitan Museum of Art for inspiration.

Founded in 2016 by Ngozi Okaro, who now serves as its executive director, Custom Collaborative aims to empower women through fashion and business. “I’m a tall woman, so I always have my clothes made,” Okaro said of her reason for founding the venture — being too tall for most women’s clothing is just one of Okaro’s frustrations with the mainstream fashion industry. She has long criticized the unsustainability of affordable fashion and the exploitative practices that disproportionately affect women

with limited economic means.

The idea for Custom Collaborative came to her while picking up custom-made clothes from a West African seamstress. Okaro thought about how successful the seamstress could be with the right

business plan and connections. “She could be making so much more money, and it just wasn’t right,” she said.

Okaro’s professional background is in law rather than clothesmaking, so she enlisted

experts from the fashion industry to help shape the nonprofit’s programs. Today, Custom Collaborative operates with the help of volunteers, mentors, seamstresses, veteran fashion sellers, and business owners who guide

cohorts of low- to no-income women, many of whom — like Revis, originally from the Dominican Republic — are immigrants. The program is far from a simple mending workshop. It’s a comprehensive crash course on the fundamentals and intricacies of clothesmaking and the fashion business. Veronica Jones, Custom Collaborative’s entrepreneurship coach, is a seasoned fashion wholesaler who teaches participants about the economics and management of running a successful business. “I teach everything about running a business — managing themselves, managing employees, everything. They don’t graduate if they can’t make a business plan,” said Jones. Jones’s teachings align with Custom Collaborative’s mission. Okaro didn’t just want to inspire a new generation of fashion designers; she wanted to create financially independent entrepreneurs. To date, 97% of graduates — who hail from 25 countries — have increased their financial literacy; 80% are immigrants, refugees, or first-generation immigrants, and 83% have gone on to start their own businesses.

At the end of the course, participants showcase their skills in a graduation fashion show. On a

Continued on next page

Ngozi Okaro speaks to graduates of Custom Collaborative’s 13th cohort

Juanairis Revis (right) poses with model Iisis Allyson

Kazi Delgarcia models fellow cohort participant’s final creation

Dalia Capellan models peer’s dress. Every garment participants created through 15-week course was made with donated fabrics or materials bound for landfill

Isetou Bahaga, self-proclaimed “proud Gambian Muslim woman,” models custom-made evening dress. Cohort members learn how to design for all women, taking into consideration sizes, cultural backgrounds, and religious modesty (Marielle Argueza photos)

windy December night, 12 years after its founding, Custom Collaborative gathered in the organization’s studio to celebrate the graduation of their 13th cohort, including Revis.

Surrounded by friends, family, donors, and supporters, cohort participants modeled their peers’ customized creations. The outfits — evening gowns inspired by the film industry, the graduation theme — reflected the cohort’s diverse religious, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds.

“Some of them couldn’t even hold a needle 15 weeks ago. Remember that,” Okaro told the audience.

Revis wore a white mermaidsilhouette dress with off-theshoulder sleeves and a matching headscarf, designed and produced by fellow cohort member Kazi Razia Delagracia. Her own design, modeled by another cohort member, was inspired by her Dominican roots. Featuring a mermaid silhouette and plunging neckline, the dress was accented with flared ruffle trim and ruffle flowers. It evoked elements of bachata and merengue dancers’ dresses and the wob dwiyèt,

a lightweight ruffled dress once common in various Caribbean countries.

All the dresses were made with recycled fabrics, zippers, and buttons. Custom Collaborative exclusively uses donated materials or those destined for landfills, reflecting its mission to make fashion more sustainable. The dress Revis wore, for example, was fas-

tened with an outerwear zipper rather than the delicate invisible zippers typically used for evening gowns.

Mimi Jackson, the nonprofit’s success manager, looked at the cohort’s creations with pride. She helps participants thrive beyond the program by connecting them with internships and jobs. “These women come from all kinds of

backgrounds,” Jackson said.

“Some were home health aides, and some were immigrants with no way of supporting themselves when they got here. Now they have the tools and motivation.”

For Revis, the program reignited her passion for working independently. The tools Custom Collaborative gave her are more than just a needle and thread —

she now knows how to navigate a business plan and has outlined a new career path. She hopes to secure an internship and eventually launch her own sustainable label. “I’m so different from who I was before,” said Revis. “I feel like I have a purpose now, and I know what I want to do.”

For more info, visit www.customcollaborative.org.

Juanairis Revis’s final evening gown draws from her roots in Dominican Republic. Pops of color and ruffles from delicate floral-patterned fabric evoke lightweight colorful dresses of Caribbean ballroom dancers (Marielle Argueza photo)

AmNews FOOD

Talking SCHOP! A Cookbook Christmas

KYSHA HARRIS FOOD EDITOR, @SCHOPNYC

With just six days until Christmas, “Santa” can only do so much. However, should you have some cooks, mixologists, bakers, or just eaters and drinkers on your “nice” list, please read on. The gift that keeps on giving is just a click away.

In my time since returning to this page I have had the honor of meeting and working with some dope people in food. They are chefs, editors, television hosts, content makers, influencers, writers, and more. They are an inspiration to me for their passion, unique perspective, and commitment to their art in the form of a cookbook.

As the culinary producer on Melba Wilson’s first cookbook, “Melba’s American Comfort: 100 Recipes from My Heart to Your Kitchen” (a great gift!), I know the amount of time and work that goes into producing the printed result. So for anyone that gets the opportunity to make their own, the package opening of the first copy you might have seen on social media encapsulates tireless days and the patience of a saint.

To get this celebration started, we must have a cocktail. The incomparable, awardwinning journalist, historian, and social activist Toni Tipton-Martin captures the hospitality excellence of Black drinking culture in her latest bestseller “Juke Joints, Jazz Clubs, and Juice: Cocktails from Two Centuries of African American Cookbooks.” She takes readers over two centuries of cocktails from the days of fermented, brewed, and steeped to the modern zero proof cocktails today and all of the shaken and stirred in between. Please also check out her other award winning cookbooks like “Jubilee” and “The Jemima Code.”

Should your giftee be a lover of African food and curious how to make it at home, look no further than the latest cookbook from global activist, restaurateur, and owner of Yolélé African foods and Harlem’s Teranga, chef Pierre Thiam. “Simply West African: Easy, Joyful Recipes for Every Kitchen” celebrates the foods of West Africa with foundational sauces, grains, and beans, plus meat and vegetable main course recipes. Personally, I am in for the snacks section like banana pof pofs with cilantro and scallion. I can tell you first hand that I absolutely swooned receiving “Breaking Bao: 88 Bakes and Snacks from Asia and Beyond.” It is the first cookbook by my friend and uber talented pastry chef Clarice Lam. The play on words of the title is only the beginning of this whimsical, unique-sized, weightypapered cookbook filled with savory and

Toni Tipton-Martin at Tatiana to

sweet recipes, tremendous photography by Evan Sung, and a comprehensive ingredient guide. Remember bao means bun, so never say, “bao bun” again.

Finally, from my personal wish list, I can’t wait to get my hands on “Bodega Bakes: Recipes for Sweets and Treat Inspired by my Corner Store” by celebrated, “booked and busy” chef Paola Velez. Straight from

the BX, Chef Velez takes bakers down her irreverent and impactful memory lane that begins with Cookies for All and ends with Put It in the Freezer!

A very merry Christmas to all! 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 over 22 years. Follow her on Instagram, @SCHOPnyc and on Facebook, @SCHOPnyc.

Questions, comments, requests, feedback, invitations! Email us at AmNewsFOOD@ SCHOPnyc.com. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @NYAmNewsFOOD.

(L to R) Cookbooks by Melba Wilson, Clarice Lam, Toni Tipton-Martin, and Pierre Thiam.

“Melba’s American Comfort” by Melba Wilson

With

celebrate “Juke Joints, Jazz Clubs & Juice.” (Kysha Harris photos)

“Simply West African” by Pierre Thiam

“Juke Joints, Jazz Clubs & Juice” by Toni Tipton-Martin

Brooklyn Children’s Museum celebrates 125 years of play and exploration

By MARIELLE ARGUEZA Special to the Amnews

Like many children in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, Atiba Edwards created some of his fondest childhood memories at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum (BCM), from the tunnel at the entrance to staring at a 35foot Burmese python,.

“We have this tunnel, or people tube, that has been a key part of my life and many people’s lives. It’s been around since the ’70s. I definitely remember running down that tunnel, having a blast,” he said.

Since 1899, the BCM has been known for blending and adapting elements of natural history, local history, and art into child-friendly and play-focused ways. The museum played a foundational role in Edwards’s childhood, and shaped his appreciation for the role it played in the community by making cultural and educational opportunities accessible to all for the last 125 years.

Today, Edwards leads the institution with the same sense of wonder and purpose he felt as a young visitor, and as the first Black person in that role. After careers in investment banking and education, Edwards joined BCM in 2019 as chief operating officer. By November 2023, he was promoted to president and CEO. “It’s come full circle,” he said of his connection to the museum.

The museum is rooted in its mission to celebrate and serve Brooklyn’s diverse population. According to the Furman Center, the borough is 12.3% Asian, 26.9% Black, 18.9% Hispanic, and 35.7% white, with high-income disparities between neighborhoods and a poverty rate at just under 20% in 2022.

Under Edwards’s leadership, the BCM continues to deepen its engagement with the community. This mission is evident in the dozen cultural festivals BCM hosts annually that highlight various traditions while providing informal learning opportunities. Edwards said these festivals are co-created with local artists, fostering collaboration and honoring the borough’s evolving communities.

Approximately one-third of visitors attend for free, thanks to programs like Cool Culture, SNAP discounts, grants supporting Title I schools, or schools receiving extra federal funding due to socioeconomic need. This past October, the museum received a $100,000 grant to support free field trips.

Its “Museum on the Go,” which launched more than five years ago, delivers curated kits to classrooms, ensuring that even schools unable to organize field trips can bring the museum experience to their students.

The pandemic underscored the BCM’s importance as a community resource. Despite closing temporarily during COVID-19, the museum was one of the first children’s institutions on the East Coast to reopen.

Edwards noted that families were searching for safe, familiar places where their children could play and find a sense of normalcy. The BCM provided that refuge, solidifying its role as an essential “third space” — a place where children could enjoy unstructured time to explore, imagine, and connect with peers.

“We’ve always seen ourselves as a community institution,” Edwards said, pointing to the BCM’s longstanding commitment to Crown Heights and beyond. This vision drives the museum’s focus on inclusivity, education, and innovation. Recent highlights include the annual Art Rink, which commissions artists to decorate the BCM’s version of an ice rink, and “In the Works,” a STEM Maker space exploring construction themes through what is essentially a childsafe scaffold.

Built by Yeju Choi and Chat Traviesoda,

New York-based artists known for their community-based public art projects, “In the Works” brings a common sight in the city inside: scaffolding. “It’s kind of like embracing what’s already part of the built environment,” said Choi.

Like all exhibits in the museum, there aren’t many rules to “In the Works.” What looks like a slide can be a steep ramp. What looks like the green wood construction barriers can be a canvas. What is usually frowned upon in the outside world — like graffiti — is OK and even encouraged. “We decided to put walls here so that kids can start personalizing it and drawing and doodling, putting their graffiti on it, just like on the street,” said Traviesoda.

As BCM celebrates its 125th anniversary, the museum continues to honor its legacy while looking toward the future. Reflecting on the museum’s intergeneration-

al impact, Edwards recalled families who visited as children now bringing their own kids, and even grandchildren, to experience the museum. With new programs and initiatives underway, the BCM aims to inspire the next generation while remaining a cornerstone of Brooklyn’s cultural and educational landscape.

The BCM will close out the year with exciting events celebrating its 125th anniversary. On Dec. 21–22, the museum will offer free admission and invite families to participate in an array of intergenerational activities. Highlights include hands-on art workshops, live performances, and immersive exhibits that honor Brooklyn’s cultural diversity. These festivities aim to bring together visitors of all ages, reflecting BCM’s mission to provide accessible and engaging experiences for

community. For more info, visit www.brooklynkids.org.

the

Generations of families have walked through iconic rainbow tunnel, in museum since the ’70s (Marielle Argueza photos)

Brooklyn is made child-sized at World Village, which features reallife borough businesses in miniature, such as L&B Spumoni Gardens Pizzeria and Restaurant

Toad stays warm on a rock, one of BCM’s live-animal exhibits

Just as at a real construction site, Yeju Choi (left) and Chat Traviesoda (right) revise and restructure their exhibit, “In the Works”

Holiday Gift Guide 2024: Celebrate African American and BIPOC businesses

By MAGRIRA Special to the AmNews

As the holiday season nears, it’s time to reflect on the true power of our spending. African American consumers alone will contribute a staggering $1.7 trillion to the economy by 2030, a number that continues to grow exponentially. With this economic power comes an important responsibility: to make purchasing decisions that reflect our values, support our communities, and honor our culture.

There is a misconception that we, as consumers, are powerless. That could not be further from the truth. The power of our money is not only immense, but it’s also an effective tool for fostering positive change. The call to “Buy African American” and support BIPOC businesses has never been more important. It’s time to take action and use our collective economic power to support the businesses that reflect our needs, values, and aspirations.

Here are some incredible African, African American, other BIPOC-owned businesses and consistent allies in the fight for diversity and inclusion to support this holiday season:

1. Bright Black

Website: https://brightblackcandles.com/ Tiffany, Dariel, and Elena — the family behind Bright Black. Our company uses scent as a medium and candles as a platform for sharing positive narratives about African American culture.

Instagram: @brightblackcandle

2. Ruby Jean’s Juicery

Website: https://www.rubyjeansjuicery.com/ CEO, Chris Goode, was introduced to the world of juicing and shown the documentary Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead, and a passion for healthy living was born.

