Amsterdam News Jan 4-10, 2024

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Vol. 115 No. 1 | January 4, 2024 - January 10, 2024

THE NEW BLACK VIEW

©2024 The Amsterdam News | $1.00 New York City

(Amanda Ulloa illustration)

From Video Game Consumers to Video Game Producers Urban Agenda by David R. Jones, President and CEO of the Community Service Society of New York - See page 5

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2 • January 4, 2024 - January 10, 2024

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

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INDEX Arts & Entertainment �������������������Page 17 » Astro ��������������������������������������������Page 20 » Jazz �����������������������������������������������Page 19 » Theater �����������������������������������������Page 21 Caribbean Update �������������������������Page 16 Classified ����������������������������������������Page 32 Editorial/Opinion �����������������������Pages 12,13 Education ���������������������������������������Page 30 Go with the Flo ������������������������������Page 8 Health ����������������������������������������������Page 29 Religion & Spirituality �����������������Page 28 Sports ��������������������������������������������� Page 40

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By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff

Still from Amsterdam News’ documentary about credible messenger Dedric “Be-Loved” Hammond.

(Andre Lamberston photo)

July The Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in college admissions on Thursday, June 29, forcing institutions of higher education to look for new ways to achieve diverse student bodies. The court’s conservative majority overturned admissions plans at Harvard and the University of North Carolina, the nation’s oldest private and public colleges, respectively. Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote a 69-page dissenting opinion. She was joined by Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson and Elena Kagan. Sotomayor wrote that the Supreme Court’s decision turned its back on 45 years of legal precedent.

When the Supreme Court cut affirmative action out of college admissions programs nationally on June 29, and specifically at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, it did so based on a lawsuit brought by a group of Asian American students under the umbrella organization Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA), which is headed by a Jewish American man.

The students, mainly second-generation Chinese immigrants like Calvin Yang, joined the SFFA lawsuit because they felt they did not get into Harvard or Chapel Hill because that slot went to someone else in the “minority.” In the lie they were sold, it’s because the colleges wanted to meet a diversity quota on Black and Latino students, so their high GPA and SAT scores did not matter, and they were kept from the coveted spot. But the harsh reality is that Asian Americans who were party to this case were sold a lie that will leave them victims of the very system that helped them in the past, and which they have now fought to end.

Shootings are becoming all too common—and expected—each Fourth of July. What’s meant as a four-day stretch of summer fun and relaxation now coincides with an extended period of elevated tragedy and fear for Black and brown communities traditionally plagued by gun violence. Eleven people got shot across New York City on the night of July 4. Across the river, five people were shot in Patterson, N.J.; two died. Baltimore and Philadelphia were the scenes of mass shootings this past weekend, too, where five and two people died, respectively, and dozens were injured.

The Amsterdam News’ documentary about credible messenger Dedric “Be-Loved” Hammond debuted, directed by Emmy-nominated filmmaker Andre Lambertson and produced by the paper’s investigative editor Damaso Reyes and edited

by Brent Joseph. The 26-minute film, which can be seen at www.amsterdamnews.com/beyond, follows the credible messenger through Harlem as he works with youngsters.

A new poll conducted by the Siena College Research Institute asked a sample of voters for their opinions about New York State and City elected officials and found that Mayor Eric Adams’s favor has dropped among some Black residents. According to the poll, about 38% of Black voters surveyed and 41% of Latino voters think the state is on the right track, but even more say that it is not.

President Joe Biden is still polling favorably among Black New Yorkers surveyed, at 64%, with a majority saying the Democratic Party should renominate Biden as its candidate for president in 2024. Meanwhile, Adams is at 29% favorability among Black New Yorkers. At least 50% of Black New Yorkers and 32% of Latino voters find Adams unfavorable.

Harlem-based nonprofit the Bridge will received $6 million from the Manhattan D.A.’s office to provide peer services to key areas in the borough, as announced on Thursday, June 27. Central/East

Harlem is one of the four focus neighborhoods for the program, along with Washington Heights/ Inwood, Lower East Side/Chinatown, and Chelsea/Hell’s Kitchen/ Midtown West—the locations of the major transit hubs Port Authority Bus Terminal and Penn Station. The cash comes from a $250 million pot of asset forfeiture money seized from major banks during white collar financial crime prosecutions and redirected by the D.A.’s Criminal Justice Investment Initiative (CJII) to community-based social services.

The government of Botswana won a new “agreement in principle” with De Beers, the international diamond conglomerate, after a round of tough negotiations. Under the new agreement, Botswana, the world’s second largest diamond producer, will immediately get a 30% share of the rough stones extracted, up from 25%, which will rise to 50% within a decade.

As Jamaica prepares to join with Guyana, Trinidad, Dominica, and Barbados in becoming a republic, abolishing the British monarch as its head of state and installing a local Black or brown president, the island’s legal affairs minister says the country may not have a president operating under rules similar to those in other Caribbean or Commonwealth nations. A constitutional reform commission that has been holding whistle-stop meetings in various parishes in recent months wants, in

the end, to add a uniquely Jamaican touch and flavor to its switch from an independent nation to a republic, so some ideas are being floated around.

Some 340,000 full- and part-time United Parcel Service (UPS) workers were on the verge of a strike as contract negotiations between the company and the UPS Teamsters National Negotiating Committee came to a screeching halt at 4 a.m. on July 5.

Teamsters union and UPS representatives each blame the other side for the break in negotiations. They were meeting to bargain on a new contract because the current work agreement is set to expire on July 31.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra, Congressmember Hakeem Jeffries, who leads the House minority, and NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan toured the Advantage Care Physicians site in East New York, Brooklyn, on June 30 to speak with seniors about lowering the cost of prescription drugs. East New York’s healthcare facility has the highest rate of Medicaid and Medicare participants in the state, with the majority being working-class Black and Latino residents, said Jeffries’s team.

Juneteenth weekend proved to be a perfect fashion match made in Harlem. Harlem Haberdashery and Vontélle Eyewear launched their collaborative frames during the Black holiday weekend online and at their

245 Malcolm X Blvd. boutique. The two brands, whose owners met at a Chase Entrepreneurship Program, complement each other well in sophisticated fashion, making this collaboration exist with ease. Their meeting was destined: Harlem Haberdashery was looking into selling eyewear with a Black brand right after Vontélle became established.

Birthed in theWest Bronx on August 11, 1973, hip hop is now the world’s most dominant music genre. By the time the late 1980s rolled around, hip hop’s “True Skool” era was concluding, and innovative sampling techniques, along with more complex lyrics, helped usher in “Hip Hop’s Golden Era,” from the mid-1980s to mid-1990s. This was a period of rapid expansion for the culture. Although prolific MCs from the early 1980s like Melle Mel, Grandmaster Caz, and Kool Mo Dee earned ’nuff respect, it seems that fans who lived outside NYC couldn’t vibe with their urban swag and street tales. However, by mid-decade, Queens artists like Run-DMC and LL Cool J were more relatable to, and embraced by, them.

Run-DMC’s 1986 collabo with rock group Aerosmith, “Walk This Way” was one of hip hop’s first cross-genre hits and showcased urban culture to suburban audiences.

African American ballet dancers Calvin Royal III and Courtney Lavine shone in particularly prominent roles during American Ballet Theatre’s (ABT) current season, signaling the company’s continued commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Promoted to principal dancer in 2010 and becoming the third male in the company’s history to reach that rank, Royal performed one of the leads in Christopher Wheeldon’s ballet based on Mexican writer Laura Esquivel’s novel “Like Water for Chocolate.”

Christine King Farris, the older sister of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., died on June 29 in Atlanta, Georgia.

She was 95. For many years, she was vice chair and treasurer of the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change.

She was very active in the International Reading Association and various church and civic organizations, including the NAACP and SCLC. U.S. In the U.S., Black male teachers make up 1.3% of educators, and in NYC alone, Black teachers make up 19% of all teachers, but Black males are only 4% of the educators across the city. In a city where nearly one in four students are Black, teachers citywide have spoken about how and why this disparity is affecting Black students the most.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

January 4, 2024 - January 10, 2024 • 3

Assemblymember Nikki Lucas gives impassioned speech before final vote on Reparations in New York. Lucas had declared: “It is essential to advocate for lineage-based reparations to ensure justice and equity for American Freedmen who are direct descendants of enslaved individuals in the United States.” (Courtesy photo)

gain power. The indictment charges the defendants with subverting campaign finance laws by improperly structuring campaign contributions,” said Bragg in a statement.

