New York Amsterdasm News Issue Jan 16-22, 2025 by AmsterdamNews

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Parole release racial gap widens under Hochul, says NYU report

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

non-white people their release, particularly under Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration between the beginning of 2022 and June 2024. The report’s updated version, which includes numbers all the way until Sept. 2024, was provided to the Amsterdam News.

The original report showed the parole board’s release rate for non-white people was just 32.55%, compared to 45.07% for white people under Hochul. Another 1,045 hearings for non-white people were recorded in the updated findings, but just 351 people were released.

See PAROLE on page 33

Photo of Mayor Eric Adams during his State of the City Address in Harlem. (Amsterdam News Staff photo)

CIA admits it spied on Puerto Rican independence activists

By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff

and LEYRIAN COLÓN SANTIAGO

Special to the AmNews

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has declassified documents showing that it monitored Puerto Rican independence groups from the 1960s through the 1980s.

Under an anti-leftist counterintelligence program known as Operation CHAOS or Operation MH/ CHAOS, the agency monitored the actions of the Pro-Independence Movement (MPI), which later became the Puerto Rican Socialist Party (PSP).

The CIA is not legally allowed to collect intelligence on U.S. citizens, yet it was empowered to create and operate MH/CHAOS during the administrations of President Lyndon Johnson and President Richard Nixon.

Both U.S. presidents expressed concerns about potential alliances between independence movement activists and the radical left anti-Vietnam War movement, Black civil rights ac-

tivists, and radical student activists. They were particularly concerned about any connections they may have had with the then newly formed Fidel Castroled government of Cuba.

The Movimiento Independentista Nacional Hostosiano (Hostosian National Independence Movement; MINH) called on representatives in the Puerto Rican government to speak out against the MH/CHAOS program. “The least that would be expected of those who claim to represent the Puerto Rican people is that they take a position in defense of the civil and human rights of the population,” MINH wrote in a note posted to its website.

“It’s not shocking because the FBI and police units between Puerto Rico, Chicago, and New York City have always surveilled the Puerto Rican independence movement, so the CIA rounding this out is not shocking,” Erica González, director of Power 4 Puerto Rico, a national coalition of Puerto Ricans in the diaspora, told the Amsterdam News . “The U.S. came

At last, a full account of the Tulsa Race Massacre

By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews

For more than a century, the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 has been a source of debate and dismissal. On Jan. 10, the Department of Justice issued a report that may clarify some of the questions about what many historians consider one of the worst crimes in the nation’s history.

When the incident happened, over a century ago, the state of Oklahoma and the government conducted only a cursory investigation, but this new report — an outgrowth of research on the Emmett Till cold case — offers an account detailing the systematic assault on Black residents and the total destruction of Tulsa’s Black Wall Street district.

into Puerto Rico with an agenda of extracting wealth for U.S. corporations and using the archipelago for military use. The independence movement has always represented a challenge to that agenda and to U.S. domination for those interests.

“It’s part and parcel with how the U.S., sadly, has treated liberation movements from people of color.”

During the 2024 Puerto Rican general elections, the Puerto Rican Independence Party’s gubernatorial candidate, Juan Dalmau, garnered 32.7% of the popular vote. He came in second in the contest to be the next governor.

This was a result that, at one point in Puerto Rico’s history, would not have been so shocking, said González — in the past, pro-independence parties were regularly on the ballot like any other political party. “Puerto Ricans and then younger people, in multiple surveys — even people of different status or income brackets — have shown more of a leaning toward independence. I

See CIA on page 29

“The Tulsa Race Massacre stands out as a civil rights crime unique in its magnitude, barbarity, racist hostility and its utter annihilation of a thriving Black community,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department (DOJ) Civil Rights Division. “In 1921, white Tulsans murdered hundreds of residents of Greenwood, burned their homes and churches, looted their belongings, and locked the survivors in internment camps. Until this day, the Justice Department (had) not spoken publicly about this race massacre or officially accounted for the horrific events that transpired in Tulsa. This report breaks that silence by rigorous examination and a full accounting of one of the darkest episodes of our nation’s past.”

The DOJ notes that the massacre was “systematic and coordinated,” like a military attack on the Greenwood community. We have yet to read the full report and whether it confirms some of the earlier reports from Tulsa newspapers and research about the number of African Americans killed and what stipulated the riot. According to these early accounts, some 300 Black residents were killed.

It all began because of an erroneous report of a Black man attacking a white woman on an elevator.

Among the victims was Dr.

A.C. Jackson, a leading Black surgeon. According to the report, Jackson walked out of his home with his hands in the air, “surrendering to armed white men.” A white landowner pleaded with the men not to hurt Jackson, “but a young white man … nonetheless shot Dr. Jackson, who later died from his wounds. The shooter and his companions then looted Dr. Jackson’s house.”

Only the most thoroughgoing account of the massacre mentions the heroic stance of “Peg Leg Taylor,” who single-handedly fought off a dozen white attackers. There was also J.B. Stradford, a hotel owner who held off intruders from the second story. He surrendered only when the men promised not to burn his hotel, “a promise they did not keep.”

Agent T.F. Weiss of the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Investigation (a forerunner of the FBI) submitted an early account of the massacre. To his credit, and in contrast to the attitude he displayed in his report toward those responsible for destroying Greenwood, he insisted on being kept informed of “any radical organization … among the Negroes, including the African Blood Brotherhood (ABB) that were rumored to be planning an attack in revenge for the massacre …” An article from the Tulsa Post charged the ABB with “fomenting and directing” the riot, something that a spokesperson for the ABB could neither confirm nor deny.

A member of the ABB told this reporter that there were instances of ABB members coming to the rescue of Black citizens under attack by a white mob.

No matter how horrific the

massacre was, there were no federal hate crime laws then. “Federal prosecutors did not pursue charges in 1921 under the narrowly constructed civil rights statutes that then existed,” the report concluded. “It may be that federal prosecutors considered filing charges and, after consideration, did not do so for reasons that would be understandable if we had a record of the decision. If the department did not seriously consider such charges, then its failure to do so is disappointing, particularly in light of the local grand jury exonerating most white participants in the massacre, despite evidence that they had committed crimes. Because the statute of limitations on all federal offenses has expired and because of the death of perpetrators and the limitations imposed by the Confrontation Clause, federal prosecution is not possible in this instance.”

While reparations were mentioned, “[t]he main goal of the Reconstruction Committee seemed to be to appropriate the land for industrial purposes and to move Greenwood further away from the white community. The Reconstruction Committee raised no significant funds and provided no reparations.” That continues to be the situation today; the report said nothing about recent efforts to obtain reparations for the living relatives of the victims and their property.

The report provides a decisive step toward closure, but so much remains inconclusive: the number of Black fatalities, the role of the police and presence of the Ku Klux Klan, and if Greenwood was bombed by planes. Little evidence is now available to suggest that these questions will ever be answered.

The “Little Africa” section of Tulsa, Oklahoma, in flames during the 1921 race riot. (Photo via Wikimedia)

Ponce’s Museo de la Masacre (Massacre Museum) is a monument to Puerto Rican proindependence demonstrators shot and killed by police on Palm Sunday in 1937. (Karen Juanita Carrillo photo)

State of the State Address

By ARIAMA C. LONG Amsterdam News Staff

On Jan. 14, Governor Kathy Hochul gave her fourth State of the State address to a packed crowd at the Egg in Albany. In her 2025 address, she focused on making the state safer and more affordable for families, building housing, and implementing a contentious plan to involuntarily remove homeless individuals with mental illness off the streets and subway.

“Your family is my fight — and I will never stop fighting for the people of New York,” Hochul said. “New Yorkers expect results, and that’s why I fight day in and day out to make New York safer, healthier, cleaner, more affordable for you and your family — and that is what we’re doing with the initiatives announced as part of my 2025 State of the State.”

Her plans called for a “sweeping” middle-class tax cut, an expanded child tax credit, and full restoration of state and local tax (SALT) deductions to beat back rapidly rising inflation costs. She also promised a push for universal free school meals and capital funding toward universal child care, which organizations like No Kid Hungry New York applauded.

“Every child in New York deserves access to three healthy meals a day, and Governor Hochul’s State of the State agenda is a promising step toward making that a reality,” said No Kid Hungry New York Director Rachel Sabella in a statement. “With proposals like an expanded Empire State Child Tax Credit, no-cost universal school meals, and the return of Summer EBT, the Governor seems ready and willing to address the child hunger crisis — and it couldn’t come at a more urgent time.”

Hochul said she intends to fight sexual assault and domestic violence, ensure fair trials, crack down on fare evasions, deploy more than 1,250 state personnel to assist the NYPD with bag checks in the subways, install security cameras in train cars, increase patrol levels on subway platforms for the next six months, and increase outreach and involuntary commitment of homeless individuals with serious mental illness.

Adams and NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch were very much in agreement with Hochul’s plans for subway safety.

“As the governor stated today, her top priority is public safety,” said Adams in a statement. “She understands that we must tackle street homelessness in the five boroughs, and one of the key pieces to getting that done is addressing the epidemic of severe mental illness we are facing on our streets and in our subways. Our administration has publicly called for and urged the state to take action that will make it easier for the city to help those suffering from severe mental illness —

even in cases when an individual does not recognize that they need assistance — and we are encouraged that the governor was vocal in her support for these measures in her address today.”

Tisch said that the governor’s budget correctly recognizes that the NYPD needs more resources to continue to improve safety, but that adding more officers to patrol trains can only do so much without addressing the root of the issue: surging recidivism. “We must stop the revolving door of

Congressmember Ritchie Torres.

“The governor’s speech doesn’t even acknowledge the victims of crimes. No mention of Caleb Rios, a 14-year-old stabbed to death by a violent repeat offender. No mention of Ray Hodges, a postal worker stabbed to death by a violent repeat offender. No mention of Joseph Lyndsey, a straphanger shoved in front of an incoming subway car by a violent repeat offender. No mention of the two New Yorkers stabbed on New Year’s Day by a violent repeat offender with 54 priors. No mention of the 83-year-old senior citizen who was pummeled by a violent repeat offender. No mention of Debrina Kawam, who was barbarically burned alive in the subway.”

Some New York City nonprofits, such as Communities United for Police Reform (CPR), blasted Hochul’s approach to subway safety and addressing homeless people with mental health issues.

“Forcibly institutionalizing people with mental health complexities is violent, dangerous, and only creates more harm for our communities and New Yorkers in need of care,” said CPR Executive Director of Justice Committee Loyda Colon (they/ them). “These removals disproportionately impact communities of color — especially Black people — and do not address the root causes of why so many New Yorkers struggle with their mental health and cannot access healthcare services.”

New York Apartment Association Chief Executive Officer Kenny Burgos said that Hochul’s proposals didn’t address the scale of the housing problem.

our criminal justice system that has allowed too many violent and repeat criminals back onto our streets,” she said.

Other electeds took issue with Hochul’s criminal justice policies and stance on bail reform.

“New York is the only state that prohibits judges from considering the public safety risk of violent repeat offenders when setting bail, yet the governor’s State of the State makes no commitment to closing the most dangerous and deadly loophole in the system,” said

“Limited government subsidies for a small number of nonprofits is not going to reduce rents or increase housing availability for the vast majority of New Yorkers,” said Burgos. “We are in a housing crisis that gets worse every year. We cannot ignore the severe lack of supply that is driving up costs or the rising operating costs that are putting the existing housing stock at risk. The path to fixing this is through regulatory reforms that will spur investment in housing. Others called for Hochul to pass the Livable New York Act, which would use a wealth tax to fund 100,000 units of affordable housing and transition buildings in New York off of fossil fuels over the next 10 years.

Jan. 14, 2025, Albany, NY — Governor Kathy Hochul delivers 2025 State of the State Address. (Mike Groll/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul)

Mayor Eric Adams attended governor’s State of the State 2025 address in Albany.

Ricky Young: What’s in your hand?

Black New Yorker

By MAL’AKIY 17 ALLAH Special to the AmNews

The mind is a very powerful, yet often fragile, aspect of success. For the past couple decades, native Harlemite Brother Ricky Young has utilized several platforms promoting PMA, which stands for positive mental attitude, and self-awareness. Whether hosting his weekly show on WHCR 90.3 FM or regularly moderating speaking seminars, he’s been on the front lines exposing the general public to motivational messages from some prominent lecturers.

“What's In Your Hand? is a motivational program talking about success, achieving your goals, dreams, helping and maximizing others, and of course, having fun," he stated before explaining that he began studying success principles and self-development during the early 1990s, and was also attending workshops and seminars during the same time. “And that's how I started working on developing myself. Watching people talk about self-improvement."

He has been researching self-development for many

years, “trying to do good things in life.” He was inspired after watching Gil Noble’s “Like It Is” broadcast during the mid-1990s, which aired an Adam Clayton Powell Jr. speech titled "What's In Your Hand?"

Additionally, a speech by TV journalist Les Brown served as a "powerful testimony to who he was, and that opened up a whole new world [for me]," Young vividly recalled, adding how he also came across George C. Frazier's book “Success Runs In Our Race,” found Frazier’s phone number, and then called him. This led to his first live event at Harlem's National Black Theatre during the mid-90s.

Then Herbert Harris and Robert E. Criner, author of “Sharing a Vision” and “How To Keep Yourself Motivated,” did their presentisms, with others soon following.

Rick began broadcasting at WHCR 90.3 FM on Nov. 4, 2007, and has recorded more than 1,000 shows covering various topics relevant to the Black community.

"’What's In Your Hand?’ It's a great question, because it's about what can you do?" he explains. "It's about dis-

THE URBAN AGENDA

By David R. Jones, Esq

Short-Staffing of Independent Check on NYPD Invites Police Abuses

Jessica S. Tisch, New York City’s new police commissioner, faces an uphill climb to reverse the department’s chaos, dysfunction and scandals. So far, she’s wasted little time trying to make an impact, shaking up the NYPD upper ranks and moving 500 officers from desk jobs to the streets.

Mayor Eric Adams and the New York City Council could give Tisch a big assist: fill four empty seats on the beleaguered Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB), which has labored to conduct routine business. It’s disgraceful that, since late last year, the independent investigator of police misconduct has struggled to achieve a quorum at its monthly gatherings.

Undercutting the 15-seat CCRB and dialing back police accountability were the fruits of an official campaign of indifference in recent years. It’s appalling. We have a moral obligation to fill those seats, and they should be filled now.

CCRB, an important check on the NYPD. For instance, there has been relative silence over a terrible police shooting in September on the Sutter Avenue subway platform, where officers firing at a man with a knife also hit two bystanders, leaving one with brain damage. And a court-ordered study last year found the police continue to be lax in punishing officers who illegally stop and frisk overwhelming numbers of Black and Latinx people on the street.

In the current tough-on-crime atmosphere and truly alarming high-profile violent crimes, I suppose talk of police oversight or criticizing NYPD tactics is out of fashion; a political death sentence or the new “third rail” for elected officials. Regardless, we have a moral obligation to stand up for the important work of the CCRB.

covering what your talents, skills are, then using them".

For personal development PMA, he also recommends Napoleon Hill's “Think & Grow Rich.”

"What he's saying is [that] riches come in many forms — health, family, life, etc. — not just money," he concurs.

He also met Jim Rome, who suggested, “Whatever you're interested in, make it a study.” As well as Wayne Dyer, Brian Tracy, who authored “Million Dollar Habits,” and Les Brown's book “Fight For Your Dreams.”

"If more people are successful, then no one is hating. There's no need to fight or be jealous," he answered when asked why he shared this info so freely. "When you know the real principles, that's one of the laws, sharing. These are universal laws. When you go to the ocean of abundance, then you'll realize there's enough for all of us."

You can listen to Young on WHCR 90.3 FM on Fridays from 8-10 a.m. ET.

Watch "Ricky Young: Self Awareness" on YouTube: https://youtu.be/e7wq18?si=XiwGzHwWmRLfYD_i

In this era of attacks on the rule of law, the message to the police rank and file has been clear: the ends justify the means; that crime fighting excuses the use of unethical methods. To suggest otherwise is pure hubris, because the CCRB and discipline crisis has played out in the open for years. That reality unfairly hamstrings Commissioner Tisch and city taxpayers to the presumption that the NYPD cannot, and will not, be held accountable.

So it goes that CCRB statistics show misconduct complaints ballooned from 3,123 cases in 2021 to 5,310 complaints last year –an astonishing 61 percent increase in three years. Moreover, NYPD misconduct lawsuit settlements in 2024 alone cost taxpayers $82 million, according to the Legal Aid Society.

The numbers are the direct result of actions by two of Tisch’s predecessors, Keechant Sewell and Edward Caban. They aggressively reduced punishments in the NYPD disciplinary protocols and killed more than half of substantiated CCRB cases, some involving serious misconduct, including chokeholds and beatings deemed likely criminal by the CCRB.

The mayor shoved the CCRB over a tipping point last summer by forcing out Arva Rice, an outspoken advocate of aggressive case review whom he installed in 2022 as interim CCRB chairperson. She was replaced last month by new interim chairperson Mohammad Khalid, who is the City Council’s designee representing Staten Island.

There has been muted outcry from the public and New York’s political class about horrific police behavior or the dismantling of the

Advocating for independent review and calling out aggressive police tactics begs an important question: Why, for so long, have NYC elected officials and taxpayers deferred so egregiously to the NYPD and their labor unions? Most police officers do not live in the five boroughs, so their clout at the polls is muted, at best. Voters in the Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn formed the coalition that elected Adams and the current racially and ethnically diverse City Council. They didn’t sign up for unchecked police power.

In recent years, Sewell and Caban went even further than former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani in the wink-and-smile discussion on police discipline. With the tacit approval of Adams, a former NYPD captain, they pushed tropes that romanticized policing as a noble cause. Their policies and public statements made it clear that police deserved protection in the city’s urgency to aggressively deter crime. As a result, the usually vocal police unions have been mostly silent as discipline cases plummeted and police overtime pay skyrocketed.

NYPD’s slack disciplinary practices may have, in fact, figured into Commissioner Sewell’s exit after only 18 months on the job. She quit soon after push back from the mayor’s office over her attempt to discipline Jeffrey Maddrey, then chief of department, for injecting himself in a friend’s criminal inquiry. In an unrelated case, Maddrey resigned last month after a lieutenant accused him of coercing her into sex.

When he took office, Adams pledged to dial back aggressive police tactics. The mayor and the City Council can belatedly begin to deliver on this promise by making filling vacancies on the CCRB board a priority. Average New Yorkers and the new NYPD commissioner will greatly benefit.

Ricky Young reflection (Photo courtesy of Ricky Young)

The Rundown 2025: Big races to watch

By ARIAMA C. LONG Amsterdam News Staff

New year, new chance for New York City candidates to vie for power in the 2025 citywide elections, with the biggest, most controversial contender being the incumbent Mayor Eric Adams. He will be battling a wide range of opponents to keep his position at City Hall, including a rumored former governor.

The Mayoral Race

More than 30 people have filed to run for mayor this year, though most of them haven’t qualified for the New York Campaign Finance Board’s (NYCCFB) public matching funds program because they haven’t raised enough money. Here’s who the biggest fundraisers are so far, according to NYCCFB latest filings:

Eric Adams

Adams, the second Black man to be the city’s Mayor, is busy juggling the scandal of his upcoming federal campaign fraud trial this April, and maintaining a functioning city government, and campaigning at the same time. “I did nothing wrong. I should not have been charged. My attorney is going to seek justice wherever possible,” said Adams at his in-person conference on Jan. 13.

He added that “the recent announcement of someone who pled guilty as my attorney said, we have discovery from the federal government. And in that discovery, this person stated, over and over again, that Eric didn’t know anything about this.”

Erlene King, a campaign treasurer for a 2021 Brooklyn Borough President candidate, is the latest to plead guilty to a straw donor scheme that stole $400,000 in matching funds from NYCCFB. Though technically unrelated to Adams’s case, it’s hard to ignore the campaign fraud in both situations. Adams maintained that his core supporters are still very much there for him. Despite being denied matching funds last month and this month due to non-compliance, he has a campaign war chest of $4,140,709.

City Comptroller Brad Lander

Lander, a staunch progressive going all the way back to his city council days, kicked off his mayoral campaign with a fundraising event at Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg this month. He enjoyed the support of elected officials like longtime friend Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, Brooklyn Borough President (BP) Antonio Reynoso, and State Senator Liz Krueger. He was awarded $2,977,758 in public matching funds this week. His campaign estimates that he has raised $5.4 million in total, including direct contributions and matching funds.

“This incredible response shows that New Yorkers are hungry for honest, effective leadership,” said Lander. “I’m proud to have earned the most grassroots support and to have qualified for the largest matching funds payment, which will ensure that we have the resources to speak directly to voters in the coming months about our plans to deliver a safer, more affordable, better-run city for all New Yorkers.”

As Comptroller, Lander recently released the Safer For All: A Plan to End Street Homelessness for People with Serious Mental Illness in NYC report, which prioritizes housing and access to mental health as a way to combat street homelessness.

Former City Comptroller Scott Stringer Stringer is mounting his second attempt at running for mayor after losing to Adams in 2021. He has three decades of public service as a state assemblymember, Manhattan borough president, and former comptroller. He says he’s laser-focused on restoring “competent leadership” to City Hall.

“Our campaign has continued to bring in the resources we need to run a winning race and share my vision for New York’s future,” said Stringer in a statement. “New Yorkers know our city is at a crossroads. They’re ready for a reformer and leader who can get government working for everyone instead of the mayor’s cronies and deliver real solutions to the major challenges the city faces. The robust support we’ve received is a testament to the faith New Yorkers have in our ability to lead and deliver results — not bra-

vado and empty promises.”

He was the only mayoral candidate to be awarded matching funds from the NYCCFB in December 2024 and January 2025. He received $2,088,571 in the first round and $68,552 in public matching funds in the second round.

Brooklyn State Senator Zellnor Myrie

Myrie has been hitting the campaign trail hard since the 2024 elections wrapped. As a senator, he recently “stepped aside” as Elections Committee Chair and is now heading the Senate Codes Committee this year, which oversees matters related to criminal justice, the penal law, and civil rights laws. He introduced Senate Bill S613 this session, which would give state prosecutors’ offices access to law enforcement records for discovery purposes, ensuring that defendants have a chance to examine evidence that could be used against them.

“New Yorkers from across all five boroughs are coming together to support Zellnor because they are ready for fresh, new leadership in City Hall. Zellnor is serious about making our city livable and affordable — which is why he’s the only candidate who has released a plan to tackle the housing shortage head on,” said Myrie’s spokesperson Monica Klein.