Instagram: @rubyjeansjuicery

3. The Old Town Soap Company

Website: http://www.theoldtownsoapcompany.com/

They craft the products to ensure they are delivering top-quality products using all-natural, sustainable ingredients free of harmful chemicals.

Instagram: @theoldtownsoapcompany

4. Drip Queen Coffee

Website: https://www.dripqueencoffee.com/ Drip Queen Coffee is a proud member of 1% for the Planet, taking responsibility for the health of our planet by donating 1% of annual sales to environmental partners addressing today’s most pressing environmental challenges. Learn more at onepercentfortheplanet.org. Instagram: @dripqueencoffee

5. Plantaizin’

Website: https://plantaizin.com/ Plantaizin’ is a plant-based snack brand that seeks to treat our bodies well and do good in

the world, offering sweet and savory-flavored plantain chips that are 100% all-natural and grown from small farms. The goal is to build community and leave a positive impact by working with and supporting uplifting movements and nonprofit organizations. Instagram: @plantaizin

6. Flowers By Alexes

Website: http://www.flowersbyalexes.com/ Flowers By Alexes LLC is the go-to florist online. Based in Washington, DC, they take pleasure in making arrangements that are as unique and beautiful as possible. Order online or over the phone at (202) 910-7490.

7. Joy Craft Cocoa

Website: http://www.joycraftcocoa.com/ Saidah Farrell is the founder of the Marshmallow of the Month Club, a popular subscription box service that delivers unique, handcrafted marshmallows and gourmet hot chocolates directly to customers’ doorsteps. Instagram: @joycraftcocoa

8. Tipsy Lady Cocktails (Must be 21 years or older)

Website: http://www.tipsyladycocktails.com/

Their ready-to-drink (RTD) Caribbean-inspired cocktails celebrate heritage, culture, and spice. Made to match the original taste of signature Caribbean drinks, with premium spirits and original flavors, the results ensure a distinguished, smooth, fruitful, and sophisticated zest. Instagram: @tipsyladycocktails

9. The Optical Experience

Website: http://www.myopticalexp.com/ The Optical Experience is modern eye care that crafts personalized attention. No rushing, no pressure — just professional care on your terms. Instagram: @theopticalexperience

10. Bodkin Wines

Website: https://bodkinwines.com/ Founded in 2011 by journeyman cellar hand and self-taught Winemaker Chris Christensen, Bodkin Wines disrupted the sparkling wine scene with America’s First Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc in 2012. With one foot rooted in wine science and the other in craftsmanship, Christensen’s minimalist philosophy guides his signature style of high acid, low alcohol wines. These wines have garnered over two dozen 90+ point scores in critical review over the past eight years alone.

Instagram: @bodkinwines

11. Francesca 1993 (Must be 21 years or older) Website: http://www.agavejera.com/ Francesca 1993 is an agave cocktail company rooted in family heritage, love for the land, and a dedication to quality.

Instagram: @francesca_1993

12. Brooks and Bridges

Website: http://www.brooksbridges.com/ They are passionate about creating spaces that wow with standout pieces, infusing homes with elegance and charm, stepping into their ethos: For the Elevated Home. Starting as a tableware company, they have grown to offer a wide range of interior choices.

13. Terminal B Candles

Website: https://terminalbstore.com/ Their candles are made with a proprietary paraffin blend wax and are associated with a city. The three letters correspond to an airport code related to the city. As an example, their Los Angeles-inspired candle is coded with “LAX” because that is the airport code associated with Los Angeles. Free shipping on orders over $100. Instagram: @terminalbstore

communities, educating entrepreneurs, and pioneering food-industry technology. Explore

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23. Pat McGrath Labs

Website: www.patmcgrath.com

Skin Fetish: Divine Blush in Divine Rose Everything about this brand is pure perfection. The instantly indispensable Divine Blush creates a featherlight, long-wearing rush of couture color in demi-matte and satin finishes. Ultra-fine powder pigments deliver sensuously soft, brilliantly blendable application. All nine shades build effortlessly from sheer to subversive, bare to bold, ensuring a wondrous wash of customizable color tailored to every skin tone and type.

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24. REPLICA Website: www.maisonmargiela-fragrances.us

The fragrances within Maison Margiela’s REPLICA collection offer a diverse range of captivating scents, each designed to evolve and linger throughout the day. These versatile fragrances are ideal for layering, both within the REPLICA family and with other brands, allowing for a personalized and dynamic scent experience. Some of the standout additions to the collection include Dancing On the Moon Eau De Parfum, From The Garden, On A Date, Under the Stars, Springtime in a Park, Soul of the Forest, Flying, and Bubble Bath — a timeless scent that appeals to all ages.

25. ALT. Fragrance

Website: altfragrances.com

(Disclaimer: ALT. Fragrances offers alternatives that rival high-end designer scents.)

This company has transformed the fragrance industry by providing consumers with access to luxurious, high-quality scents at a fraction of the cost of traditional designer brands. By crafting premium alternatives to expensive luxury fragrances, ALT. eliminates the “brand tax” consumers often pay for name recognition. Their fragrances are crafted with 100% clean, vegan, and cruelty-free ingredients, ensuring a refined experience without compromise.

For a perfect introduction to their collection, I recommend the Fall Sample Pack — a carefully curated set of five exquisite extrait de parfums, designed to capture the essence of the season:

Autumn Leaves – A complex blend inspired by Tobac Vanille, offering a smoky and captivating aroma.

Sensual Vanilla – A rich, indulgent fragrance influenced by Vanilla Sx*, ideal for those who savor sweet decadence.

Falcon – A sophisticated scent inspired by Althair, adding a touch of refinement to your autumn fragrance wardrobe.

Simply Santal – A timeless classic inspired by Santal 33, evoking the soft, warm, and earthy essence of sandalwood.

Nicotianna – A sophisticated blend inspired by “Tobac Vanille,” offering a smoky and alluring aroma.

In 2012, Founder + CEO Melissa Butler started the Lip Bar by making lipstick in her Brooklyn kitchen. Since then, The Lip Bar has been awarded by Byrdie, Refinery 29, and Allure.

Instagram: @thelipbar

17. Honey Pot

Website: https://thehoneypot.co/ Plant-derived feminine care — from their kitchen to your hands, focusing on vaginal wellness. Instagram: @thehoneypotco

18. McBride Sisters Wine Co (Must be 21 years or older)

Website: https://www.mcbridesisters.com/ In all of their products, they pay homage to their heritage, and we honor all African American women in our community, across the diaspora and the world, who have graced culture and society with her soul, spirit, and magic for generations.

19. EatOkra

Website: https://www.eatokra.com/

EatOkra connects customers with African American-owned restaurants. They are on a mission to be the most trusted resource for the African American-owned food ecosystem by building alongside African American food

J’Aaron, Jasmine, and Madia noticed a huge gap in the market when it came to holiday

tically represented our diverse communities.

lustration, they decided to take matters into their own hands and bring their vision to life. Instagram: @blackpaperparty

Supporters of the community and perfect choices for gifts

21. MAKE UP FOREVER

Website: www.makeupforever.com/us/en

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22. Armani Beauty

Website: www.giorgioarmanibeauty-usa.com/ Luminous Silk Natural Glow Foundation

The Luminous Silk Natural Glow Foundation has been providing diverse shade options long before it became a trend. Combined with the Luminous Silk Hydrating & Brightening Concealer, you have a flawless finish. This

Unparalleled poet and eternal activist

Nikki Giovanni dies at 81

Nikki Giovanni, the fiery poet, author, activist, and educator whose words remind us of the power of art to evoke change, inspire hope, and express the depth of the human experience, died on Dec. 9, in Blacksburg, VA. She was 81. Her death was due to complications from lung cancer, according to her wife Virginia Fowler.

Giovanni’s last live performance at NJPAC occurred on Oct. 19, where she appeared in a familiar jazz configuration that featured tenor saxophonist Javon Jackson, bassist Christian McBride, and pianist Jeremy Masasia. Once aware of her New Jersey performance, it was evident I would definitely be in attendance. On that Saturday morning, I was up early to make the trek from Manhattan to Newark. I arrived 30 minutes early and sat in anticipation, surrounded by women, in a sold-out auditorium.

After a few tunes from the trio, Jackson ac-

Cello and piano sibling pair stun audiences at Carnegie Hall

By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews

A few days before British cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason and his sister, pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason, were scheduled to perform at Carnegie Hall, he had a dispute with Air Canada about a seat they had booked for his cello (worth approximately $3.15 million, according to CNN). After the airline refused to allow them to board the plane with the instrument, they cancelled their concert date in Toronto. On Sunday afternoon at Carnegie Hall, that same instrument in Sheku’s hands resonated with authority as he navigated the compositions of Felix Mendelssohn, Gabriel Fauré, Natalie Klouda, and Francis Poulenc. Isata established the joyful poignance of Mendelssohn’s “Cello Sonata No.1 in B-flat Major Op. 45” with her opening chords and sweeping octaves. Sheku swooped in and accentuated the swelling force of the string of notes. Isata concluded the segment with rapid arpeggios — a veritable filigree of folk songs. By the third movement, the brother and sister, just two of seven musically gifted siblings, were harmonically linked and took turns invoking the melody. They soared together again on Fauré’s “Cello Sonata No. 1 in D Minor, p. 109.” Much of the solo space, understandably, belonged to Sheku, his fingers flutter-

ing like hummingbird wings with each vibrant stroke of his bow, and the beauty of his cello bringing dramatic moments of French impressionist compositions. There was even a dip or two into the sonic waves of Erik Satie’s “Gymnopedies.”

Isata complemented his smooth articulation with rolling gallops up and down the keyboard. Their blend was almost conversational.

Sheku and Isata seemed practically gleeful in their interpretation of Klouda’s “Tor Mordon” (sea mount of light), a homage to them and their Antiguan and Welsh ancestry. Each movement combined folkloric images and their playing took on a storytelling evocation.

grand opportunities to inspire each other with danceable lines of music, alternately bright and almost silent.

companied Giovanni to the stage as a thunderous roar erupted, combined with a standing ovation that lasted for a wonderful 3 minutes. The combustion only subsided with the poet’s soft response: “Thank you, thank you, but the show isn’t that long.” There was joy on her face and we felt her love — it was an emotional moment for all.

Giovanni recited poetry and shared life experiences, including her days at Fisk University, which drew explosive cheers from an obvious alumni section. A contingency of the poet’s honorary sorority Delta Sigma Theta could be heard during their mention.

At one point, Giovanni talked about her ongoing battle with cancer, which sparked a loud gasp from the audience. My heart fell to the bottom of my shoes like an out-of-control elevator dropping 30 floors down. “Well, I asked my doctor what was he going to do about it because I’m going to keep on living,” she said. With a sigh, we all laughed along with her and she then carried on in grand form.

After the concert, Giovanni was available in the lobby for a book signing; at least 10 titles were on sale. As she signed my copies of her books, I took the opportunity to let her know how much she influenced my writing over the years and my being a fellow HBCU alum (from FAMU). She smiled, offered me congratulations, and noted that FAMU was one of her next stops. That performance is now a historical event, a magical moment.

Since recording their first album together, “The Gospel According to Nikki Giovanni” (2022), the poet and Jackson had become somewhat of a collaborative team, recording their second album earlier this year, “Javon & Nikki Go to the Movies” (Solid Jackson Records, 2024). This album selects some of Giovanni’s favorites — standards from the Great American Songbook, many of them originally composed for Hollywood classics, as well as three Jackson originals and one by Sonny Rollins.

Giovanni has been connected to the jazz scene since the tumultuous 1960s civil rights and Black Arts movements. Her words flow like a muted Miles Davis solo: all truth and spirited inspiration.

“Nikki had a creative spirit,” said Jackson. “Her vast knowledge and appreciation of Lester Young and Billie Holiday was part of the love of having her onstage with me.”

Sheku’s cello gave this premiere an unforgettable performance, with Isata teasing a collection of high notes as if to summon memories of their grandfather’s violin. At the close of their lovely treatment, Klouda joined them on stage.

The duo closed the concert with Poulenc’s “Cello Sonata, FP 143” providing

Whether in soft, featherily sprints on his instrument or the often thunderous leaps, Sheku was masterfully in control, and Isata, with each turn of the page, matched his brilliant delivery.

An extended standing ovation brought them back for an encore: “In the Bleak Midwinter,” a piece by Gustav Holst that was as short as it was fascinating.

They left the stage with Sheku holding his precious cello in a protective embrace.

Giovanni’s life and career were the subject of the documentary “Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project” (2023), which in 2024 won an Emmy Award for exceptional merit in documentary filmmaking. During her prominent career, Giovanni wrote over 25 books, several collections of poetry, nonfiction essays, poetry anthologies, poetry recordings, with topics ranging from race, gender, sexuality, and social issues to children’s literature. Her reputation began to surface in the late

British cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason and sister, pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason. (Herb Boyd photo)

Nikki Giovanni

1960s with her bullet-piercing words during the civil rights and Black Power Movements. She was one of the notable authors of the Black Arts Movement that was an extension of the Harlem Renaissance. Her prose, poems, and spoken word presentations reflected personal passions such as food, romance, family, and space travel — which she felt Black women were more than qualified for, given all they had survived on Earth.

Her poem “Biscuits Dropping or Baked” denoted food passion in the Black family tradition: “serve them warm remembering summer mornings before church/ or Saturday evenings with fried fish/ Biscuits always bring memories of home.” Her poem “Still Life with Apron,” expresses the erotic nature of food and cooking.