A judge granted city retirees a temporary restraining order (TRO) in their ongoing fight against Mayor Eric Adams’s new city Medicare contract. The City Council also introduced legislation in support of city retirees. Judge Lyle Frank of the New York County Supreme Court issued the TRO July 7, ruling that enough evidence was available to prove the new Medicare plan would violate city retiree rights.

Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso and Disability Unite launched Disability Pride Month on July 11 at Brooklyn Borough Hall.

The event was a celebration of New Yorkers with disabilities and an opportunity to offer disability inclusivity training.

Citywide shootings declined steadily for the past 13 weeks, reported Edward Caban, acting NYPD commissioner, at a briefing on 2023’s second-quarter crime stats on Thursday, July 6. Gun violence is down by 12% compared to 2022, and the number of victims cratered by roughly a quarter.

A July 9, 2023, Wall Street Journal article said that “AT&T, Verizon and other telecom giants have left behind a sprawling network of cables covered in toxic lead that stretches across the U.S., under the water, in the soil and on poles overhead...As the lead degrades, it is ending up in places where Americans live, work and play.” One of the locations where these leadcovered telco cables can be found is in the Passaic River, which flows through Paterson (which, according to the U.S. Census, is 62.6% Latino and 24.7% Black) and Passaic (73.4% Latino, 49.0% white, and 7.6% Black) and into Newark Bay, which leads into the state’s largest city, Newark (48.2% Black and 36.8% Latino).

Actor Hill Harper announced his first run for office on July 10, joining the U.S. Senate race in Michigan, according to multiple outlets. The popular actor tweeted, “We can all feel it: D.C. just isn’t getting things done for people. We need representatives who’ll take on special interests, get money out of politics and make our government work for all of us. That’s why today, I’m announcing my campaign for [the] U.S. Senate in Michigan.” Aside from being an actor and author, Harper is also a Harvard Law School attorney.

Director Hubert Davis’s awardwinning documentary, “Black Ice,”

The International African Arts Festival (IAAF), the longest-running festival celebrating African culture, was held at Brooklyn’s Commodore Barry Park from July 1–4 for four days of music, dance, spoken word, and many other events.

After being locked out for nearly a month, numerous Fordham Evangelical Lutheran Church members were demanding answers from their church’s council members and the Metropolitan New York Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. In March, the status of the 105-year-old church was voted on by the congregation and witnessed by the Synod, the governing body of Lutheran churches across the country. Most of the congregation voted to keep the church open, but on Sunday, June 11, they found the locks changed and no way into their regular Sunday worship service.

Congressman Kweisi Mfume (MD-07) introduced the Jordan McNair Student Athlete Heat Fatality Prevention Act in the House of Representatives with U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) introduced the companion legislation in the Senate.

The bill aims to prevent heat-related illnesses or deaths among student athletes and was named after University of Maryland (UMD) football player Jordan McNair, who died as a result of heatstroke after collapsing during practice in 2018.

LeBron James is one of the most

famous athletes in the world, so finding an actor to portray him as a teenager was a daunting task for Chris Robinson, director of “Shooting Stars,” a film adaptation of James’s and Buzz Bissinger’s book of the same title. After a year of auditions and no actor as the right fit, Robinson and a friend drove up and down the East Coast attending basketball tournaments. “My friend texted me a photograph of Mookie,” said Robinson, of casting Mookie Cook, who will play for the Oregon Ducks this coming college season.

“Acting was not on his radar...but from the moment we saw him on Zoom, he just embodied LeBron.”

The votes are in...officially. Dr. Yusef Salaam, a member of the Exonerated Five, is the new council member-elect for Harlem’s District 9. On Tuesday, election night for the June 2023 primary, the unofficial votes at the close of the polls already projected that Salaam would unseat Councilmember Kristin Jordan and beat out Assemblymembers Inez Dickens and Al Taylor. Salaam needed over 50% to win, but as the night went on, the number capped at a tight 50.14%, according to the Board of Elections (BOE). After election night, votes for him briefly dropped to 49.9%. That kicked off rounds of ranked-choice voting, which eliminates candidates until there’s one left. After three rounds and 11,544 ballots counted

by July 10, Salaam emerged victorious with 63.9% of the total votes.

Establishing a New York State Community Commission on Reparations Remedies as actually becoming law is still in a waiting mode. Passed in the state assembly as bill number A07691, the legislation awaits Gov. Kathy Hochul’s signature. This was a polemical bill, authored by State Assemblymember Michaelle C. Solages, who chairs the assembly’s Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, & Asian Legislative Caucus. The bill was not universally accepted, even by caucus members, until it was rewritten to specifically identify the community to receive reparations. Assemblymember Nikki Lucas told the Amsterdam News that she was not initially willing to support Solages’s bill. In an impassioned speech before the bill’s final vote, Lucas had declared: “It is essential to advocate for lineage-based reparations to ensure justice and equity for American Freedmen who are direct descendants of enslaved individuals in the United States. Reparations should be targeted toward those who directly experienced harm and their descendants due to slavery and its enduring effects.”

It’s possible that all is not well in City Hall. Manhattan District Attorney (D.A.) Alvin Bragg announced last week the indictments of six people and a consulting company in connection with Mayor Eric Adams’s mayoral campaign back in 2021. “We allege a deliberate scheme to game the system in a blatant attempt to

See YEAR IN REVIEW on page 4

4 • January 4, 2024 - January 10, 2024

Continued from page 3

July cont. brings to light a troubling history of racism in hockey by sharing the untold stories of Black hockey players, both past and present, in a predominantly white sport. “Rock & Roll Man” is a story that needs to be told. Alan Freed, a white DJ working for a white radio station in Cleveland, Ohio, in the late 1960s, coined the phrase “rock ’n’ roll” to describe the soulful music of Black artists. He was also the first person brave enough to play Black artists on a white-owned station. Freed integrated radio and gave a lot of Black artists, like Little Richard and Chuck Berry, the exposure that their talent deserved.

He was born Jeral Wayne Williams on August 8, 1950, in Baltimore, Md., but the world, particularly the activist community, knew him as Dr. Mutulu Shakur. After nearly 40 years in prison, he was released on December 16, 2022, and later given six months to live. But typical of his New Afrikan spirit, Shakur defied death for several months, succumbing to cancer on July 6, 2023. He was 72.

An Oklahoma judge threw out a lawsuit seeking reparations for the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, dashing an effort to obtain some measure of legal justice by survivors of the deadly racist rampage. Judge Caroline Wall dismissed the lawsuit with prejudice for trying to force the city and others to make recompense for the destruction of the once-thriving Black district known as Greenwood. The order came in a case by three survivors of the attack. They are all now over 100 years old and sued in 2020 with the hope of seeing what their attorney called “justice in their lifetime.”

The New York Liberty faced the Indiana Fever on the road Wednesday in a rare weekday 12 p.m. tip-off for their last game before the WNBA All-Star break. They went into the game at 13-4, holding the second-best record in the league, trailing only the 17-2 Las Vegas Aces. The Liberty suffered a 98-81 defeat to the Aces in Las Vegas June 29, the first matchup between the teams this season, but then won three straight before their meeting with the Fever. One of those wins came against the Seattle Storm the past Saturday.

International Boxing Federation welterweight champion Jaron Ennis dominated Roiman Villa, handing him his second career loss with a 10th-round TKO Saturday night at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

Hollywood was striking, so fittingly, Edward Caban lost the acting part of his title. He’s now officially the NYPD Commissioner, Mayor Eric Adams announced on Monday, July 17.

Caban stepped into the role after his predecessor, Keechant Sewell, abruptly resigned last month, previously serving under her as first deputy commissioner.

Elise Finch, an award-winning meteorologist for WCBS New York, died. She had been a staple at the station for 16 years. Finch was 51. The station reported that Finch died at a local hospi-

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso held a conference on July 12 about preserving Bed-Stuy’s Magnolia Tree Earth Center. (Office of Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso photo)

Elise Finch, an award-winning meteorologist for WCBS New York, has died. (CBS News photo)

The City Council held a majority vote of 42–8 to override the mayor’s attempt to derail the council’s CityFHEPS legislative package on July 13. (Gerardo Romo/NYC Council Media Unit photo)

tal and that the cause of her death has not yet been determined.

Yet another small child fell from a window in New York City. This time, a four-year-old boy fell out of a building window in East Flatbush. This tragic death highlights an ongoing problem with sufficient window guards and child safety.