Queens State Senator Jessica Ramos Ramos is one of the only female mayoral candidates leading from the front this year. She is a fierce advocate for working families and a proud daughter of Colombian immigrants who grew up in Astoria, Queens.

As a senator, she raised the minimum wage, led the charge to outlaw exploitative work practices, and secured relief aid for excluded workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. She recently announced a plan to expand the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) into a year-round resource and joined advocates in pushing for universal childcare.

“I know as a mom of a preteen and teenager that our children are still recovering mentally and emotionally from the pandemic. Giving them year-round opportunities to explore their city, learn new skills, and develop social and practical skills that will set them up for a lifetime of success is going to

do wonders for their confidence and outlook. It’s also going to keep them busy and off the street,” said Ramos in a statement.

Wildcard Mayoral Candidates

In every election there are at least a few candidates — like Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, former Bronx Assemblymember Michael Blake, and former Governor Andrew Cuomo — that can throw in a monkey wrench, and even employ the best campaign strategies.

Cuomo hasn’t formally announced his campaign yet, but is expected to launch it in February with the help of longtime colleague and political consultant Charlie King. Cuomo has been such a looming shadow over the mayoral election that he is inexplicably leading in the polls without having officially entered the race. Like Adams, Cuomo has also explicitly denied any wrongdoing in the sexual harassment allegations that eventually led to his forced resignation in 2021.

Mamdani has positioned himself as a progressive Muslim who isn’t afraid to speak out on international affairs and wants to make the city more affordable.

“City Hall is engulfed in corruption but the cost of living is the real crisis. New Yorkers are being crushed by rent and childcare, the slowest buses in the nation are robbing us of our time and sanity, and working people are being driven out of the city they built,” said Mamdani in a statement. “I am running for Mayor to put city government to work lowering costs and making our lives easier.” His campaign said he has raised $642,339 in contributions. Blake, who is founder and CEO of the KAIROS: Democracy Project, officially announced his mayoral bid in December 2024. As a White House aide to former President Barack Obama, Blake helped implement the Affordable Care Act and increase opportunities for small, minority, and women-owned businesses. His mayoral platform is focused on addressing the affordability crisis and making the city safer.

City Comptroller Race

This year’s comptroller race is also pretty heated. Main candidates include Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, Brooklyn Councilmember Justin Brannan, governmental liaison Ismael Malave-Perez, Queens Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar, and Brooklyn Senator Kevin Parker. Levine’s campaign received $1,234,914 in matching funds this week. He was endorsed by BP Reynoso; Councilmembers Erik Bottcher, Shekar Krishnan, Shaun Abreu, and Julie Won; and Assemblymembers Brian Cunningham and Maritza Davila. “Whether it’s endorsements, fundraising, or grassroots enthusiasm, there is only one candidate with momentum in this race, and that’s Mark Levine,” said his campaign manager Matt Rubin in a statement.

See RUNDOWN on page 27

Mayor Eric Adams holds an in-person media availability at City Hall on Tuesday, January 7, 2025. (Michael Appleton photo/Mayoral Photography Office)

Headshot of former City Comptroller Scott Stringer. (Contributed photo by Stringer’s campaign)

Headshot of Senator Zellnor Myrie. (Contributed photo by Myrie’s campaign)

Harlem community leaders gather to celebrate and support Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine

Contributed Press Release

More than 100 Harlem community leaders, alumni, and faculty members gathered at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine (TouroCOM) in Harlem recently to celebrate nearly two decades of partnership.

The evening honored individuals and highlighted the collective commitment to educating underrepresented students and improving health care in the community.

Sponsored by Peapack Private Bank & Trust and NYC Health + Hospitals Harlem, the event included awards for leadership, community impact, and alumni dedication, and a “Fireside Chat” with community leaders and alumni that addressed health disparities and doctor shortages in underserved communities.

The event raised more than $60,000 for student scholarships and to advance the school’s mission.

“By supporting this event and our students, you are helping to improve the healthcare of our community and save lives,” Dr. Kenneth Steier, TouroCOM executive dean and chief academic officer, told the gathering.

Among the community leaders participating were the Hon. David Paterson, New York State’s 55th governor and Touro’s vice

president of diversity, inclusion and belonging; Georges H. Leconte, CEO, NYC Health + Hospitals Harlem; Dr. Maurice Wright, CMO, New York City Health + Hospitals Harlem; Dr. Hazel Dukes, president, NAACP New York State Conference; Dr. Icilma Fergus, director of cardiovascular disparities at Mount Sinai Medical Center

and a professor of medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center; C. Virginia Fields, until recently president and CEO, National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS; Jackie Rowe-Adams, founder of Harlem Mothers S.A.V.E.; Clayton Banks, CEO of Silicon Harlem; Harlem-born actor Hisham Tawfiq; and Dr. John Palmer, former Tou-

roCOM director of community affairs.

Making a difference

In welcoming remarks, Touro University

President Dr. Alan Kadish noted that TouroCOM cannot solve the nation’s doctor shortage alone, but is making a difference in Harlem. He applauded contributions of the Harlem Chamber of Commerce and the school’s Community Advisory Board (CAB) and its scholarship fund.

“Since we opened in 2007, with our mission to increase the number of underrepresented minorities in medicine, we have seen more than 800 underrepresented individuals graduate from our Harlem campus. Many of these doctors are now working in or near the Harlem community,” the president said.

Kadish also noted the school gives preferential admissions to applicants from Harlem and other underserved communities and lauded the school’s award-winning afterschool STEM program for high school students – MedAchieve – which recruits from the Harlem community and introduces the students to medicine and other health sciences as career paths.

“We expect if they start here, there’s a much greater chance they will stay here,” the president said.

Alumni Award winner Dr. Sowmya Gadey with former classmate Dr. Aishah Raffee-Pirooz.

(Photo courtesy of Touro College)

Eliseo Deleon seeks to overturn murder conviction for second and final time

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

Eliseo Deleon and Jeffrey Deskovic first met while both incarcerated at Elmira Correctional Facility. They worked together in food service and bonded over regular chess matches over roughly a four-year span.

Now, Deleon will enlist Deskovic as his lawyer in another attempt to clear his name for a 1995 murder for which he spent 23 years in prison. A judge initially overturned the conviction due to the involvement of discredited NYPD detective Louis Scarcella in the investigation. But Deleon was retried and found guilty again in Sept. 2022. He filed his appeal last Tuesday, Jan. 7.

While Deleon faced up to life in prison in his resentencing, his return to custody was perfunctory with more than two decades of time served. No party seemed interested in pursuing further imprisonment and he found himself in front of a parole board shortly. While he spent unintended time in prison, he was free by early 2023.

But the reconviction derailed an otherwise successful reentry story. Suddenly, no employer wanted to hire him due to a murder and robbery on his record, even as he completed a medical technician degree.

“I lost literally everything that I earned in that three years,” said Deleon. “I just lost it. You try hard to get involved with being a productive citizen to society, and then you have to go back upstate and go through the process, especially during the holidays…they didn’t ask me one question about the crime when I went to the parole board. They just said, we see what you was doing out there [during] the three years that you was out there, continue to do what you was doing and have a good life.”

Back in 2016, Deleon filed his own CPL 440 motion, which challenges a wrongful conviction in New York state. After two years of waiting, he began pushing the courts. The judge ultimately overturned the conviction and ordered a new trial. But COVID19 halted the courts and Deleon spent the pandemic in limbo, unsure whether he would be retried. He took advantage of the

time to work and study.

Roughly 20 people had their convictions overturned due to Scarcella’s involvement. But Deleon remains the only one to be reconvicted. Newly discovered evidence about the detective’s past largely shouldered the previous challenge. Deskovic says the new appeal will focus on the weight of evidence and ineffective assistance of counsel.

“Our argument is that the conviction was against the weight of the evidence,” said Deskovic. “What that argument essentially means is that while there was a legally sufficient amount of ev-

idence you could have, you could have convicted. But the stronger argument that the weight of the evidence flows in the other direction, it really should have led to a not guilty verdict.”

Deskovic himself is an exoneree who was released from prison in 2006 thanks to DNA evidence. He went on to complete law school and now runs his eponymous Jeffrey Deskovic Foundation of Justice, which so far exonerated six people and freed nine additional people.

Derrick Hamilton, legal director for the Families and Friends of the Wrongfully Convicted, was wrong-

Son of Marcus Garvey continues to push Biden for pardon

By JASON EVAN PONTEROTTO Special to the AmNews

Last month, President Biden announced an historic string of acts of clemency for federal inmates, including a single-day record of 1,300 commuted sentences and 39 pardons, as well as giving life in prison to remaining federal death row inmates. This comes after much discussion from Black political leaders and civil rights groups who had been urging him to take such action as well as for prisoners of nonviolent drug offenses and notable figures like attorneys Marilyn Mosby and Kim Gardner. One name that has continued to come up in these discussions for years and who has yet to receive a pardon is the late pan-Africanist liberation leader Marcus Garvey. His son, Dr. Julius Garvey, 91, has championed the push for his father, who died in 1940, to receive a posthumous presidential pardon with an acknowledgment that he was unjustly charged. Dr. Garvey is promoting the release of a new book, “Justice For Garvey : Look For Me In The Whirlwind,” released on Nov. 19, focusing on his father’s legacy and having been

fully imprisoned due to Scarcella and says convictions secured by the detective’s evidence are tainted. He adds that a retrial two decades after the crime is particularly difficult as memories are lost and witnesses die. But he thinks exonerees like Deskovic and himself provide those challenging a wrongful conviction their best shot.

“We know that you got to lift up that extra rock and look behind that extra page and do diligent work in order to get to the bottom line,” said Hamilton. “And we believe in the old adage that it is better to let 10 guilty people go [free] than convict an innocent man. So we make sure that we go the extra mile for somebody that we know is innocent…we know what it feels like to be convicted of something we didn’t do.”

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.

the target of government officials.

Dr. Garvey recently visited the P.S. 44 Marcus Garvey Magnet School of Engineering and Design in Brooklyn to speak to elementary school students. He also visits HBCU campuses and other universities in Jamaica sharing his father’s legacy. While speaking to a group of third and fourth grade students at the school, one of them asked Dr. Garvey why the school is named after his father.

“Marcus Garvey was someone who achieved a great deal for African people worldwide,” Dr.

Garvey responded. “He told us that we were all connected as one people and that we should work together as one to achieve our independence as one people because [of] some negative things that happened to us as a people, meaning we had been enslaved and colonized.”

Students were able to learn more about Marcus Garvey during the visit. One of them was Amia Peoples, a 10-year-old fifth grader and the president of the student council, who says she wants to be a lawyer fighting for justice like Garvey.

“They’re not only learning about STEM, but they’re learning about their sociopolitical and economic context in which they are as young people, and what Marcus Garvey brought to the table,” Dr. Garvey said about the school. “I know they can live their own lives in some sense, emulating what Marcus Garvey did for African people worldwide, and they have to make their contributions in the same way.”

Dr. Garvey, a retired vascular surgeon, has practiced and been an attending surgeon at various New York hospitals such as Harlem Hospital and Montefiore, as well as a professor at Columbia University, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and SUNY Stony Brook, among others. He has continued to lead the fight alongside other family members like late brother Marcrus Garvey Jr. to exonerate their father.

Marcus Garvey, born in Jamaica, built his political footprint after moving to Harlem in 1916 and becoming a prominent figure in the liberation of African people globally. He first established the United Negro Improvement Association and Negro Communi-

ties League two years earlier and became a major leader in the Back to Africa movement. His ideology of Africans governing themselves economically and culturally would be known as Garveyism. While in Harlem, Garvey was able to create an economic engine with the Negro Factories Corporation which had multiple businesses including restaurants, laundromats, and clothing factories, employing as many 1,000 employees in Harlem alone, Dr. Julius says. He also had the Universal Printing House which published the Negro World newspaper.

The growing movement was directly targeted and infiltrated by FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, who infamously went after Black liberation leaders from Garvey to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and the Black Panther Party decades later.

“It was due to a difference in ideology within the Black community, and the imperialist structure of the society was able to take advantage of that division in our society through J. Edgar Hoover and the burgeoning FBI, which

See GARVEY on page 33

Eliseo Deleon (left) and Jeffrey Deskovic (right). (Photo courtesy of Jeffrey Deskovic)

Dr. Garvey with Principal LaTisha Cotton, 5th grader and student council president, Amia Peoples and 4th grader Bryson Peterson. November 21. 2024. (Jason Ponterotto photo)

Oyate Group has launched a new era in anti-poverty efforts

By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff

Tomás Ramos realized there was a need for a new anti-poverty group in 2017, but he couldn’t start his non-profit, the Oyate Group, until 2020 because he didn’t have the resources.

Ramos wanted the Oyate Group to support the mission of alleviating poverty, particularly in the Bronx. The organization derived its name from the Dakota language and its word for “the people.”

Jason Autar, Oyate Group’s chief operating officer, spoke with the Amsterdam News about how the organization has thrived with the support of funds from foundations, donors, and even members of the Major League Baseball Players Association.

AmNews: What programs are you sponsoring?

Jason Autar: One of our hallmark programs is Beyond Rising, a paid internship program for undocumented high school and college-aged students in New York. This program started in 2022 as a pilot program with 20 young people, we just did it during the summer of 2022 and 2023. We launched it again in the summer with 40 young people, and then switched it to a school-year cohort. We shrunk it a little bit just because the needs of that population are a little bit different, but just a little bit: those young people think summer youth employment, but these young people are placed in institutions such as Fordham University, Lehman College, Hostos College, BronxNet, Teachers College at Columbia University, and NYU. We place these young people based on their interests and based on what departments we think would best fit them on their journey. For every 30 hours that these young people work, they get a $500 stipend. During the summers, every Friday, they come to our offices, and we focus on workshops such as mental health, financial literacy, and access to resources. We take them on trips, excursions, just different places throughout the city in general. Our yearround cohort, we have it for about six months and we’re able to work with them throughout that time to really tailor the program to their needs.

Another one of our programs is the Brandon Hendricks Scholar-

ship. We provide two young people from the Bronx with $20,000 for up to four years while they’re in college. When Tomás was the program director at Bronx River Community Center, Brandon Hendricks was actually a participant of his, a standout one and a great kid. Brandon had a full ride, a full scholarship to go to St. John’s University, and his life was cut short due to gun violence. Incidentally, we’ve done that scholarship and we’ve been able to really expand on his legacy by providing opportunities for young people who are aspiring to go to college.

Another one of our programs is called Rise Leadership, which targets sophomores and juniors in high school. It’s a leadership program that has four different tracks and the young people selfselect into those tracks. The four tracks are arts, civic engagement, business and entrepreneurship, and STEM. They come in once a week. We incentivize the program by providing a $100 stipend if they maintain excellent attendance as well as good standing in the program and they work on different projects throughout the course of the year. It’s project-based learning and each quarter they have a small project which they present on, and then it culminates into a larger project toward the end of the year. After that the juniors are able to apply to go on an international trip during the summer for

14 days. Last summer, our young people went to Palma in Costa Rica. We partner with an organization called Global Glimpse where they set up the logistics of everything and they have the young people work on different projects while they’re there. There’s a cultural immersion aspect but we also prepare them ahead of time for what it’s like to visit these countries and just the work they’ll be doing. We have testimonials, a couple of young people actually indicated that it was life-changing for some of them. We started that program last year with 30 young people. This year we’ve expanded to 60 young people.

AmNews: Where are you getting the funds for this? How did you first get funds?

J.A.: Two players in particular, Rafael Devers of the Boston Red Sox, and Luis Severino, formerly of the New York Mets and the New York Yankees. They’ve funded us generously over the course of the past two, three years. Specifically, it was Rafael Devers. Through our networks, we were able to help him get three ambulances shipped to the province where he’s from in the Dominican Republic, Samaná Province.

AmNews : And to be part of your program, is there a profile of the youth that come into your programming?

J.A.: Everything that we do is application-based. We put out a call for applications and then different committees read for all our different programming areas. We don’t read any of the applications, just to keep it at 100%, you know, as democratic as possible. Our program coordinators, our program directors, and then specifically for Brandon Hendricks, his mom, his coach, and his uncle actually read through all the applications in order to ensure that it’s their process throughout.

AmNews: You have this Global Rising Scholarship –– when is that due?

J.A.: The Global Rising Scholarship, well we actually just cemented that when we were able to work with State Senator Luis Sepúlveda’s office, the Dominican government, and City College to start this scholarship. We’re selecting two young people who are in public schools in the Dominican Republic to sponsor their four years’ worth of studies to come and actually live here in the city. Throughout those 48 months, they’ll have 100% residency that is paid by us, we’ll help them with internships and just provide them access to resources for those four years.

AmNews: Why are you doing this program for students from the DR?

J.A.: I mean, why not, right?

There’s a large constituency of Dominican expats here in New York; I think they are the largest immigrant population here. Providing access to resources and having the availability for them to study here will be life changing for many of these families. For us, the access was easier because the senators’ office already has a preexisting relationship with the Dominican Republic through their government. So the infrastructure was there. It was an easy lift for us to provide that access to make this happen. We are always interested in ways of expanding our services. …. We are more than interested and happy in exploring conversations with other countries if possible as well, as long as we don’t have to do that heavy lifting because obviously we’re not government, but for us to partner with our friends in government, it just makes it easier for us to create this infrastructure for other folks.

AmNews: Then your mission to alleviate poverty, it’s not just Bronx-based?

J.A.: It’s citywide and for us, it’s how do we continue to increase wherewithal, how do we continue to increase our footprint, and then how do we continue to increase access to resources for everyone?

For more information, visit OyateGroup.org.

2024 Brandon Hendricks Scholarship winners (Oyate Group photo)

Union Matters

NYC’s workforce agenda

By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff

The 2024 New York City Employment and Training Coalition (NYCETC) conference took place over two days in December. The get-together brought labor leaders, employers, politicians, educators, and workforce coordinators together to talk about where the city is headed and what kind of employment future New Yorkers will be engaged in.

New York City’s employment recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic has been impressive. The most recent Bureau of Labor statistics showed that health and education were the fastest growing sectors. New hires in those industries don’t always make salaries that can afford them a comfortable life in the metropolitan area. Meanwhile, the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) recently reported that the city has “record-high employment figures…and growth in new, innovative sectors like the life sciences, green economy, and tech.” Those industries, which pay significantly higher salaries, have traditionally employed fewer people of color.

New York City’s labor force participation reached 62.8% as of September 2024, but “unemployment rates for Black and Latino New Yorkers stood at 8.5% and 6.7% in the

The conference was designed to focus on workforce development for the future, says NYCETC CEO Greg Morris. “What… was focused on was if you are in the workforce development space, if you are seeking talent and employers, let’s talk about how we do that work and do that work well, especially given the reality that industries –– the industries that are growing in New York City, whether it’s the green economy conversation, whether it’s the expansion of healthcare, or whether it’s related to tech and AI, automation, etc. –– let’s have a conversation about what, in terms of practice, what we’re doing well, what we can do more of to support New Yorkers who are seeking jobs, seeking transition to new jobs, and how it is that we ensure that the employers in New York City have the talent they need to both reflect their interests and their desire to create value and impact, that they represent the equity, inclusivity, and accessibility that we expect for New Yorkers.”

third quarter of 2024 [respectively], significantly lower than their pandemic peak but still higher than the white unemployment rate of 3.3%,” the EDC report notes.

“While the labor force participation rate has improved for New Yorkers of all races since 2022, the white labor force participation rate, at 67.5% in Q2 2024, is well above the rates for other races and ethnicities.”

NYCETC represents organizations that try to ensure that all New Yorkers have access to training opportunities, for the jobs developing for New York’s future,” Morris said. “And if we need to build a scaffolding for folks to get ready, that’s what we want to do. So, for Black and Brown New Yorkers, for any type of person seeking a pathway to a future, that’s what we’re about.

“When we look at the wage data for how it is that Black and Brown New Yorkers in particular are underpaid compared to their white peers, unemployment numbers are greater for Black and Brown New Yorkers than for white folks. That’s something we need to be constantly focused on addressing. …That’s what the workforce agenda that we’re trying to build will seek to reflect.”

Local 79 brings Scabby to the Empire State Building

By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff

Construction workers and general building laborers who make up LIUNA Local 79 planned to rally on Thursday, January 16, at 3 p.m. in front of the Empire State Building.

The union has posted several large Scabby the Rat inflatables as sentries near the building’s entrance for more than a week now. Local 79 has been complaining about the Empire State Building’s record of working with contractors who employ non-union workers. Those workers, Local 79 claims, are not earning the type of salaries normally paid to building laborers in New York City.

Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2023 showed that in New York, construction workers make an average yearly wage ranging between $63,830 and $68,210. But that’s not what workers at the iconic Empire State Building are being paid, contend union members who say they have spoken with the non-union workers in efforts to help them.

The Empire State Building is owned and operated by the Empire State Realty Trust (ESRT), a real estate investment trust (REIT). The company owns 28 New York City-based buildings, most of which have units leased out to office and retail clients.

ESRT works with subcontractors who bring in their own employees to do the work of maintaining the buildings. Local 79 members say those workers are hired by contractors who come in to do various buildouts, demolition services, or general contracting work. But if the subcontrac-

tors are not paying equitable wages and not properly supporting worker rights, they are chipping away at the gains union workers have made in the industry.

“Every day, Laborers’ Local 79 is outside the Empire State Building to highlight

the exploitation of non-union construction workers at this iconic building,” Oona Adams, Local 79’s director of organizing said in a statement to the AmNews. “It is shameful and wrong that Empire State Realty has chosen to hire contractors who refuse to pay family-sustaining wages and benefits to non-union construction laborers. We fight to ensure that all construction laborers are paid fairly, treated with respect, and able to do their jobs safely.”

Phone calls and emails to ESRT for a response to Local 79’s claims were not returned before the Amsterdam News went to press.

A union flier posted near the protest rally site states that Local 79 is “.. committed to a healthy, diverse, and equitable workplace that actively promotes employee growth and development and drives positive social impact for the well-being of our employees, tenants, and the communities we serve.

“If the Empire State Realty Trust is committed to the communities they serve, why have they now taken the stance of putting profits over people? Every construction worker working in their building should be paid a living wage so they can actually invest in the community. Instead the Empire State Realty Trust has adopted a practice of hiring substandard contractors to work in their buildings. These contractors don’t pay area standard wages and benefits that every hard worker deserves.”