One of her most memorable poems, which a generation of students, fans, and revolutionaries committed to memory, was “Ego Tripping (there may be a reason why).” That poem is defiant, inspirational, uplifting ode to Black womanhood: “I was born in the Congo/I walked to the Fertile Crescent and built the Sphinx/I designed a pyramid so tough that a star/That only glows every one hundred years falls/Into the center giving divine perfect light /I am bad.”

In 1968, Giovanni self-published her first volume of poetry, “Black Feeling, Black Talk.” It included one of her best-known poems “Nikki-Rosa.” Another early collection, 1972’s “Gemini,” was a finalist for a National Book

Award. She founded the publishing company NikTom, publishing her own work as well as that of fellow Black women writers like Gwendolyn Brooks and Carolyn Rodgers.

“My dream was not to publish or even to be a writer; my dream was to discover something no one else had thought of,” Giovanni said. “I guess that’s why I’m a poet. We put things together in ways no one else does.”

She became a regular guest on the WNET television program “Soul!” With its host Elis Haizlip, the program served as a platform for political expression and entertainment that featured such influential guests as Muhammad Ali, Jesse Jackson, Gladys Knight, and Miriam Makeba.

Giovanni’s candid conversation with James Baldwin on “Soul!,” filmed in London in 1971, has become popular on social media with a new following among younger generations.

The two-part special was one of the most significant conversations between two intellectual Black authors of opposite sexes in television history. It led to their co-authoring a book entitled “A Dialogue,” in which the two authors spoke candidly about the meaning of Black manhood and Black womanhood.

Yolande Cornelia Giovanni, Jr. was born on June 7, 1943, in Knoxville, Tenn., to Yolande (Watson) Giovanni and Jones “Gus” Giovanni. Her older sister, Gary Ann, nicknamed her Nikki. Shortly after her birth, the family moved to Cincinnati, where she grew up under the dark cloud of segregation. She would travel often between Tennessee and Ohio, bound to her parents and to her maternal grandparents

in her “spiritual home” in Knoxville. At age 16, she attended Fisk University, in Nashville, Tenn., where future activist and legislator John Lewis was a fellow student. Giovanni was asked to leave after a dispute over leaving campus without permission and other rules. When she returned to classes, John Oliver Killens (a founder of the Harlem Writers Guild) was one of her professors. She graduated from Fisk in 1967 with honors, the same year she organized Cincinnati’s first Black Arts Festival.

Giovanni attended the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Work on a Ford Fellowship, but dropped out. The dean arranged for her to receive a National Endowment for

the Arts fellowship to attend Columbia University’s School of Fine Arts, but she eventually decided to leave to pursue writing full time.

She began teaching in 1969, at Livingston College of Rutgers University, and some years later, she started teaching creative writing and literature at Virginia Tech, where she taught until December 2022. During her time at Virginia Tech, she earned the title of University Professor Emerita.

In 2007, that university was the site of a mass shooting. The gunman was a former student of Giovanni’s, and she had earlier alerted school authorities about his troubling behavior. At a memorial service, she recited a poem she wrote called “We Are Virginia Tech.” Giovanni ended the poem with “We are Virginia Tech, We will prevail.”

Giovanni’s many honors include seven N.A.A.C.P. awards, 31 honorary doctorates, the Langston Hughes Medal, the Harlem Cultural Council Award, and a 2004 Grammy Award nomination for her poetry album, “The Nikki Giovanni Poetry Collection.” She was named as one of Oprah Winfrey’s 25 “Living Legends,” and she was Woman of the Year for the magazines Ebony, Mademoiselle, and Ladies’ Home Journal

Her final work of poetry, titled “The Last Book,” is set to be published in 2025. During her performance at NJPAC, she noted, “I highly recommend old age; it’s fun.”

Giovanni is survived by her wife, Virginia Fowler, and her son and granddaughter, Thomas and Kai Giovanni, in addition to cousins Allison “Pat” Ragan and Haynes Ford, and nephew Christopher Black.

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Nikki Giovanni (Photo courtesy of NJPAC)

CLASSROOM IN THE

Rudy Render, pianist, composer, and one-film wonder

By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews

There’s a brief nightclub scene in the 1953 film “Torch Song,” starring Joan Crawford, where the pianist and vocalist is Rudy Render. It was a typical cameo, so much a part of Hollywood fare, that gave an African American performer an opportunity, although in most cases, it had nothing at all to do with the plot. Not only did we wonder what happened to him later in the film, we also wondered what happened to his movie career.

Not much happened in either instance for the man born Rudolph Valentino Render on July 1, 1926 in Terre Haute, Ind. As a student at Indiana State University, he studied piano and was a charter member of the Chi Sigma chapter of Omega Psi Phi fraternity. He was still enrolled in college when he began performing at various clubs around the city. It was during one of these gigs that he met the writer Bill Hays, the son of the politician and deviser of the Hays Code (A set of guidelines that regulated the moral content of Hollywood films from 1934 to 1968).

At Hays’s suggestion, Render moved to Hollywood before com-

pleting his master’s degree at Indiana State Teachers College. After a fortuitous meeting with agent Berle Adams, he was immediately given a chance to record Jessie Mae Robinson’s song “Sneakin’ Around” for London Records. The song was soon number 2 on the “Billboard” R&B chart in 1949, but his recording career was quickly interrupted by a call to military service.

That small cameo role he performed in “Torch Song” came just as he mustered out of the Army. His appearance in the film earned him chances to continue his nightclub routine and studio recording on several minor labels.

In 1959, he co-wrote the title music for the film “It Started with a Kiss,” starring Debbie Reynolds, an opportunity that came as a result of knowing Reynolds’s brother. This led to his becoming Reynolds’s musical director for 22 years, working with her on stage shows and films, including the 1964 production “The Unsinkable Molly Brown,” which was nominated for an Academy Award. (Reynolds was nominated for best actress, but Julie Andrews won with her performance in “Mary Poppins.”)

There was no mention of Render

in the production credits, but he gets a resounding shout-out in Debbie Reynolds’s memoir. “My brother, [Billy], had been drafted when I was seventeen and was stationed at Fort Ord in Monterey, along with David Janssen and Dick Long,” Reynolds recalled. “Weekends when I didn’t have USO dates I would go up and entertain. One of Billy’s friends, Rudy Render, who worked for the general, played accompaniment for me. Rudy, who was black, was an excellent professional musician in his own right. We became fast friends, and the friendship grew and grew.

“One weekend Billy came home on leave and invited Rudy to dinner,” Reynolds continued. “No one had bothered to tell my father Rudy was black. He arrived just as we were sitting down to dinner. Daddy took one look at Rudy and got up from the table. Billy, Mother, and I were mortally embarrassed.

“Mother said something about Daddy having an upset stomach, and it was covered up. But he never came back to the table. After Rudy left that night, we went out to see Daddy, who was tinkering with a machine he was repairing in the garage. I asked him why he had left

the table during dinner. ‘But Rudy is a friend, Daddy,’ I said.”

A few months later, Reynolds wrote, “Rudy, who was from Indiana, was in a very serious automobile accident in Los Angeles. He had fractured his back and needed to stay in bed for a few weeks. He had no place to stay. Mother and Daddy had recently done over the garage and made it into a small ‘guesthouse’ with twin beds and a kitchenette. Rudy moved in there and Mother nursed him for three weeks. I was working or traveling during most of that time and so Daddy had to help Mother with Rudy. He grew attached to Rudy and began to think of him as a son. In time Rudy became as close to my father as anyone he ever knew, other than my brother and myself. Rudy called me the night Daddy died, years later, and sobbed so much I had to hang up because I was having a hard time controlling myself. For Rudy it was like losing his own father.”

Render left the music business in 1972 and devoted himself to teaching at an elementary school in North Hollywood until retiring in 2001. He was 88 when he died in 2014.

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FIND OUT MORE

There’s more material about Render’s relationship with Reynolds and her family in her memoir.

DISCUSSION

Unfortunately, there’s very little about Render’s early years in Reynolds’s book, nor is there any information about those days otherwise.

PLACE IN CONTEXT

Render lived for nearly a century and his days in Hollywood offer a glimpse of what it was like for an aspiring African American actor and musician.

THIS WEEK IN BLACK HISTORY

Dec. 17, 1939: Singer Eddie Kendricks, a former member of the Temptations, was born in Union Springs, Ala. He died in 1992.

Dec. 18, 1917: Actor/ playwright Ossie Davis was born in Cogdell, Clinch County, Ga. He died in 2005.

Dec. 21, 1942: Rhythm and blues vocalist Carla Thomas was born in Memphis, Tenn.

Rudy Render (Photo courtesy of WBSS Media)

Campaign funds

Continued from page 2

own from bigger donors at the higher $3,700 contribution limit. He would also no longer be held under the roughly $8 million spending limit for program participants.

Election reform advocates approved of Adams being denied funds. Karen Wharton, democracy coalition coordinator of Citizen Action of New York, applauded CFB’s decision, saying that a failure

Neely family

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tors argued was reckless. The medical examiner ruled the manner of death a homicide via compression of the neck.

But the preceding events caught national attention. Neely, who lived with serious mental illness, entered the train with a threatening outburst. He did not make physical contact and was unarmed. But when he frightened the other passengers, Penny, a former marine, intervened.

A video of the deadly encounter surfaced online soon after. Protests erupted in the city and a week later, Penny was publicly identified and charged for manslaughter and negligent homicide. But across the country, conservative figures anointed the former marine a hero and raised more than $3 million towards his legal defense fund.

to comply should result in the denial of public funds. “This decades-old program has helped the NYC Council become one of the most diverse in history and more reflective of the people who live here,” said Wharton. “This progress is an important step toward a more inclusive democracy. That is a crucial reason to protect this landmark program: ensuring it remains equitable and transparent.”

The Adams campaign was not alone; 13 other mayoral candidates also failed to qualify for public matching funds this round,

mostly because they didn’t reach the threshold or didn’t submit their paperwork in time.

Stringer, in his second attempt at running for mayor, is seemingly banking on Adams’s downfall. He was awarded $2,088,571 in public matching funds.

“New York City needs a proven reformer to clean up City Hall and get the government back to delivering for people in this city,” Stringer said in a statement. “Our campaign qualifying for matching funds shows that New Yorkers trust that I am the best candidate to do so. In living rooms

Mills, who spoke to the AmNews in his Midtown Manhattan office, believes the prosecution largely laid out the case properly and acknowledged the jury’s hesitation in sending Penny to prison for intervening in a “scary” situation. However, like prosecutor Dafna Yoran, Mills believes Penny went too far.

The trial began in the fall, with the jury ultimately hung on manslaughter, the top charge, which was ultimately dropped. By then, Neely’s aunt Mildred Mahazu knew Penny would not be convicted. Days later, he was fully acquitted.

“He’s not a policeman. He [had] no reason to put his hands on Jordan,” said Mahazu over the phone. “If he never put his hands on Jordan, Jordan would be alive today.”

“The fact that a jury was hung on manslaughter shows me that there are people who believed that Daniel Penny was respon-

NEED HEALTH INSURANCE

across the city, thousands of grassroots donors have chipped in to lay the foundation of our five-borough coalition and say loud and clear that they are fed up with the status quo.”

Stringer said he is “honored and inspired by the hardworking people from every walk of life who have placed their trust in me to put the greatest city in the world back on track. With the additional resources, we will continue to assemble a robust, well-organized campaign that is built to last and will spread our message across the five boroughs.”

sible for Jordan’s death,” said Mills. “We also know that in a civil suit, which is what we’re bringing, the standard is lower. The burden is lower. In a criminal case, it has to be proven ‘beyond a reasonable doubt.’ In a civil case, it is ‘more likely than not.’

“The other part is I truly believe that Daniel started out trying to do the right thing and believing he was doing the right thing. And I think a jury believed that as well and it makes it hard to convict this person of a crime and potentially send him to jail… in the civil case, jail is not an option. So I think it makes it easier for a jury to focus simply on his actions and not the end result.”

Health

Morse discusses being acting health commissioner, Long COVID, and HEALTHY NYC

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

Dr. Michelle Morse, MD, MPH has been named acting health commissioner and chief medical officer of the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC DOHMH). She spoke with the Amsterdam News about her new role, Long COVID, and her goals. This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

AmNews: The AmNews interviewed outgoing Commissioner Vasan prior to his leaving the position and he indicated that he believed this was “your time.” What do you think about those words and what do you need to do now as acting commissioner of NYC DOHMH?

Michelle Morse, MD, MPH (MM): Those are very kind words from Dr. Vasan and I think that ultimately, we remain in a moment where public health needs to continue to be a priority in the city. I feel very confident that we’ve laid the groundwork, but we need to keep public health at the center of priorities for the city. As to whether it’s my time, I think it’s less about me and more about how we keep public health and health equity at the top of the agenda for the city, for the nation, for the world.

Part of the reason I put it that way is because we are still in unprecedented times when it comes to public health — the number of infectious disease threats, the number of ways in which social inequity is threatening the health of people. Those are all still top of mind and very timely concerns.

AmNews: We saw a lot of powerful initiatives over the last couple of years, especially around teen health and the NYC teenspace, and COVID19. What are some of the things that you plan to do that will be particular to what you feel are the needs for the good people of New York City?

MM: What we need to continue to do is focus on the needs

of Black pregnant people and women, in large part because of what the data tells us. All these priorities are driven by the data that we have in New York City telling us where to focus. Chronic disease inequities, birth equity, the office of Healthcare Accountability [are] going to be big priorit[ies] for me.

The 1115 Medicaid waiver is another kind of area of focus that we’ll continue to pursue.

AmNews: Could you discuss the 1115 waiver in more detail?