In their most recent battle, Speaker Adrienne Adams and the City Council held a majority vote of 42–8 to override the mayor’s attempt to derail the council’s City Fighting Homelessness and Eviction Prevention Supplement (CityFHEPS) legislative package on July 13. The bills include removing shelter stay as a precondition to eligibility for CityFHEPS, giving people the ability to demonstrate risk of eviction by presenting a rent demand letter, and changing the eligibility for vouchers from 200% of the federal poverty level to 50% of the area median income.

A monument to honor Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman ever elected to serve in Congress, was still having its design tweaked before gaining final approval to be constructed in Prospect Park. During a July 11 meeting at Assemblymember Brian Cunningham’s district office, a mockup of the 32-foot-tall monument, created by artists Amanda Williams and Olalekan B. Jeyifous, was shown. The monument and a new park welcome center with information about the famed politician are set to be a featured gateway into Prospect Park at its Parkside entrance.

On June 15, the Rev. Jesse Jackson announced plans to retire as president and CEO of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. A month later, he named Dr. Frederick Douglass Haynes III as his successor. Haynes was officially in-

stalled at the organization’s national convention on Sunday, July 16, with Vice President Kamala Harris as a keynote speaker.

Teamsters Local 237 union president Gregory Floyd stood by and expanded on recent public comments he made about safety concerns presented by the city’s migrant shelters, including claims that gang members were among those staying in such facilities. The union’s representation of 24,000 local government agency employees includes unarmed peace officers such as school safety agents. Some members are security staff at city homeless shelters where asylum seekers are placed, but there are none at the Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Centers (HERRCs) that are directly designated to house the city’s incoming migrants. “I’m not going to have a discussion with the city about a better arrangement. It’s not my place to have a discussion with the city,” said Floyd to the Amsterdam News. “I made my opinion known and the city has opened up shelters outside of where our members work, and our members are not employed there, so we’re fine with the current arrangement.” Such an arrangement includes Health + Hospitals (H+H) opening up bids for security staffing at the HERRCs by private, non-union vendors earlier this month. The contract is expected to start in October.

“You know, when I began this journey, nearly four decades ago in Houston, Texas, by following in my father’s footsteps in [the] CWA, I never dreamed that I would have the chance to be standing here as the first Black president of CWA,” Claude Cummings Jr. proclaimed on July 12 after he was elected to serve as president of Communication Workers of America (CWA),

the D.C.-based AFL-CIO–affiliated union that represents people who work in media, tech, telecommunications, public service, education, and related fields. Cummings was elected to take over the leadership position during the union’s 79th convention in St. Louis, Mo., which took place July 10–12. Elected over Ed Mooney by a margin of 59% to 41%, Cummings is the first Black person elected to serve as CWA president in the union’s 85-year history.

The cabinet of Prime Minister of the Bahamas Phillip Davis has moved to take a more strident stance on some important issues, including sending security personnel to strife-torn Haiti and demanding that Europe comply with demands from the Caribbean for compensation for the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Davis was a keynote speaker at a sustainable goals conference in the Bahamas in the past week, when he went into detail about the region’s position regarding reparations from former European slave-trading nations.

He told the audience that demands for reparations are regarded as the “boogeyman” at climate change negotiations, but the region plans to press ahead regardless.

Kenyans were preparing for tough times after lawmakers approved tax increases that are unpopular even with supporters of the president, who once vowed to reduce the cost of living. William Ruto’s election win was attributed to his appeal to voters as a fellow “hustler” who rose from a humble background to senior roles in government, including as Jomo Kenyatta’s vice president. “He said he was going to make life easier for us hustlers.

We are now unable to afford food. Prices are higher than they were before elections,” hairdresser Evelyne Adhiambo told a reporter.

The Bahamas Consulate General and the Bahamian Diaspora celebrated 50 years of independence with a flag-raising ceremony at River Bank State Park in Harlem. NYC Mayor Eric Adams presented a proclamation from the city, alongside NYS Sen. Cordell Cleare, Bahamas Consul General Leroy Major, and the H.E. Hon. Wendall Jones.

The nonprofit Transportation Alternatives (TransAlt) recently determined that New Yorkers of color are overwhelmingly ticketed for bicycle-related offenses. Em Friedenberg, the organization’s senior research coordinator, funneled NYPD numbers from last year into a spatial data map that pointed to significant disparities in cyclist enforcement. “We analyzed every bicycling on sidewalk citation from 2022 and the results were appalling, yet unsurprising,” said Friedenberg. “More than 90% of these tickets were given to New Yorkers of color and 90% were issued on streets without a separated or protected bike lane.

When the city builds safe places to bike, biking on the sidewalk drops dramatically.”

Ebony G. Patterson, the first African American visual artist featured at the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG), flaunts a flare of flowery fantasy that’s complemented with lifesize sculptures of glittery vultures and beautiful See YEAR IN REVIEW on page 6

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Mo’s Burgers: Come for the food and the camaraderie

By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff It started with a food cart: a food vending pushcart. Leroy Maurice Robinson Jr. said he started out selling hot dogs, hamburgers, hot sausages––and that’s what he’s still selling, some 35 years later.

Today, his pushcart is known as the Mo’s Burgers food truck. Robinson turned his sidewalk business into a profitable enterprise that allowed him to feed and house his family over the last few decades.

“That was the ultimate goal: to move from a street vending thing to a mobile food truck,” he said. Because he is a veteran, he was awarded a New York City mobile food vendor’s license. Robinson was able to make a living selling quick meals to locals by pulling his pushcart up onto the sidewalk for years at 153 Malcolm X Blvd between 118th and 117th Streets in Harlem.

Ten years ago, he had earned enough to buy out the owner of Victor’s Barber Shop, the business beside his cart.

“I’ve just recently got rid of the barbershop. I’ve owned the barbershop for the last 10 years, I think. I got rid of it in like the last six months,” Robinson told the AmNews.

Why did he get rid of it? “Number one, I’m not a barber and I realized I only had the barbershop because it was just a place to keep my refrigerators and freezers for the work I was doing out front.

“Once I got the food truck, I didn’t need that barber shop no more. And with COVID, it had taken a real hit anyway. I mean, that thing never recovered.”

Food vending was what Robinson really wanted to do and he’s proud of the food he serves. Mo’s Burgers is famous for its juicy 4-ounce burgers for $2.50, 8-ounce burgers for $3.75, and tasty $1.50 hot dogs. “And they’re crazy about the punch. I mix a fruit punch and a lemonade: That’s my No. 1 drink, period. Even in the winter, that’s what people come for.”

The real draw of the work for Robinson remains the opportunities it gives him to engage with his customers. He said he really likes talking to the many people he encounters every day.

Maurice Robinson, owner of Harlem’s Mo’s Burgers food truck (Maurice Robinson photos)

January 4, 2024 - January 10, 2024 • 5

THE URBAN AGENDA

By David R. Jones, Esq

From Video Game Consumers to Video Game Producers We all know that video games play an important role in the lives of young people, particularly young people of color. But what if we could harness that interest in game playing to develop personal and professional skills such as critical thinking, communication, complex problem solving and teamwork skills?

To take it one step further, what if we could leverage the popularity of video game playing to inform more students of color about the growing educational and career opportunities in the digital games industry? And in doing so, put more of them on a “pathway” into the lucrative and diversifying high tech workplace.

Black New Yorker “I just like to talk with people, push people’s buttons. It’s just like something I do; it just works, it works. You know, I can never have a bad day at Mo’s Burgers. It just works.

People come out and support me.”

The food and drinks served at Mo’s Burgers helped him and his wife, Terrencia, raise their five children. Those children are all adults now, and Robinson said not one of them is interested in taking over the business, something he totally understands. He said they each have their own careers and interests. One son is in real estate, a daughter works as an educator, another son has a party planning business, a second daughter moved out of state, and his last son has tried working with him but just didn’t find it interesting: “It wasn’t his style; he was too cool for that,” Robinson said with a laugh.

That means the Mo’s Burgers food truck may just retire with Robinson in a few years.

He said he’s ready to put in another three or four more years and see what happens.

Mo’s Burgers food truck can be found on Malcolm X Blvd between 118th and 117th Streets in Harlem.

For those of us who are not video game enthusiasts (count me among them), the video gaming industry is big business. In 2023, the Worldwide Video Games market is projected to reach a revenue of $249.6 billion and grow to $389.7 billion by 2028.

The United States Video Games market is projected to reach a revenue of $68.27 billion by 2023 and grow to $111.50 billion by 2028. In 2023 it is estimated that 268,698 people were employed in the US Video Games market.

Not surprisingly, the overwhelming majority of these jobs, which pay very well, are dominated by white males. This despite research indicating that Blacks and Latinos are the industry’s most enthusiastic consumers.