NYCETC CEO Greg Morris speaks at the recent conference. (NYCETC photo)

Scabby the Rat –– and friends –– have been posted on the picket line in front of the Empire State Building. (Damaso Reyes photo)

Queens pols push for Malcolm X Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act

Malcolm X addresses reporters at the Hotel Park-Sheraton in New York City on March 12, 1964. Two men convicted in the assassination of Malcolm X are set to be cleared after more than half a century, with prosecutors now saying authorities withheld evidence in the civil rights leader’s killing, according to a news report Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021. (AP Photo, File)

By ARIAMA C. LONG Amsterdam News Staff

After 60 years, the assassination of civil rights icon Malcolm X has not been fully solved. Councilmember Nantasha Williams and Senator James Sanders Jr. both of Queens are determined to keep the investigation alive by pushing for the passage of the Malcolm X Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act of 2020.

“Malcolm X was the main inspiration to me coming up. This was one of the things we could do to honor him,” said Sanders, who originally sponsored the bill. “We have to realize that not all of the civil rights horrors of days gone by took place in the South. This was one of the horrors of the North.”

Malcolm X was shot to death a total of 21 times by a group of men, in front of his wife and daughters, on February 21, 1965 at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem. Muhammad Aziz and Khalil Islam — then known as Norman 3X Butler and Thomas 15X Johnson — and Mujahid Abdul Halim were convicted of his murder in March 1966 and sentenced to life in prison. For decades, that was the assumed end of the matter until new evidence exonerated the disgraced men.

Aziz and Islam maintained their innocence and were paroled in the 1980s. Halim had admitted to shooting Malcolm X but said neither Aziz nor Islam were ever involved, and was paroled in 2010. By 2021, the convictions of Aziz and Islam were dismissed after pros -

ecutors said new evidence of witness intimidation and suppression of exculpatory evidence had undermined the case against them. Aziz went on to file a $40 million wrongful imprisonment lawsuit against New York City.

Early in 2020, prior to the pandemic and the death of George Floyd, Netflix launched a series called “Who Killed Malcolm X?” The series followed the journey of Abdur-Rahman Muhammad as he examined the theory that the police were ultimately responsible for Malcolm X’s death.

In 2024, new witnesses came forward with the legal assistance of civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Flint Taylor, alleging that the New York City Police Department (NYPD) and federal government agencies had a hand in snuffing out Malcolm X’s life. Walter Augustus Bowe, 93, and Khaleel Sultarn Sayyed aka Ramakrishna, 81, were arrested a week before Malcolm X’s assassination, jailed for about 18 months, and had never spoken publicly. They said in signed affidavits that they were on Malcolm X’s security detail and that an undercover NYPD police officer had infiltrated the group.

Sanders framed his state legislation after the federal Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act (Emmett Till Act) of 2008, which allows for the Civil Rights Division of the US Department of Justice (DOJ), the US Attorneys’ Offices (USAOs), and the Federal Bureau

Opinion

Michelle, ma belle!

Like former First Lady Michelle Obama, we won’t be attending Trump’s inauguration, and that would be true even if we were invited. We have no idea why Michelle won’t be there (Barack will attend) or why she failed to show up for the funeral services for Jimmy Carter, though it was reported that she had a scheduling conflict that made it necessary for her to remain in Hawaii. It is our suspicion that she stayed away from the funeral because it would have seated her right next to Trump, and that was probably too close for comfort. Whatever the reasons for her keeping her distance from the inauguration are hers to disclose, and we support her stance on this and would like to see a few other notable and elected officials refusing to attend, which, in effect, would be a silent rejection of his oncoming reign of power and duplicity. And her resolve on the inauguration jibes perfectly with Vice President Harris’s non-invitation to JD Vance for a formal sit-down tour of the White House.

For the first time in the nation’s history we have a convicted felon occupying the Oval Office, and if he fulfills any of the nefarious promises he’s spewed then we are all in trouble. It is almost insufferable to have a leader who is talking about expropriating the Panama Canal, Greenland, and even Canada. What next, Mexico and Iceland?

Those announcements may be only distractions while he plans other more realistic and distressing possibilities, i.e. the deportations and promise to pardon the Jan. 6 rioters, a veritable affront to the democratic process, which is nothing new from this miscreant.

Fasten your public policy seatbelts because there’s every indication that we are in for a rocky ride with unrelenting turbulence from the Trump edicts. Will we survive? Most assuredly — didn’t we make it through slavery, Andrew Johnson, and the Great Depression?

“Michelle, ma belle. Sont les mots qui vont tres bien ensemble!”

Black Central African immigrants excluded in Biden’s final days as president

By DIARA J. TOWNES

On Friday, 10 days before President Biden’s departure, the Department of Homeland Security announced new Temporary Protected Status (TPS) extensions for El Salvador, Sudan, Ukraine, and Venezuela. But protections for Black migrants from Central Africa were excluded. This is a glaring missed opportunity for racial justice.

The TPS deadlines before the announcement further highlight the inequity:

1. El Salvador – March 9, 2025

2. Sudan and Ukraine – April 19, 2025

3. South Sudan – May 3, 2025

4. Cameroon – June 7, 2025

5. Venezuela – September 10, 2025

6. Ethiopia – December 12, 2025

7. Haiti – February 3, 2026

During his last address to the Department of State on Monday, Biden touted the United States’ economic investment in Africa, an announcement he made during his final international trip to Angola in early December. Systemic neglect persists even as the U.S. invests billions in African infrastructure projects, such as the Lobito Corridor in Angola, revealing the stark hypocrisy in prioritizing economic gain over human rights.

As an engagement journalist and disinformation researcher, I recognize this exclusion as a direct affront to racial justice and a victory for those perpetuating anti-Black narratives.

Since November, I have served as a volunteer media strategist for the Cameroon American Council (CAC), a Washington, D.C.-based organization that advocates for Central African migrants. During this time, I’ve witnessed Sylvie Qwasinwi Ngassa Bello, CAC’s founder, champion the needs of these vulnerable communities who face disproportionate detention and deportation rates with tireless determination. Her frustration with politicians and the media is palpable — and after Friday’s DHS announcement, entirely justified.

Cubans and Nicaraguans receive humanitarian parole; Haiti, Venezuela, Afghanistan, and Ukraine have both TPS and humanitarian parole, providing a dual layer of protection.

Though granted TPS, Ethiopia, Haiti, and South Sudan face expiration dates within a year, leaving their communi-

ties in precarious situations. Despite Cameroon’s significant violence and political instability, confirmed by recent State Department travel advisories, it remains without TPS redesignation or humanitarian parole.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Angola are facing similar humanitarian crises yet remain entirely excluded from protection.

With Trump’s incoming border czar, Tom Homan, targeting metropolises like New York and Chicago for mass deportations, the Biden administration has one last opportunity to protect the most vulnerable immigrants: Black migrants fleeing violence and persecution.

A Path Forward: TPS and Humanitarian Parole

TPS would grant migrants from these countries the safety and the ability to work in the U.S., and hu-

manitarian parole could reunite families.

Nicolau “Nico” Cucubica, a 55-yearold Angolan living in Maine, is undocumented and fled persecution in 2019 only to endure 19 months of detention. “Five times, they tried to deport me,” he recalls. Each time, he feared death if sent back.

Despite using parole for Afghans, Ukrainians, and others, the Biden administration has excluded African nations, underscoring the systemic inequities that treat African lives as less valuable.

Angolan gospel singer Ana Mavungo, who lives in Maine, fled persecution for her activism. “I came here to save my life,” she says, but she’s separated from her children. While Nico reunited with his family, he faces an uncertain future.

Maine’s welcoming communities

Elinor R. Tatum: Publisher and Editor in Chief

Damaso Reyes: Executive & Investigative Editor

Kristin Fayne-Mulroy: Managing Editor

Cyril Josh Barker: Digital Editor

Siobhan "Sam" Bennett: Chief Revenue Officer and Head of Advertising

Wilbert A. Tatum (1984-2009): Chairman of the Board, CEO and Publisher Emeritus

Diara J. Townes

(Tim Pierce photo via Wikimedia)

Mayor Adams must see the bigger picture for students & climate

By FAIZA AZAM

This month, Mayor Eric Adams and Chancellor Aviles-Ramos announced that they were expanding their career mentorship program, FutureReadyNYC, to 36 additional high schools and introducing new pathways in the HVAC and decarbonization sectors — two of the most essential pieces of the transition to a renewable energy economy. The FutureReadyNYC program now has internship programs in 135 schools — a great step, although still a fraction of NYC’s 533 public high schools. Beyond that, though, this initiative reveals a failure of leadership to see the bigger picture for the climate future of our youngest generations.

I’m a graduate of John Dewey High School, a public high school on Coney Island. During my sophomore year, I remember learning that Hurricane Sandy had devastated the school four years earlier and it operated on emergency generators for two years afterward. I heard similar stories at my first internship at the New York Aquarium and from my siblings at their middle school, where flooding remains a frequent issue.

I later participated in a program for schools affected by Hurricane Sandy where we developed projects and research about natural disaster resiliency and learned about vulnerable coastal communities. This kickstarted my civic education and helped me connect the dots between my roots in Bangladesh, the climate crisis, and youth empowerment. It was an influential step on my path to working in climate justice.

NYC students deserve opportunities that support their growth and contribute to a lasting, positive impact on our planet. But let’s back up: What are their learning environments like? Many public schools, especially those in underfunded communities, have classrooms with poor ventilation, inconsistent heating and cooling, and boilers running on gas and oil. How can we teach students to be part of climate solutions while their stuffy classrooms are making them sick and their cafeterias are blazing hot in June, with no air conditioning? Schools are also polluting our city’s air and making our climate crisis worse.

ALIGN has been advocating for Green, Healthy Schools with the Climate Works for All coalition, a group of labor unions, students, parents, faith, climate, and environmental justice organizations fighting for green upgrades in schools and ensuring clean unionized job creation is a priority, especially in disadvantaged

communities. The mayor has already committed $4 billion to electrify 100 public schools through his Leading the Charge initiative, although much of it remains unallocated. There are also funding sources from the state and federal government to expand that number, such as the Climate Change Superfund Act and the Inflation Reduction Act. With 1,300 school buildings in NYC, we have a lot of work to do, but in the end, electrifying schools and upgrading HVAC systems will save the city millions on energy costs.

Exposing high school students to green jobs and technology is important, but schools should also go further, by collaborating with the unions conducting this work so we’re not stopping at education and coursework, but extending pathways to apprenticeship opportunities and green careers. We must also prioritize students in environmental justice (EJ) communities most affected by the climate crisis, which will support the city with community-led solutions and create a lasting impact on the well-being of communities and workers. Job opportunities must be tied to adequately funding clean energy projects, such as upgrading ventilation and HVAC systems, that will guarantee job creation, which would open doors for thousands of high school students.

This year, Climate Works for All suc-

It’s time to make a plan

At the start of a new year, I always like to reflect on what I would like my year to look like. Last year seemed to fly by and I now realize I need to be more intentional about setting goals and intentions for myself. For me, things just seem to happen. It feels like the universe places things in my path (or removes them) rather effortlessly at times, although, if I am honest, the harder I work, the more at ease things seem to be. As I think deliberately about the start of the year and setting clear intentions for my year, the following items are on my mind.

cessfully advocated for Local Law 99, a bill that mandates 150 megawatts of solar power on public buildings citywide by 2035, doing so through a unionized clean energy workforce, creating thousands of green, familysustaining jobs. Our Green, Healthy Schools campaign continues, pushing to electrify and upgrade 500 public schools by 2030, because the climate crisis will not wait for Adams or anyone else.

The expansion of FutureReadyNYC is a great first step, but our mayor must step back and see the bigger picture. Without green job creation, union apprenticeship opportunities, and an equitable plan to decarbonize and upgrade ventilation in our public schools themselves, these programs risk being a smokescreen for the comprehensive solutions our climate crisis demands. NYC must invest in green, healthy schools; make green energy upgrades to our aging infrastructure; and use union labor starting in environmental justice communities to give students a safe and healthy learning environment and real opportunity for their futures.

Let’s give high schoolers a chance to see these pathways in action by investing in their education in more ways than one.

Faiza

Azam is a climate & labor organizer at ALIGN.

“Dryuary.” I usually do not participate in dry January — abstaining from alcohol — but this year, I am going to give it a try. Many of my friends who participate in dry January love the clarity they attain at the beginning of the new year. I usually abstain from alcohol during Lent, even though I am not Catholic. This year, I am going to see if abstaining in January provides a new level of clarity.

Donate blood. I did not know January is National Blood Donor Month. Ever since Richard Nixon proclaimed it on December 31, 1969, blood donors have slowly increased. However, only 3% of Americans donate blood and fewer than 20% of that group are donations from people of color. It is important to donate blood, especially if you have an uncommon blood type or you are a universal donor.

Clear things out. If you are like me and

missed the opportunity to clean out your drawers and closets in December, January is a perfect time to decrease clutter in all aspects of your life. That means cleaning out clothing drawers, that catch-all or junk drawer in the kitchen (you know what I mean), coats and shoes you haven’t worn all season, and old towels and linens to discard or donate, and throwing away old toiletries and makeup. I also need to go through my phone and delete numbers of people who I have absolutely no idea who they are or how they got in my phone. I also, sadly, need to delete the numbers of people who have died and whose numbers have long since been disconnected. As difficult as that is, it is necessary to clear out certain things to make space for new beginnings.

These are just some of my January plans. There is so much I need to prepare for professionally and personally as we enter this new year and new era in our politics. It is my sincere hope that 2025 is off to a great start and your year is filled with clarity and abundance.

Christina Greer, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Fordham University; author of the books “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 co-host of the podcast FAQ-NYC.

CHRISTINA GREER, PH.D.

Faiza Azam

Caribbean Update

Trinidad to get first Chinese PM as Keith Rowley steps down

BY BERT WILKINSON Special to AmNews

After more than 45 years in public life and at age 75, two-term Trinidadian Prime Minister Keith Rowley is retiring and is handing over power to a new generation of leaders ahead of general elections due by September, hoping that the new band will ensure another five years for his governing party.

But as Rowley prepares to ride off into the political sunset, he is also ushering in a new element to politics in the twin island federation with Tobago as the country is set to have its first head of government of Chinese descent.

In recent months, Rowley, who is of African ancestry, has been red carpeting Energy Minister Stuart Young to be his successor, especially after he told parliament last year that the time to retire was fast approaching. He then appointed attorney Young, 48, to act for him whenever he was on business overseas or on vacation, signaling to the population that

Young was the man to be not only the first Chinese PM but also likely to be the first of his ancestry to lead to the Afro-dominant governing People’s National Movement (PNM).

At the weekend, the PNM’s general council fully endorsed Young to succeed Rowley with all 21 lawmakers deciding to give him the nod. Young had narrowly beaten party fundamentalist and Planning Minister Penny Beckles at a cabinet retreat and vote last week but won the full support of the second highest party forum, paving the way for him to replace Rowley in the coming weeks.

As the political dust settles from a week of tensions associated with who would have succeeded Rowley, Local Government Minister Faris Al Rawi might have summed up the new political dispensation best as he noted the commencement of a new era in PNM and local politics in general.

“Today, the PNM has broken the racial glass ceiling. We have broken a huge glass ceiling in this country that people said the PNM could

never do. I’m warmed and thrilled about that. It is not how I feel, you know, it’s about how Trinidad and Tobago is about to feel with team PNM. I have the support. Watch and see what team PNM is about to deliver,” Rawi told reporters. His assessment of the situation is important to the south Caribbean as electoral voting in Trinidad, Guyana, and Suriname is usually done along strict racial lines, with Blacks and Indians voting for political parties led by people who mostly look like them. This time, the PNM will be shepherded by a leader of Chinese descent as it prepares to begin campaigning for a third consecutive term against the Indo-led main opposition United National Congress (UNC).

And speaking after his impending coronation, Young said he will be focusing on uniting the party and preparing it to keep the UNC in opposition.

“Importantly, my message is one of unity and unification. I have been in very good dialogue, particularly with my colleagues, Minis-

ter Foster Cummings [general secretary] and many of my other colleagues and what you are seeing here this evening at Balisier House is what you would expect to see from the People’s National Movement. What you seeing this evening. This evening, at Balisier House, the general secretary and myself, are pleased to tell Trinidad and Tobago what you are going to be seeing is the rollout of Team PNM going to the population as a unified party.”

The oil- and gas-rich twin islands have been wracked by runaway violent crime in the last two decades. Police last year recorded 625 murders compared to 577 in 2022. A series of mass murders, mostly in the city, led to the cabinet instituting a state of emergency in recent weeks but the killing spree, blamed mostly on armed gangsters, has continued unabated. The emergency measures, the third since an attempted coup in 1990, come this time without a day or nighttime curfew as authorities fear it will severely hamper commercial activities for entities now recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Laken Riley Act: A recipe for legal chaos and constitutional concerns

FELICIA PERSAUD

The US Senate this week could vote on the Laken Riley Act and approve it in time for the incoming president to sign it into law on day one. Named after a 22-year-old nursing student who was murdered in Athens, Georgia, by Jose Ibarra, an undocumented Venezuelan immigrant previously detained and released by Border Patrol, the bill raises concerns over its implications for immigration policy, constitutional protections, and due process.

While proponents argue the legislation is necessary for immigration enforcement, critics, including the National Immigration Law Center, denounce it as “cynical politics” that exploit personal tragedy. The bill passed the House on Jan. 7 with support from 48 democrats and cleared the Senate on Jan. 9 with votes from 33 democrats.

House Democrats Who Supported the Bill

The 48 Democrats in the House who voted for the Laken Riley Act include: Brendan Boyle, Pennsylvania; Nikki Budzinski, Illinois; Janelle Bynum, Oregon; Jim Costa, California; Joe Courtney, Connecticut; Angie Craig, Minnesota; Henry Cuellar, Texas; Sharice Davids, Kansas; Don Davis, North Carolina; April McClain-Delaney, Maryland; Chris Deluzio, Pennsylvania; Shomari Figures, Alabama; Laura Gillen, New York; Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, Washington; Jared Golden, Maine; Vicente Gonzalez, Texas; Maggie Goodlander, New Hampshire; Adam Gray, California; Josh

Harder, California; Jahana Hayes, Connecticut; Steven Horsford, Nevada; Val Hoyle, Oregon; Marcy Kaptur, Ohio; Greg Landsman, Ohio; Susie Lee, Nevada; Mike Levin, California; Stephen F. Lynch, Massachusetts; John Mannion, New York; Lucy McBath, Georgia; Kristen McDonald Rivet, Michigan; Dave Min, California; Joseph Morelle, New York; Jared Moskowitz, Florida; Frank J. Mrvan, Indiana; Chris Pappas, New Hampshire; Josh Riley, New York; Hillary J. Scholten, Michigan; Kim Schrier, Washington; Terri A. Sewell, Alabama; Eric Sorensen, Illinois; Greg Stanton, Arizona; Suhas Subramanyam, Virginia; Tom Suozzi, New York; Emilia Sykes, Ohio; Dina Titus, Nevada; Ritchie Torres, New York; Derek Tran, California; and George Whitesides, California.

Senate Democrats Who Voted for the Bill

The 33 Senate Democrats who voted for the measure include: Angela Alsobrooks, Maryland; Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin; Michael Bennet, Colorado; Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut; Lisa Blunt Rochester, Delaware; Maria Cantwell, Washington; Chris Coons, Delaware; Catherine Cortez Masto, Nevada; Tammy Duckworth, Illinois; Dick Durbin, Illinois; John Fetterman, Pennsylvania; Ruben Gallego, Arizona; Kirsten Gillibrand, New York; Martin Heinrich, New Mexico; John Hickenlooper, Colorado; Tim Kaine,Virginia; Mark Kelly, Arizona; Angus King (independent), Maine; Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota; Ben Ray Luján, New Mexico; Jon Ossoff, Georgia; Gary Peters, Michigan; Jack Reed, Rhode Island; Jacky Rosen, Nevada; Chuck Schumer, New York; Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire; Elissa Slotkin, Michigan; Chris Van Hollen, Maryland;

Mark Warner, Virginia; Raphael Warnock, Georgia; Peter Welch, Vermont; Sheldon Whitehouse, Rhode Island; and Ron Wyden, Oregon.

What The Laken Riley Act Proposes

If enacted, the Laken Riley Act would mandate detention for immigrants suspected of theft valued at $100 or more, including shoplifting. Critics warn this would add 20,000 detainees to a system already designed for only 41,000 and divert resources from targeting violent offenders. The bill also introduces sweeping changes to legal immigration, allowing visa holders to be deported over theft allegations without judicial review.

Additionally, the bill allows state attorneys general to sue federal agencies over immigration decisions, reversing federal supremacy in immigration matters. It would permit states to block U.S. visas to countries refusing deportees, further complicating immigration policy and foreign relations.

Concerns Raised By Critics

Critics, including the National Immigration Law Center, highlight five major flaws in the legislation:

Restricts Executive Authority: By allowing states to challenge nearly any immigrationrelated action, the bill undermines federal authority, invites partisan lawsuits, and discourages future administrations from crafting effective immigration policies.

Chaos in Federal Courts: The bill erodes the constitutional principle of “standing,” enabling states to sue without demonstrating harm, overwhelming courts with immigration lawsuits.

Unnecessary Measures: DHS already has

authority to detain individuals in deportation proceedings. This bill mandates detention for theft-related charges, even if minor or unproven, affecting people like a mother accused of shoplifting diapers.

Due Process Concerns: Mandatory detention without bond hearings denies undocumented individuals the same legal protections afforded to others, disproportionately affecting Black and Brown communities.

Disruptions to Criminal Justice: The bill hampers criminal prosecutions by detaining individuals before their court hearings, delaying cases and complicating justice.

A Partisan Symbol

The National Immigration Law Center denounces the Laken Riley Act as divisive, exploiting tragedy to scapegoat immigrants without improving public safety. Research shows no link between immigration status and criminality, making the bill a misguided solution to real problems.

What’s Next?

As the Senate prepares for a final vote, lawmakers must consider the Laken Riley Act’s farreaching implications. Immigration reform must balance enforcement with fairness, uphold constitutional principles, and ensure due process. This bill falls short on all counts, creating more problems than it solves.

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.

By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff

By JESÚS CHUCHO GARCIA Special to the AmNews

The United Nations has launched a second International Decade for People of African Descent. This new decade — which officially began Jan. 1, 2025, and will continue until Dec.r 31, 2034 — will again employ a Permanent Forum on People of African Descent to document and highlight quality-of-life issues for Black people worldwide.

The first Decade, which ran from 2015 to 2024, saw the Permanent Forum meet three times. The Permanent Forum will hold its fourth session at the United Nations’ New York City headquarters April 14-17, 2025.