This waiver [provides more

than $7 billion over] three years and is 100% focused on health equity. It is a huge opportunity for us. We’ve had a wonderful partnership with the New York State Health Department over the past several years in the planning and now in the early implementation of the waiver. This vehicle is a way to deepen our partnership with the state. Because the New York City Health Department has a long legacy of being a leader at the vanguard of health equity and public health, we have a lot to offer the state, as well as

to bring our perspective, experience, and priorities around HEALTHY NYC to the goals of the waiver.

AmNews: Could you talk about where we are with Long COVID?

(NYC.gov photo)

all of the partners that are implementing the waiver here in New York City, [thanks to] our frontline view on health inequities in New York City. HEALTHY NYC is a part of elevating those key health inequities and supporting the key aspects of the waiver by partnering with the social care networks and also with the organization that ends up being named as the statewide health equity regional organization.

That’s our goal: to make sure that implementation is successful in New York City and

MM: Yes, absolutely. COVID and respiratory viral season are still huge priorities for us in the New York City Health Department. There is no better time for everyone to get their updated COVID shot, their flu shot, and — if they’re eligible — an RSV shot as well. We’re encouraging everyone to do that, particularly those who are 65 and older, those who are pregnant, and those who have other things that make them more vulnerable to respiratory viral season. We certainly are continuing to push those priorities. We are also going to be pushing information and messaging campaigns around those priorities. It’s still top of mind for us. The good news is that deaths from COVID have continued to trend down, [which] is a great sign of progress. However, we know that for those who are unvaccinated, the risk of Long COVID is higher, and we know that it’s not only death that matters, of course — with COVID, there are so many other implications. From a Long COVID perspective, we just recently put out a Dear Colleague letter about Long COVID. It ended up going viral on Tiktok because so many people were excited to see guidance from the health department about what providers should be doing in screening for Long COVID and addressing concerns that patients might communicate.

AmNews: Is there anything you’d like to tell our readers?

MM: I’m stepping up at this time because I think it is an incredibly important time for leadership in public health. I feel honored and humbled by the opportunity to serve. I plan to focus on stability in the department, and equity. Those will be my areas of focus and I hope that New Yorkers will feel the impact of those two areas of focus.

No child left behind

disparate and adverse outcomes, but data from United for Brownsville shows that their work is yielding positive results in the community: Between 2019 and 2022, there was a consistent rise in the number of children of color aged 0–2 enrolled in early intervention programs in Brownsville.

The organization collaborated with the NYC Department of Health’s Bureau of Early Intervention and many health and social service providers to initiate the Early Intervention Ambassador program.

“We’ve been able to train providers with the Department of Health on what it looks like to engage with families,” Herring said. “Once a year, we sit with 50 providers in all different boroughs, and we train them on what engagement should look like.”

Recognizing the Brownsville success, several nonprofits and organizations across the boroughs have adopted the Early Intervention Ambassador program, tailoring it to meet the needs of their own communities.

“For our community — because Spanish is, I would say, the first language that we are serving our communities, we ensured that our ambassadors were bilingual [so] we don’t run into [problems like] ‘Hold on, let me get someone on the phone to be able to interpret for you,’” said Maria Panero, director of South Bronx Rising Together, a nonprofit that establishes path-

ways for children and youth’s success from childhood to career. “We knew that having someone [who] speaks more Spanish as well was going to be super-helpful as we implemented the ambassador model.”

For Harrington, the data and adoption by other organizations validates their efforts to close the gap in early intervention access. He hopes that access rates for Black and Brown children will continue to soar.

“We want to ensure that children are set up on pathways to be as successful as they can in life, and early intervention is a great start to doing that,” said Harrington. “We want to continue that success we’ve had in Brownsville and not see [lack of access] drop any further.”

Gooden, who is now an Early Intervention Ambassador assistant at United for Brownsville, said the organization empowered her to fight for her son’s needs. “The Early Intervention Ambassador role taught me how to use my voice, and I was forced to use my voice to advocate for my own child,” she said. “That’s when I became motivated to take on the role of becoming an ambassador myself.”

While hurdles remain until equitable early intervention access is completely attained, it’s clear that work is being done to close the gap day by day toward guaranteeing that no child is left behind.

Reduce Your Cancer Risk by Eating Healthy

Learn to make healthy, low-cost meals through our free online cooking series led by Karla Giboyeaux, a registered dietitian at the MSK Ralph Lauren Center in Harlem.

Point your smartphone camera at the QR code and tap the link to find festive recipes for the holidays, including a red meat-free version of Pastelón.

Education

Bronx River High School gets green light for remote learning on Fridays

By CESAR JIMENEZ Special to the AmNews

This article was republished from the Bronx River News through Press Pass NYC. The NYC Department of Education has

HOUSING ACTION COUNCIL ANNOUNCES HIDDEN MEADOW

FAIR AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING

38-45 MUSCOOT RIVER ROAD IN THE TOWN OF SOMERS WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NEW YORK

EIGHT (8) TOWNHOMES FOR SALE

3 BR/2 Bath

SALE PRICE: $275,000 (APPROX. 1,333 SF)

Household Size: Minimum 3 Household Members

Limited to Households at or below 80% of the Westchester Area Median Income

3 Person 4 Person 5 Person 6 Person

$112,500 $124,950 $134,950 $144,950 (As of April, 2024 Maximum Household Income and Sale Price Subject to Change ) THE COMPLETE OFFERING TERMS ARE IN AN OFFERING PLAN AVAILABLE FROM SPONSOR: FILE NO. H200003

Sponsor: Hidden Meadow at Somers, LLC, 57 Route 6, Suite 207, Baldwin Place, NY 10505 . Each

EIGHT (8) RENTAL APARTMENTS

1BR/1 Bath

MONTHLY RENT: $1,389 (APPROX. 727 SF)

Household Size: 1 or 2 Member Households

Limited to Households at or below 60% of the Westchester Area Median Income 1 Person 2 Person

$65,600 $74,950

(As of April, 2024. Maximum Household Income and Rental Price Subject to Change.)

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: JANUARY 27, 2025

LOTTERY SETS THE ORDER FOR QUALIFICATION FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR TO APPLY ONLINE, CONTACT HOUSING ACTION COUNCIL (914) 332-4144 | hac@affordablehomes.org | www.housingactioncouncil.org

approved Bronx River High School’s proposal to offer remote learning on select Fridays starting in the spring 2025 semester. The next step requires students getting parental permission: At least 70% of parents must sign up for the remote plan.

If the plan goes forward, students will receive remote instruction on Feb. 7, Feb. 28, March 7, March 14, April 4, April 25, May 9, May 23, and June 6. Students will be dismissed at 1 p.m. To take part in remote Fridays, students will have to bring in permission slips from their parents. Students whose parents opt out of remote learning will attend school in person on those days.

History teacher Shivanie Ramnarine is excited about the plan because it allows her to connect with students in a different setting. “I get to see them at home,” she said. “I get to see a different side of them … that’s one of the things I missed about teaching during COVID, because I got to see the kids in a different light.’’

Principal Greg Fucheck hopes the school-based virtual program will improve school attendance and teacher recruitment and retention, especially for staff who have long commutes.

“Chronic (student) absenteeism is the most significant challenge for our school, even though Bronx River is a high-performing school with a class of 2024 graduation rate of 95%, class of ’23 at 100%, and the class of ‘22 at 95%,” he said. “We are still trending towards a yearly attendance rate of 88 to 89%,’’ Fucheck said.

In NYC schools, any student with less than 90% attendance counts as being chronically absent. Fucheck hopes the remote option can address some of the

reasons students with chronic absenteeism miss school. Some students have social anxiety about being in school, he said. Others are absent because they need to care for younger siblings or have medical appointments during the school day.

Jayden Sanchez, a senior at Bronx River, is looking forward to the plan. “It makes me happy because I don’t have to get up early for a bus that takes a long time to arrive, especially during the cold or when it rains, but instead I can be on time for all my classes in the comfort of my own room,” he said.

Even so, some teachers worry about the remote option, especially those who saw the struggles some students faced with online learning during COVID. “Some may not have access to laptops, a working camera, and internet,’’ said Charley Ruperto, a teacher who started his first year during the COVID lockdown.

“Student microphones not working when we were doing remote learning became a usual most days,’’ he said. “Some students say their microphone or camera doesn’t work. I can see that happening again; whether it be real or not, who knows.’’

Oscar Juarez, a senior at Bronx River, believes that having remote learning only one day a week will not negatively affect his learning because he will enter the building on the other four days. “I’m excited for this because it gives me a day to recharge myself and to focus on any missing work I have,’’ he said. “I could also more easily communicate with my teachers if I’m having a problem through an email, a private chat, or in breakout rooms.’’

Bronx River High School is on Herbert H. Lehman High School campus (DanTD photo via Wikipedia)

Cleare

Continued from page 4

this community feel the same way I do. We try to respectfully wait on OGS and NYPD to respond, but best believe, by all means, damn this label, damn the title. We’re protecting our sister whether the NYPD or OGS cooperate. But why do we have to go that route? Let’s do it the right way.”

Cleare said she feels that these kinds of incidents will increase once Donald Trump is sworn in as president in January 2025. “If this is how people are acting beforehand, and this has nothing to do with who you supported; it’s just about what he represents to those people, I have every reason to believe it will get worse,” said Cleare at the conference.

Councilmember Yusef Salaam added, in a statement, that he stands in full solidarity with Cleare and her staff as they face “unacceptable threats.”

The OGS said that it “is aware of the recent incident” that occurred in the state office building and that they have met with Cleare and her staff to address any questions and concerns. “We understand that this incident caused concern, and we want to assure the public and building occupants that their safety is our highest priority. OGS continues to take all the necessary precautions to prioritize the safety and well-being of those who occupy our state

buildings,” said an OGS spokesperson.

OGS said that it regularly reviews its safety protocols, and that all state office buildings undergo a continuous cycle

of upgrades and improvements. The Harlem building upgrades have been ongoing since 2022, said the spokesperson. In addition, OGS is working with

subject matter experts from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to further review security at Harlem’s state office building.

Harlem State Senator Cordell Cleare (Ariama C. Long photo)

Religion & Spirituality

Hope in Hot-Mess Times

14 The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 15 In those days and at that time, I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.16 In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: “The Lord is our righteousness.”

Jeremiah 33.14-16 NRSVUE

Before those words above, the picture Jeremiah paints in this 33rd chapter of his prophecy looks like the destruction and devastation I see in my social media feeds. It looks like Gaza. It looks like Congo or Sudan. It looks like Haiti or Ukraine. It looks like California after fires and it looks like the Carolinas after storms. Where there has been dancing and laughter, now there is weeping and mourning. Where there used to be children playing in the streets, now they are climbing over the rubble, trying to find food, or remnants of their loved ones. Gone are live -

stock and pets, gone are the fruits of the earth and the fruit of the wine.

There is no proof of life; the stench of death is strong in the air. And as was true for many ancient peoples, these people believe the only answer to “why?” is that they have displeased God and that God has punished them. They believed that when good things happened, God was responsible, as a reward for their goodness. AND when trouble came, God was responsible, giving them what they deserved.

Sadly, this theology permeates much of our modern understanding. And to be honest, I don’t believe that. If it were true, so many people doing despicable things, and causing harm to communities and the planet, would not be flourishing. They would be the ones searching for food on garbage heaps and they are not. If that theology were true, amazing humans doing incredibly loving things for their communities would not be struggling to make ends meet. Do you see what I mean? It is difficult to make a direct correlation between good people getting good things, and bad people getting bad things.

The issue I am raising is theodicy: Does a good God allow bad things to happen to good people? Does a good God allow good things to happen to bad people? I’ve got lots of thoughts on this topic that I’ll continue to share in this space, some of it shaped by a book by Rabbi Harold Kushner, “When Bad Things Happen to Good People.”

For now, with Chaldean/Babylonian conquest, captivity and exile in the background, with desolation and the absence of human and animal life thriving, no matter how they got there, Jeremiah reminds these people of God’s covenant-keeping faithfulness. God will restore, God will repair, God will reclaim the people. God is a promisekeeper, Jeremiah is saying. And as sure as day follows night, humans should not doubt God’s intention, power and ability to not only repair what’s broken BUT to raise up people to partner with God to fix these broken things and make sure it stays fixed.

Jeremiah writes to give hope to the people, even amid their sorrow.

How do we hope in hot-mess times? I think it is about learning how to see. Learning how to see in the distance, in the future; to be far-sighted enough to see the moral arc of the universe bending toward justice. To see and to imagine that God is faithful and has what C.S.

Lewis calls an “unbounded now,” an eternal kind of time, to keep God’s promises. I think hope is also about hindsight. To be able to turn around and look over our shoulders — like a Sankofa — and see what God has been up to. See God healing broken systems, see God working with humans to ensure human rights. See God in the protests, in the community organizing, in the discovery of medications that cure diseases.

Hope is learning how to see. To see a Holy Partner at work in the world, moving against injustice with love, equipping authors, artists and activists; parents, poets and preachers to work with the power of Spirit to bring dead places back to life. To end wars and enmity. To cause justice to roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

Civil rights theologian, mystic and minister Howard Thurman wrote: Look well to the growing edge! All around us worlds are dying, and new worlds are being born; all around us life is dying, and life is being born. The fruit ripens on the tree, the roots are silently at work in the darkness of the earth against a time when there shall be new leaves, fresh blossoms, green fruit. Such is the growing edge! It is the extra breath from the exhausted lung, the one more thing to try when all else has failed, the upward reach of life when weariness closes in upon all endeavor. This is the basis of hope in moments of despair, the incentive to carry on when times are out of joint and men have lost their reason, the source of confidence when worlds crash and dreams whiten into ash. The birth of the child — life’s most dramatic answer to death — this is the growing edge incarnate. Look well to the growing edge!

This is a rough time, friends. BUT see that growing edge incarnate? Hope is there.