Indeed, a 2015 study by the Pew Research Center showed that 83 percent of nonHispanic Black teenagers play video games, compared to 71 percent of white teenagers, with 69 percent of Latino teens not too far behind. By 2023 the numbers had shifted.

Bloomberg News reported in July 2023 that Latino (79 percent) and Black Americans (77 percent), followed by Asian/Pacific Islanders (67 percent) play video games more than White Americans (62 percent), according to an annual industry report.

With the continued growth of the global video gaming industry and the major role people of color play as consumers, one might expect game characters and storylines reflecting the diverse cultures of people of color would be more prevalent. However, that has not been the case. Instead, the prevailing narratives found in video games by and large reflect the experiences and sensibilities of the sector’s white male leadership. As such, people of color have been portrayed in negative stereotypical roles. Only recently have some of the major video game companies begun portraying people of color characters and their stories more accurately. This trend has created a growing interest on the part of industry leaders to hire people of color, and thereby capitalize on a lost business opportunity to expand their consumer base.

To find that pipeline of talent, and diversify the industry, NYC-based video game companies should look at the youth in New York City.

In 2021 the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) released a report calling for the city to diversify and grow the size of the digital gaming industry, which in 2020 supported 7,600 jobs, $762 million in wages, and $2 billion in economic output. Mayor Adams has repeatedly stated he wants to see more students of color becoming producers of digital games and not simply consumers. To that end, he launched the “Gaming Pathways Program” in 2022 with an investment of $2 million to create a pathway from high school to the City College of New York (CCNY) – CUNY’s premier science and technology campus -- and then into careers in the digital gaming industry.

Gaming Pathways is a partnership involving CCNY, which is creating a new bachelor’s degree program in digital game development; Urban Arts, a nonprofit that has been operating programs in Title I high schools that use game design to promote STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics); and the Harlem Gallery of Science (HGS), whose initial study played an important role in creating the Gaming Pathways Program.

HGS uses culturally sensitive experiential learning programs, teambuilding exercises, and interactive exhibitions to attract and prepare its target group -- underrepresented youth (ages 11-24) -- for undergraduate education and careers in STEAM fields. HGS’ latest exhibition is called, “Video Games: The Great Connector,” and opens on Feb. 3, 2024 at the Harlem School of Arts. Admission is free and individuals and groups interested in attending can get FREE tickets by going to HarlemVideoGamePopup.org.

The exhibition, which is geared to middle and high school students, may be a real revelation for caregivers and parents who often think of video games as a waste of time. They will discover that playing video games can lead to high paying jobs in the digital games industry and related creative fields. Visitors to the exhibit will have an opportunity to play games and uncover the invisible design influencing their gaming experience. Most importantly, students will have an opportunity to explore educational and career pathways that match their interest and skills.

On a final note, more of the city’s tech companies should be participating in the city’s Summer Youth Employment Program. If we’re serious about building a more inclusive local economy and getting employers to develop talent pipelines from underrepresented communities, that seems like a good place to start.

David R. Jones, Esq., is President and CEO of the Community Service Society of New York (CSS), the leading voice on behalf of low-income New Yorkers for more than 175 years.

The views in this column are solely those of the writer. The Urban Agenda is available on CSS’s website: www.cssny.org

6 • January 4, 2024 - January 10, 2024

Continued from page 4

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Street vendors in Harlem in 2023. (Ariama C. Long, Jason Ponterotto photo)

July cont. horticultural installations. Patterson’s exhibits are at the NYBG’s Conservatory and Library, and the site-specific presentation was extended through October 22, 2023.

New York City is reportedly planning to build a 35,000-seat “temporary” stadium on the Bronx’s Van Cortlandt Park parade ground to serve the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup games, organized by the International Cricket Council (ICC). The T20 is a cricket world cup and scheduled to be jointly hosted by the West Indies and the United States. The city wants to put its best foot forward because the T20 would be the first ICC World Cup tournament in the U.S., but Bronx representatives Congressmember Ritchie Torres, Assemblymember Jeffrey Dinowitz, and Councilmember Eric Dinowitz expressed a need for caution before the goahead is given for this project. “While we are heartened to see Van Cortlandt Park recognized as the gem it is, and we appreciate the communication and briefings we have had with the administration, we have also raised concerns with them about how this proposed temporary 34,000-seat stadium and its construction would impact the park and the community,” the three wrote in an open letter.

Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn’s Magnolia Tree Earth Center is in danger of losing its site if they don’t raise enough money for much-needed repairs. “Magnolia Tree Earth Center has been serving the community for 50 years, providing exceptional environmental and workforce development programming,” said chair of the center Wayne Devonish. “Now we need the community to support us.” The center has owned all three buildings for the past 50 years and urgently needed to raise at least $350,000 to pay for required repairs to the front façade of the brownstones and to take down the scaffolding, said Devonish.

New York-based science writer and famed bird enthusiast Christian Cooper was at the 92nd Street Y on July 12 to talk about his hosting of Nat Geo WILD’s new show, “Extraordinary Birder,” and writing his memoir, “Better Living Through Birding: Notes from a Black Man in the Natural World.” During a talk hosted by actress Whoopi Goldberg, Cooper spoke about how birdwatching became a central part of his life at a young age and how he got caught up in the world of birding. When Goldberg asked Cooper to explain the difference between a “spark” bird and a “life” bird, Cooper said in birding lingo, a spark bird “is the bird that got you started—the bird that made you say, ‘Wait. What is this? What is this bird? And why am I noticing birds now and why can’t I stop?’”

Another day, another Diddy deal. Revolt reported that Sean “Diddy” Combs recently launched Empower Global, a digital marketplace aimed at helping consumers discover and support Black-owned businesses

Buffalo Bills star Damar Hamlin was in Cincinnati, Ohio, on July 22 for a hands-on CPR training session. This marked the NFL player’s first return to Cincinnati since he went into cardiac arrest on the field during the Bills’ playoff game against the Bengals in January.

August

by providing opportunities to help Blackowned brands reach a larger consumer base.

Empower Global already boasts more than 70 Black-owned brands, including Scotch Porter, Buttah Skin, Cool Creative Clothing, and Coco and Breezy Eyewear. Currently, more than 1,000 items are available for purchase on the platform.

Mayor Eric Adams announced the city had started sending out 60-day “leave” notices to adult asylum seekers and handing out flyers at the border discouraging others from coming due to a lack of space. Advocates on the ground condemned the move as “morally repugnant.” According to the mayor’s office, more than 90,000 asylumseekers had come to the city since last year.

While tens of thousands have left already, at least 54,800 have stayed.

Fajr Atiya Williams, the 6-year-old daughter of Najmah Nash and Wali Williams, died after being strangled on a school bus on July 17. She was the victim of negligence after her bus monitor, Amanda Davila, failed to attend to the child after strapping her into a seat with a safety harness during a ride to school. Williams was attending an extended school program at Claremont Elementary School. The child had special needs and was non-verbal; cameras in the bus captured the child fighting for her life in the back of the bus while Davila was seated in the front, earbuds in while she perused apps on her cellphone.

The recent deaths of two Black New Yorkers held on Rikers Island pushed the notorious jail complex’s death count this year to six, double since July started.

The federal energy assistance program that helps New Yorkers with low incomes stay cool in the summer has run out of funds, just 24 days into what was projected to be a record-breaking summer season. The program, known as the Low-income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), is administered

by the state and city, and provides emergency and non-emergency cooling services for years to tens of thousands of seniors and households with low incomes. However, on July 14, the New York State Office of Temporary Disability Assistance (OTDA) stated that it would not be accepting new applications for assistance this summer due to the exhaustion of cooling assistance funds.

President Biden signed the bill authorizing the monument to Emmett Till and his relentless and devout mother Mamie TillMobley. It will have three locations. One will be at the site of the Tallahatchie River where his body was dredged out of the water with a huge cotton gin fan around his body; another at Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ in Bronzeville, Chicago, a historic Black neighborhood where Till’s funeral services were held; and the third at the courthouse in Mississippi where the two men charged with the crime were acquitted and later confessed in a magazine article, knowing they would not be convicted because of the double-jeopardy law. Each site will be in the care of the National Park Service.

Prominent Black women leaders gathered this week to discuss the persistent issue of the gender and race wage gap for women of color. This year’s Black Women’s Equal Pay Day is on July 27, 2023. Studies from the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) indicate that Black women who work full-time, yearround currently make “67 cents for every dollar” made by white men and “93 cents for every dollar” paid to Black men.