The theme of the Second Decade mirrors that of the initial decade: “recognition, justice, and development.”

Activists expressed excitement, gratitude, and a good deal of apprehension about the naming of a Second Decade.

“There were some positives in the First Decade,” said Conrad Bryan of the Association of Mixed Race Irish, “but unfortunately so many States started taking action near the very end,” making it seem as if not much was accomplished.

A long-term Black activist demand

The first Decade was important because it placed the global concerns of African descendants in the international arena. This had been a longterm Black activist demand –– a request that started back when the United Nations system was created.

Activists have wanted the United Nations to pay attention to the issues faced by Afrodescendant communities since its establishment.

In 1947, W.E.B. Du Bois, a founding member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), sent the United Na -

International News

Activists look for changes with U.N.’s Second International Decade for People of African Descent

tions a 94-page document entitled “An Appeal to the World: A Statement on the Denial of Human Rights to Minorities.”

“[T]oday,” DuBois wrote in the introduction, “the paradox again looms after the Second World War. We have [a] recrudescence of race hate and caste restrictions in the United States and of these dangerous tendencies not simply for the United States itself but for all nations. When will nations learn that their enemies are quite as often within their own country as without? It is not Russia that threatens the United States so much as Mississippi; not Stalin and Molotov but Bilbo and Rankin; internal injustice done to one’s brothers is far more dangerous than the aggression of strangers from abroad.”

Harlem’s own Malcolm X planned to turn to the U.N. to aid Black Americans. In a 1964 article, the Amsterdam News quoted the Black-nationalist leader as saying that he had “received pledges from African nations to support a stand against the United States before the United Nations. The United States would be compelled to face the same charges as South Africa, Portugal, and Rhodesia. The United States…has colonized the Negro people just like the people of Africa and Asia were colonized by Europeans.”

More recent calls for the U.N. to acknowledge how racism curtails the lives of Black people were made at the Durban World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance in 2001 and again at the IV Meeting of Afro-descendant Social Movements in Caracas, Venezuela in 2011.

Prioritizing Black communities

Following the first Decade declaration, the U.N. created a Permanent Forum on People of African Descent to advise its Human Rights Council. But Venezuelan anthropologist Diógenes Díaz Campos asserts that neither this initia -

tive nor the first Decade has led to the kind of new policies that change the realities of Black communities.

Díaz Campos is an executive committee member of ARAAC (Articulacion Regional Afrodescendientes de America Latina

y el Caribe/Regional Afrodescendant Coordination for Latin America and the Caribbean) and served as the delegate to U.N. events from the Red de Organizaciones Afrovenezola (Network of Afro-Venezuelan organizations). “The

second International Decade for People of African Descent is being met with skepticism in light of the failure of the first one,” he claimed. “While millions of people of African descent remain in critical poverty,

See INTERNATIONAL on page 31

Diógenes Díaz Campos is a Venezuelan anthropologist and executive committee member of the Afrodescendant Regional Articulation in the Americas and the Caribbean (ARAAC). (Diógenes Díaz Campos)

(noun): The invisible barrier that comes at every turn for workers without a bachelor’s degree.

See also: no alumni network, biased algorithms, degree screens, stereotypes, and misperceptions.

Millions of qualified STARs — workers Skilled Through Alternative Routes — with experience, skills and diverse perspectives are being held back by this silent barrier.

TEAR THE PAPER CEILING.ORG

Arts & Entertainment

Ronald K. Brown brings EVIDENCE to the Joyce Theater

By ZITA ALLEN Special to the AmNews

Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE returns to the Joyce Theater, to celebrate its 40th anniversary Jan. 14 -19 with a program of works that brings this outstanding company’s ebullient brand of dance that melds traditional African, Afro-Cuban, modern dance and spoken word in contemporary choreography that pleases the eye and soothes the soul. Brown, the company’s founder, has long been critically praised for the brilliant ways he creates a seamless fusion of movement. It is such a mesmerizing visualization of the accompanying music’s rhythm that the very air seems transformed, leaving audiences transfixed.

A testament to Brown’s choreographic genius is the fact that Judith Jamison, the late artistic director emerita of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, once declared that Brown had more works in the repertory of the AAADT than any other choreographer except, of course, Ailey himself. Brown’s work has also been performed by Ailey II, the Cleo Parker Robinson Ensemble, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Jennifer Muller/ The Works, Jeune Ballet d’Afrique Noire, Ko-Thi Dance Company, and Joan Myers Brown’s Philadanco, among others. In fact, Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE has enchanted audiences with its magically infectious movement in Cuba, Brazil, England, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Mexico, Senegal, Nigeria, South Africa and Canada. Yet, with characteristic humility, the choreographer says of the Joyce season, “I hope that when people see the work, their spirits are lifted. I am interested in sharing perspectives through modern dance, theater and kinetic storytelling. I want my work to be

evidence of these perspectives.”

This 2025 Joyce season is guaranteed to lift the audience’s spirits as Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE returns to the Joyce for its annual home season with a program in which the company’s richly expressive dancers invoke themes of spirituality, community, and liberation, artfully brought together in a 25th anniversary performance of Brown’s tour-de-force masterpiece, “Grace,” along with a landmark restaging of its thematic sequel, “Serving Nia,” which answers the call to serve a higher purpose than oneself through a rapturous blend of movement traditions from Senegal, Ivory Coast, and Guinea with modern dance forms.

Two more repertory works resurface to round out the pair of programs across six performances. “Order My Steps,” originally inspired by the idea of stumbling through life on one’s path, ultimately turns to the instructions in Psalms 119: “Make me go in the path of thy commandments for therein do I delight … with my whole heart.” Built as images of migration and the discovery of decadence, “High Life” examines

Continued on next page

EVIDENCE in “Walking Out the Dark.” (J Boogie Love photos)

EVIDENCE dancers Shaylin D. Watson and Austin Coats in “Walking Out the Dark.”

Continued from previous page

the movement, stories, and music that describe the journey of the African American from the rural south to the north. Like many works in Brown’s vast repertory, freedom, self-determination, tradition, and cultural values of the African diaspora are on full display, a mix Brown recently told the Amsterdam News is particularly important in “a world that sometimes seems so upside down.”

Highlighting a quality that shines through his work, Brown added, “There has to be an integrity and humility in your body and in your soul. You know when you start learning to dance, it’s always about moving away from the ground but my thing is, what is our relationship to the ground, to the earth? And then, what is our relationship to the most high and if we can bring all those things to the stage then we’re doing our work.”

Noting the importance of dancers performing his work having “an integrity and humility in [their] body and in [their] soul,” Brown spoke of the upcoming Joyce Theatre program and the particularly touching collaboration that made this season’s performance of “Serving Nia” possible, making the work, which hadn’t been done since 2001, “new for EVIDENCE.” Brown recalled, “I didn’t have a whole lot of time when I was setting it on Ailey so I have a whole new relationship to the piece now that we’re bringing it back. It’s brand new.”

Since his 2021 stroke, Brown spoke about the love and support he has received from his life partner and Associate Artistic Director Arcell Cabuag, his own company of talented dancers, and the larger dance community. Brown also mentioned the Ford Foundation’s support which helped him bring in former Ailey dancer Cheryl Rowley Gaskins, “who was in all three of the casts that I had at Ailey,” as well as the support of AAADT. “We had some B-roll performance video that former AAADT Associate Director Masazumi Chaya was able to give us. Chaya also found this incredible video of me making up the movement

with the Ailey dancers.” Those records allowed Brown and Arcell to “start the editing process and pull together movement we thought belonged in the piece while also creating some new movement. Arcell is so amazing.” Taping the process with his company’s dancers, then changing and editing it, working day and night, the work came together as evidence of the miracle of collaboration, love, and the resilience of the human spirit. Brown’s grat-

itude was palpable as he spoke. There was Chaya who “went into the Ailey archive and found all this stuff for us.” There was costume designer John Taylor, who had a book of photographs of the costumes traditionally referred to as “The Bible” as well as the Ailey company which “allowed us to borrow the costumes” And, then, of course, there was Cabuag who Brown said, “was so amazing. He is really the brains and the motive behind this.” Brown added, “In Swahili, ‘Nia’ means purpose, so I recently told Arcell that now the piece, ‘Serving Nia’ can be referred to as ‘Being Purpose,’ since in many ways it embodies the concept of how we live with purpose and understand the idea that we’re here to serve one another. That’s the real message. How we serve one another before our time is done.”

In many ways the upcoming EVIDENCE season is proof of that both with its presentation of “Serving Nia,” and the performances of other works that celebrate the grandeur of the African American heritage and more. Brown said, “This year we have Gordon Chambers the prolific songwriter, performing with us and Chadwick Boseman’s brother, former AAADT dancer Kevin Boseman as a guest with us dancing in “Order My Steps,” a piece inspired by a conversation I had with Chadwick Boseman about not compromising in your work because we were raised to understand that God has ordered our steps.” And, of course, there is the beloved masterpiece, “Grace,” a work reflective of a quality of which Brown’s company can be said to be the EVIDENCE. For more info, visit evidencedance.com and joyce.org.

(L-R) Gregory Hamilton, Demetrius Burns, Austin Coats in “Walking Out the Dark.” (J Boogie Love photo)

Dancers Demetrius Burns and Shaylin D. Watson. (Whitney Browne photos) Dancer Khalia Campbell.

Tina Knowles loses Malibu bungalow in Los Angeles wildfires;

Meghan Markle and Prince

Harry serve food to wildfires victims; Shaun T launches “T is for Transformation” podcast

GO WITH THE FLO

Beyoncé has contributed $2.5 million to a newly launched Los Angeles Fire Relief Fund created by her charitable foundation, BeyGOOD, reports ABC News. The foundation posted on Instagram, “The fund is earmarked to aid families in the Altadena/Pasadena area who lost their home, and to churches and community centers to address the immediate needs of those affected by the wildfires.” Beyoncé’s mother Tina Knowles’s bungalow in Malibu was destroyed by the Los Angeles fires. Tina wrote on Instagram, “It was my favorite place, my sanctuary, my sacred happy place, now it is gone. God Bless all the brave men and women in our fire department who risked their lives in dangerous conditions.” Prayers go out to Tina Knowles and everyone in Los Angeles who lost their homes and possessions.......

On Jan. 10, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry showed up at an evacuation center and food bank to show their support for survivors and responders of the Los Angeles wildfires, reports Vogue. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex visited the Pasadena Convention Center where they served food and spoke with locals and emergen-

cy workers to whom they offered comfort. According to CNN, the royal couple also donated money to efforts through their Archewell Foundation, as well as clothing, children’s items, and other essential supplies. Other sources said they also opened their home in Montecito, California, to displaced neighbors and friends.......

On Jan. 13, renowned celebrity trainer, fitness expert, mental advocate, and transformation coach, Shaun T, launched the first episode of his new motivational podcast, “T is for Transformation.” New episodes will be released biweekly, on Mondays, across all podcast platforms. Each episode delves into the heart of what it means to fundamentally change one’s life, whether it’s by overcoming insurmountable odds, embarking on a journey of self-discovery, or making a shift to lead a healthier, more fulfilling life.....

Media guru Angelo Ellerbee, author of Amazon Books bestseller, “Before I Let You Go,” is a man on the move. Ellerbee, an Out Magazine Storytellers and Leaders honoree, appeared on Sirius XM’s “Sway in the Morning,” on Jan. 14. On Saturday, Jan. 25, a book signing for “Before I Let You Go” will be hosted by veteran Philadelphia radio personality Patty Jackson at the Sharon Hill Public Library at noon ET. Prior to the signing, Ms. Jackson will interview Ellerbee for her top-rated daily midday program on WDAS-FM.......

Tina Knowles in 2010

‘The Fire Inside’ burns bright with heart, humanity, and visual elegance

By MAGRIRA Special to the AmNews

There’s a unique power in seeing a true story unfold on screen, particularly one as inspiring as “The Fire Inside.” Directed by Rachel Morrison with a screenplay by Barry Jenkins, the film chronicles the meteoric rise of Claressa Shields, a young boxer from Flint, Michigan, who defied expectations to become a two-time Olympic gold medalist. This is not merely a sports film; it is a compelling narrative about resilience, determination, and the enduring human spirit.

Before Flint’s water crisis dominated headlines, Shields (played with striking authenticity by Ryan Destiny) was already making waves. In 2012, at just 17 years old, she became the youngest boxer at the London Olympics, where women’s boxing made its debut. Her victory was nothing short of historic, and four years later, she repeated the feat in Rio, becoming the only American boxer, regardless of gender, to win consecutive Olympic gold medals.

Destiny’s portrayal of Shields is nothing short of pitch-perfect. She captures not just the ferocity of an athlete in the ring but also the nuanced vulnerabilities of a young woman navigating an unforgiving world. Under Morrison’s meticulous direction, Destiny delivers a performance that transcends the genre, making Shields relatable to anyone who has faced seemingly insurmountable odds.

While “The Fire Inside” is ostensibly about boxing, its scope extends far beyond the sport. Shields grew up in Flint’s harsh realities, taking on maternal responsibilities for her younger siblings while her flighty mother (a layered performance by Olunike Adeliyi) searched for stability in love. Her circumstances might have overwhelmed a lesser spirit, but Shields’ tenacity shines through, and the film portrays her as both a fighter and a protector.

At the heart of the story is the relationship between Shields and her coach, Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry). Initially reluctant to train a girl in his gym, Crutchfield eventually recognizes Shields’s extraordinary talent and potential. Their dynamic evolves from resistance to mutual respect, with Crutchfield becoming a father figure who both challenges and shields her from the world’s harshness. Henry brings depth to his role, balancing toughness with tenderness, and his chemistry with Destiny elevates the film’s emotional core.

Rachel Morrison, who also serves as the film’s director of photography, brings her signature visual elegance to “The Fire Inside.” Morrison, the first woman to be nominated for an Academy Award for cinematography for her work on “Mudbound,” demonstrates her mastery in capturing the raw intensity of boxing. The fight scenes are visceral and immersive, but Morrison’s talent truly shines in quieter moments,

where her visual storytelling adds emotional weight to the narrative.

Morrison’s approach elevates the film above conventional sports dramas. The camera doesn’t just document the sweat and punches; it delves into the psychological and emotional toll of the sport, creating a sense of intimacy and humanity that lingers long after the credits roll.

Barry Jenkins’ screenplay provides a strong foundation, weaving Shields’s personal and professional struggles into a cohesive and deeply affecting narrative. Together, Morrison and Jenkins craft a film

that is as much about human connection as it is about athletic triumph. Even the mundane — whether it’s a conversation in a dimly lit gym or a fleeting moment of introspection — becomes compelling under their guidance.

“The Fire Inside” is a triumph of filmmaking, a testament to the power of storytelling to inspire and uplift. It’s a film that reminds us of the extraordinary potential within the human spirit. Shields’s journey, from an overlooked teenager in Flint to an Olympic legend, is as remarkable as it is heartening. Her story is a powerful reminder that great-

ness can emerge even in the face of adversity. This is first-rate cinema — a tender, visually stunning, and emotionally resonant film about a young woman who fought her way into history.

“The Fire Inside” Director: Rachel Morrison

Screenplay: Barry Jenkins Stars: Ryan Destiny, Jazmin Headley, Kylee D. Allen, Brian Tyree Henry, De’Adre Aziza

Rating: PG-13

Running Time: 1h 49m

Ryan Destiny and Bryan Tyree Henry in “The Fire Inside.” (Amazon MGM photos)

Ryan Destiny stars in “The Fire Inside.”

48 hours in Memphis: A tale of two museums

By TRACY E. HOPKINS Special to the AmNews

On a sunny autumn afternoon, I went walking in Memphis, down the famed yet more abbreviated than expected strip of bars and music venues on Beale Street. It was my first trip to the southern city steeped in Black history, music, and culture. Memphis is where the blues, soul, and rock and roll were born. It’s also where Martin Luther King Jr. died.

The highlights of my two-day trip were chatting with proud locals and exploring two monumental and moving museums: the Stax Museum of American Soul Music and the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel.

The Lorraine Motel

On a sidewalk near the Lorraine Motel, where Dr. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, I met Jaqueline Smith, a longterm resident of the motel until she was forcibly evicted in 1988. For 36 years, Smith has protested her eviction, what she deems the museum’s glorification of King’s death, and the city’s rampant gentrification.

Smith had a bullhorn and a table draped in a banner that read, “My aim is to relocate the National Civil Rights Museum and establish the Lorraine Motel as a living testimony to Dr. King’s dream.”

That dream, she told the BBC in 2018, would have included “support for the homeless and disadvantaged, healthcare and help for the old and infirm. These are the issues that mattered to Dr. King and they still matter today.”

During my visit, I stayed at a trendy boutique hotel across the street from the Lorraine, where most of the front desk staffers were young and white (there was a bubbly brother who assisted me during check-in and greeted me each day). About 64% of Memphis residents are Black, so Smith’s stance on gentrification rang true. I chatted with the tenacious Tennessean several times and got a glimpse beneath her protective exterior when a friendly couple stopped by with a surprise lunch delivery.

“Oh my God, I thought he was Bobby Blue Bland,” she said giddily as the man in a black leather cap and velour tracksuit approached her.

I asked the man, whose name was Roosevelt, what he hoped for

Memphis, where the crime rate decreased in 2024 but was still higher than the national average.

“I hope and pray, for my grandchildren, that we as Black people can come together. Because we are a strong people,” he said.

Before it became the Lorraine Motel, it operated under different names and management. In 1945, African American couple Walter and Loree Bailey purchased the

property and renamed it after the popular jazz song “Sweet Lorraine.” The Lorraine became a Green Book stop for African American travelers in segregated Memphis, and in the 60s it was a popular hangout for artists and musicians from Stax Records.

After King’s assassination, Loree Bailey suffered a stroke and passed away a few days later. Walter Bailey ran the hotel until

museum’s 2024 Freedom Award ceremony, along with attorney Sherrilyn Ifill and activist Xernona Clayton.

Outside of the museum, visitors eagerly snapped photos of the wreathed balcony, a scene frozen in time with two white Cadillac cars parked in front. Inside, there are nearly 300 artifacts, interactive media, and listening posts that guide visitors through five centuries of history — from uprisings during slavery, through the Civil War and Reconstruction, the rise of Jim Crow, to the Civil Rights and Black Power movements.

The heart of the collection is a riveting, large-scale replica that depicts the event that sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955-1956, with plaster statues of Rosa Parks and the white bus driver and audio of the driver demanding that Parks give up her seat and move to the back of the bus. Visitors can board the bus and take a seat.

Although it commemorates Dr. King’s death, the National Civil Rights Museum also honors his legacy and eloquently documents the triumphs and atrocities of the African American experience. When I reached the climactic point and peered into the glassshielded room where King spent his final hours, I wept.

The museum’s renovated Legacy Building will likely open in early 2026, and will feature additional powerful and immersive exhibits, events, and conversations that draw from Dr. King’s last book, “Where Do We Go From Here? Chaos and Community.”

With the expansion, perhaps there’s room to hold and create a space for members of the community like Smith who have been displaced.

The Memphis Sound “Stax was more to me than a record company. It was a movement; a cultural movement and a spiritual movement.” – Al Bell, Stax owner

he declared bankruptcy in 1982. A local nonprofit saved the site from foreclosure and it became part of the National Civil Rights Museum, which opened in 1991.

Before I toured the museum, I glimpsed filmmaker Spike Lee in a meditative moment on the balcony of Room 306, where Dr. King was fatally wounded. The beloved Brooklyn filmmaker was in town to receive an honor at the

Founded by Jim Stewart in 1957 as Satellite Records, he renamed and moved the business in 1959 to Soulsville, one of Memphis’s oldest neighborhoods and a historic Black community where the homegrown talent included Aretha “Queen of Soul” Franklin and blues pianist and singer Memphis Slim.

National Civil Rights Museum. (Julian Harper photo)

Stax Museum of American Soul Music exterior. (Kristin Luna photo)

‘Mindplay’ is mesmerizing theater

BY LINDA ARMSTRONG Special to the AmNews

Vinny Deponto will mesmerize you with “Mindplay,” a show he created and performs. It asks, “What is on your mind?” The answers are quite interesting, revealing, and entertaining. Deponto’s one-man show, playing at the Greenwich House Theater (27 Barrow Street) and written by him and Josh Koenigsberg, is one of those productions in which each show is different because it is based on audience participation. You see, Deponto is a mentalist. He shares the idea of a memory palace with the audience. If you are curious about what that is, you have to see the show.

Deponto said he was inspired to learn about the mind and how we keep our memories by witnessing his beloved grandparents losing their memories, which was devastating for him. Throughout the 90 minutes of the play, he engages with the audience, and everyone in the room was happy to participate as he demonstrated his phenomenal ability to read people’s

minds. I know it sounds like it was just part of the show, and maybe the people he interacted with were actors, but the people who

participated were not actors. Interactions with the audience and illusions go hand-in-hand as you enjoy this production.

As I experienced the show and discovered where I go in my mind to find my own memory palace, I felt a lightness come into my heart.

Deponto’s performance is brilliant. This theatrical experience will leave you stunned, captivated, and moved. Deponto knows things about people that may feel jarring. The experience is enhanced by the direction of Andrew Neisler.

The technical aspects of “Mindplay” enhance the experience and include scenic design by Sibyl Wickersheimer, lighting design by Christopher Bowser, and sound design by Kathy Ruvuna.

Make plans to see this production — you might want to go back more than once, since it does change depending on who is in the audience.

For ticket information, visit mindplaynyc.com.

‘Maybe Happy Ending’ is absolutely adorable on Broadway

By LINDA ARMSTRONG Special to the AmNews

If you were looking for a romantic-comedic musical on Broadway, look no further: “Maybe Happy Ending” at the Belasco Theatre (W. 44th Street) is exactly what you are craving.

This creative production is one of the most absolutely adorable romantic-comedy musicals you could find on a Broadway stage. It is the work of Will Aronson and Hue Park, who crafted the book, music and lyrics. It’s set in the future, in a building for Helperbots (robots that look human and were created to serve humans) near Seoul, Korea. We meet retired Helperbots Oliver and Claire, who live across the hallway from each other.

Oliver lives in one room with his plant and friend HwaBoon. His usual day is a basic but satisfying existence as he hopes that his owner James will come to get him. He hopes this for more than 12 years.

Claire comes to his door when her charger is malfunctioning, and she has to borrow his. When they meet, there is definite tension and anxiety from Oliver. We watch as these two Helperbots,

who have been abandoned by their owners, come to grips with the reality of their situations and watch them develop a friendship that turns into much more:. Claire and Oliver go from being opponents to being friends to developing into something deeper.