For more thoughts on hope, listen to my podcast, Love.Period. https://cac. org/podcasts/hope-is-the-thing/

Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis is senior minister and public theologian at Middle Church in New York. Celebrated internationally for her dynamic preaching and commitment to building a just society with fierce love, Dr. Lewis champions racial, economic, and gender/sexuality justice. The author of several books, including “Fierce Love” and the “Just Love Story Bible,” her work has been featured on NBC, CBS, PBS, MSNBC, NPR and in the New York Times, Washington Post, and Ebony and Essence magazines.

Continued from page 3

the presidential election wrapped, Awawdeh said organizers have been educating locals about their constitutional rights and lobbying the state to implement better protections for undocumented New Yorkers.

“I think that the mayor continues to talk out of both sides of his mouth. One day saying that he is in support of our communities and against mass deportation, but then the next day, sitting down and talking to the mastermind of the incoming administration of mass deportation, is sort of insane,” said Awawdeh.

Awawdeh dislikes that Adams “scapegoats” the vast majority of immigrants, migrants, and asylum seekers who are truly seeking solace in the city, relying on the narrative of the “criminal immigrant” to inspire his policies. He added that Adams had no issue with criticizing Biden but is clearly reluctant to attack Trump in the same way. “I’m not sure what his motivations are, but it does seem like it’s simply for his own political expediency at this moment,” he said.

Adams’s competition in next year’s mayoral race also loudly denounced his meeting with Homan. Most of the candidates accused Adams of “cozying up” to Trump by welcoming Homan in a longshot attempt to get a presidential pardon for his federal indictment.

“The idea of mass deportation is contrary to everything New Yorkers stand for,” said Senator Zellnor Myrie in a statement. “Once upon a time, Eric Adams claimed to understand and believe that.”

“New Yorkers can’t trust that this meeting is about their interests. Since Eric Adams is seeking a federal pardon and the good graces of Donald Trump, this meeting has the potential to be dangerous to New York City,” said former City Comptroller Scott Stringer’s campaign.

“This open-armed embrace of Trump’s xenophobic policies is a betrayal of everyone who calls New York City home,” said current Comptroller Brad Lander in a statement.

At Trump’s conference on Dec. 16, he suggested that he might pardon Adams.

Migrant resources

Continued from page 3

“Any immigrant in New York City can tell you that they’re really excited to work and provide for their families and have a better future. The reason why they came to this country is the city especially, and all of our program participants are motivated [and] eager to contribute and to be a part of New York City.”

is a key for the city to push back on anti-immigration policy previously enacted by the president-elect in his first term.

“We’re just activating the preparation that we did for this possible scenario, and one of them is making sure [these programs] like Key to the City continue being successful and sustainable and shifting the attention to what’s needed,” said Gonzalez. “For instance, we foresee that for the next year, a lot of resources [of] ‘know your rights’ information for immigrant communities is going to be very important for people to be educated. The best way to safe-

guard and protect our communities is to actually educate them on a lot of the things that they have access to, legally.”

Key to the City also provides other resources for immigrants beyond legal services. For instance, Fritzi Bodenheimer, a spokesperson for the Brooklyn Public Library, invited new New Yorkers to take advantage of English language classes at the borough’s 62 branches.

“You can sign up for a library card right here today,” said Bodenheimer. “You can start the process online. You can go into a branch … and you are welcome to have a

card. It’s our most joyous thing to provide a new immigrant or a longtimer with a card.”

Sonam Choedon, Hot Bread Kitchen’s director of community and member engagement, staffed a table at Key to the City in hopes of connecting with immigrants interested in professional culinary training. She pointed out her organization’s Culinary Career Pathways for New New Yorkers, which helps work-authorized asylum seekers.

“There is an interest in demand, in wanting to work, wanting to move out of the shelters, wanting to contribute for their families,” said Choedon. “Any immigrant in New York City can tell you that they’re really excited to work and provide for their families and have a better future. The reason why they came to this country is the city especially, and all of our program participants are motivated [and] eager to contribute and to be a part of New York City.”

Speeding ruins lives. Slow down.

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NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT. NEW YORK COUNTY. USALLIANCE FEDERAL CREDIT UNION BY MERGER WITH NEW YOTK METRO FEDERAL CREDIT UNION, Pltf. vs., UNKNOWN HEIRS AT LAW OF JAMES MCCASKILL A/K/A JAMES MC CASKILL, HIS NEXT OF KIN, DISTRIBUTEES, EXECUTORS, ADMINISTRATORS, TRUSTEES, DEVISEES, LEGATEES, ASSIGNEES, LIENORS, CEDITORS, AND SUCCESSORS IN INTEREST, AND GENERALLY ALL PERSONS HAVING OR CLAIMING, UNDER, BY OR THROUGH SAID DEFENDANT WHO MAY BE DECEASED, BYPURCHASE, INHERITANCE, LIEN OR OTHERWISE, ANY RIGHT TITTLE OR INTEREST IN AND TO THE PREMISED DESCRIBED IN THE COMPLAINT HEREIN, ALL OF WHOM AND WHOSE NAMES AND PLACES OF RESIDENCE ARE UNKNOWN TO THE PLAINTIFF AND CANNOT AFTER DILIGENT INAUIRY BE ASCERTAINED, et al Deft. Index #850257/2022. Pursuant to judgment of foreclosure and sale entered August 12, 2024, I will sell at public auction on January 8, 2024 at 2:15 p.m. prem. k/a 61 West 126 th Street, New York, NY a/k/a Block 1724, Lot 11. Approximate amount of judgment is $180,402.81 plus cost and interest. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed judgment and terms of sale and the right of the United States of America to redeem within 120 days from the date of sale as provided by law. CHRISTY M. DEMELFI, Referee., Attys. for Pltf., 165 Eileen Way, Ste. 101, Syosset, NY. #101714

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF New York, Wilmington Savings Fund Society, FSB, Not in its Individual Capacity but Solely as Trustee of MFA 2021-INV2 Trust , Plaintiff, vs. 414 East 115 LLC , ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale and Decision + Order on Motion duly entered on August 6, 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 January 15, 2025 at 2:15 p.m., premises known as 414 East 115th Street, New York, NY 10029. 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, City and State of New York, Block 1708 and Lot 142. Approximate amount of judgment is $1,800,390.76 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #850427/2023. Tom Kleinberger, Esq., Referee Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff Firm File No.: 224262-2

SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS–SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, COUNTY OF NEW YORK– M & T BANK, Plaintiff, -againstSAMUEL E. BASS if he be living and if he be dead, the respective heirsat-law, next-of-kin, distributes, executors, administrators, trustees, devisees, legatees, assignees, lienors, creditors and successors in interest and generally all persons having or claiming under, by or through said defendant who may be deceased, by purchase, inheritance, lien or inheritance, lien or otherwise any right, title or interest in or to the real property described in the complaint; BOARD OF MANAGERS OF THE COPLEY CONDOMINIUM AND CLUB; NORTHEAST ALLIANCE FEDERAL CREDIT UNION N/K/A AFFINITY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION, Defendants - Index No.: 850040/2024

Plaintiff Designates New York County as the Place of Trial. The Basis of Venue is that the subject action is situated in New York County. To the above named Defendants–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 Summons, to serve a notice of appearance, on the Plaintiff’s Attorney(s) within 20 days after the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within 30 days after the service is complete if this Summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York); and in case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. That this Supplemental Summons is being filed pursuant to an order of the court dated October 18, 2024. NOTICE-YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME – If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to the mortgage company will not stop the foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (M & T BANK) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. The foregoing summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an order of the Honorable Francis A. Kahn III, J.S.C. Dated: October 18, 2024 Filed: October 21, 2024. The object of this action is to foreclose a mortgage and covering the premises known as 2000 Broadway 26C, New York, NY 10023. Dated: November 8, 2024 Filed: November 8, 2024 Greenspoon Marder LLP, Attorney for Plaintiff, By: Raspreet Bhatia, Esq., 590 Madison Avenue, Suite 1800, New York, NY 10022 P: (212) 524-5000 F: (212) 524-5050 No Service by fax) Service purposes only: Trade Centre South 100 W. Cypress Creek Road, Suite 700, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309 P: (888) 491-1120 F: (954) 343-6982

The Marketing Closet LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 10/16/2024. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 7014 13th Ave Ste 202, Brooklyn, NY 11228. Purpose: Any lawful act.

O&E Enrichment2 LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 10/5/2024. Office location: Bronx County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 335 Concord Avenue, Bronx, NY 10454. Purpose: Any lawful act.

BilinguaLit Compass L.L.C. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 10/12/2024. Office location: Bronx County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 2234 Wilson Avenue, Bronx, New York 10469. Purpose: Any lawful act.

CLYDEWARE LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 11/11/2024. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: LLC, LEGALCORP SOLUTIONS, LLC 11 BROADWAY SUITE 615, NEW YORK, NY 10004. Purpose: Any lawful act.

SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK.

BOARD OF MANAGERS OF THE ALTAVISTA CONDOMINIUM, acting on behalf of the unit owners of THE ALTAVISTA CONDOMINIUM, Plaintiff -against- JOHN ANDREW LUMPKIN, et al. Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated August 2, 2024 and entered on August 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 10007, on Wednesday on January 22, 2025 at 2:15 p.m. premises situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, City, County and State of New York, known as Unit No. 20 in the building designated as "The Altavista condominium" together with an undivided 3.6214% interest in the Common Elements.

Section: 2 Block: 621 lot: 1120 Said premises known as 92 PERRY STREET, CONDOMINIUM UNIT 20, NEW YORK, NY

Approximate amount of lien $50,354.13, through April 11, 2024, plus interest fees & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale.

Index Number 158019/2023.

ROBERTA E. ASHKIN, ESQ., Referee Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, NY 10018

7 CHILDCARE LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 11/13/24. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: LLC, LEGALCORP SOLUTIONS, LLC 11 BROADWAY SUTIE 615, NEW YORK, NY 10004 Purpose: Any lawful act.

Cartiga LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 03/05/2024 Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 42 South Broadway, Floor 12, STE 12300, New York, NY 10004. Purpose: Any lawful act.

Notice of Qualification of YAMO PHARMACEUTICALS LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 10/29/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 12/01/15. 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 Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF New York , NYCTL 1998-2 TRust and the Bank of New York Mellon as Collateral Agent and Custodian , Plaintiff, vs . Larisa Mikhailova , ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale and Decision + Order on Motion dated March 13, 2024 and entered on May 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 January 8, 2025 at 2:15 p.m., 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 862 and Lot 1274.

Said premises may also be known as 325 5 Avenue, Unit No. S72, New York, NY. Approximate amount of judgment is $2,755.56 plus interest and costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index #157999/2020.

Sofia Balile, Esq., Referee

The Law Office of Thomas P. Malone, PLLC, 60 East 42nd Street, Suite 553, New York, New York 10165, Attorneys for Plaintiff

The Human Resource Consortium LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 8/26/24. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: J.W. McCrory, 1900 SE 15th St, Ft Lauderdale, FL 33316. Purpose: Any lawful act.

Bedrock DigitalOps LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 08/28/2024. Office location: NEW YORK County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 7014 13TH AVENUE SUITE 202, BROOKLYN NY 11228 Purpose: Any lawful act.

The Welliverse LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 10/29/2024. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 280 Park Avenue South, 9H, NY, NY 10010. Purpose: Any lawful act.

Madison & Hart LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 9/16/2024. 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 #112800, New York, NY 10003. Purpose: Any lawful act.

Notice of Filing of Application for Authority of Foreign LLC. South Dayton GLS-NY Solar LLC (LLC) filed App. Of Auth. With Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/12/2024. Jurisdiction of Organization: Vermont. Date of Organization: 5/2/2024. Office location: New York County. Principal business location: c/o CT Corporation, 28 Liberty Street, New York, NY 10005 . SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process may be served and SSNY shall mail process to c/o CT Corporation, 28 Liberty Street, New York, NY 10005. Address of office required to be maintained in the jurisdiction of formation is 121 South Pinnacle Ridge Road, Waterbury, VT 05676. The name and address of the authorized official in its jurisdiction of organization where a copy of its articles or organization is filed is: c/o Secretary of the State, 128 State Street, Montpelier, VT 05633. Purpose: any business permitted under law.

Notice is hereby given that Application ID Number NA-034324-146153 for a On-Premises Hotel license has been applied for by the undersigned to permit the sale of beer, wine and liquor at retail in a hotel under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law at the Faena New York located at 500 W. 18 th Street, New York in New York County for on-premises consumption. 76 Eleventh Hotel LLC and Faena Hotels & Resorts (Maryland), LLC, 500 W. 18 th Street, New York, NY 10011.

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT- COUNTY OF NEW YORK

U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION (SUCCESSOR TO BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., SUCCESSOR BY MERGER TO LASALLE BANK N.A.), AS TRUSTEE, ON BEHALF OF THE HOLDERS OF THE THORNBURG MORTGAGE SECURITIES TRUST 2008-1 MORTGAGE LOAN PASSTHROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2008-1 , Plaintiff, AGAINST ALMI FUNDING LLS SERIES 517 W46 LLC, LT CW 105, LLC, NK CW 105, LLC, BOARD OF MANAGERS OF CLINTON WEST CONDOMINIUM , et al. Defendant(s)

Pursuant to a judgment of foreclosure and sale duly entered on November 9, 2021.

I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre St, New York, NY 10007 on January 8, 2025 at 2:15 PM premises known as 517 W 46th Street 105, New York, NY 10036.

Please take notice that this foreclosure auction shall be conducted in compliance with the Foreclosure Auction Rules for New York County, and the COVID 19 Health Emergency Rules, including proper use of masks and social distancing.