Jamie Foxx is back to work. Before posting a video of himself on Instagram to thank everyone for their prayers and support while he was recovering from a medical emergency, the Oscar-winning actor was seen in Las Vegas for the first time since he was rushed to the hospital in Atlanta in April.

As the effects of the recent Supreme Court decision striking down affirmative action came to light, another opportunity for students of color was being strangled, according to data from the U.S. government, U.N., and World Bank.

According to reporting by Alexander Onukwue this week, the data from these institutions revealed that the rate of U.S. visa refusals for African students increased from 44% in 2015 to more than 1 in 2 (54%) in 2022. The data appear in a document titled “New Report Finds Disproportionate F-1 Visa Denials in Africa and the Global South.”

Street vending, a fairly visible form of entrepreneurship along Harlem’s major corridors, has been met with resistance both historically and in the present day under Mayor Eric Adams. A few months ago, Adams handed off enforcement over street vendors from the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) to the Department of Sanitation (DSNY), which the NYPD assists with.

The concern arose that the shift would lead to more criminalization and discrimination since the city’s street vendors, licensed or not, are primarily Black, African, or Caribbean immigrants, and Latino migrants.

The passage of the Clean Slate Act, which works to automatically seal people’s conviction records after a certain time period, earlier this year was just the tip of the iceberg for criminal justice advocates. They are determined to fight discrimination against formerly incarcerated New Yorkers on all fronts—especially housing.

The Fair Chance for Housing Campaign supports a City Council bill that would end housing discrimination against people with convictions in New York City. They gathered at Foley Square in Manhattan last Wed with local electeds.

On Saturday, July 29, 2023, after walking in steaming summer heat from the Barclay’s Center to his House of the Lord Church (Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn), 93-year-old Rev. Dr. Herbert Daughtry kicked off his tribute to the late Kwame Ture (formerly Stokely Carmichael).

Called “A Time of Remembrance and Time of Reunion,” the program highlighted the work and ideology of the Trinidad and Tobago-people–focused international activist. From his time with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and the All African Revolutionary Party to his “Back Power” slogan contribution and more, the man was celebrated for his unwavering commitment to the liberation of oppressed Black people the world over.

Eight of the 10 community-based organizations chosen to receive $20,000 each in gun violence prevention funding from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office currently serve See YEAR IN REVIEW on page 10

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

January 4, 2024 - January 10, 2024 • 7

Affordable Housing for Rent

266 WEST 96TH STREET APARTMENTS 52 NEWLY CONSTRUCTED UNITS AT 266 West 96th Street New York, NY 10025 UPPER WEST SIDE

Amenities: **Pet-friendly, Dog Washing station, **Large Dogs Allowed, **Multiple pets allowed, Bike Storage, Pedestrian-friendly, Bus stop/ Public Transportation Access, *Shared Laundry Room, Washer and Dryers in one, two and three bedroom units, Dishwasher in units, High-end kitchen appliances, High-end countertops and finishes, Energy-efficient appliances, Air-conditioning, Charging outlets with USB ports, Smart lock apartment entry, Smart controls for heating/cooling, Free Building wide Wi-Fi, High-speed internet, Cable, Online options for leasing, paying rent and making maintenance requests, Fitness Center , Media room, Party Room, resident lounge, work spaces, Outdoor Terrace, Rooftop Terrace, Children’s playroom. Close access to Jogging/ walking/ bike path, Close to schools, Security cameras, Doorman, On-site resident manager, Concierge, Green space, Package room with cold storage, Elevator, Accessible Entrance, Smoke Free (*additional fees apply; **breed restrictions apply)

Transit: 1/2/3; M96, M104, M7, M11 No fee to apply • No broker’s fee • Smoke-free building • More information: https://fetner96.com/ This building was constructed through the Mixed and Middle Income and Inclusionary Housing Programs and is anticipated to receive a tax exemption through the 421-a Tax Incentive Program of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development.

Who Should Apply?

Individuals or households who meet the income and household size requirements listed in the table below may apply. Qualified applicants will be required to meet additional selection criteria. Applicants who live in New York City receive a general preference for apartments.

A percentage of units is set aside for: o Mobility–disabled applicants (5%) o Vision/Hearing–disabled applicants (2%) Preference for a percentage of units goes to: o Residents of Manhattan Community Board 7 (50%) o Municipal employees (5%)

� �

*Studio 1 Bedroom

2 Bedroom

3 Bedroom

Unit Size *Studio 1 Bedroom

2 Bedroom

Monthly Rent1 $1,096

6

→

$1,689

1

→

$2,018

1

→

-

-

130% AREA MEDIAN INCOME (AMI) UNITS

70% AREA MEDIAN INCOME (AMI) UNITS

Unit Size

Household Size2

Annual Household Income3

1 person 2 people 1 person 2 people 3 people 2 people 3 people 4 people 5 people

$40,526 - $69,230 $40,526 - $79,100 $60,823 - $69,230 $60,823 - $79,100 $60,823 - $88,970 $72,960 - $79,100 $72,960 - $88,970 $72,960 - $98,840 $72,960 - $106,750

-

Minimum – Maximum4

-

-

Monthly Rent1

Units Available

$2,032

18

→

$3,093

10

→

$3,703

5

→

80% AREA MEDIAN INCOME (AMI) UNITS

AVAILABLE UNITS AND INCOME REQUIREMENTS Units Available

Monthly Rent1

Units Available

$1,273

3

→

$1,954

1

→

$2,336

5

→

$2,690

2

Household Size2

→

Household Size2

Annual Household Income3

1 person 2 people 1 person 2 people 3 people 2 people 3 people 4 people 5 people

$46,595 - $79,120 $46,595 - $90,400 $69,909 - $79,120 $69,909 - $90,400 $69,909 - $101,680 $83,863 - $90,400 $83,863 - $101,680 $83,863 - $112,960 $83,863 - $122,000

3 people

$96,892 - $101,680

4 people

$96,892 - $112,960

5 people

$96,892 - $122,000

6 people

$96,892 - $131,040

7 people

$96,892 - $140,080

Minimum – Maximum4

Annual Household Income3 Minimum – Maximum4

1 person

$69,669 - $128,570

2 people 1 person 2 people 3 people 2 people 3 people 4 people 5 people

$69,669 - $146,900 $106,046 - $128,570 $106,046 - $146,900 $106,046 - $165,230 $126,960 - $146,900 $126,960 - $165,230 $126,960 - $183,560 $126,960 - $198,250

1 For 1–3-bedroom units, rent includes gas for cooking, heating and hot water; tenants are responsible for electricity. For *Studio units, rent includes gas for heating and hot water; tenants are responsible for electricity including electric stove.

2 Household size includes everyone who will live with you, including parents and children. Subject to occupancy criteria.

3 Household earnings includes salary, hourly wages, tips, Social Security, child support, and other income. Income guidelines subject to change.

4 Minimum income listed may not apply to applicants with Section 8 or other qualifying rental subsidies. Asset limits also apply.

How Do You Apply?

Apply online or through mail. To apply online, please go to https://housingconnect.nyc.gov/PublicWeb/. To request an application by mail, send a self-addressed envelope to: 266W96 Lottery c/o Settlement Housing Fund, 247 West 37th Street, 19th Floor, New York, NY, 10018. Only send one application per development. Do not submit duplicate applications. Do not apply online and also send in a paper application. Applicants who submit more than one application may be disqualified.

When is the Deadline?

Applications must be postmarked or submitted online no later than [February 16, 2024]. Late applications will not be considered.

What Happens After You Submit an Application?

After the deadline, applications are selected for review through a lottery process. If yours is selected and you appear to qualify, you will be invited to submit documents to continue the process of determining your eligibility. Applicants are usually contacted from 2 to 10 months after the application deadline. You will be asked to submit documents that verify your household size, identity of members of your household, and your household income.

Español

Presente una solicitud en línea en https://housingconnect.nyc.gov/PublicWeb/. Para recibir una traducción de español de este anuncio y la solicitud impresa, envíe un sobre con la dirección a: 266W96 Lottery c/o Settlement Housing Fund, 247 WEST 37TH STREET, 19TH FLOOR, NEW YORK, NY 10018. En el reverso del sobre, escriba en inglés la palabra “SPANISH.” Las solicitudes se deben enviar en línea o con sello postal antes de 16 de febrero de 2024.