The production shows the complexity of all types of relationships, from human beings to the robots that take care of them. One message is very clear: Everyone needs to feel useful. No one wants to feel obsolete. The performances in this pro-

duction are highly enjoyable.

Darren Criss is quite touching as Oliver. Helen J. Shen as Claire is captivating. The chemistry between Criss and Shen is electric.

Marcus Choi is delightful and engaging as he plays multiple roles, including James, Oliver’s owner

who treated Oliver like a son. In the scenes where Oliver and Claire communicate, sometimes there’s a little help to convey what is happening between them as Dez Duron croons as Gil Brentley, a jazz singer.

Both Oliver and Claire are dealing with disappointments in their lives due to their human owners. They are able, however, to help each other through.

What happens in this musical is quite touching. I want you to experience it, but I don’t want to give a lot of details because the joy of this production is in experiencing all the quirky moments in person. You will definitely laugh, hear wonderful singing performances, and be moved on so many levels.

“Maybe Happy Ending” has dazzling direction by Michael Arden. The set and everything about this production transport you to this time and place in the future and are glorious to behold. Scenic and additional video design are by Dane Laffrey; costume design, Clint Ramos; lighting design, Ben Stanton; sound design, Peter Hylenski; and video and projection design, George Reeve. For tickets, visit www.maybehappyending.com.

Vinny Deponto in scene from “Mindplay” at Greenwich House Theater. (Jeff Lorch photo)

Scene from “Maybe Happy Ending” at Belasco Theatre with (l–r) Darren Criss and Helen J. Shen. (Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman photo)

MOB is redefining beauty with sustainability, inclusivity, and innovation

By MAGRIRA Special to Amnews

At MOB Beauty, diversity and inclusion are more than ideals — they’re the core principles driving the brand forward. MOB’s mission to make beauty better is a commitment to breaking barriers; setting new standards; and ensuring that everyone feels seen, celebrated, and empowered.

Innovation is at the heart of MOB’s approach, and it all begins in their labs, where collaboration fuels creativity as makeup artists from across the globe join forces with the brand to co-create products that meet professional standards. MOB’s dedication to clean, sustainable, cruelty-free, and vegan formulations ensures that their products not only perform flawlessly but also align with values of care and responsibility.

This commitment is matched by their passion for sustainability. Every element of their process — from research and development to product packaging — is designed to protect the planet while pushing the beauty industry toward a more inclusive and sustainable future. At MOB, beauty isn’t just about looking good; it’s about doing good, too.

Sustainability is at the core of MOB Beauty’s vision. The brand has transformed packaging by prioritizing refillable, recyclable materials made from 50–100% post-consumer recycled content. In 2021, MOB co-founded the Pact Collective with Credo Beauty to address the challenges of hard-to-recycle beauty packaging. After years of research, they introduced a biodegradable packaging system in July 2023, setting a new industry standard for eco-conscious beauty.

MOB’s dedication to inclusivity is equally inspiring. The brand continues to collaborate with artists and creators. Recent partnerships with model and dancer Zoë and Glowissima CEO Dana Hill-Robinson have resulted in lipstick shades that celebrate individuality and redefine beauty standards.

Zoë, a longtime MOB collaborator, worked with the brand to create M95 Soft Matte Lipstick — a rich, deep amethyst plum shade tailored to be the perfect pink nude for those with deeper skin tones.

viduals to explore and embrace their unique beauty.

MOB’s Soft Matte Lipsticks are a testament to the brand’s innovation. Each formula blends bio-fermented powder and amino acids for a velvety, blurring finish with vibrant, one-swipe color. Instead of traditional silicones, MOB uses a 100% natural bio-based elastomer gel, and replaces beeswax with a blend of four plant waxes for a creamy, flexible texture. Infused with antioxidants, vitamins C and E, phytosphingosine, and bisabolol, the lipsticks nourish and protect lips for long-lasting comfort.

MOB Beauty is setting a new standard for the industry, proving that beauty can be inclusive, sustainable, and driven by community. With groundbreaking products and meaningful collaborations, MOB is redefining what it means to make beauty better — one shade, one lab, and one empowered voice at a time.

For more info, follow @danahillrobinson and visit mobbeauty.com/pages/labcommunity.

“Creating my own lipstick with MOB was a dream come true,” Zoë said. “M95 is my pink nude lip, which has always been tricky to find. I think other women in my shade range will love it too! My bundle is ideal for someone on the go — it includes the Blurring Loose Setting Powder to minimize pores, and M95 paired with a brown or plum liner is a subtle pop of color that’s a chef’s kiss.”

Beyond her lipstick, Zoë has played a vital role in shaping the brand’s offerings, advising about shade development and starring in several MOB campaigns. Her contributions underscore MOB’s mission to amplify diverse voices and talents.

Another shade, M153, was crafted in collaboration with Dana Hill-Robinson, co-founder of Glowissima. Hill-Robinson envisioned an intense, rich brown nude that offers a bold, glamorous look. “I wanted a shade that took me out of my comfort zone — a daring brown nude that pairs beautifully with a smoky eye,” she said. Her creation reflects MOB’s commitment to empowering indi -

Zoë, model and inspiration behind M95 Soft Matte Lipstick. (Photos courtesy of MOB)

Dana Hill-Robinson, CEO and co-founder of Glowissima and inspiration behind M153 Soft Matte Lipstick.

A review of ‘A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical’

The Broadway production of “A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical” at Studio 54 is sho’ nuff, a foot-stomping, hand-clapping powerhouse performance, projecting the exhilarating swinging times of the greatest trumpeter in jazz history. As Miles Davis once said, “Everything we are trying to play, Pops [as Armstrong was fondly called] already played.”

With inserts of audience participation, this production truly shows the trials and tribulations of Louis Armstrong. But the enthralling music also spotlights his four wives — the loving, creative, and resourceful heroines — who were significant in the trajectory of the trumpeter’s life journey and take centerstage.

As the musical unfolds, we find young Armstrong (brilliantly played by the understudy James T. Lane) in his hometown of Storyville (red light district), Louisiana, where he fell in love and married his first, wife Daisy Parker (understudy Trista Dollison), a sex worker and independent contractor, who would sooner cut a man — Black or white — with her switchblade than take any mess. But during a touching scene, their marriage abruptly ends as the newlywed scurries off to Chicago to join his mentor, the great Joe “King” Oliver (played by Gavin Gregory). In the Windy City, he meets and marries his second wife, pianist and businesswoman, Lil Hardin (played by Jennie Harney-Fleming). She anointed him the “king of jazz,” influencing him to leave Oliver to find his own fame while pointing out he was being underpaid: “Ask for what you are worth, they will pay you anything if you let them.” In 2025, her statement remains true. His third wife, Alpha Smith (played by Kim Exum), is with Armstrong during a bustling scene in California during his Hollywood film debut. He eventually left her for Lucille Wilson (played by Darlesia Cearcy), a dancer at Harlem’s iconic Cotton Club. As a businesswoman, she kept a sharp eye on his contracts and informed him, “a king needs a castle to come home to,” and she made his resi-

dential castle in Queens, New York. Armstrong’s amorous relationships demonstrated he was definitely in love with his music, but he was also deeply in love with love.

His four wives display similarities to “Four Women,” Nina Simone’s 1966 song. Simone’s vivid description emphasizes the strong and resilient aspects of four Black women from four varied experiences. The actors effortlessly portrayed their characters with emotional intensity and fierce singing. Their powerful notes were so invigorating they would capture the attention of any high-flying songbird. His love life revolved around a constantly changing stage consumed by an explosive highstepping ensemble of dancers, tapping (reminiscent of the great tapper Honi Coles and the Copasetics), and singing. So engaging it was like having a front row seat at the Apollo Theater, or the Cotton Club’s famous floor show when they were located on 125th Street. One may recall during those days the original club was segregated.

As the subject of race arose, the audience witnessed Armstrong’s actions and conversations which didn’t comply with the longgrown myth of him being a socalled “Uncle Tom.” He outright refused the opportunity to represent the State Department tour of the Soviet Union, when it was presented to him by his mobconnected manager Joe Glaser (played by Jimmy Smagula). He said, and this is a direct quote, that, “The way they’re treating my

people in the South, the government can go to hell.” He also denounced President Eisenhower for his non-action on civil rights.

In a romping Hollywood scene, Armstrong meets the well-dressed (the excellent period costumes remind us of what fastidious dressers Black entertainers were during that era) Lincoln Perry, known by his stage name Stepin Fetchit (played by DeWitt Fleming, Jr.). Perry explained to Armstrong, “You need armor to make the white man comfortable.” After a brief pause, Armstrong said with authority “It will be my smile.” To that, Perry quickly demonstrated his armor routine “Yass sir boss man, eye’s not sho for

sho boss!” Perry noted, “They never realized that was some of my best acting.” They then walked off the set laughing.

The men, while seriously joking on that Hollywood set, understood the importance of some type of mask, or as Perry called it, “armor.” During their lifetime, a white man would rather lynch a Negro than ask him his name despite their status. But it didn’t stop either of them from speaking out against inequality on their own terms.

Ironically, it took me a moment to realize Lane was the understudy for the lead role but I was not disappointed in the least. Lane proved to be the ideal Armstrong

in both stature and complexion — the gravelly voice, the smile, the handkerchief right down to such hits as “Hello, Dolly!” and “Wonderful World.” His performance earned him and the outstanding cast several standing ovations. This roaring musical was orchestrated and arranged by NEA Jazz Master saxophonist Branford Marsalis. “This was my first Broadway experience,” he explained during an interview on WBGO Jazz radio. “It was tedious but I learned a lot and would do it again.” The musical was co-directed by James Monroe Iglehart and Christina Sajous.

“A Wonderful World” is a stunning Broadway production that pays tribute to the iconic jazz cornetist, trumpeter, composer, and vocalist Louis Armstrong (who was also nicknamed Satch, Satchmo, and Pops), who began playing as a youngster on the streets of New Orleans and ascended to the Roseland Ballroom, Harlem’s Connie’s Inn, and the Cotton Club. His musical influence on the Harlem Renaissance was immeasurable, and he toured the world as the U.S. jazz ambassador. Broadway jazz musicals rarely arrive on the Great White way so it behooves all swingers to bop over to Studio 54 and revel in the virtuosity of Louis Armstrong’s tribulations on and off stage. It’s the hippest show on Broadway with more velocity than Satchmo’s high blaring solos. As the trumpeter noted, “Jazz is about the choices you make between the notes!”

James Monroe Iglehart as Louis Armstrong, and company, in “A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical.”

James Monroe Iglehart as Louis Armstrong in “A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical.” (©Jeremy Daniel photos)

Continued from page 21

After being forced into bankruptcy in 1975, Stax Records remained vacant until it was demolished in 1989. In 2003, the site was re-imagined as the vibrant Stax Museum of American Soul Music, which pays homage to the gritty “Memphis sound” that forever changed the tune of rhythm and blues.

Johnnie Fant, a knowledgeable tour guide at this gem of a museum, explains that at least half of the Stax label’s famed music roster — including Isaac Hayes and Booker T. Jones (of Booker T. and the M.G.s) — grew up in the South Memphis neighborhood.

“This community spawned Stax. Jim Stewart really got lucky when he put his recording studio here,” said Fant. “There was just so much talent in this neighborhood — people in their teens who were musicians, singers, and just came here to see what’s going on, and the next thing you know they were being recorded.”

The facade of the museum resembles a classic movie theater, with a marquee that reads “Welcome to Soulsville.” Inside there are thousands of archives and artifacts, including rare stage costumes like Carla Thomas’ glam gowns and her father Rufus’ cape.

Standout installations include: the rotating display of Isaac Hayes’s teal blue Cadillac with a 24-carat gold exterior trim and white

fur interior carpeting; the floor-to-ceiling Wall of Sound showcasing all of the albums and singles released by Stax and its subsidiary labels from 1957-1975, including Sam & Dave’s “Soul Man” and Otis Redding’s “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,” posthumously released after his tragic death in a plane crash in 1967; and the replica of Studio A, where many of the Stax hits were recorded.

During my conversation with Fant, “Can’t Hide Love” by Earth, Wind & Fire played in the background. The history buff boasted that lead singer Maurice White was a son of Soulsville who honed his music chops at one of the area’s Black high schools.

Next door to the museum is the Stax Music Academy (both are run by the Soulsville Foundation, a nonprofit), which offers an afterschool program for students in grades 6-12 interested in pursuing careers in music, either on the performance or production side.

“What so many people take for granted is that Memphis history goes back to Robert R. Church, Ida B. Wells, and W.C. Handy,” Fant explained.

“Before Stax, it was people like Phineas Newborn and Jimmie Lunceford, jazz musicians who left here and went on to New York to make their mark there. That all started here.”

More Attractions

Don’t miss the bronze statue of journalist, educator, and anti-lynching activist Ida B. Wells on the corner of Beale and Fourth

Streets. The statue is placed near the location of the Memphis Free Speech newspaper Wells co-owned, which was burned down by an angry white mob.

Make sure to also visit the Clayborn Temple & I Am a Man Plaza at 294 Hernando Street, where in February 1968, nearly 1,000 sanitation workers marched daily from the church to City Hall carrying signs declaring “I AM A MAN” in protest of poor working conditions. On the plaza, a large sculpture pays tribute to the strikers and the legacy of Dr. King, and a wall engraved with the names of those who participated in the strike.

Where to Eat

For breakfast on the go, grab freshly prepared smoothies, juices, and sandwiches (the caprese sammie was delish) at the Blackowned Groovy Gratitude, tucked away on a residential block at 605 North 2nd St. Sip and bite in the heart of downtown Memphis at South of Beale, located at 361 S. Main St., a bright and inviting eatery with good service and good food (the fried catfish sandwich with fries doesn’t disappoint).

Dine in style at the Black-owned Mahogany River Terrace, housed in a former yacht club with views of the Mississippi River at 3092 Poplar Ave. The roomy restaurant with formal table settings (I learned what a charger plate is and not to move it) specializes in elevated Southern cuisine with a Creole flair and creative cocktails.

Jacqueline Smith in front of the Lorraine Motel. (Tracy E. Hopkins photo)

CLASSROOM IN THE

Josh White, folk singer, guitarist, and civil rights activist

By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews

News that Josh White, Jr. passed on Dec. 28 at age 84 brought to mind his illustrious folk singing father, Josh White Sr., a path the younger White emulated to a relative degree of success. To match his father’s considerable legacy was a formidable task and even summarizing it here takes some time and energy.

The elder White, known variously as “Pinewood Tom” and “Tippy Barton,” was born Joshua Daniel White, on February 11, 1914, in Greenville, S.C. where he grew up in the Black section of the city. He was one of four children born to Rev. Dennis and Daisy Elizabeth White. His father told him he was named after Joshua in the Bible. He was still a tot when his mother began teaching him music and placing him in the church choir. After his father threw a white bill collector out of his house in 1921, Rev. White was beaten nearly to death. As a result of this incident, he was locked in a mental institution where he died nine years later.

Shortly after the encounter with the bill collector and his father’s institutionalization, White left home with Black folk singer, Blind Arnold, agreeing to be the singer’s guide across the country and to collect money after the performances. From these events, White would send his mother two dollars a week. It wasn’t long before Blind Arnold recognized that he could make more money from White’s emerging talent as a guitarist, singer and dancer. He also loaned White to other blind musicians, including the legendary Blind Blake, and all the while unbeknownst to them White was learning their songs and styles.

His employers further exploited him by having him sleep in the fields, barns, and stables, keeping him shoeless and dressed in rags until he was 16. Meanwhile, his employers lived in the Black hotels, had decent meals, and dressed in the best of clothes.

White was guiding one of his employers in Chicago in 1927 when Mayo Williams, a producer for Paramount Records recognized his talents and began using him as a session guitarist. Eventually, because of his skills and versatility, he recorded and billed with Blind Joe Taggart. White was the young-

est artist on “race records,” all the while still sleeping in horse stables with most of the payments from the records going to his employers.

After he ended his touring with Taggart and others, White began his own career as a recording artist, accumulating enough money to take care of his mother and his siblings, and to return home to Greenville. In the late 1930s, ARC Records of New York, sent two A&R men to find him based on his reputation at Paramount Records. When he was at last found, he was crippled with a broken leg and living with mother in Greenville. The company promised his mother, who signed his contract, that he would record only religious songs, not the blues or the “devil’s music.” He subsequently moved to New York City and was billed as “Joshua White, the Singing Christian.”

1938 that Broadway choral director Leonard De Paur heard him and recruited him to perform in a musical about John Henry and Blind Lemon Jefferson. All of this had come as a result of De Paur looking for Pinewood Tom and the Singing Christian, not knowing that both of these pseudonyms were White.

Two years later, after months of rehearsals, “John Henry” opened on Broadway with Paul Robeson as the titular character and White as Blind Lemon Jefferson. The musical had a short run but gave White an opportunity not only to work with Robeson but open the door for other eminent performers, including Woody Guthrie and Lead Belly. In fact, it was his duo performances with Lead Belly that really made him a notable celebrity. He gained additional cache when he and the Golden Gate Quartet performed in D.C. in a historic concert sponsored by Eleanor Roosevelt to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the 13th Amendment.

This led to a succession of significant performances in the 1940s, including performing at FDR’s inauguration. When he recorded “One Meatball” in 1945 and began a series of appearances at Cafe Society, his popularity was sealed forever. Within the succeeding decade the menace of red-baiting returned and he appeared before the House Un-American Activities Committee where he closed his testimony reciting “Strange Fruit,” the song made popular by Billie Holiday.

ACTIVITIES

FIND OUT MORE

Practically any book on folk music in America has at least a mention of White, and the articles and interviews he conducted are voluminous.

DISCUSSION

It’s not possible here to determine the extent to which his career was impacted by the allegations and charges of red-baiting, though to some degree it gave him greater notoriety.

PLACE IN CONTEXT

Though he only lived a little more than a half century, White left a century worth of music and Americana.

THIS WEEK IN BLACK HISTORY

As his popularity grew, so did his repertoire, and he was soon singing and recording the blues, folk, pop, country, political protests songs and more. Some of his songs were infused with anti-segregationist themes as well as international tunes supporting human rights. These records soon attracted the McCarthy goons and he was labeled a communist. In 1936, he injured his hand during a bar fight, having punched it through a window. It became infected with gangrene so badly that his doctor said it had to be amputated. White refused, stopped performing, and began working a number of menial jobs.

Several months later, almost miraculously, his left healed and within a two-year period he assembled a group and began playing private parties in Harlem. It was during one of these sessions in

White also had cameo roles in films, most notably the western adventure “The Walking Hills” (1949). When concerts, recordings and other performances dipped, White took his talent to Europe where his popularity was almost equal to his standing in America, Canada and the Caribbean. On February 27, 2010, a 36-inch bust of White was unveiled at the LeQuire Gallery in Nashville, TN. It was part of an exhibit by the sculptor Alan LeQuire’s “Cultural Heroes,” which later toured the country. In this context, White reunited with Robeson, Holiday, Guthrie and Lead Belly. Six years later, Josh White Day was declared in Greenville and the city planned a bronze statue honoring his contributions to music and culture.

White was 55 when he died on September 9, 1969 in Manhasset, New York.

Jan. 14, 1916: Acclaimed author and activist John Oliver Killens was born in Macon, Ga. He died in 1987.

Jan. 15. 1933: Noted author Ernest Gaines was born in River Lake Plantation in Pointe Coupee Parish, La. He died in 2019.

Jan. 16, 1950: Versatile artist, dancer and producer Debbie Allen was born in Houston, Texas.

Josh White (Library of Congress photo via Wikimedia)

Final Days

exemplify the potential for compassion but cannot overshadow broader policy failures. As Bello notes, “Why is it that Black pain doesn’t meet restitution or immigration relief?”

Advocating for Humanity

Last year, CAC urged Illinois Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth to introduce the Senate version of H.Res. 1048, a resolution calling for humanitarian parole for Cameroonian migrants, to no avail.

In early December, following a conversation with CAC, Washington, D.C., Councilmember Zachary Parker issued a public statement urging the administration to protect African immigrants in his district and nationwide.

And days later, in a statement to the CAC, Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) also pressed Biden to act: “With just weeks left in his presidency, I hope President Biden will act decisively to secure these critical protections, especially as immigrants in Maine and across the country face mounting threats from the next administration.”

The omission by DHS is glaring and underscores a history of systemic racism in U.S. immigration policy.

A Legacy of Exclusion

In his 1966 book, “White By Law,” Ian Haney López noted how the U.S. “is ideologically a White country not by accident, but by design at least in part affected through naturalization and immigration laws.”

For 160 years, from 1792 to 1952, “Congress made it possible for state and federal law to grant political and economic rights to white immigrants immediately upon arrival while ensuring that nonwhite immigrants could never enjoy them,” read a paper in the William and Mary Law Review.

The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 barred most Chinese immigrants, and the Immigration Act of 1924 created national origins quotas favoring Northern Europeans while severely restricting immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe and eliminated all immigration for most nonwhite people, a system that persisted until 1965. Policies like “Operation Wetback” in 1954 forcibly removed hundreds of thousands of people of Mexican ancestry. These policies reflect a long-standing pattern of exclusion targeting non-white populations and speak to the dire importance of presidential intervention.

The administration’s swift response to Ukrainian migrants in 2022 demonstrates its capacity for transformative action. Central African migrants deserve the same urgent protections that would affirm racial equity and align humanitarian actions with U.S. investments in Africa.

The Contradiction of U.S. Policy

During Biden’s December visit to Angola, he announced another $600 million for the Lobito railway project traversing routes once used in the Transatlantic slave trade. The contradiction is staggering: While investing billions in African infrastructure, the U.S. neglects African migrants fleeing violence.

Meanwhile, USAID’s $1 billion aid package addresses food insecurity in Africa but does little for migrants facing immediate danger. A December State Department advisory warns of severe violence in Cameroon, highlighting the need for urgent action. Extending TPS and humanitarian parole to Central Africans is not just an act of justice — it’s a necessity.

Congressional leaders, including New York’s Adriano Espaillat and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, urged Biden in early 2024 to establish a humanitarian parole program for Cameroon with H.Res.1048, pushing back against this anti-Africanness.

Disinformation and Anti-Black Narratives

Global systemic anti-Blackness in immigration is compounded by disinformation that dehumanizes African migrants. Online narratives often portray them as economic burdens or criminals, echoing xenophobic propaganda.