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, City, County and State of New York. Section 4, Block 1075 and Lot 1212.

Approximate amount of judgment $1,367,788.16 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment. Index #850101/2019.

Roberta Ashkin, Esq. , Referee, Aldridge Pite, LLP - Attorneys for Plaintiff - 40 Marcus Drive, Suite 200, Melville, NY 11747

Notice of Qualification of TTF, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/26/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 08/08/23. NYS fictitious name: TTF FAMILY LLC. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, 107 Greenwich St., NY, NY 10006. DE addr. of LLC: Corporation Service Co., 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State of the State of DE, John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of MOLLY LIPPERT LLC. Arts of Org filed with Secy of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/18/2024. Office Location: NEW YORK County. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process may be served against LLC to: THE LLC 1435 YORK AVE APT 7E, NEW YORK, NY, 10075, USA. Reg. Ag.: UNITED STATES CORPORATION AGENTS, INC. 7014 13TH AVENUE SUITE 202, BROOKLYN, NY, 11228, USA. Purpose: any lawful act

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF New York , Sutherland Asset I-AT2, LLC , Plaintiff, vs . 167th Street CF Unit LLC, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale and Decision + Order on Motion duly entered on July 31, 2024 , I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007 on January 8, 2025 at 2:15 p.m., premises known as 446-448 West 167th Street, Unit CF, New York, NY. 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, City, County and State of New York, Block 2111 and Lot 1101 together with an undivided 8.6537 percent interest in the Common Elements. Approximate amount of judgment is $4,331,008.67 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 850177/2022. The Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale has been assigned, and the ultimate assignee is LBC3 Trust. LBC3 Trust will be the de facto plaintiff and credit bidding at the sale. Paul Sklar, Esq., Referee McCarter & English, LLP, 250 West 55th Street, 13th Floor, New York, New York 10019, Attorneys for Plaintiff

SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK. THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON FKA THE BANK OF NEW YORK AS TRUSTEE FOR THE CERTIFICATEHOLDERS OF THE CWALT, INC., ALTERNATIVE LOAN TRUST 2007-HY3 MORTGAGE PASSTHROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-HY3, Plaintiff -against- BRUCE HUBERMAN, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated August 1, 2024 and entered on August 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 January 8, 2025 at 2:15 p.m. premises situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, City and State of New York, known as Unit No. 16B in the condominium known as "The Gatsby Condominium" together with an undivided 2.16% interest in the common elements. Block: 1602 Lot: 1058

Said premises known as 65 EAST 96TH STREET, UNIT NO. 16B, NEW YORK, NY 10128

Approximate amount of lien $2,277,363.83 plus interest & costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 850271/2022. MARK L. MCKEW, ESQ., Referee Pincus Law Group, PLLC Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 425 RXR Plaza, Uniondale, NY 11556

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NEW YORK U.S. Bank National Association, not in its individual capacity but solely as trustee for the RMAC Trust, Series 2018 G-CTT, Plaintiff AGAINST Latasha O'Bryant; et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered August 31, 2023 I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the New York County Courthouse in Room 130, located at 60 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007 on January 8, 2025 at 2:15PM, premises known as 297 West 137th Street, Unit No. 2574D a/k/a 2574D, Frederick Douglas Boulevard, New York, NY 10030. 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 2023 Lot 1114. Approximate amount of judgment $442,512.46 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 850120/2019. The auction will be conducted pursuant to the COVID-19 Policies Concerning Public Auctions of Foreclosed Property established by the 1st Judicial District. Jeffrey R. Miller, 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: September 23, 2024 For sale information, please visit www. Auction.com or call (800) 2802832 81742

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NEW YORK CITIBANK, N.A., Plaintiff AGAINST THOMAS N. PIEPER, CAROL ANN FOLEY, Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered August 1, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the New York County Courthouse in Room 130, located at 60 Centre Street, New York, NY on January 22, 2025 at 2:15PM, premises known as 250 South End Avenue, Unit 4D, New York, NY 10280. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, City, County and State of New York, Block: 16, Lot: 2222. Approximate amount of judgment $28,099.34 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #850158/2023. The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the NEW YORK County COVID-19 Protocols located on the Office of Court Administration (OCA) website (https:// ww2.nycourts.gov/Admin/oca. shtml) and as such all persons must comply with social distancing, wearing masks and screening practices in effect at the time of this foreclosure sale. Scott H. Siller, Esq., Referee Frenkel Lambert Weiss Weisman & Gordon, LLP 53 Gibson Street Bay Shore, NY 11706 01-095756-F00 82425

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF BRONX US Bank National Association, as Trustee for Credit Suisse First Boston Mortgage Securities Corp., CSAB Mortgage-Backed Trust 2006-4, CSAB Mortgage-Backed Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2006-4, Plaintiff AGAINST Martina R. Garcia; et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered May 8, 2018, and Amended April 18, 2024, and Amended August 23, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the Bronx County Courthouse, 851 Grand Concourse, Room 711, Bronx, New York on January 13, 2025 at 2:15PM, premises known as 1500 Vyse Avenue, Bronx, NY 10460. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough and County of Bronx, City and State of NY, Block 2995 Lot 120. Approximate amount of judgment $857,204.83 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 381047/2011E. The auction will be conducted pursuant to the COVID-19 Policies Concerning Public Auctions of Foreclosed Property established by the 12th Judicial District. Only cash or certified funds payable to the Referee will be accepted as a deposit in the amount of ten percent of the purchase price. Leticia Arzu, 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: November 15, 2024 For sale information, please visit www.Auction.com or call (800) 280-2832 82353

AMENDED NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF New York, U.S. Bank National Association as Legal Title Trustee for Truman 2016 SC6 Title Trust, Plaintiff, vs. Moshe Rahimi, Defendant(s).

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NEW YORK Freedom Mortgage Corporation, Plaintiff AGAINST The Estate of Melanie Silvera a/k/a Melanie Grace Silvera, et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered August 16, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the New York County Courthouse in Room 130, located at 60 Centre Street, New York, NY on January 22, 2025 at 2:15PM, premises known as 21 South End Avenue, Unit #435, New York, NY 10280. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, City, County and State of New York, Block: 16, Lot: 6073. Approximate amount of judgment $570,477.89 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #850553/2023. The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the NEW YORK County COVID-19 Protocols located on the Office of Court Administration (OCA) website (https:// ww2.nycourts.gov/Admin/oca. shtml) and as such all persons must comply with social distancing, wearing masks and screening practices in effect at the time of this foreclosure sale. For sale information, please visit Auction.com at www.Auction. com or call (800) 280-2832. Tom Kleinberger, Esq, Referee Frenkel Lambert Weiss Weisman & Gordon, LLP 53 Gibson Street Bay Shore, NY 11706 01-098657-F00 82254

AMENDED NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF New York, Wilmington Savings Fund Society, FSB, Not in its Individual Capacity but Solely as Trustee of MFA 2021-INV2 Trust, Plaintiff, vs. 414 East 115 LLC, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale and Decision + Order on Motion duly entered on August 6, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at Room 116 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007 on January 15, 2025 at 2:15 p.m., premises known as 414 East 115th Street, New York, NY 10029. 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, City and State of New York, Block 1708 and Lot 142. Approximate amount of judgment is $1,800,390.76 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #850427/2023. Tom Kleinberger, Esq., Referee The previous Notice of Sale having listed a different courtroom.

Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff Firm File No.: 224262-2

Notice is hereby given that a license, serial #NA-0340-24145030 for beer, wine & liquor has been applied for by the undersigned to sell beer, wine & liquor at retail in a restaurant under the ABC Law at 150 8th Ave., NYC 10011 for on-premises consumption; Goku NYC Inc.

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale and Decision + Order on Motion duly entered on February 15, 2024 and a Decision + Order on Motion duly entered August 1, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at Room 116 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007 on January 15, 2025 at 2:15 p.m., premises known as 635 West 42nd Street a/k/a 627635 West 42nd Street, Unit 15J, New York, NY 10036. 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 1090 and Lot 1351 together with an undivided 0.12612 percent interest in the Common Elements. Approximate amount of judgment is $570,028.95 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #850111/2020. Paul R. Sklar, Esq., Referee The previous Notice of Sale having listed a different courtroom.

SUPREME COURT-NEW YORK COUNTY- HILTON RESORTS CORP., Pltf. v. JOE C. PLUNKETT III and BARBARA G. PLUNKETT, Defts. - Index # 850205/2021. Pursuant to Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated October 3, 2023, I will sell at public auction in Room 116 of the New York County Courthouse located at 60 Centre Street, New York, NY on Thursday, January 16, 2025, at 2:15 pm, an interest of an undivided 0.0519144314871446% tenant in common interest in the timeshare known as Phase 1 HNY CLUB SUITES located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY. Approximate amount of judgment is $58,015.75 plus costs and interest as of August 11, 2023. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale which includes annual maintenance fees and charges. Matthew D. Hunter III, Esq., Referee. Cruser, Mitchell, Novitz, Sanchez, Gaston, & Zimet LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 341 Conklin Street, Farmingdale, NY.

SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK. NYCTL 1998-2 TRUST AND THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON, AS COLLATERAL AGENT AND CUSTODIAN, Plaintiffs -against- BO HONG REALTY, INC., et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered herein on July 29, 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 January 15, 2025 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, known and designated as Block 1535 and Lot 27 on the New York County Assessment Map.

Said premises known as 1737 2ND AVENUE, NEW YORK, NY 10128

Approximate amount of lien $6,668.73 plus interest & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 160227/2022. CLARK A. WHITSETT, ESQ., Referee Phillips Lytle LLP Attorney(s) for Plaintiffs 28 East Main Street, Suite 1400, Rochester, NY 14614

METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY REAL ESTATE

Request for Proposals No. EZ112024A: Opportunity to lease three retail storefront units at NYCT’s Kings Highway Station (Brighton Line), Brooklyn, New York.

Request for Proposals (#AE202411): Opportunity to lease retail units at NYCT’s 14 St – Union Square, 14 St – 8 Ave, New York, New York.

Request for Proposals (#AE2024-149): Opportunity to lease a retail unit at NYCT’s 3 Ave – East 149 St station, Bronx, New York. For information on the above RFPs, please go to https://new.mta.info/agency/real-estate/ Samantha Lassoff Coaching & Consulting LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 06/07/2024. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 228 Park Ave S PMB 985264, New York, NY 10003. Purpose: Any lawful act.

Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff Firm File No.: 201235-1

Request for Proposals (#AE202412-QP): Opportunity to lease retail units at NYCT’s 5 Ave – 59 St station in Manhattan and Queens Plaza station in Queens.

NOTICE OF SALE

WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE REGISTERED HOLDERS OF WELLS FARGO COMMERCIAL MORTGAGE TRUST 2016-C34, COMMERCIAL MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2016-C34, BY AND THROUGH ITS SPECIAL SERVICER, LNR PARTNERS, LLC, Plaintiff v. 153 ELIZABETH STREET, LLC, 153 ELIZABETH HOTEL LLC, 30 KENMARE MASTER, LLC, EDMOND LI, ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK, THE CITY OF NEW YORK, and PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, Defendants, Index No. 850275/2021. Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale and Decision & Order on Motion dated August 12, 2024, and duly entered in the above-entitled action and filed in the Office of the New York County Clerk on August 12, 2024 (the “Judgment”), I the undersigned Referee in said Judgment named, will sell at public auction to the highest bidder at Room 130 of the Courthouse, located at 60 Centre Street, New York, New York, the premises directed by said Judgment to be sold. The premises will be offered for sale, as one parcel, on Wednesday, January 22, 2025 at 2:15 p.m. The premises therein described are located at 153 Elizabeth Street, New York, New York 10023, also known as Block 479, Lot 29 on the Tax Map for the County of New York, together with the buildings, improvements, fixtures, machinery, equipment, personalty and other rights or interests of any kind or nature located thereon, and more particularly described in the Judgment.

The premises will be sold subject to the provisions of the filed Judgment, Index No. 850275/2021, and the Terms of Sale , all of which are available from plaintiff’s counsel upon request.

The approximate amount of the Judgment, for the property referred to therein, is $35,767,489.10, plus interest and costs, as provided in the Judgment. The successful bidder will be required to deposit 10% of the bid by certified or official bank check, unendorsed, made payable to the Referee.

Scott H. Siller , Esq., Referee ( 516) 644-6769

Herrick, Feinstein LLP, Attorneys for Plaintiff, Two Park Avenue, New York, New York 10016, (212) 592-1461, Attention: Scott T. Tross, Esq.

SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK.

NYCTL 1998-2 TRUST AND THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON, AS COLLATERAL AGENT AND CUSTODIAN, Plaintiffs -against- CONOR J. CAMPBELL, KRISTIN C. WALKER, et al Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered herein on July 30, 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 January 22, 2025 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, known and designated as Block 858 and Lot 1039 on the New York County Tax Assessment Map.

Said premises known as 31 EAST 28TH STREET, UNIT SU-16, NEW YORK, NY 10016

Approximate amount of lien $2,647.19 plus interest & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale.

Index Number 150481/2023.