简体中文

访问https://housingconnect.nyc.gov/PublicWeb/ 在线申请。如要获取本广告及书面申请表的简体中文版，请将您的回邮信封寄送至： [266W96 Lottery c/o Settlement Housing Fund, 247 WEST 37TH STREET, 19TH FLOOR, NEW YORK, NY 10018. 信封背

Русский

Чтобы подать заявление через интернет, зайдите на сайт: https://housingconnect.nyc.gov/PublicWeb/. Для получения данного объявления и заявления на русском языке отправьте конверт с обратным адресом по адресу 266W96 Lottery c/o Settlement Housing Fund, 247 WEST 37TH STREET, 19TH FLOOR, NEW YORK, NY 10018. На задней стороне конверта напишите слово “RUSSIAN” на английском языке. Заявки должны быть поданы онлайн или отправлены по почте (согласно дате на почтовом штемпеле) не позднее 16 февраля 2024 г. https://housingconnect.nyc.gov/PublicWeb/ 에서 온라인으로 신청하십시오. 이 광고문과 신청서에 대한 한국어 번역본을 받아보시려면 반송용 봉투를 266W96 Lottery c/o Settlement Housing Fund, 247 WEST 37TH STREET, 19TH FLOOR, NEW YORK, NY 10018으로 보내주십시오. 봉투 뒷면에 “KOREAN” 이라고 영어로 적어주십시오. 2024년 2월 16일 까지 온라인 신청서를 제출하거나 소인이

面请用英语注明“CHINESE”。必须在以下日期之前在线提交申请或邮寄书面申请 2024 年 2 月 16 日

한국어

찍힌 신청서를 보내야 합니다.

Aplike sou entènèt sou sitwèb https://housingconnect.nyc.gov/PublicWeb/. Pou resevwa yon tradiksyon anons sa a nan lang Kreyòl Ayisyen ak aplikasyon an sou papye, voye anvlòp ki gen adrès pou retounen li nan: 266W96 Lottery c/o Settlement Housing Fund, 247 WEST 37TH STREET, 19TH FLOOR, NEW YORK, NY 10018. Nan dèyè anvlòp la, ekri mo “HATIAN CREOLE” an Anglè. Ou dwe remèt aplikasyon yo sou entènèt oswa ou dwe tenbre yo anvan dat 16 fevriye 2024

Kreyòl Ayisyien

‫ إرﺳﺎل طﻠب ﻋﺑر اﻹﻧﺗرﻧت ﻋﻠﻰ‬nyc.gov/housingconnect. 266: [‫ أرﺳل ﻣظروﻓًﺎ ﺑﺎﻟﻌﻧوان إﻟﻰ‬، ‫ﻟﺗﻠﻘﻲ ﺗرﺟﻣﺔ ﺑﺎﻟﻠﻐﺔ اﻟﻌرﺑﯾﺔ ﻟﮭذا اﻹﻋﻼن واﻟﺗطﺑﯾق اﻟﻣطﺑوع‬W96 Lottery c/o Settlement Housing Fund, 247 West 37th Street, 19th Floor, New York, NY, 10018]. ‫ اﻛﺗب ﺑﺎﻟﻠﻐﺔ اﻹﻧﺟﻠﯾزﯾﺔ ﻛﻠﻣﺔ‬، ‫" ﻋﻠﻰ ظﮭر اﻟﻣظروف‬ARABIC". ]{2024 ‫ ﻓﺑراﯾر‬16‫ﯾﺟب ﺗﻘدﯾم اﻟطﻠﺑﺎت ﻋﺑر اﻹﻧﺗرﻧت أو ﻋن طرﯾق ﺧﺗم ﺑرﯾدي ﻗﺑل [}أ‬.

‫اﻟﻌرﺑﯾﺔ‬

Polskie

Aby złożyć wniosek online, przejdź na stronę https://housingconnect.nyc.gov/PublicWeb/. Aby uzyskać polskie tłumaczenie tego powiadomienia oraz wniosek w wersji wydrukowanej, wyślij kopertę z własnym adresem 266W96 Lottery c/o Settlement Housing Fund, 247 West 37th Street, 19th Floor, New York, NY 10018 Wpisz słowo „POLISH” w j. angielskim na odwrocie koperty. Wnioski muszą posiadać stempel pocztowy lub zostać przesłane online nie później niż [16 lutego 2024 r].

Français

Pour déposer votre demande en ligne, rendez-vous sur le site https://housingconnect.nyc.gov/PublicWeb/. Pour recevoir une traduction en français de cet avis ainsi qu’un dossier de demande papier, envoyez une enveloppe libellée à votre nom et votre adresse à l’adresse suivante 266W96 Lottery c/o Settlement Housing Fund, 247 West 37th Street, 19th Floor, New York, NY 10018. Inscrivez le mot « FRENCH » au dos de l’enveloppe. Les demandes doivent être envoyées par la poste ou soumises en ligne au plus tard le [16 février 2024], le cachet de la poste faisant foi. অনলাইেন আেবদন করেত, অনু .হ কের nyc.gov/housingconnect এ যান। এই িব3ি4র বাংলা অনু বাদ এবং আেবদন6 ছাপােনাভােব :পেত এই ;কানায় এক6 =-সে?ািধত খাম পাঠান 266W96 Lottery c/o Settlement Housing Fund, 247 West 37th Street, 19th Floor, New York, NY 10018. । খােমর িপছেন “BENGALI” শK6 ইংেরিজেত িলখু ন। অGািIেকশনJিল অবশGই [,ফ.য়ারী 16, 2024] এর মেধG :পাEমাকF করেত হেব বা অনলাইেন জমা িদেত হেব।

বাংলা ‫اردو‬

‫ ﺑراِه ﮐرم‬،‫آن ﻻﺋن اﭘﻼﺋﯽ ﮐرﻧﮯ ﮐﮯ ﻟﯾﮯ‬https://housingconnect.nyc.gov/PublicWeb/ :‫ اﭘﻧﮯ ذاﺗﯽ ﭘﺗﮯ ﮐﺎ ﺣﺎﻣل اﯾﮏ ﻟﻔﺎﻓہ‬،‫ﭘر ﺟﺎﺋﯾں۔ اس ﻧوﭨس ﮐﺎ اردو زﺑﺎن ﻣﯾں ﺗرﺟﻣہ اور ﭘرﻧٹ ﺷده درﺧواﺳت ﻣوﺻول ﮐرﻧﮯ ﮐﮯ ﻟﯾﮯ‬266W96 Lottery c/o Settlement Housing Fund, 247 West 37th Street, 19th Floor, New York, NY 10018. " ‫ﭘر ﺑﮭﯾﺟﯾں۔ ﻟﻔﺎﻓﮯ ﮐﯽ ﭘﺷت ﭘر ﻟﻔظ‬URDU ‫" اﻧﮕرﯾزی ﻣﯾں ﺗﺣرﯾر ﮐرﯾں۔ درﺧواﺳﺗوں ﮐﮯ ﻟﯾﮯ ﭘوﺳٹ ﻣﺎرک‬ ‫[ﮐرده ﮨوﻧﺎ ﯾﺎ‬16 2024 ‫ﺳﮯ زﯾﺎده ﺗﺎﺧﯾر ﺳﮯ آن ﻻﺋن ﺟﻣﻊ ﻧہ ﮐراﯾﺎ ﺟﺎﻧﺎ ﻻزم ﮨﮯ۔]ﻓروری‬

Mayor Eric Adams • HPD Commissioner Adolfo Carrion Jr.

8 • January 4, 2024 - January 10, 2024

Go With The Flo

G

O

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS W I T H T H E F L O

Recognizing greatness: the passing of Dr. John Flateau

FLO

ANTHONY This New Year’s Eve, 12/31/23, due to the numbers being 123123, was slated to be extremely lucky. Let’s take a look back at the year in entertainment that was.

Barack Obama released his favorite movies of 2023, which included three films the former president and his wife, Michelle, produced through their production company Higher Ground: “Rustin,” “Leave the World Behind,” and “American Symphony.” Sadly, in 2023, in the celebrity world, we lost icons, including Richard Roundtree, “Mr. Big Stuff” singer Jean Knight, Kool & the Gang drummer George “Funky” Brown, Rudolph Isley, Harry Belafonte, Tina Turner, Jim Brown, Willis Reed, Andre Braugher, Clarence Avant, 702 member Irish Grinstead, and—right before the year ended—Maurice Hines and my dear friend, entertainment reporter Bobby Rivers…

However, although there is death, there is also birth. Marques and Muja Houston, Ciara and Russell Wilson, Chanel Iman and Davon Godchaux, Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky, Lakeith Stanfield and Kasmere Trice, Naomi Osaka and Cordae, DaBrat and Jesseca Harris-Dupart, and John Legend and Chrissy Teigen all welcomed new babies in 2023…And yes, some of our favorite couples went their separate ways, such as Cardi B and Offset, who the Bronx born raptress said physically joined together on New Year’s Eve, but have not reconciled. Other splits included Drew Sidora and Ralph Pittman, Tina Knowles and Richard Lawson, Jeezy and Jeanne Mai, Deion Sanders and Tracey Edmonds, Jodie Turner-Smith and Joshua Jackson, and his new girlfriend Lupita Nyong’o and Selema Masekela…

But in the end, love prevails, and a lot of celebs tied the knot in 2023, including Bresha Webb and Nick Jones Jr., Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens, “Sistas” actress KJ Smith and Skyh Black, Blair Underwood and Josie Hart, Robin Roberts and Amber Laign, Kimberly Elise and George McCrary, and Derrick Rose and Alaina Anderson.