For the Oxford Internet Institute, I discussed how racialized disinformation was effectively weaponized during the 2024 election when Presidentelect Trump amplified Ohio Senator JD Vance’s baseless claims about Haitian immigrants “eating cats and dogs.” This anti-Black disinformation created hostile environments for Black migrants in other states, spurred xenophobic sentiment online, and put all of Springfield’s residents at risk, as reflected by the bomb threats throughout the city.

Studies show that such rhetoric makes African migrants more vulnerable to harassment, detention, and deportation while legitimizing policies that deprioritize protections for Black migrants.

Combating these narratives is about more than countering disinformation; it is about reaffirming the humanity and dignity of African migrants through equitable immigration reforms.

A Final Appeal

Biden stands at a crossroads. He has days left in his presidency to dismantle the legacy of exploiting Black labor while denying Black humanity — or he can remain complicit in these injustices. The time to act is now.

Diara J. Townes is an engagement journalist, disinformation researcher, and adjunct at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York. She is also a media consultant who volunteers with the Cameroon American Council.

Rajkumar kicked off her campaign at The Palace in Woodside, Queens, last year. She is running to make history as the first South Asian and first woman of color to be comptroller. In the assembly, she passed the historic Diwali School Holiday bill and the SMOKEOUT Act to close illegal weed shops. She aims to crack down on e-bikes and recidivism, close the gender wage gap, improve access to affordable housing, and safeguard pension fund assets for current and retired city employees.

Borough President Races

Brooklyn

Current BP Reynoso has raised $209,359 in contributions for his reelection campaign. He’s facing two challengers, both of whom he defeated in 2021.

Khari Edwards is a head of corporate and social responsibility at AYR Wellness Inc, a multi-state cannabis dispensary company, and was the first vice president of color for external affairs at Brookdale Hospital in Brownsville. His campaign has raised $129,054, with $17,979 coming in during this filing period at an average contribution of $76.

“Since we began this journey, the support has been extraordinary. More than half of our contributions have come from new donors who believe in our message: that every community, every neighborhood

deserves the attention of a Borough President,” said Edwards proudly. “The message from Brooklynites is clear: it’s time for a change in leadership, and together, we’re building a vision that ensures every voice is heard and every community thrives.”

Shanduke McPhatter, founder at Gangstas Making Astronomical Community Changes Inc. (G-M.A.C.C), is also listed as making another run at being an elected official.

The Bronx

Current BP Vanessa Gibson, after a lengthy career in politics, became the first woman and Black person to hold her position in 2020. Her main opponent is City Councilmember Rafael Salamanca, who ran briefly for Bronx BP as well in 2020 but ended up dropping out of the race to secure his reelection to his city council seat.

Gibson has received‎ $261,994 in private funds and $365,898 in public funds. At present, Salamanca is outraising Gibson with $505,982 in private funds.

“As Bronx Borough President, Rafael Salamanca Jr. will transform the Bronx into a place where families can afford to live, work, and thrive,” said Salamanca’s campaign. “Through strategic land use advocacy, bold budget investments, and deep community partnerships, Rafael will fight to deliver affordable housing, safer streets, revitalized neighborhoods, and expanded opportunities. His leadership promises a cleaner, safer, more affordable Bronx for all.”

Health

Factcheck — True: mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective

By LIBBY McDYER, MA Special to the AmNews

In the past four and half years, our world has changed in ways we could never have imagined. COVID-19 forced us to find new ways to work, new ways to shop, new ways to live practically overnight. Information about the pandemic and the virus that caused it was constantly changing. It was nearly impossible to keep track of it all during our transition from in-person to remote lifestyles. This included information about vaccines.

Both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines use mRNA technology in their vaccines to protect us from the spread of the disease. With more than 90% of New York City residents having at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, it’s important to understand what mRNA vaccines are and dispel common myths circulating about the vaccines because some people have unfounded concerns about what vaccine mRNA does in our bodies once injected.

What is mRNA?

This molecule is called messenger RNA (mRNA). It was first named in France in 1961. This molecule is found in all humans, and it is vital for our survival. It is made from our DNA, to help replicate the DNA in our cells by carrying information from one place to another, like a messenger. Without mRNA, we would not be able to make new cells to repair damaged ones, grow new cells, or replace old cells in our bodies.

Dr. Jessica Tuan, an assistant professor and associate director of antivirals and vaccines research program at the Yale School of Medicine, told the Amsterdam News, “After the cells make a protein, the mRNA is broken down and does not alter the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA).”

This means that the mRNA in the vaccine falls apart harmlessly in our bodies once it has done its job and does not affect our own DNA later on, despite what some misinformed sources have falsely claimed.

How do vaccines use mRNA?

Just like our bodies use DNA and mRNA to store genetic information, viruses can use DNA or RNA for their own genetic information. The COVID-19 virus uses RNA to store its genetic information. When mRNA was first discovered in our cells, scientists began studying how the molecule could be used for medicinal purposes. In 2005, researchers found that a modified mRNA molecule could be injected into humans to deliver instructions to our cells without overwhelming an immune system.

After this breakthrough, many scientists began studying how mRNA could be

used as a messenger to carry instructions that work as a vaccine against different diseases. In the 2010s, Moderna was working with the National Institutes of Health on developing an mRNA-based vaccine for a different form of coronavirus that laid the foundation for their rapid development of a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine when the pandemic hit.

“mRNA vaccines are more easily produced, relative to other vaccine platforms,” Tuan told the Amsterdam News. “Thus, production of new mRNA vaccines in response to other COVID-19 viral variants is easier to produce.”

Far from being a “new” or “rushed” type of vaccine, mRNA has been in development for decades, and how it can and cannot affect humans is well understood.

How exactly do mRNA vaccines work?

When an mRNA vaccine is injected, small amounts of genetic information from the COVID-19 virus are released into our blood. This genetic information lets our cells get to know portions of the virus and develop antibodies against it, so the next time we encounter the virus, our immune system can recognize it and fight it off. While you could still test positive for COVID-19 and experience COVID-19 symptoms after being vaccinated, this vaccine gives our immune

system an advantage and helps prevent severe symptoms or death the next time we encounter COVID-10.

A recent study found that people vaccinated against COVID-19 had significantly lower incidences of severe acute infection one year after vaccination compared to those without the vaccine. This protection provided by the vaccine is similar to the ways in which other live and non-live vaccines work. Like the yearly flu vaccine, the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine does not guarantee that we will not contract COVID-19. However, both vaccinations for the flu and for COVID-19 decrease our chances of developing serious or severe health complications or symptoms.

What should you know about the COVID19 mRNA vaccines?

A significant amount of misinformation is circulating about mRNA vaccines. Speak with your medical doctor or a trusted health professional to determine whether the vaccine is right for you.

Some individuals may not be aware that the initial mRNA COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials were 95% effective against symptomatic COVID-19, Tuan said via email. Because the process for COVID-19 mRNA vaccine approval was accelerated, some people were concerned that a complete

review of safety and efficacy data was not done. However, that is not the case.

“Thorough review was performed by the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee and the Food and Drug Administration to authorize the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines available now,” Tuan wrote to the Amsterdam News.

In addition, Harvard immunologist Dr. Sara Fortune attested to the rigorous and comprehensive testing of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines in clinical trials in an interview with the Harvard Chan School of Public Health’s podcast “Better Off.” Fortune said the vaccine had to be tested on

“not just tens of thousands, but hundreds of thousands of people” during Phase 3 clinical trials. Just as all other available vaccines are thoroughly tested in clinical trials before being given to the public, the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine was tested and reviewed to ensure its safety.

More than 13 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered around the world since 2021, according to the World Health Organization. Although mRNA vaccines may seem like a big change from the norm, their function and protection is similar to many existing vaccines.

Always be sure to check the latest guidance from the CDC and your primary care provider before making any healthcare decisions.

mRNA vaccines like the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine have been widely tested and proven safe and effective. (Public Domain image)

think you have this generation that has not grown up with that chilling effect, and they see what’s happening with Puerto Rico, and this whole movement that took place after the ousting of the governor [Ricardo Rosselló in July 2019] … that builds a lot of momentum around getting, for the first time in decades, a pro-sovereignty candidate as a viable competitor …, so it has recalibrated politics in the island.”

The CIA’s gathering of information about independence movements coincided with the period of the “carpeteo,” when the intelligence division of the Puerto Rico police worked with the FBI to spy on left-leaning political activists. The carpetas program took place between the 1940s and 1987, according to photographer Christopher GregoryRivera, who has been documenting the surveillance program. Both agencies collected personal information about individuals and reports on the independence movements on the island through undercover intelligence agents.

In 1978, the late California Congressman Ronald Dellums sent the CIA a formal request, asking if the agency had done any work in the archipelago that affected the independence movement. Sections of the CIA’s now declassified notes put forward to respond to Del -

lums show that “[t]here have been two instances of Agency analysis [sections in black redacted in original documents] in July 1954 expressed an opinion that there was a trend towards pro-independence sympathies in Puerto Rico under the then . The writer merely commented that he felt that independence would be welcomed by the majority of Puerto Ricans, that independence would gain friends for the United States and that it would also improve the prestige of Puerto Rico. An Agency memorandum was published in 1976 which dealt with the Cuban effort to promote the cause of Puerto Rican independence.”

This past March 2024, Congressmembers Joaquin Castro of Texas and Jimmy Gomez of California also requested CIA information about the extent of surveillance of Latino civil rights activists, such as labor leader César Chávez and members of the Mexican American group the American G.I. Forum.

“The declassification of materials related to the surveillance of the Latino civil rights movement,” Castro and Gomez wrote in their request letter, “would not only align with our commitment to transparency and civil liberties but would also contribute to a more inclusive understanding of American history. It is imperative that we continue to confront and address these aspects of our past to ensure that such overreaches do not occur in the future.”

of Investigation (FBI) to address “cold case files.” Under the Emmett Till Act, the DOJ issued a report this week on the Tulsa Race Massacre that occurred in Oklahoma in 1921. The report documents the vicious attack on Tulsa’s Greenwood community, which came to be known as Black Wall Street. Through firsthand accounts and primary source materials, the DOJ found that as many as 10,000 white members of a drunken battalion and law enforcement systematically murdered hundreds of Black residents, burned their businesses and homes, stole their money and property, and escaped prosecution.

“The Act itself gives federal money to prosecutors to do these investigations and this would do the same,” said Sanders about his bill. He noted that the information in these alleged cold cases is fairly well known through documentaries and media, but the hope is to adequately fund a transparent investigation that won’t be obscured by invested parties.

Williams said she was deeply impacted after watching the Netflix documentary, which among other things revealed critical flaws in the investigation of Malcolm X’s assassination and highlighted the broader issue of unresolved civil

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rights crimes.

She recently put forth a resolution calling on the New York State Legislature and Governor Kathy Hochul to finally sign the Malcolm X Act. Sanders was thrilled that the City Council would turn their attention to his bill.

“Moved by the need for justice and accountability, I reached out to my colleagues, Senator James Sanders Jr. and Assembly Member Clyde Vanel, to learn about their bill, the Malcolm X Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act, in the New York State Legislature,” said Williams. “This initiative embodies a shared commitment to civil rights and honoring Malcolm X’s legacy by pursuing truth and justice for unresolved cases. Drafting a resolution is my way of supporting and amplifying their important work.”

Williams hopes that if the act gets passed and signed into law, it would represent a significant step toward justice and accountability, not just for Malcolm X but for countless other unresolved civil rights cases.

“I hope this legislation will spark a broader commitment to uncovering the truth about historical injustices, ensuring the families and communities affected can find closure and healing,” said Williams. “Beyond that, it’s about reaffirming our collective commitment to civil rights, truth, and transparency — values that Malcolm X fought for and that we must continue to uphold.”

Education

NYC advocates push for universal child care for 2-year-olds

By JULIAN SHEN-BERRO Chalkbeat New York

A coalition of childcare advocates, families, and elected officials will march on City Hall with strollers on Sunday to launch their campaign for free child care for all New York City 2-year-olds.

The campaign will kick off just three days after Mayor Eric Adams delivered his annual State of the City speech, which focused heavily on affordability for families but was criticized by advocates about a lack of concrete childcare policy proposals. During the last budget cycle, Adams clashed with advocates and City Council members over funding for the city’s early childhood system.

The campaign pushes for including “2Care” in the next city budget and calls for a significant expansion of the childcare system, which currently offers free preschool programs for the city’s 3- and 4-year-olds. Advocates estimate it would serve about 60,000 children and require about $1.3 billion to operate at full scale.

“Families cannot afford to wait until their kids are 3 to access free child care: The steep cost of child care is pushing parents to their breaking point, and out of New York all together,” said Rebecca Bailin, executive director of New Yorkers United for Child Care, in a statement. “Universal 2-Care is an important step toward reversing these devastating trends and bringing universal, public child care to all of New York State.”

New Yorkers United for Child Care is a grassroots parent group that is partnering with United Neighborhood Houses, a policy organization representing many child care providers in the 2-Care campaign. The campaign has gained support from a range of grassroots advocacy groups, childcare providers, and local and state officials, according to a Friday press release.

Among those supporting the campaign are city Comptroller Brad Lander and State

Sen. Jessica Ramos — two officials who plan to run against Adams in the mayoral race this year.

Chyann Tull, a spokesperson for the city’s Education Department, said proposals like 2-Care “highlight the urgent need to invest in our youngest learners [by] supporting their development and easing financial burdens on families.”

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“New York City Public Schools understands the profound impact that accessible, high-quality child care has on our families and communities,” Tull said in a statement.

“We must support the sustainability of the current system while we remain committed to working alongside our partners in government to create a seamless, equitable system that sets every child on a path to success from their earliest years.”

Childcare advocates argue that child care for 2-year-olds is critically important, noting 80% of brain growth occurs before the age of 3. Meanwhile, childcare costs can be a significant financial burden for families, forcing parents to choose between leaving their jobs or paying thousands of dollars for private childcare services. Fulltime child care for a 2-year-old in New York City can cost families roughly $23,400 annually, according to advocates.

A universal 2-Care program, advocates say, would offer free childcare services to every 2-year-old in the city, with sites operating from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at locations close to home.

Building up the city’s free prekindergar-

ten system was a signature initiative of former Mayor Bill de Blasio, who leaned heavily on federal COVID relief dollars to expand preschool for 3-year-olds with a goal of making the program universal. That effort stalled under Adams, whose administration contended that thousands of seats were sitting empty due to mismatches of supply and demand in some neighborhoods. Advocates argue that Adams has not invested enough in promoting preschool options to families.

During his State of the City address, Adams said the city had extended a 3-K offer to every family that applied on time last year, enrolling 150,000 children across the early childhood system.

A lack of access to affordable child care can have a significant impact on parents’ ability to work, according to prior reports from city government. In 2021, more than half a million people did not seek employment due to childcare needs, with about 375,000 parents choosing to leave or considering leaving their jobs due to the combined impact of the pandemic and a lack of affordable child care.

Many New Yorkers want expanded pre-k programs. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

initiatives such as the U.N. Permanent Forum are criticized as elitist and manipulated spaces. There is an urgent need to build an autonomous and radical movement that prioritizes historical reparations and restorative justice and exposes opportunistic leadership and the complicity of power centers.

“There is an urgent need to evaluate the first decade, [look at] the compliance by States with the general guidelines of ‘recognition, justice, and development,’ diagnose the few public policies developed and their achievements, and look at the execution of the budget and the balance on the part of Afrodescendant communities and peoples. In general, there has been no progress in public policies in favor of the more than 200 million people of African descent in [this] region. We are still in a situation of critical poverty and the faces of our women, children, and youth are images of misery.”

While many activists acknowledged that the U.N. should enhance its mechanisms, most believed that the organization’s initiatives have positively impacted the advancement of their political rights at home.

Jacqui Goegebeur, a spokesperson for the Association of Belgian Metissen (As -

sociation Métis de Belgique/Metis van België), told the Amsterdam News, that the Permanent Forums were a helpful opportunity to meet with other Afrodescendant groups and form alliances. “It was, as far as it concerns our case, it was good,” Goegebeur said. “We organized our own event and it was very positive with people thinking of working together to create a working group on justice so as to create knowledge and be professional. I hope that those kinds of visions will be realized.”

In 2019, Belgium’s prime minister publicly apologized for the discriminatory policies his nation imposed on “métis,” or mixed-race children. These children, the offspring of European fathers and women from Belgian colonies like the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, and Rwanda, were forcibly placed in orphanages in the 1940s and 1950s. Goegebeur says that the 2019 public apology was shaped by the first Decade’s focus on recognizing Afrodescendant people. “In the case of mixedrace métis children in Belgium, the court decided that it was indeed a crime against humanity and that the Belgian state was responsible,” she noted. “We hope that in the following discussions and meetings with the government, we will be able to find agreements on what Belgium will do and should do to facilitate us to get our rights and demands in line.”

Bryan of The Association of Mixed Race Irish reports that Ireland’s people of mixed African-Irish heritage successfully utilized U.N. mechanisms to highlight their concerns. “On a positive note, the Irish State introduced a fund to support people of African descent in the country who wish to run projects around the themes of recognition and celebration of people of African descent,” he said. “More generally, I am hoping that the Second Decade will bring more progress in terms of justice and development. Importantly, we need a lot more political support and funding from States to make the mechanisms more effective and to ensure that a new declaration on human rights becomes a reality.”

Meanwhile in Canada, Hodan Ahmed Mohamed, the founder of Arawelo Institute for Leadership & Public Policy, says Black Canadian activists in Halifax, Ontario, and to a certain extent Quebec, pushed their government to respond to the declaration of the first Decade. “Prime Minister [Justin] Trudeau and his government recognized the decade in 2018: three, almost four years after the decade was recognized at the U.N. level, they acknowledged the decade. Canada has put a lot of money behind the decade, more on funneling funds into Black entrepreneurship, like [CA$] 800 million so far has been invested in Black communities. One of our major concerns was that you have all of this money going around into dif -

ferent Black communities in a way that hasn’t been going around for decades, but now that Trudeau resigned, when the conservative government comes to power, a lot of that will disappear because there is not a substantive policy in place or legislation to keep it.”

Ahmed Mohamed, who is also a senior U.N. Human Rights Fellow for People of African Descent, noted that the Permanent Forum’s members are well-established activists and scholars who volunteer to be on the panel –– they’re not paid for their work and only receive travel and hotel fare reimbursements to attend forums from their governments.

“People forget that the Permanent Forum for People of African Descent is a policy forum –– it doesn’t have a particular mechanism to create funds, but it is a forum that allows Black people to have a direct conversation with state actors and to work with the Permanent Forum members. … The forum comes under the U.N. Human Rights Council, and the U.N. Human Rights Council…is the least funded entity at the U.N., but they do the most work.

“I would say it’s up to us to push our respective countries to contribute to this Forum because the expectations of the U.N. Permanent Forum and the lack of funding that they face, it doesn’t match. They can’t do adequate work; they can’t create access to civil society with the funds that they actually get.”

Religion & Spirituality

Loving imperfect people imperfectly

And the king will answer them, “Truly, I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.” —Matthew 25:40

On my podcast Love Period, I recently reflected on how we are called to love imperfect people imperfectly. My friends at the Center for Action and Contemplation — led by Father Richard Rohr — produce that podcast. Here is a redaction of what I shared.

There is a kind of love Rabbi Jesus was talking about. If our neighbor is in prison, if they’re hungry, if they’re naked, if they’re lonely, if they’re a stranger, a widow, a child, if they’re an outsider, if they’re last, they become first. In our holy imagination, this kind of love is radical; it’s fierce. It takes us beyond borders, beyond race/ ethnicity, beyond religion, beyond gender, beyond sexuality, beyond have and havenot, beyond blue and red. It’s a call to love your neighbor across these social categories and belief systems. It’s love that insists on justice as proof of love.

Even as I smart from the presidential election, and struggle not to feel betrayed by those who put Trump in office and even as I worry about the vulnerable people who will be most deeply impacted by what happens in these next four years, I’m also wondering what love means now. Who is your neighbor, who is my neighbor and how do we love them? Can we see and feel their humanity? Sense their connectedness to you, the way you’re alike, even though you’re different? The way their blood is red, no matter what color their skin is? The way their heart beats, no matter who they love or how they love them? Can you sense your neighbor’s kinship with you and therefore be imagining that their self-interest and your self-interest are intertwined? Can you feel the ubuntu connection, that we are only human through other humans? What will love have us do? What is a starting place to look at the world through someone else’s eyes and have empathy for them? Who’s the one person you want to understand better and want to learn from and perhaps also teach? Pick a person to start with. I’m not saying go to a person who will make you feel in danger or in harm, but somebody who can be a conversation partner about what love needs to be now for all of us. Will you consider that one person and then maybe another who can increase your tribe, help you to see things differently and help you to love more pro-

foundly? A neighbor, not exactly like you, but a neighbor, nonetheless. I believe these are going to be difficult times. We might drown in the difficulty. But, if we try to love our neighbor, even the strangest one of all, I wonder if we can learn to swim in the turbulence. I wonder if love is a life-raft. I wonder if fierce, just, revolutionary love might be what saves us — each of our imperfect selves seeking each other, curious, candid, leaning-in to the ties that bind us. What if we tried love, tried a little tenderness? I’m not saying to rush to the sites of terror, but rather finding another with whom to begin a gentle exploration of their humanity. Can we try that?

Reference:

Adapted from Jacqui Lewis, “Love Thy Neighbor,” Love Period with Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis season 4, episode 1 (Center for Action and Contemplation, 2024), podcast.

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.

Parole reviews are how most incarcerated New Yorkers are released from prison. Hearings following a minimum sentence determine whether the individual is ready to reenter society. Decisions are solely made by the New York State Board of Parole, an independent entity composed of gubernatorial appointees, according to the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS).

“The worsening racial disparities in parole releases in New York State is totally unacceptable,” said Rev. Al Sharpton in a statement. “The fact that thousands of Black and Brown people who are currently locked up in New York’s prisons would be home with their families if people of color were released at the same rates as white people is a moral stain on our great state — and all New Yorkers should expect better.”

According to the report’s findings, 3,787 more people would make parole if release rates for people of color were the same as their white counterparts since 2016 when the state started recording such data. But the gap widened under Hochul by 71.76%, according to the report’s authors. The data stems directly from the New York Parole Board, but was obtained by the Vera Institute.

dations concerning release to Community Supervision from the district attorney, sentencing court and the defense attorney. As per Board regulations, a Board interview must be conducted by a panel of at least two Board members.”

The report did not directly look into what exact factors led to these disparities, but pointed to investigative reporting by the New York Times on how Black and Brown New Yorkers were far less likely to be released than similarly situated white counterparts. Saldaña offers a simpler explanation, saying inherent biases lead commissioners to see more potential in white people.