MATTHEW D. HUNTER, III, ESQ., Referee Phillips Lytle LLP Attorney(s) for Plaintiffs 28 East Main Street, Suite 1400, Rochester, NY 14614

Notice of Formation of Concentric Chemists LLC. Filed with SSNY on 1/29/24. Office: New York Co. SSNY designated as agent for process & shall mail to: 52 Morton St, 1, NY, NY 10014. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of 37 GROUP LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York SSNY on 11/15/2024. Office located in NEW YORK. SSNY has been designated for service of process. SSNY shall mail copy of any process served against the LLC to: 11 W 36TH STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10018, USA. Purpose: any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of FLUENT MEDIA, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 10/03/24. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Ronald Kreidman, Esq., 94 Southfield Ave., Unit 1604, Stamford, CT 06902. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that a license, number (Pending) for (Beer, Cider, And Wine) has been applied for by the undersigned to sell (Beer, Cider, And Wine) at retail in a (Restaurant) under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law at 62 Greenwich , New York, NY 10011, New York County for on premises consumption. DeMolinari Greenwich, Inc., St. George

SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK

Notice of Qualification of VELAN HORIZON GP LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 10/29/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 10/21/24. Princ. office of LLC: 100 North Main St., Ste. 301, Alpharetta, GA 30009. 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: c/o CSC, 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.

SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK.

Hollywood Gyms West LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 11/12/2024. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: LEGALCORP SOLUTIONS, LLC 11 BRODWAY SUITE 615, NEW YORK, NY 10004. Purpose: Any lawful act.

6 Hillside, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on Nov. 1, 2024. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 700 Columbus Avenue, Unit 20027, New York, NY 10025. Purpose: Any lawful act.

Notice of Formation of RJMD HOLDINGS II LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/19/24. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 201 W. 79th St., NY, NY 10024. 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 Formation of Motivate Through Play OT PLLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/26/2024. Office Location: New York County. SSNY designated for service of process. SSNY shall mail process to: 767 Broadway #1451, New York, NY 10003. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

NOTICE is hereby given that a license, number NA-0340-23150668 for liquor, wine, beer & cider has been applied for by the undersigned to sell liquor, wine, beer & cider at retail in a restaurant under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law at 206 West 79th Street, New York, NY 10024 in New York County for on premises consumption. 206 West Restaurant Corp d/b/a Ciao Paisan

THE BOARD OF MANAGERS OF THE AMERICAN FELT CONDOMINIUM, Plaintiff against GRIFFON REX LLC, Defendant. Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale and Decision + Order on Motion, dated August 15, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street New York, New York 10007 on the 22nd day of January, 2025 at 2:15 PM premises lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, City, County and State of New York, known as the Commercial Unit in the condominium Known as "The American Felt Condominium". Together with an undivided 3.9% interest in the common elements. This Unit is also designated as Tax Lot 1001 in Block 558. Said premises known as 114 East 13th Street, the Commercial Unit, New York, New York 10003 Approximate amount of lien $50,418.07 plus interest & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed judgment and terms of sale. Index Number 150137/24. SCOTT H. SILLER, ESQ., Referee. Axelrod, Fingerhut & Dennis Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 260 MADISON AVENUE, 15th Flr. New York, NY 10016-2404

Notice of Qualification of ALVAREZ & MARSAL FORENSIC TECHNOLOGY SERVICES, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/21/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 04/13/16. 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 Secy. of State of DE, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of NFF NEW MARKETS FUND XLVIII, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/26/24. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 5 Hanover Sq., 9th Fl., NY, NY 10004. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Nonprofit Finance Fund at the princ. office of the LLC. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., Plaintiff -against- DENNY MARTIN M.D. P.C., et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated July 26, 2024 and entered on July 31, 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 January 15, 2025 at 2:15 p.m. premises situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, State of New York, known as Unit No. 2A in the condominium known as "The Ruppert Yorkville Towers Condominium" together with a 0.097375% undivided interest in the common elements. Block: 1537 Lot: 2089 Said premises known as 1641 3RD AVENUE, APT 2A, NEW YORK, NY 10128

Approximate amount of lien $1,654,551.66 plus interest & costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale.

Index Number 850143/2022.

CLARK WHITSETT, ESQ., Referee

Buonamici & LaRaus, LLP

Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 222 Bloomingdale Road, White Plains, NY 10605

Notice of Qualification of GUZMAN ADVISORY HOLDINGS, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/22/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 11/21/24. Princ. office of LLC: 405 Lexington Ave., 8th Fl., NY, NY 10174. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

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Notice of Formation of BLUE & WHITE BROADWAY CLUB, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/03/24. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 545 Madison Ave., 6th Fl., NY, NY 10022. 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.

Effort isn’t enough as the Giants plunge deeper towards the bottom of the NFL

By JAIME C. HARRIS

AmNews Sports Editor

No one can objectively accuse the Giants of failing to play with the necessary intensity and desire to defeat the Baltimore Ravens this past Sunday at MetLife Stadium. They simply just couldn’t match the Ravens’ collective skill and ability.

With numerous players out due to injuries, the Giants went into the game for all intents and purposes with one arm tied behind their back and were crushed 35-14 by the Ravens’ and their incomparable quarterback Lamar Jackson, who passed for 290 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions for the 9-5 Ravens.

Conversely, Tim Boyle stepped in for starting quarterback Tommy DeVito, who sustained a concussion late in the first half. But DeVito was the Giants’ third string QB coming into this season and was only playing because second string quarterback Drew Lock was sidelined with a left elbow injury. In the muddled and malfunctioning world of the Giants, Lock and DeVito rose up the depth chart after the Giants sat and then cut ties with established starter Daniel Jones on November 22 after he asked to be released. Jones was drafted by the organization with the No. 6 pick in

The Giants couldn’t slow down Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson in a 35-14 loss at home on Sunday. (AP Photo/ Seth Wenig)

the first round of the 2019 draft with hopes he would lead them to a Super Bowl. You follow? Yes, the Giants are a mess. Their loss to the Ravens extended their losing streak to nine games and 0-8 at home. Their 2-12 overall record is tied for the worst in the NFL with the Las Vegas Raiders going into Sunday’s game in Atlanta versus the 7-7 Falcons, which on Tuesday announced they were benching struggling veteran starter Kirk Cousins and will replace him with rookie first round pick Michael Penix Jr.

The humiliation for the Giants was symbolized by a small plane flying above MetLife for the second week in a row hours prior to kickoff with a banner displaying a directive for owner franchise co-owner John Mara:

“Mr, Mara Enough — We won’t stop until you fire everyone.”

When the team was 2-5 and fans were already dissatisfied, Mara said he did not foresee firing head coach Brian Daboll or general manager Joe Schoen during or after this season.

“I still have confidence in both of them,” he said to reporters. “I’ve probably been guilty of not being patient enough in recent years.” Since his declaration, the Giants are 0-7. Mara’s outlook logically must have changed. It’s the nature of a results-based industry.

The Mets outbid, out-hustle and defeat the Yankees in signing Juan Soto

By RUDY ROBINSON Special to the AmNews

Juan Soto has a new baseball home in New York.

The 26-year-old former Yankees superstar officially signed a 15-year, $765 million deal with the New York Mets last week, the richest contract in sports history, after rejecting the Yankees offer of 16 years and $760 million. Mets owner Steve Cohen is now ironically invoking comparisons to the late Yankees owner George Steinbrenner for his determination to spare no cost for players he views as pieces to a potential World Series team.

“This is a seminal moment in franchise history,” said Cohen upon locking up Soto well into the next decade. At his introductory press conference last Thursday as a Met, Soto said he still has much love for Yankees fans.

“They have a spot in my heart at the end of the day,” he said. “Tough that [the Yankees and I] couldn’t get it together and try to be back and stuff like that, but definitely I’m always going to appreciate what they did for me in 2024.”

Soto switching teams will undoubtedly have an impact on both franchises and the overall balance of power in Major League Baseball.

Yankees Loss: While Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge was the American League Most Valuable Player, Soto finished third in the voting. His presence allowed Judge

to move to third in the batting order. Soto’s ability to take pitches (he walked 129 times last year) and still be an effective hitter enabled Judge to reach career highs in batting average at .322, walks with 133 and runs batted in registering 144.

There’s also the question of whether Judge should be moved back to the second spot in the batting order, where

he was slotted prior to Soto becoming a Yankee in December 2023 in a trade with the San Diego Padres. That will be determined during spring training next year but what we know for sure is that Soto’s impact on Judge was substantial.

Mets Gain: Meanwhile, the Mets will insert Judge into a lineup that was already formidable, assuming they re-sign

free agent first baseman Pete Alonso or replace him with another 30-plus home run hitter. With Soto projected to bat second, he’ll provide help for shortstop Francisco Lindor, the NL MVP runner up. Soto’s willingness to take pitches will allow Lindor more opportunities to steal bases. He stole 29 last year, a number that should increase.

Also, Lindor being a threat to steal will force the opposition’s first baseman to stay close to base, giving Soto the chance to potentially get hits through the opening on the right side of the infield. Soto’s noted work ethic should also help some of the Mets younger players such as Mark Vientos and Francisco Alvarez in their game preparation.

The loss of Soto forced the Yankees to change their strategy this offseason. They acquired free agent starting pitcher Max Fried formerly of the Atlanta Braves and executed a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers, parting with starter Nestor Cortes and adding Devin Williams, one of the best closers in baseball. On Tuesday, the Yankees strengthened their lineup in a swap with the Chicago Cubs, securing 2019 National League MVP Cody Bellinger, an outfielder and first baseman, and giving up pitcher Cody Poteet. While there is still more maneuvering to be done by both teams, the Mets have perhaps surpassed the Yankees as the team with the best chance to bring a World Series championship to New York for the first time since the Yankees 2009 title.

Juan Soto smiles at his first press conference with the New York Mets last Thursday. (Frank Franklin II photo)

From HBCU to the Heisman, Travis Hunter is college football’s best

By DERREL JOHNSON Special to the AmNews

In December 2021, Travis Hunter, the No. 1 high school football recruit in the country, shocked the sports world by decommitting from attending Florida State University, a Power 4 program with extensive resources, to begin his college journey at HBCU Jackson State University under the tutelage of its then head coach, twotime Super Bowl champion and Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders.

In April 2023, Hunter again bet on Sanders, commonly known as Coach Prime, and transferred from JSU to the University of Colorado after Sanders took the head coaching job there in December 2022. Now, the wide receiver and cornerback has accomplished something not even his football role model did. On Saturday night at Lincoln Center in Manhattan, the 21-year-old won the Heisman Trophy, awarded to college football’s best player.

Hunter, who has intercepted four passes on defense and amassed 1,152 yards receiving on 92 catches with 14 touchdowns in addition to one rushing TD on offense, has proven to be one of the most uniquely durable players in college

football history. He averages an incredible 118 snaps per game, having been on the field for 713 defensive snaps and 709 offensive plays.

His resilience has been hardened through trials and tribulations growing up first in West Palm Beach, Florida, then in Gwinnett County, Georgia, where he moved with his mother, stepfather and three siblings — where he lived in a now demolished Metro Extended Stay before moving in with one of his Collins Hill High School coaches.

Sanders, who refers to Hunter as one of his sons, has often praised the ultra-talented two-way phenom with a 3.7 grade point average for being “a better person and student” than he is football player. Family has been at the center of Hunter’s drive to be great, and last winter he purchased his mother, Ferrante Edmonds, a home in Savannah, Georgia. Hunter approaches his standing as a positive example for his siblings with the same intentional actions as he does football.

During his Heisman acceptance speech, Hunter acknowledged his younger brother Trayvis, a sophomore wide receiver at Effingham County High School in Springfield, Georgia.

“My brother, where you at, Trayvis?

That’s my dog, man. You know I do this for you, bro,” Hunter said emotionally. “We have been doing this for a long time. You was always next to me, even at times I ain’t want to take you, my mama made me take you. But I’m doing this for you, bro. I’m doing this for all my siblings, man.”

Colorado will face BYU in the 2024 Valero Alamo Bowl next Saturday at 7:30 pm at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. Hunter is projected to be a top-five pick in next April’s NFL Draft, as is his close friend and teammate Shedeur Sanders, the Buffaloes’ quarterback and son of Deion. Hunter credits Shedeur for persuading him to sign with Jackson State where Sanders was already a star freshman when Hunter was a high school senior.

Many pundits say Hunter and Sanders should sit out the bowl game and to avoid the risk of sustaining a serious injury and jeopardizing their lofty draft status, but both have adamantly said they are playing.

“I started this thing with Coach Prime and Shedeur and most of the coaches on the coaching staff, so I want to finish it off right,” Hunter said. It’s going to be our last game together so we will go out there and dominate and show the loyalty that I have.”

Boxer Claressa Shields’s life brought to the screen in “The Fire Inside”

By LOIS ELFMAN

Special to the AmNews

It was the Olympic debut of women’s boxing. The summer of 2012, Claressa Shields was an unknown 17-year-old from Flint, Michigan, who had endured abuse and poverty, but found a home in the boxing gym. Carried by her talent and determination, she was the only U.S. boxer to win gold at the 2012 London Olympics. In 2016, she won gold at the Olympics in Rio, making her the only U.S. boxer, male or female, to win two Olympic gold medals in the sport. Today, she is a champion professional fighter.

Shields’s story is coming to movie screens in “The Fire Inside,” directed by Rachel Morrison, which opens on Dec. 25. Actress Ryan Destiny, who spent months preparing for the daunting role, portrays Shields, and actor Brian Tyree Henry portrays Shields’s trainer, Jason Crutchfield.

“This story needs to be told and deserves to be out in the world,” said Morrison, who had experience in shooting action as director of photography on “Black Panther.”

“I hope people get excited to learn some stories they don’t know.” Morrison had not seen Shields fight before taking on the directing position, but has since been to all her fights, “including the last one, where she went up two weight

classes to fight as a heavyweight and she took the girl down in two rounds,” Morrison said. “Women’s boxing is incredibly exciting.”

Destiny had two challenges in transforming into Shields. The

obvious one was the physicality, noted Morrison. Destiny did all the boxing scenes herself, which allowed for intense emotions in the action sequences. The only stunt fighters in the film are those who played Shields’s opponents.