Tongues are wagging that Michael Jordan and Mike Tyson were among the billionaires and millionaires who flew to St. Barts after Christmas, leading up to 2024. The NBA legend’s $80 million yacht, Joy, was spotted off the coast of the island.

The 230-foot vessel includes a basketball net and can house 19 people. Meanwhile, former heavyweight champ Iron Mike attended a swanky yacht soiree on New Year’s Eve, where he was seen enjoying a sumptuous meal with friends…

Happy New Year!

Dr. John Louis Flateau (Contributed by Adele Flateau. Photographer Jamil Flateau-Gooding)

By ARIAMA C. LONG Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member Dr. John Louis Flateau, 73, a professor and administrator at CUNY Medgar Evers College, as well as a districting commissioner for the city and state, passed away suddenly at his home in Bed Stuy last week. He was described by friends and family as a brilliant mind and strategist who helped shape Brooklyn’s political landscape.

Flateau’s résumé over the course of his lifetime is lengthy, to say the least.

He was one of the founding members of the Vanguard Independent Democratic Association (VIDA), Brooklyn’s first Black political club, and senior vice president of the Empire State Development Corporation. He served as a legislative aide to late Assemblymember and Councilmember Albert Vann; was the chief of staff to the late Mayor David N. Dinkins, the first Black mayor of New York City, in the 1990s; and served as a commissioner on the New York City Board of Elections, among other things.

At the time of his passing, Flateau was a commissioner on the New York State Independent Redistricting (IRC) team and a commissioner of the New York City Districting Commission.

He was a tenured professor at

Medgar Evers for 30 years, chaired the Department of Public Administration, and was formerly dean of the School of Business.

He was considered an expert political strategist and wrote the book “Black Brooklyn: The Politics of Ethnicity, Class, and Gender” in 2016.

Above all, Flateau was known to be a jovial, good-tempered family man who strove to advance the struggle for Black New Yorkers’ political equality.

He died suddenly on Saturday morning on December 30, 2023. His cause of death had not been announced as of this Tuesday. Flateau left behind his wife, Lorraine; sons Marcus and Jonathan; and their children. He was also one of seven siblings.

In a post on social media, one of his sisters, Adele, announced his death with “profound sorrow and shock.”

They had recently lost another sister about six months ago. She said her brother worked up to his final days, doing community work. She said he was living the legacy brought on by their upbringing.

“His activism stems from our parents, really,” Adele told the AmNews.

“There were seven of us children, and they were always very engaged in the community and in our schools. My dad especially was involved in voter outreach education. He was a founder of

the area community council.”

She said she and her siblings would tag along with their father, Sidney Joseph Flateau Sr, and were motivated by him to get involved. Both her father, brother, and Vann, who also died in 2022, helped found VIDA together.

Vann and Flateau lived near one another in Brooklyn.

“He [Flateau] was always very busy, but a wonderful family man, a brother with six siblings—four of which were sisters. He always had a protective relationship with his family. He worked hard at what he did but he was also available for family gatherings,” she said. “A long list of accomplishments but he was a great brother and father and son. That’s part of his legacy.”

Former Assemblymember Annette M. Robinson is a committed member of VIDA and a close friend of Flateau’s who attended the same church. She recalled that Sidney was a prominent and active member of VIDA in the 1970s. And in his youth, Flateau was also a teacher-type who was incredibly driven in his work in the political club and on the Brooklyn county committee.

“He recruited me in church to start working on campaigns,” said Robinson. “He started me out, so I will always be grateful that John took the time to See FLATEAU on page 25

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

January 4, 2024 - January 10, 2024 • 9

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10 • January 4, 2024 - January 10, 2024

Continued from page 6

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Dr. Hazel Dukes receives NAACP’s 108th Spingarn Medal from Hillary Clinton. (Herb Boyd photo)

Beyoncé performing during “Renaissance” tour. (Brenika Banks photo)

August cont.

Harlem. “The focus here is just on engagement for the youth,” said D.A. Alvin Bragg. Projects include “everything [from] murals to youth engaging with food justice and environmental issues...The thought is ‘let’s engage them so they don’t turn to any form of gun.’”

The 114th Convention of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), meeting at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, called for more civic engagement and more votes “to fight and to win” against the current challenges to civil rights. The Saturday public mass meeting brought together national leaders, including Vice President Kamala Harris, Democratic Rep. Ayanna Pressley (Mass.), Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, among others.

On Thursday, August 10, Melba Moore was honored with the 2,760th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The star was unveiled at 1645 Vine Street, near the historic corner of Hollywood and Vine. Moore received her star in the category of Live Theatre/Live Performance.

New York and New Jersey were abuzz during Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” MetLife stadium stop.

The megastar had the whole globe buzzing as fans anticipated her show on Sunday, July 30, in East Rutherford, N.J. The show brought out a huge crowd to witness Queen Bey. Many BeyHive members took pictures and videos as they captured unforgettable moments before showtime.

Seventeen-year-old Dmitriy Popov was arrested and charged on Friday, Aug. 4, for the hate crime murder of professional dancer O’Shae Leon Sibley in Brooklyn two weeks before. Sibley was fatally stabbed in front of a Midwood gas station on July 29 around 11 p.m.

He was voguing—a competitive dance historically fashioned by queer Black and brown New Yorkers—to Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” playing from inside the car he and his friends were filling up before the incident. They were returning to the city from a birthday party in New Jersey.

An internet celebrity’s video game giveaway turned Manhattan’s Union Square into real-life Super Smash Bros as thousands broke into a riot on Friday, Aug. 4. Kai Cenat—who holds the record for most simultaneous subscriptions on video game-streaming platform Twitch—was arrested and charged for firstdegree rioting after allegedly organizing the viral event without a permit, said police. “The park and streets were overrun by people,” said NYPD Chief Jeffrey Maddrey. “It was disrupting both vehicular and pedestrian traffic...The crowd was swarmed when the influencer finally arrived [at] the park. Individuals at the park began to commit acts of violence toward the police and public.”

This year marked the 60th anniversary of major events of the Civil Rights Movement, Black people’s historic struggle for equality in the U.S. Birmingham, Ala., was one of the

cities where many of these events took place, such as the Children’s Crusade, 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. arrest and famous letter. Black journalists attending the 2023 National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) conference, held in Birmingham this year, ventured out on a tour of the city. They spoke with surviving and often-unknown members of the movement, who detailed their first-hand accounts with racist segregationists and white supremacists during the 1950s and ’60s.

MTA bus and subway ride prices were scheduled to go uptown by 15 cents later this month: Each swipe will cost $2.90 starting August 20.

The current fare is $2.75.

The Brooklyn Democratic Party (BK Dems) held its annual gala Monday in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. A considerable number of the city, state, and country’s prominent political figures are all Brooklyn natives, most of whom are Black or brown. They showed up in their finest to support their county party. Prominent electeds in attendance included U.S. House Democratic Leader and Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles “Chuck” Schumer, New York State Attorney General Letitia “Tish” James, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul, and Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado.

Dr. Hazel Nell Dukes received the NAACP’s 108th Spingarn Medal and was showered with a glowing bouquet of adjectives Tuesday evening at the Boston Convention Center. “She exemplifies the spirit of the award,” said Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP, beginning the rosary of recognition Dukes received from speaker after speaker. “Dr. Dukes joins a long line of distinguished medalists, such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Maya Angelou, and Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois.” Moreover, he

added, “I have had the distinct pleasure of working alongside Hazel for many years.”

New York Supreme Court Judge Lyle Frank officially blocked the city of New York from removing its roughly 250,000 municipal retirees from their current healthcare plan and onto Aetna’s privatized Medicare Advantage, with which the Adams administration inked a deal on this past March. On June 5, Frank temporarily halted the switch. On August 11, he explicitly ordered “that the respondents are permanently enjoined from requiring any City retirees, and their dependents from being removed from their current health insurance plan(s) and from being required to either enroll in an Aetna Medicare Advantage Plan or seek their own health coverage.”