Jose Saldaña, a director for the Releasing Aging People in Prison campaign (RAPP), recounts this disparity empirically understood by people in custody.

“I experienced this firsthand, you know all of us,” he said. “When you go before a parole board, you’ve got maybe 20 people in there, sometimes more, waiting to see the New York state

Sharpton and the report’s authors both advocated for a pair of state bills aimed at reforming parole laws. Fair and Timely Parole would base parole hearing decisions on rehabilitation and reentry rather than mainly on the nature of the crime that led to the conviction. Elder Parole would qualify incarcerated individuals ages 55 and older, with 15 years or more in prison, for a parole hearing regardless of minimum sentence.

Garvey

Continued from page 8

became the COINTELPRO, which was designed to subvert any organization that stood for more social justice,” Dr. Garvey said.

In 1922, Garvey was arrested and charged for conspiracy to commit mail fraud for allegedly encouraging someone to buy stock in the Black Star Line, a shipping line created by Garvey to transport goods and was intended to ship African Americans back to Africa. In 1925, he was convicted and spent two years in prison before President Calvin Coolidge commuted his sentence. He was then deported back to Jamaica in 1927. He later died in 1940 in London at age 52.

Over the last century, much legal analysis has been documented since Garvey’s conviction outlining the many issues with his trial including a lack of sufficient evidence, a judge with proven bias, a perjured testimony from a sole witness, and other problems with both the case and trial itself working against Garvey.

In 1987, his sons Julius and Marcus Jr. partnered with Black political leaders, namely U.S. Rep. and Harlem leader Charles

B. Rangel, along with scholars Dr. John Henrik Clarke and Tony Martin, among others, testifying before the House Judiciary Committee, chaired by John Conyers to have Congress pass a resolution exonerating their father’s name. By 2016, Dr. Garvey, in partnership with the Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP firm, established a 41-page petition explaining how the case was unjust and called to pardon his father. While posthumous pardons are rare, there is precedence for it as former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush both executed them during their administrations, as the petition makes reference to.

It has had the support of the Congressional Black Caucus, civil rights groups like the NAACP (which historically was the principal group against Garvey), and the National Bar Association, and was promoted by U.S. Rep. of New York, Yvette Clark. Civil Rights attorney, the late Vernon E. Jordan, along with the Akin firm, hand delivered the petition to Obama’s desk, but it was ultimately not passed.

In 2022, Julius rallied alongside the Caribbean Political Action Committee, a group of Black booksellers and publishers, to gather 100,000 signatures in order

parole commissioners. We’re looking around at each other, and everybody basically has the same thought in their head. They look at [the around] three to five white guys and we all know that they got a better chance than us. If anybody is going to make it, it’s going to be them…we see it live.”

Saldaña spent 38 years in prison before making parole in 2018 after four denials. He says the two bills could uplift thousands of Black and Brown families, particularly when incarcerated individuals are released a decade before retirement age.

to get an official response from Biden on the petition. According to the organizers, they passed the threshold as they have an internal number of how many clicked the link to sign up, yet there has been no response. He also published an open letter to Biden in 2021.

The most recent action from a political leader came from retiring congressman Clark who sent a letter in December to Biden calling for the pardon. Also last month, the Marcus Garvey Institute For Human Development, founded by Dr. Garvey and Center For Global Africa, launched the Garvey Legacy Campaign to support ongoing exoneration efforts and released a short documentary titled “The Garvey Legacy Film.” Dr. Garvey is hoping the new book, which features a compilation of essays about his father and the false charges against him, in addition to the other initiatives like the film and campaign will put further pressure on Biden to issue the pardon.

During the 2024 election between Vice President Kamala Harris and president-elect Donald Trump, an element of the online discourse was the “diaspora wars,” with groups like FBA (Foundational Black Americans) and ADOS

“The Board members understand that each individual is different and must be considered on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the standards for release,” said a DOCCS spokesperson. “They cannot and do not solely consider the race of an individual when rendering their decisions. Prior to making a final decision, the Board members must follow the statutory requirements which take ‎into consideration many factors, including statements made by victims and victims’ families, if any, as well as an individual’s criminal history, institutional accomplishments, potential to successfully reintegrate into the community, and perceived risk to public safety.

“Additionally, by statute, the Board considers any recommen-

(American Descendants of Slavery) who were critical of Harris, who is of Jamaican and Indian ethnicity, arguing she was not a true Black American. Dr. Garvey says the same divisions among Black folks that were used to weaken the Garvey movement (in terms of him being ostracized as a Jamaican immigrant) have continued to repeat themselves today, a result of enslavement and miseducation.

“We’re repeating history because we haven’t learned from history.”

Dr. Garvey said. “Here we are rejecting Kamala Harris, although she’s not Marcus Garvey, but we’re not uniting as a people behind a candidate who can do anything for us in the big picture, so that we do not have the strength to really influence the political system.”

Dr. Garvey further underscores that political organization and engagement and an understanding of history will be needed for Black folks in the U.S. moving forward.

“We’re reliving the same traumas over and over because for some reason, we’re not able to learn the lesson that we have to unify around a common objective, and it has to be based on our own primary economic development as a community with a self-identity as a community,

“When we go before a parole board…they just want to talk about the crime, they get stuck at the crime,” said Saldaña. “When a white person with accomplishments goes before the parole board, they don’t get stuck at the crime.”

understanding ourselves as African people with a proper history, traditions, and culture, and we have to manifest that in terms of the society in which we live.” Dr. Garvey explained.

The news of Biden’s historic number of commutations, which surpassed former president Obama’s 330 in 2017, came after the pardon of his son Hunter over gun and tax charges as he was likely to be unfairly targeted by Trump. Last month, he also took 37 of the 40 federal inmates off death row and gave them life in prison, something the president-elect Trump criticized as he is set to resume federal executions during his administration. During his first term, Trump oversaw 13 federal executions, after only 3 had taken place in the almost 60 years prior.

Biden only has a few more days to take additional action such as a Garvey pardon before leaving office.

“President Biden is still the president until January the 20th so we’re continuing to push to exonerate my dad by using the presidential ability to grant a posthumous pardon,” Dr. Garvey said. “But it has to state that no crime was committed and was an injustice.”

Advocates and lawmakers call for reforming parole laws. (Photo courtesy of the Releasing Aging People in Prison Campaign)

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Notice of Qualification of NONIGHTER LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/24/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 08/21/24. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

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 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 a license, serial #NA-0340-24121228 for beer & wine has been applied for by the undersigned to sell beer & wine at retail in a restaurant under the ABC Law at 592 3 rd Ave., NYC 10016 for on-premises consumption; Piselli Inc.

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, serial #NA-0240-24146654 for beer, wine has been applied for by the undersigned to sell beer & wine at retail in a restaurant under the ABC Law at 110 St. Marks Pl., New York, NY 10009 for on-premises consumption; Disfruting Two LLC

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.

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.

KEN & RITA REAL ESTATE HOLDINGS LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 12/10/24. Office: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, c/o Rita Warner, 15 West 81st Street, New York, NY 10024. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

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 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 MACONDO 520 FIFTH, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/24/24. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 200 S. Biscayne Blvd., Ste. 1860, Miami, FL 33131. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the princ. office of the LLC. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

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.

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT – NEW YORK COUNTY BOARD OF MANAGERS OF THE 610 PARK AVENUE CONDOMINIUM, Plaintiff -against16EF APARTMENT, LLC and MARA ENTERPRISES, et al Defendant(s). INDEX NO. 151261/2023

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale and Decision + Order on Motion duly entered herein and dated September 29, 2023, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at a public auction located in Room 116 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street New York, New York on January 29, 2025 at 2:15 p.m. E.T., premises situate, all that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, City and State of New York, Block: 1379, Lot: 1189. Said premises known as 610 Park Avenue, PH16E, New York, New York 10065. The approximate amount of the judgment is $171,820.02 plus post-judgment interest & costs. The premises will be sold subject to provisions of the filed Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale and Decision + Order on Motion and Sale and Terms of Sale.

CHRISTY M. DEMELFI, ESQ., Referee Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton, LLP

Attn: Benjamin O. Gilbert bogilbert@sheppardmullin.com

Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10112 (212) 896-0682

SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK.

NYCTL 2021-A TRUST AND THE BANK OF NEW YORK

MELLON, AS COLLATERAL AGENT AND CUSTODIAN, Plaintiffs -against- D.K.S. LTD, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered herein on July 16, 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 February 5, 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 1262 Lot 603 on the New York County Tax Assessment.

Said premises known as 62 WEST 47TH STREET #602, NEW YORK, NY 10036

Approximate amount of lien $291,253.74 plus interest & costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 158753/2022.

CLARK WHITSETT, ESQ., Referee Phillips Lytle LLP Attorney(s) for Plaintiffs 28 East Main Street, Suite 1400, Rochester, NY 14614

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 PUBLIC BID

Hunter Roberts Construction Group (HRCG) will be accepting Competitive Sealed Bids on behalf of The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) as part of the public procurement for Construction Services of East 34th Street NYC Ferry Transit Resilience Project (Contract No. 104540001), located at E. 34th Street in Manhattan, NY 10016. Scope of Work entails marine pile driving, extension of steel anchor piles & other misc. metal tasks.

Bidders are hereby notified that this subcontract is subject to Local Law 1, Disadvantage Business Enterprises (DBE) Requirements, Prevailing Wage Rates, and apprenticeship program requirements.

To access the solicitation, visit the HRCG’s Building Connected Portal at https://tinyurl.com/ 34thFerryResilience Responses to the RFP are to be electronically submitted via Building Connected no later than Monday, February 10, 2025, by 4:00 PM. Anticipated award date is March 2025. Anticipated construction start date is September 2025. Please note that late bids will not be accepted if submitted after the due date. Project Contact: Jessica Levyns - jlevyns@hrcg.com

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.

Capture Create LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 31/10/2024. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 1595 Lexington Avenue, #5C, New York, NY, 10029. Purpose: Any lawful act.

Microassets LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 12/21/2024. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 422 ST Nicholas Ave 4S, New York, NY, 10027 . 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.

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF New York , CAPITAL ONE, N.A., Plaintiff, vs. KENNETH D. LAUB, ET AL., Defendant (s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on October 11, 2022, 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 29, 2025, at 2:15 PM, premises known as 163 EAST 64TH STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10065. 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: 1399, Lot: 25. Approximate amount of judgment is $10,653,559.26 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 159315/2017. If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid. The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee, the Mortgagee's attorney, or the Referee.

DORON LEIBY, Esq., Referee Roach & Lin, P.C., 6851 Jericho Turnpike, Suite 185, Syosset, New York 11791, Attorneys for Plaintiff

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT: NEW YORK COUNTY. BMARK 2018-B1 BLEECKER STREET, LLC, Pltf. vs. 156 BLEECKER OWNER LLC, et al, Defts. Index #850257/2021. Pursuant to judgment of foreclosure and sale dated Aug. 27, 2024, I will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY on February 5, 2025 at 2:15 p.m. premises k/a 156-160 Bleecker Street, Unit 1, New York, NY a/k/a Section 2, Block 525, Lot 1001. The Commercial Condominium Unit (the “Unit”) in the building known as the Atrium Condominium (the “Condominium”) and located and known by street number 156160 Bleecker Street, New York, New York, designated and described in the Declaration (hereinafter called the “Declaration”) made by 160 Bleecker Street Owners, Inc. under the Condominium Act of the State of New York (Article 9-B of the Real Property Law of the State of New York) (the “New York Condominium Act”), dated 3-14-84, and recorded 4-1484 in the Office of the Register, the City of New York, County of New York in Reel 784, Page 730 establishing a plan for condominium ownership of said Building and the lands upon which the same is erected (hereinafter sometimes collectively called the “Property”), and also designated as Tax Lot 1001 on the Floor Plans of the Building certified by Charles Lobell, R.A., on 3-14-84 filed with said Declaration in the Office of the City Register for New York County as Map No. 4239. Together with an undivided 15.57% interest in the Common Elements of the property as described in said Declaration, recorded in Reel 784, Page 730. Approximate amount of judgment is $41,863,779.16 plus costs and interest. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed judgment and terms of sale.

THOMAS R. KLEINBERGER, Referee. BALLARD SPAHR LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 1675 Broadway, 19th Floor, New York, NY 10019. #101933

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK: COUNTY OF NEW YORK. JYBGAD L.P. Pltf v. WEST 26 TH STREET REALTY LLC, et al., Defts. Index No. 850024/2023 pursuant to the Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated August 13, 2024 and entered on August 15, 2024, I will sell at public auction at the New York County Courthouse, at the Courthouse located at 60 Centre Street, New York, New York, room 130 on February 5, 2025 at 2:15 p.m., prem. k/a 35 West 26 th Street, New York, New York (Block 828, Lot 13). Approx. amt of judgment is $ 8,934,402.69, plus costs, attorneys’ fees and interest. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed judgment and terms of sale. Clark Whitsett, Esq., Referee. Jacobowitz Newman Tversky LLP, Attys. for Plaintiff, 377 Pearsall Ave., Ste C, Cedarhurst, NY.

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.

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK: COUNTY OF QUEENS. THE JY 4 L.P., Pltf v. 78-19 JAMAICA AVENUE LLC , et al., Defts. Index No. 711940/2016 . pursuant to the Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated December 12, 2024 and entered on December 18, 2024 , I will sell at public auction public auction at the Queens County Courthouse, 88-11 Sutphin Blvd, Jamaica, New York, Courtroom 25, on February 14, 2025 at 11:00 a.m., prem. k/a 78-19 Jamaica Avenue, Woodhaven, NY 11421 (Block 8842, Lot 147). Approx. amt of judgment is $ 853,984.28 together with interest, plus costs, attorneys’ fees and interest, less any payments received. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed Judgment , Queens County Foreclosure Auction Rules and terms of sale , Martha Taylor, Esq ., Referee. Jacobowitz Newman Tversky LLP, Attys. for Plaintiff, 377 Pearsall Ave., Ste C, Cedarhurst, NY.

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NEW YORK, MCLP ASSET COMPANY, INC., Plaintiff, vs. VANESSA D FIGEUROA A/K/A VANESSA DULALIA FIGEUROA, ET AL., Defendant(s).

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK: COUNTY OF NEW YORK. JYBGAD L.P. Pltf v. WEST 26 TH STREET REALTY LLC, et al., Defts. Index No. 850024/2023 pursuant to the Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated August 13, 2024 and entered on August 15, 2024, I will sell at public auction at the New York County Courthouse, at the Courthouse located at 60 Centre Street, New York, New York, room 130 on February 5, 2025 at 2:15 p.m., prem. k/a 33 West 26 th Street, New York, New York (Block 828, Lot 14). Approx. amt of judgment is $ 8,934,402.69, plus costs, attorneys’ fees and interest. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed judgment and terms of sale. Clark Whitsett, Esq., Referee. Jacobowitz Newman Tversky LLP, Attys. for Plaintiff, 377 Pearsall Ave., Ste C, Cedarhurst, NY.

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NEW YORK, 2 Cap Investments, LLC , Plaintiff, vs. Frog Investments, LLC, ET AL ., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale and Decision + Order on Motion duly entered on August 9, 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 January 29, 2025 at 2:15 p.m., premises known as 321 West 110th Street, No. 7A a/k/a 321 Cathedral Parkway, Unit No. 7A, New York, NY 10026. 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 1423 and Lot 1846. Approximate amount of judgment is $2,931,375.00 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale Index #850074/2022. Allison M. Furman, Esq., Referee

Underweiser & Underweiser LLP, One Barker Avenue, Second Floor, White Plains, New York 10601, Attorneys for Plaintiff.

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale and Decision + Order on Motion duly entered on August 27, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the New York County Courthouse, room 116, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007 on February 19, 2025 at 2:15 p.m., premises known as 76 Madison Avenue, Unit #7A, New York, NY 10016. 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 857 and Lot 1118 together with an undivided 3.41 percent interest in the Common Elements. Approximate amount of judgment is $2,094,393.23 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #850247/2023. Cash will not be accepted.

Allison Furman, Esq., Referee

Knuckles & Manfro, LLP, 120 White Plains Road, Suite 215, Tarrytown, New York 10591, Attorneys for Plaintiff

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NEW YORK, HSBC BANK USA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR WELLS FARGO ASSET SECURITIES CORPORATION, MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-7, Plaintiff, vs. AYSE SULAN KOLATAN, ET AL., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure duly entered on August 7, 2024 and the Decision + Order duly entered on December 9, 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 February 19, 2025 at 2:15 p.m., premises known as 50 Pine Street, Unit 2, New York, NY 10005. 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 41 and Lot 1004 together with an undivided 7.16 percent interest in the Common Elements. Approximate amount of judgment is $1,338,016.35 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #850179/2022. Cash will not be accepted.

Christy M. Demelfi, Esq., Referee

Knuckles & Manfro, LLP, 120 White Plains Road, Suite 215, Tarrytown, New York 10591, Attorneys for Plaintiff

This is to announce that the next meeting of the Harlem Children's Zone Promise Academy I Charter School Board of Trustees will occur in person on Thursday, January 30, 2025, at 4:30 PM. The meeting will be held at 245 West 129th Street, NY, NY.

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT, NEW YORK COUNTY,

DCR MORTGAGE 10 SUB 2, LLC, Plaintiff, against

179 LUDLOW OWNERS LLC, SHARON SUTTON, et al., Defendants.

Pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated July 9, 2024, and entered on July 12, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee appointed in said Judgment, will sell at public auction at the New York County Supreme Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, Room 130, New York, New York, on January 29, 2025, at 2:15p.m., the premises known as and located at 179 Ludlow Street, Unit C, New York, New York 10002. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements situated, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan and County of New York, State of New York, Block 0412, Lot 1101. Premises will be sold subject to the terms of the filed Judgment, Index No. 850662/2023, and the Terms of Sale, all of which are available from Plaintiff’s counsel upon request.

The approximate amount of the Judgment is $2,310,814.68 plus interest and costs, as provided in the Judgment. COVID-19 safety protocols will be followed at the foreclosure sale.

Ronald Zezima, Esq., Referee.

Rosenberg & Estis, P.C. Attorneys for Plaintiff 733 Third Avenue, 15th Floor New York, NY 10017 (212) 867-6000

Attention: Richard Y. Im, Esq.

NOTICE OF SALE

Supreme Court of the State of New York, New York County, Index No. 850623/2023

Newtek Small Business Finance, LLC, Plaintiff, v. DBMS Consulting, Inc., et. al., Defendants.

TAKE NOTICE that pursuant to the Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated August 27, 2024, the undersigned referee will sell at public auction on January 29, 2025 at 2:15pm in Room 130 at 60 Centre Street, NY, NY, the property located at 164 West 83 rd Street, Units CF1 and CF2, New York, NY 10024 (Block 1213, Lots 1303 and 1304).

The approximate amount of Plaintiff’s lien is $2,015,909 plus interest and costs. The premises will be sold in two parcels and subject to provisions of the judgment and terms of sale.

Matthew Hunter, Esq., Referee

Law Offices of Tae H. Whang, LLC, Attorneys for Plaintiff, 185 Bridge Plaza North, Suite 201, Fort Lee, NJ 07024, Tel. (201) 461-0300.

This is to announce that the next meeting of the Harlem Children's Zone Promise Academy II Charter School Board of Trustees will occur in person on Thursday, January 30, 2025, at 4:30 PM. The meeting will be held at 245 West 129th Street, NY, NY.

SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NEW YORK

WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE FOR SEQUOIA MORTGAGE TRUST 2020-MC1, Plaintiff, -against- KATHERINE G. VOSTERS; BOARD OF MANAGERS OF 444 EAST 57TH STREETCONDOMINIUM; any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or generally or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of defendant, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff and JOHN DOE AND JANE DOE #1 through #7, the last seven (7) names being fictitious and unknown to the Plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or parties, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the mortgaged premises described in the complaint, Defendants. INDEX # 850092/2024 Original filed with Clerk March 25, 2024. Plaintiff Designates New York County as the Place of Trial. The Basis of Venue is that the subject action is situated New York County. Premises: 444 E 57th St 4A New York, NY 10022. 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); the United States of America may appear or answer within 60 day of service hereof; 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. The supplemental summons and amended complaint are being filed pursuant to Court order dated November 19, 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 your mortgage company will not stop this foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE FOR SEQUOIA MORTGAGE TRUST 2020-MC1 AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. Dated: November 22, 2024 Uniondale, New York, Respectfully submitted, Pincus Law Group, PLLC. By: Margaret Burke Tarab, Esq., Attorneys for Plaintiff, 425 RXR Plaza Uniondale, NY 11556, 516-699-8902

Savoir-Faire Projects LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 11/26/2024. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 166 East 61st Street,10F, New York, NY 10065. Purpose: Any lawful act.

NOTICE OF SALE Supreme Court, State of New York, New York County. PV EAST 106TH STREET LLC, Plaintiff, v. 308310 REALTY, LLC, et al., Defendants. Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale, duly entered in the New York County Clerk’s Office on September 4, 2024 (the “Judgment”), under New York County Index No. 850087/2023, Roberta Ashkin, Esq., Referee, will sell at public auction in Room 116 of the New York County Supreme Courthouse located at 60 Centre Street, New York, New York, on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, at 2:15 p.m., the premises known as 308-310 East 106th Street, New York, New York 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 1677, Lots 45-46 (the “Property”). Approximate amount due per Judgment is $9,136,090.11, plus interest and costs. The Property will be sold subject to provisions of the Judgment and the Terms of Sale. Roberta Ashkin, Esq., Referee. Farrell Fritz, P.C., 400 RXR Plaza, Uniondale, New York 11556, attorneys for Plaintiff.

Julie Christie LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 12/20/2024. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 29 Cooper Street Apt 3D, New York NY 10034. Purpose: Any lawful act.

PEPPAS AND PARTNERS, 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: 90 Morton Street, Apt. D5, New York, NY, 10014. Purpose: Any lawful act.

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.

ROLLO DAIRY BAR LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 11/06/2024. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 190 E 7th St Apt 113, NY, NY 10009. Purpose: Any lawful act.

LaTeca Hub LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 11/3/2024. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 408 E 73 Street, Apt 3B, New York, NY 10021. Purpose: Any lawful act.

Iconic Fordham University Rose Hill Gymnasium turns 100

By DERREL JOHNSON Special to the AmNews

A century ago today, on Jan. 16, 1925, the Fordham Rams defeated Boston College, 46-16, in the first-ever game at Rose Hill Gymnasium, the oldest continually used NCAA Division I gym in the nation.