“Claressa, now especially but even then, has this real confidence and sense of self,” said Morrison. “Even Ryan, being a successful, talented woman — it’s hard to always project that air of confidence and selfassuredness. That was the other biggest challenge for her.”

The film also shows how Shields was as a teenage girl, having vulnerable moments and turning on the beast in the boxing ring. This includes Shields’s complicated relationship with her mother.

“That’s what I loved about the script as well — it’s not this aspirational, ‘she’s a superhero and everybody is perfect,’” said Morrison. “Everybody, including our lead characters, are fraught, but they’re well-intentioned and there’s love.”

Boxer Claressa Shields, actress Ryan Destiny, director Rachel Morrison, and Shields’s trainer Jason Crutchfield (l-r) at the screening of “The Fire Inside” in Flint, Michigan. (Scott Legato/Getty Images for “The Fire Inside”)

Travis Hunter happily holds the Heisman Trophy after winning the prestigious award this past Saturday. (Derrel Johnson photo)

Wagner women’s hoops readies for conference action

By LOIS ELFMAN

Special to the AmNews

Now in her sophomore season on the school’s hoops team, Wagner College center Lijirin Doyinsola Modesayor is in the starting lineup and hopes to be a valuable contributor as the season progresses. The more her game improves, the more her chances increase to find a spot on the Nigerian senior national team, which made history at this summer’s Olympics in Paris by advancing to the quarterfinals for the first time.

Modesayor played for the Nigerian junior national team, which earned her an international trip to play in the 2022 International Sports Federation Tournament in Belgrade, Serbia — her first time traveling outside of Nigeria.

“Coaches there saw my game and I started being recruited,” said Modesayor. “Also, I had a dunk video …

that went viral. I’m also doing some modeling. People were interested that I’m a basketball player, but I also model back home.”

People were amused that she loved both modeling and playing hoops, but her videos started to get her attention. Modesayor wanted to hone her game and hoped for an opportunity that would help prepare her to play in the 2028 Olympics. Wagner College coach Terrell Coburn offered her a spot on the Seahawks, and in 2023, she signed to play college hoops on Staten Island.

“Wagner saw what they wanted in me,” Modesayor said. “I’m more defensive than offensive, but when I got here, Coach Coburn trained me, so I added offense to my play.”

She described the players on the Nigerian Olympic team as her role models and said some have become mentors. Her goal to emulate them took a step for-

ward in September when she was named to the Nigerian team that competed at the FIBA U18 AfroBasketball Championships in Pretoria, South Africa.

Modesayor’s first year at Wagner was a learning experience. “I showed up with a positive mentality,” she said. After freshman year, she did not go home for summer break and instead remained on campus, using it as a time to become a more versatile player, including ball handling.

“That was when, every morning, I would do workouts with Coach Coburn, learning new moves,” she said. “Then, I was called for the national junior team. Coach said we want to make sure I put in all the work to make sure I play well. Everyone saw progress in me.”

The Wagner Seahawks have started the season 2–8. Northeast Conference action begins in January.

Documentary tells story of Lashinda Demus’s 12-year journey to Olympic gold

By LOIS ELFMAN

Special to the AmNews

On a bright, sunny day in Paris during the 2024 Olympic Games, Lashinda Demus received her Olympic gold medal. Americans received many gold medals in track and field during those games, but Demus hadn’t just run her 400meter hurdles race. Her triumphant moment happened 12 years earlier at the 2012 London Olympics — but that day, she received the silver medal. At this year’s Olympics, there was a reallocation ceremony at which Demus and nine other athletes received their rightful medals after athletes who finished ahead of them were disqualified for doping.

Demus’s journey to her rightful spot in Olympic history has been chronicled in “Lashinda Demus: The Fastest Mom in the World,” a documentary available on the Olympics YouTube channel. She admits she cried while watching a screener.

“Sometimes, I hold in a lot of emotions because I have kids and you have life,” said Demus. “That was a release of all of those pent-up emo-

Nets

Continued from page 40

with Cleveland, had the Cavaliers up by as much as 37 points. Caris LeVert, who played with the Nets from 2016-2021, had 19 points in 19 minutes. Brooklyn’s 2017

tions that I’ve been holding in … I’m happy that I’m in this place that I can just enjoy it.”

Today, Demus is a clinical research associate, high school track coach, motivational speaker, and mother of four boys, including 17-yearold twins who have followed their mother into track. Many people didn’t know how deeply the second-

first-round draft pick, center Jarrett Allen, who was traded by the Nets to the Cavs in January 2021 in a four-team that landed Brooklyn James Harden, scored 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds.

“We started the game well and then we got punched in the face and then we didn’t have the to-

place finish at the Olympics affected her, so the documentary surprised them. “I’m glad they were able to have some insight,” she said. Throughout most of her career, including the 2012 Olympics, Demus was coached by her mother, Yolanda. At a reception at USA House after the reallocation ceremony, Yolanda Demus was

getherness, the fight to get back and keep punching and it is extremely disappointing because whoever wears our jersey will fight more than that and if not, you will not be part of this club whether you start,” Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez said.

“We were not selfless and for sure

presented with a coaching award.

“I think that no one ever properly gave her credit for being an amazing coach,” said Demus. “Out of all the coaches I’ve been with, she’s the one who coached me to the gold medal, who coached me to everything that I did in my career that is in the history books.”

Her twin sons were with Demus

we didn’t support each other so with that being said, it’s, it is very simple.”

Schröder was a major part of the Nets being unexpectedly competitive this season. Because the team is expected to continue to make moves looking beyond this season, look for forward Dorian FinneySmith to be the next one gone.

in London in 2012 and this past summer in Paris. “They were at the track with me a lot of the time,” she said. “It created an expectation of being the best, working hard, and not complaining about the work because you’re going after something you want. I’m happy that I gave them an example of success and accomplishment.”

Look for more losses to mount, as well, especially without Brooklyn’s leading scorer (24.7), Cam Thomas, who has missed nine games and remains out with a left hamstring strain.

The Nets return home to host the Utah Jazz on Saturday and will face the Heat in Miami on Monday.

Lashinda Demus’s four sons at ceremony. (Photo courtesy of Lashinda Demus)

Former University of South Carolina Gamecocks track and field teammates Chelsea Hammond Ross and Lashinda Demus at Olympic reallocation ceremony in Paris. (Photo courtesy of Chelsea Hammond Ross)

Wagner College women’s basketball standout Lijirin Doyinsola Modesayor. (Wagner Athletics photo)

Sports

Positive consistency is the Knicks’ charge in the tight East race

By JAIME C. HARRIS

AmNews Sports Editor

After a disappointing 108-100 loss at Madison Square Garden to the Atlanta Hawks last week in the quarterfinals of the Emirates NBA Cup, the Knicks responded well two nights later with a 100-91 statement win over the Orlando Magic, led by point guard Jalen Brunson’s 31 points and center Karl-Anthony Towns’s 22 points and 22 rebounds. The Knicks are 16-10 and third in the Eastern Conference behind the 23-4 Cleveland Cavaliers and 21-5 Boston Celtics when they face the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight on the road.

The Knicks were somewhat exposed versus the Hawks as a team that needs a reliable big man to relieve Towns when he sits for a breather or foul trouble. Against the Hawks, it was the latter. Towns was dominant on the glass, ending the evening with a game-high 19 boards. But when he was spectating from the bench for much of the fourth quarter burdened by fouls, some avoidable and unwise, the Hawks pounded the Knicks inside, and concluded the game with a 58-49 rebound advantage, including 22 offensive boards.

“Yeah, it was a problem, probably the difference in the game,” Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said regarding the rebounding disparity after the loss.

“I think when it got to [a] 10 [point lead] in the third, we missed some threes and then we started giving them a second and third shot. That was the problem.”

The absence of center Mitchell Robinson, who is working his way back from left ankle surgery performed last May, was more pronounced in the defeat to the Hawks than it has been in arguably any other game the Knicks have played this season. It also illuminated what has become patently obvious — that Towns is figuratively and literally the center of the Knicks universe. A force multiplier who when he is on the court with the Knicks’ other four starters - Brunson, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges - provides a dynamic that can counter any other five in the league.

But when Thiboudeau looks down his bench and considers what lineups to put on the floor when Towns exits, the options, or his trust in those options, are suspect. The 29-year-old Towns will take on his former team tonight, which drafted him No. 1 overall in 2015, having posted 15 straight double-doubles, the first Knick to achieve that mark since David Lee in 2009.

The Knicks will play the Pelicans in New Orleans on Saturday, the Toronto Raptors at MSG on Monday and the San Antonio Spurs at the Garden on Christmas Day.

The Nets’ trade of Dennis Schröder signals the team’s focus on the future

By DERREL JOHNSON Special to the AmNews

On Sunday, the Nets traded point guard Dennis Schröder, arguably their best player this season, and a 2025 second-round pick to the Golden State Warriors for guard De’Anthony Melton, guard Reece Beekman and three unprotected second-round draft picks in 2026, 2028 and 2029. Schröder was leading Brooklyn with 18.4 points and 6.6 assists in 23 games.

Melton suffered a partially torn ACL in his left knee on November 12 against the Dallas Mavericks, underwent surgery and is out of the remainder of the season. Schröder, in his first full season with the Nets after being acquired in a trade with the Toronto Raptors last February, has been one of the best point guards in the NBA this season.

In dealing the 31-year-old Schröder, who was born in Germany to a Gambian mother and German father, the Nets have signaled they are focused on rebuilding for the future as they will have significant cap space next summer and an abundance of first round picks over the next two drafts.

“I think it needs to be addressed that we are going to miss Dennis the person, on

and off the court,” Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks said on Sunday after the trade. “I think what he did for us in the locker room, his leadership, he exemplifies the Brooklyn grit that we talk about, so missing him is difficult. But these are the decisions you have to make when your ultimate goal is long-term sustainable success.”

In their first game Monday night without Schröder, Brooklyn was run out of the Barclays Center by the Cleveland Cavaliers 130-101. The Cavs left the borough with the NBA’s best record at 23-4 while the Nets fell to 10-16, 11th in Eastern Conference, and have lost six of their last seven games heading into tonight’s road matchup versus the Raptors. Former Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson, in his first season in the same position

Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns tries to slow down Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young in their NBA Cup matchup at Madison Square Garden. (Jamir Dickens/Fence Boy Media)

The Nets traded point guard Dennis Schröder to the Golden State Warriors on Sunday while forward Dorian Finney-Smith could also be dealt in the weeks ahead. (Bill Moore photos)

New York Amsterdam News Digital Issue: Dec. 19-25, 2024

NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND

DIRECTORY

Adams is denied campaign matching funds

Suing Daniel Penny ‘last option’ for accountability, says Neely family lawyer

Mayor Eric Adams, Trump, and immigration

Trump says Biden is “stupid”

Key to the City resource fair continues as migrant needs persist and Trump presidency looms

Man harasses State Senator Cleare’s office again despite previous arrest for terrorist threats

Scammers continue to target elderly New Yorkers — but they can be stopped

Robert Owusu III’s interdisciplinary journey

Black New Yorker

THE URBAN AGENDA

Can Public Housing Survive A Second Trump Presidency?

No Child Left Behind: United for Brownsville fights for early intervention access in Brooklyn

CONGESTION PRICING STARTS JANUARY 5

UPDATE YOUR E-ZPASS

PLAN YOUR TRIP

New Heritage 60th Anniversary Gala: a legacy of love, creativity and activism

A ‘great day in Harlem’: City College hosts centennial celebration of James Baldwin

Divine Nine News

A D9 day at the Whitney

Union Matters

There’s a power struggle behind the shakeup at NLRB

NLRB helped pacify the labor movement

Helping protect worker rights

WHAT

DOES CONGESTION PRICING MEAN FOR OUR COMMUNITY?

Opinion

Malcolm’s centennial moment arrives in May

States must act now to close the racial wealth gap

Quitting smoking is the best holiday gift you can give yourself

Are Americans really celebrating the murder of a health insurance CEO?

Are you ready for the holidays?

Caribbean Update

Trinidad PM: Gov’t won’t allow U.S. troops to be based there

Time to get your citizenship applications in

International News

Parents in Africa struggle with unpredictable school fees that force children to drop out

Arts & Entertainment

Brooklyn Public Library’s bold James Baldwin exhibition, “Turkey Saved My Life”

Immigrant women are next generation of sustainable fashion designers

AmNews FOOD

Talking SCHOP! A Cookbook Christmas

Brooklyn Children’s Museum celebrates 125 years of play and exploration

Holiday Gift Guide 2024: Celebrate African American and BIPOC businesses

Instagram: @bodkinwines

Unparalleled poet and eternal activist

Nikki Giovanni dies at 81

Cello and piano sibling pair stun audiences at Carnegie Hall

CLASSROOM IN THE

Rudy Render, pianist, composer, and one-film wonder

ACTIVITIES

THIS WEEK IN BLACK HISTORY

Campaign funds

Neely family

NEED HEALTH INSURANCE

Health

Morse discusses being acting health commissioner, Long COVID, and HEALTHY NYC

No child left behind

Reduce Your Cancer Risk by Eating Healthy

Education

Bronx River High School gets green light for remote learning on Fridays

Cleare

Religion & Spirituality

Hope in Hot-Mess Times

Migrant resources

Speeding ruins lives. Slow down.

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BASIS OF CHARGE

Effort isn’t enough as the Giants plunge deeper towards the bottom of the NFL

The Mets outbid, out-hustle and defeat the Yankees in signing Juan Soto

From HBCU to the Heisman, Travis Hunter is college football’s best

Boxer Claressa Shields’s life brought to the screen in “The Fire Inside”

Wagner women’s hoops readies for conference action

Documentary tells story of Lashinda Demus’s 12-year journey to Olympic gold