Since that first game, Rose Hill Gym, on Fordham’s campus in the Bronx, has been used as an athletic facility except for the 1943–1944 academic year, when it was converted into a U.S. Army barracks during WWII.

Its seating capacity is 3,200, but in 1927, when New York City was the epicenter of college basketball, Rose Hill Gym had 6,000 fans pack the building to watch the Rams defeat CUNY’s City College, 32-17. It is the site of the final high school game that thenLew Alcindor — later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar — played for Power Memorial Academy, winning the Catholic High School Athletic Association Championship on Mar. 7, 1965. At the time it was constructed, Rose Hill was one of the largest on-campus facilities in the country, thus nicknamed “the Prairie.” ESPN named it one of the “Four Cathedrals of College Basketball” along with Philadelphia’s Palestra, Yale’s Payne Whitney Gym, and Butler’s Hinkle Fieldhouse.

Its intimacy is reflected in there being no bad seat in the house. When fans are energized, it is a unique atmosphere with earthumping loudness.

I was at Rose Hill Gym on Jan. 3, 2012, when the Rams defeated Harvard, ranked No. 22 in the country, 60-54. Fordham had not defeated a ranked team on campus since Feb. 28, 1978, when they upset No. 18 Georgetown, 63-59. Today, playing in the Atlantic-10 Conference, the Rams, helmed by 2023 A-10 Coach of the Year Keith Urgo (now in his third year as the team’s head coach), were 8-9 overall and 0-4 in conference play when they hosted UMass last night at Rose Hill.

The St. John’s Red Storm, led by Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame head coach Rick Pitino, are on the cusp of cracking the top 25 rankings. They were 14-3 and 5-1 in Big East play when they hosted Georgetown on campus at Carnesecca Arena on Tuesday. They will face Seton Hall at the Prudential Center in Newark on Saturday (8:00 p.m. Eastern) and victories over both should put them in the top 25 when the new rankings are revealed next week.

Junior guard RJ Luis, who scored 30 in the 80-68 home win over Villanova at Madison Square Garden last Saturday, led the

U.S. Figure Skating Championships glide forward on diversity

By LOIS ELFMAN Special to the AmNews

When the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships get underway next week in Wichita, Kansas, there will be more Black skaters competing than any time in recent memory. Not only are Black skaters in three of the four senior divisions, but the event will also mark the induction of Atoy Wilson, the first Black skater to win a U.S. national title, into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame. While this is just a beginning, Joel Savary, founder of Diversify Ice, sees it as very positive.

“Lots of cool things to look forward to,” said Savary, who recently appeared on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” to discuss his efforts to increase diversity and representation in the sport.

For the second time in three years, there will be two African American women in the senior women’s event. Starr Andrews is making her eighth consecutive appearance and Alexa Gasparotto is returning for a second time (she previously competed in 2023).

“Starr has demonstrated her joy of skating while competing at a high level for so many years. She is such a role model,” said Savary. “I can’t tell you how excited I am to see Alexa go out there and

perform. She has so much raw talent. … We’ve seen in recent months her triple axel, which is stunning and beautiful. I don’t know if she’s going to go for it at nationals, but I would love it if she attempted it.”

Savary’s younger brother, Emmanuel, is making his return to the U.S. Championships, having last competed in 2019; in 2020 he withdrew due to injury. “He’s had such a long journey,” said Joel. “He

also grabbing 6.6 rebounds per outing.

Center Zuby Ejiofor was also an anchor with averages of 14.7 points and a team high 8.1 rebounds.

loves the sport so much. He’s battled injuries. This year, I’m so glad he was able to stay healthy and stay so dedicated to not giving up in what can be a very harsh sport, particularly for people of color.”

Mark Sadusky and partner Nica Digerness will make their third appearance in senior pairs. The duo competed internationally for the first time last fall, winning the silver medal at IceChallenge in Graz, Austria. The junior division competes

early in the week. Diversify Ice ambassadors Anaelle Kouevi and Yann

will be competing in ice dance.

The Hall of Fame ceremony will be deeply emotional. Joel described Wilson as someone he’s always looked up to. “Finally U.S. Figure skating and the community are recognizing his work not only as an impactful skater in history, a trailblazer, but he’s a good human being,” said Joel.

Red Storm in points per game before meeting Georgetown at 17.4 points, He was

Homawoo

Fordham University’s iconic Rose Hill Gymnasium reaches its 100-year milestone — the first ever game played in the building took place on Jan. 16, 1925. (fordhamsports.com)

Pairs team Nica Digerness and Mark Sadusky hope to show progress at the upcoming U.S. Championships. (Lois Elfman)

Emmanuel Savary is set to make his first appearance at the U.S. Championships since 2019. (ITNY/Lianna O’Grady)

Black QBs rise to prominence this season continues in the NFL playoffs

By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor

Today’s NFL seems light years away from October 18, 1953, when the Chicago Bears’ Willie Thrower became the first Black quarterback to ever play the position in an NFL game. It was during the era of Jim Crow, when talent and merit were overtly and unapologetically repressed by skin color. Well into the 2000s, it was a rarity to have multiple Black quarterbacks as regular starters. But this season, an NFL record 15 Black quarterbacks, 47% of the league’s 32 teams, started in Week 1.

Last weekend in the wild card opening round of the playoffs, the percentage was over 50 as seven Black QBs started for the 12 teams that played. Two of the games, Saturday’s Baltimore Ravens (Lamar Jackson) versus Pittsburgh Steelers (Russell Wilson) match up, and Sunday’s Philadelphia Eagles (Jalen Hurts) and Green Bay Packers (Jordan Love) pairing, all featured Black starting QBs.

This weekend, of the eight teams remaining that will take part in the divisional round, half will have Black quarterbacks under center. There’s the transcendent vanguards in the Kansas Chiefs three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes, 29, and Jackson, 28, the league’s reigning two-time MVP who was named First-Team All-Pro last week — a strong indicator he’s likely

to win his third consecutive regular season most valuable player award.

The pecking order is next composed of rising young stars the Houston Texans’ 23-year-old orchestrator C.J. Stroud and the Washington Commanders’ 24-yearold force multiplier Jayden Daniels. Last season, Stroud won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award. This season,

Daniels is poised to capture the honor via a unanimous vote. He helped transform the Commanders from a 4-12 outfit a season ago to a 12-5 regular season squad this campaign. Now, they will be taking on the National Football Conference’s No. 1 seed Lions in Detroit on Saturday night. Daniels and the Commanders earned that opportunity after he calmly marched

them on a 10-play, 51-yard, four minutes and 41 seconds drive last Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that ended with a 37-yard field goal by kicker Zane Gonzalez as time expired to give Washington a 23-20 road victory.

Many longtime followers of the NFL have opined that Daniels, drafted No. 2 overall by Washington last April, is the best rookie QB of all-time. While that’s subjective, what is certain is he has lifted the spirits and fortunes of a Commanders franchise that had been wallowing in failure and dysfunction for the better part of the last two decades. Stroud and the Texans will meet up with the Mahomes and the AFC’s No. 1 seed Chiefs in Kansas City on Saturday (4:30 p.m.). Jackson and the Ravens will be in Buffalo on Sunday night (6;30 p.m.) to face the Bills.

Mahomes, a two-time league MVP and three-time Super Bowl champion, is endeavoring to pilot the Chiefs to an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl win. Jackson is seeking his first after becoming the only quarterback in NFL history to pass for 4,000 yards (4,172) and rush for 900 (915) in a single regular season. In the process, he passed Michael Vick as the league’s all-time QB rushing leader (6,173).

Warren Moon (2006) is the only Black quarterback who has been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But as the sport has evolved, stars like Mahomes and Jackson will ultimately join him.

MVP candidates Jackson and Allen headline the NFL’s divisional playoff round

By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen are expected to finish first and second in this season’s MVP race. Who will win has been widely discussed for the past several weeks. Each has a compelling case. It would be Jackson’s third and Allen’s first. They will be forever linked as Allen was the No. 7 overall selection of the 2018 NFL Draft and Jackson the 32nd and last pick in the first round the same year.

Both would rather win their elusive first Super Bowl than the MVP. But one will be denied that coveted accomplishment again when their teams meet up in Buffalo on Sunday night (6:30 p.m.) in the league’s signature game of this weekend’s four divisional round playoff matchups.

In the other games, on Saturday, the AFC’s Kansas City Chiefs, the conference’s No. 1 seed and two-time defending Super Bowl champion, will host the No. 4 Houston Texans (4:30 p.m.) and the NFC’s No. 1 seed Detroit Lions will be at home to take on the Washington Commanders and their sensational

p.m.) and

p.m.

Jackson and Allen are universally acknowledged as two of the most talented quarterbacks to ever play. And their gifts have translated into success as they both have been catalysts of teams that are perennial Super Bowl contenders. Their individual resumes are sterling and they are both destined for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But they are still chasing what would elevate them to an exclusive eminence occupied by the immortals of the sport.

After the Bills’ 31-7 victory in a wildcard game against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Allen said Jackson should be the highest-paid player in the NFL. Jackson’s five-year deal, signed in 2023 for $260 million, $185 million fully guaranteed, ranked him eighth among all NFL players this season.

“He’s one of the most dynamic, if not the most dynamic quarterback in the league. He’s so fun to watch,” said Allen.

“Very mutual respect between one another,” said Jackson.Discount the September 29 game in Baltimore in which the Ravens defeated the Bills handily 35-10. Sunday’s affair should be entertaining. It also inherently will be consequential for Jackson’s and Allen’s legacies.

rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. On Sunday, the NFC’s No. 2 seed will play the No. 4 Los Angeles Rams (3:00

then the Bills and Ravens will conclude the slate with a scheduled 6:30

kickoff.

Jordan Love (left) of the Green Bay Packers and Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles embrace after the Eagles’ 22-10 win last Sunday. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels will continue his superlative rookie season when he faces the NFC’s No. 1 seed Detroit Lions on Saturday night.

(AP Photo/Jason Behnken)

Seton Hall women’s hoops off to great start

By LOIS ELFMAN

Special to the AmNews

This women’s basketball season is off to an impressive start for the players of Seton Hall University. The Pirates took on some high-powered opponents in non-conference action and opened Big East Conference play on a four-game winning streak. For the program’s graduate students, it is the final season to make their marks on the program.

Guard Faith Masonius was named Big East Player of the Week to start 2025. The freshmen are also getting it done: Jada Eads has gone toe-to-toe with UConn’s Sarah Strong for Freshman of the Week honors.

“It feels amazing,” said Yaya Lops, a graduate student forward who joined Seton Hall last season. “It being my last year, I want to put it all on the court with my teammates and my coaches.”

Lops said she does her utmost to help the younger players on the team. “I am one of the older ones on the team, so I have had a lot of experience. I’m aware of a lot of things that players are struggling with or are dealing with,” she said. This includes explaining the defensive and offensive principles

and being the leader that she has become, thanks to all the hard work that she has put into the game. “There’s always a way to get better,” she said. Her goals are to play overseas and then become a referee.

Now pursuing her master’s degree in professional communication in new media arts, graduate student guard Amari Wright has played her entire collegiate career at Seton Hall. This season’s successes mean a lot to her.

“Seeing all the ups and downs — it’s been a great journey,” said Wright. “I love the school, I love the program; it really fits me and my personality. The coaches understand and accept me for me. I think that’s a big thing here. As far as school, it’s a great campus. I’ve always loved those things about the school, which led me to stay here.”

Wright doesn’t envision continuing to play after graduation. She sees herself either coaching or going into sports media. This season, she will savor every moment, taking in the sights and sounds of each game.

“The energy levels are definitely high,” Wright said. “I’m truly enjoying this team. It’s probably the most fun team I’ve ever been on, from top to bottom. It makes it easier to enjoy the moment.”

NYU women’s basketball continues to dominate Division III

By LOIS ELFMAN

Special to the AmNews

New York University (NYU) women’s basketball has long been a highly competitive program, but the past two seasons the Violets have ascended to an even higher level. Last season ended with the program’s second-ever Division III national championship and thus far this season is looking to be much the same. With a 12–0 record, NYU sits atop the NCAA Division III national rankings.

“It directly points to the culture that’s been established by previous teams and now sustained by the leadership of this

current team,” said Meg Barber, in her seventh season as head coach. “We don’t coach a lot of effort in this program. It’s a very self-driven team, and they’re very ‘team first.’ This isn’t a program worried about individual accolades and points.”

NYU opened UAA conference action last Saturday with a 95–41 win over Brandeis University. It next takes on Emory University for a home game Friday evening.

NYU alumna Barber has amassed an impressive record since returning to her alma mater to lead women’s basketball. Every season under Barber’s leadership has been a winning season, and the Vi -

olets returned from not playing in 202021 due to the pandemic, to go 25-2 in the 2021-22 season. The team is currently on a 43-game winning streak.

“The success and the way we lead our basketball program really coincides with the type of institution that NYU is,” said Barber. “In terms of the recruiting process, we look for highly motivated, competitive self-starters. … The type of institution we are enhances the job we have as basketball coaches.”

When Barber came on board in 2018, she knew she and her assistant coaches were setting a foundation, which wasn’t easy because NYU didn’t have a facility

at the time. She credits those early classes that believed in a vision. This year’s team includes freshmen, graduate students and all years in between.

“We’ve always put the team ahead of self in terms of players playing unselfishly, but this group is very close,” said Barber. “We have a lot of fun on the court together both in practice and games. The younger players are really benefiting from being able to practice every day and watch how Belle Pellecchia, Natalie Bruns and Jamie Behar approach work and they are able to challenge themselves against them every day. We are a very deep and balanced team.”

Graduate student Yaya Lops (pictured at center) and senior Amari Wright are hoping to lead Seton Hall to successful season in their final year of playing college basketball. (Seton Hall Athletics)

NYU sophomore forward Yasmene Clark.

NYU is leading Division III women’s hoops. (Courtesy of NYU Athletics)

At the season's halfway mark, the promising Knicks are still rounding into championship form

By JAIME C. HARRIS

AmNews Sports Editor

The Knicks’ back-to-back games at Madison Square this past Sunday and Monday are a microcosm of their season thus far, illustrating both their championship potential and areas of vulnerability.

On Sunday, the Knicks looked like world beaters, dismantling the Milwaukee Bucks by a 34-point margin in a 140-106 win. The next night, they were undone by a younger, more collectively athletic team as the ascending Detroit Pistons executed with more precision on both ends of the court in the game’s closing minutes to secure a 124-119 victory over the Knicks.

The Pistons appeared to have more lively legs and attacked the Knicks on the offensive end from all three levels, getting to the rim, creating from mid-range led by guard Cade Cunningham’s 36 points, and draining crushing late-game 3-pointers, two by guard Malik Beasley, who was 6-8 from behind the line overall. The Knicks have been susceptible to quick, long, athletic teams with deeper bench-

es and the Pistons fit that description

“They [Detroit] hit shots when they had to,” said Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns, who finished the evening with a strong 26-point, 12-rebound effort but was called for a detrimental offensive foul setting a screen for Jalen Brunson with one minute remaining and his team down by just 118-117.

“We could sit here and talk about all the things we could’ve done, but we just didn’t do it. It cost us the game.”

Towns’s statement of fact rings loudly. The Knicks had moments to seize control of the game, as they have in many of their other losses, yet did not capitalize on those moments.

“Obviously there is a lot that we wish we could’ve done,” Towns said reflecting on the Knicks season, which reached the 41-game midpoint mark on Monday. “Games we want back, ways we could have executed in different ways late in the game, but to be in the spot we are in, I think we are on the right direction…”

When the NBA schedule began last night, the Knicks, which faced the Philadelphia 76ers on the road, were 26-15 and in a solid position

in the standings at No. 3 in the Eastern Conference. The only teams ahead of them were the No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers (34-5), which had the league’s best record, and the defending NBA champion No. 2 Boston Celtics at 28-11.

“We are losing games that I feel like we shouldn’t be losing,” lamented Knicks guard/forward Josh Hart.

“We got to figure it out. We are halfway into the season at this point. Nothing we can do about the first half now. Now all we got to do is focus on the second.”

Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau had a similar take.

“Well, I think we’re better than we were when we first started, the first month of the season, second month better. And then there’s still a long way to go,” he said. “So there’s ups and downs, And then hopefully in the end, you’re playing your best basketball. So, there’s still a lot of things we can do better and have to lock into.”

The Knicks will host the Minnesota Timberwolves at MSG tomorrow night and the Atlanta Hawks on Martin Luther King Jr. Day (3:00 p.m.) at home on Monday.

After major roster changes, the Nets focus on the development of young talent

By DERREL JOHNSON Special to the AmNews

The Brooklyn Nets have been transparent about simultaneously carrying out their short- and long-term plans, trying to stay competitive despite the losses piling up while also developing the young players they hope will be cornerstones of a future championship contender. Brooklyn’s roster has had many moving pieces over the last month, notably the trades of guard Dennis Schröder to the Golden State Warriors on December 15 and forward Dorian Finney-Smith to the Los Angeles Lakers on December 29.

“Everyone has got a job to do,” Nets general manager Sean Marks said in October prior to the start of the season. ”Our job out here and (head coach Jordi Fernández’s) job on the court is to help develop a culture, develop an identity, and establish that as the season goes on. Ultimately, our goal, it’s been the same way every year, is to go out there and compete and compete at the highest level, no matter what the stakes may be and no matter what is being put in front of you is to go and compete and establish that identity through that.”

The Nets fought admirably on Sunday night at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City before ultimately losing to the Utah Jazz 112-111 in overtime. It was their fifth straight defeat and

Brooklyn was 2-10 over their previous 12 games going into Tuesday night’s matchup on the road versus the Portland Trail Blazers.

One of the young players the Nets are giving an opportunity to establish himself is forward Tosan Evbuomwan. Born and raised in Newcastle, England and of Nigerian descent, Evbuomwan, who was undrafted after completing his college eligibility in 2023, scored a career-high 22 points versus the Jazz, missing only one of his eight shots while nailing two three-pointers and grabbing five rebounds in 24 minutes of action.

The former Princeton Tiger and 2022 Ivy League Player of the Year, was afforded the extra playing time with a slew of injuries to the team, including Cam Thomas, who is sidelined with a left hamstring strain that will be reevaluated next week, Cam Johnson, who has not played since January 2 with a right ankle sprain, and the recently reacquired D’Angelo Russell, out with a right shin contusion.

“(Evbuomwan is) always under control,” Fernandez said. “Looks like a guy that has been there before, and he’s 23. Very happy to see him, keep working with him, keep developing him. He’s doing his job and that’s what we’re asking all of us: keep working, keep getting better and go out there to compete and fight.”

A six-foot-five-inch guard/forward, Evbuomwan played for the Detroit Pistons and Mem-

phis Grizzlies last season and is now cherishing his time with Brooklyn.

“I’m really blessed to be here and be around the guys,” he said. ”Coaching staff is great, the camaraderie is there. We just need to, I think, bring it together on the court for the whole game and like I said, there’s little moments where we don’t and that’s what hurts us.

“But love being here, love being part of the group. Those guys are super encouraging, everyone, whether playing or not and they’ve been super helpful with me getting comfortable playing here and learning all the new stuff and things like that.”

The Nets faced the

night and will meet the Los

morrow. They will finish their six-game road trip on Sunday against the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder. Brooklyn returns to Barclays Center to host the Knicks next Tuesday and then the Phoenix Suns at Barclays on Wednesday.

Los Angeles Clippers last

Angeles Lakers to-

Knicks forward Mikal Bridges drives to the basket on Monday night at Madison Square Garden in a 124-119 loss to the Detroit Pistons. (Jamir Dickens, Fence Boy Media)

Nets guard/forward Tosan Evbuomwan scored a career-high 23 points versus the Utah Jazz on Sunday in a 112-111 overtime loss. (AP Photo/Bethany Baker)

New York Amsterdasm News Issue Jan 16-22, 2025

DIRECTORY

Parole release racial gap widens under Hochul, says NYU report

CIA admits it spied on Puerto Rican independence activists

At last, a full account of the Tulsa Race Massacre

State of the State Address

Ricky Young: What’s in your hand?

Black New Yorker

THE URBAN AGENDA

Short-Staffing of Independent Check on NYPD Invites Police Abuses

The Rundown 2025: Big races to watch

City Comptroller Race

Harlem community leaders gather to celebrate and support Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine

Contributed Press Release

Eliseo Deleon seeks to overturn murder conviction for second and final time

Son of Marcus Garvey continues to push Biden for pardon

Oyate Group has launched a new era in anti-poverty efforts

Union Matters

NYC’s workforce agenda

Local 79 brings Scabby to the Empire State Building

Queens pols push for Malcolm X Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act

Opinion

Michelle, ma belle!

Black Central African immigrants excluded in Biden’s final days as president

Mayor Adams must see the bigger picture for students & climate

It’s time to make a plan

Caribbean Update

Trinidad to get first Chinese PM as Keith Rowley steps down

The Laken Riley Act: A recipe for legal chaos and constitutional concerns

FELICIA PERSAUD

Concerns Raised By Critics

A Partisan Symbol

What’s Next?

A long-term Black activist demand

International News

Activists look for changes with U.N.’s Second International Decade for People of African Descent

TEAR THE PAPER CEILING.ORG

Arts & Entertainment

Ronald K. Brown brings EVIDENCE to the Joyce Theater

Tina Knowles loses Malibu bungalow in Los Angeles wildfires;

Meghan Markle and Prince

Harry serve food to wildfires victims; Shaun T launches “T is for Transformation” podcast

GO WITH THE FLO

‘The Fire Inside’ burns bright with heart, humanity, and visual elegance

48 hours in Memphis: A tale of two museums

‘Mindplay’ is mesmerizing theater

‘Maybe Happy Ending’ is absolutely adorable on Broadway

MOB is redefining beauty with sustainability, inclusivity, and innovation

A review of ‘A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical’

More Attractions

Where to Eat

CLASSROOM IN THE

Josh White, folk singer, guitarist, and civil rights activist

ACTIVITIES

THIS WEEK IN BLACK HISTORY

Final Days

Advocating for Humanity

A Legacy of Exclusion

The Contradiction of U.S. Policy

Borough President Races

The Bronx

Health

Factcheck — True: mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective

Reduce Your Cancer Risk by Eating Healthy

Education

NYC advocates push for universal child care for 2-year-olds

PUBLIC NOTICE

Religion & Spirituality

Loving imperfect people imperfectly

Garvey

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RULES AND REGULATIONS

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BASIS OF CHARGE

NOTICE OF PUBLIC BID

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Iconic Fordham University Rose Hill Gymnasium turns 100