Mayor Eric Adams and the city crunched the numbers on the asylum seeker crisis’s future costs and determined that the city could spend “upward of $12 billion over three fiscal years” without state and federal government aid. “Immigration is the New York story. It is the American story. But as I declared nearly a year ago, we are facing an unprecedented state of emergency due to the asylum seeker crisis,” said Adams.

Rikers Island is legally mandated to close by 2027, but before then, receivership—which temporarily wrests control over the embattled jail from the city—is now on the table because federal judge Laura Taylor Swain opened the door to arguments for the move on Thursday, Aug. 10.

Former President Donald Trump’s fourth indictment is 98 pages and includes 18 co-defendants. And the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) charge smears Trump as though he was the leader of a gang of criminals. The new 13 charges were delivered Monday in Georgia by a grand jury that wasted no time on voting on the indictment, outlining the efforts Trump and his defendants waged to keep him in power and overturn the victorious election results for President Joe Biden.

As a whole, Trump faces a combined 91 counts across the cases, and there may be more to come. Early on, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis announced the plan to indict Trump, and it arrived with sweeping implications and difficulties for him.

On Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023, the city of Paterson saw the ceremonial renaming of Matlock Street as “Chairman John Currie Way.” Paterson City Council members had approved the resolution for the street renaming and took part in the ceremony, along with various government officials and Mayor Andre Sayegh. “I’m sure we all agree that as far as his leadership is concerned, if we were to give him a grade, he’d get an A plus,” Sayegh told those attending the ceremony. “Why would he get an A plus? Well, he’s a chairman that is results-oriented. And a lot of the results, his record of results, speak for him. He gets an A plus for driving diversity: to make sure that the state, county, and the government reflect the people that it serves.”

The 50th anniversary of hip hop was celebrated in grand style with events going on all over New York City, where Kool DJ Herc started everything in the Bronx. On August 9, Run-DMC’s Daryl Mc-Daniels and DJ Scratch attended an event at a pop-up hosted by Adidas Originals and Run-DMC. Then, native New Yorkers Ja Rule, Ashanti, and Jadakiss climbed to the top of the Empire State Building for a lighting ceremony in honor of hip hop’s golden anniversary, hosted by the Universal Music Group.

On August 11, Fat Joe, Remy Ma, and Busta Rhymes held a concert in Central Park that was featured on “Good Morning America” and later that night, participated in an all-star Hip Hop 50th live concert at Yankee Stadium that featured Run-DMC, Nas, Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg, Lil Kim, Ice Cube, and DJ Kool Herc, the man who gave birth to hip hop.

A few days before the annual West Indian See YEAR IN REVIEW on page 14

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

January 4, 2024 - January 10, 2024 • 11

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12 • January 4, 2024 - January 10, 2024

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Opinion A deep dive is required!

EDITORIAL

A raft of knee-jerk reactions has come in the wake of Dr. Claudine Gay’s turmoil and subsequent resignation as president of Harvard University, and the situation warrants more than a brief editorial. It requires a deep dive into the current dilemma facing African American academics, particularly Black women.

When Gay’s situation first began getting traction in the media, many of our colleagues posed several questions about it, none more pregnant than whether she was obligated to appear before the House Education and Workforce Committee, led by Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, whose motives have always been a concern.

Even AI was not prepared to answer this query.

Gay’s response to Stefanik’s question of whether calls for the genocide of Jewish people would be considered harassment at Harvard was the matter that had to be put in context. Later, in an interview with the Harvard Crimson, Gay apologized for her testimony, stating that she “got caught up in what had become at that point, an extended, combative exchange about policies and procedures. What I should have had the presence of mind to do at that moment was return to my guiding truth, which is that calls for violence against our Jewish community—threats to our Jewish students— have no place at Harvard, and will never go unchallenged.”

Now that impulse, that second thought, would perhaps have negated all the outcry that followed, including the even more critical charges of plagiarism that led most decisively to her resignation.

Not a day went by that another assertion of plagiarism was announced, and along with rumors that donor funds were jeopardized, made her brief

tenure as the first Black woman president at Harvard all the more imperiled.

“It is with a heavy heart but a deep love for Harvard that I write to share that I will be stepping down as president,” Gay wrote in a letter to the Harvard community. “After consultation with members of the Corporation, it has become clear that it is in the best interests of Harvard for me to resign so that our community can navigate this moment of extraordinary challenge with a focus on the institution rather than any individual. Amidst all of this, it has been distressing to have doubt cast on my commitments to confronting hate and to upholding scholarly rigor—two bedrock values that are fundamental to who I am—and frightening to be subjected to personal attacks and threats fueled by racial animus.”

Our hearts are heavy, too, and we are even more disturbed that her situation has been placed in the assault manual of rightwing commentators and elected officials who use her resignation as a sign of victory against “woke” activists.

Gay’s fall is not a time for celebration as we learn that it has been, unsurprisingly, cheered on by Stefanik, who said that the “long overdue forced resignation of the antisemitic plagiarist president is just the beginning of what will be the greatest scandal of any college or university in history.”

What we should learn from this terrible incident is that folks who are antithetical to critical race theory and poised to ensure the continuance of white supremacy in our academies demand constant vigilance on our part. We must make sure we don’t give them more ammunition to bring us down.

Yes, Claudine Gay is no longer at the helm of this prestigious academy, but she returns to the classroom, where her students will be the immediate beneficiaries of her tribulations.

Elinor R. Tatum: Publisher Member

Alliance for Audited Media

and Editor in Chief

Kristin Fayne-Mulroy: Managing Editor Cyril Josh Barker: Digital Editor Damaso Reyes: Investigative Editor Siobhan "Sam" Bennett: Chief Revenue Officer and Head of Advertising

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

Breaking barriers—a new era against housing discrimination

By ANDRE WARD It’s a victory years in the making. After intense, strategic, and fearless advocacy by the Fair Chance for Housing Coalition, the New York City Council voted to pass the transformational Fair Chance for Housing Act on December 20, which will give New Yorkers with convictions a second chance, enabling them to move on with their lives with the foundation of a place to call home.

The coalition has worked tirelessly to make this possible, and the act will sharply curtail housing discrimination against those with convictions. Many members of the coalition have faced their own barriers to accessing permanent housing due to their convictions. As members of the Fair Chance for Housing Campaign Steering Committee, the Fortune Society is proud to have helped lead this fight in partnership with other nonprofits and individuals.

We know from our 56 years of serving people affected by the criminal legal system that the pernicious stigma of a conviction can derail people’s attempts to rebuild their lives. Our unwavering support of people with criminal legal system involvement stems from the knowledge that access to housing is the cornerstone for a better future and a fundamental right that every individual deserves.

By dismantling pervasive discrimination against those with convictions, this landmark legislation not only bolsters public safety but advances racial equity in housing. It also provides a vital opportunity to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty that often exists in marginalized communities. The removal of barriers to housing empowers people to forge a path toward being better able to support themselves and their families, reducing the likelihood of further system

“By dismantling pervasive discrimination against those with convictions, this landmark legislation not only bolsters public safety but advances racial equity in housing. It also provides a vital opportunity to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty that often exists in marginalized communities.” involvement, and making our communities safer.

Right now, our city is in the midst of a housing and homelessness crisis, due in part to exclusionary policies that foreclose housing options based on conviction records.

Discrimination impacts so many more than people with convictions—it affects whole families and creates intergenerational cycles of instability.

Reducing barriers to housing so people and families have stable homes can interrupt these intergenerational cycles of poverty and homelessness.

In New York City alone, nearly 750,000 residents have a conviction record— that’s nearly 11 percent of the adult population. Due to long-standing inequities in our criminal legal system, 80 percent of these individuals are Black or Latinx, even though they make up less than 30 percent of the population. This means that Black and Latinx people, and their families, are disproportionately affected by housing discrimination against people with convictions.

The Fair Chance for Housing Act will bar pervasive housing discrimination against New Yorkers with convictions.

While housing providers may still request a criminal background check for convictions within the look-back

window of three years for misdemeanors and five for felonies, they can only do so after having pre-qualified a potential tenant based on finances, income, and other factors relevant to the ability to be a good tenant. By putting the background check at the end of the screening process, the act will give applicants with a conviction history who have done their time a stronger shot at securing housing. And that will make us all safer.

We thank prime bill sponsor Majority Leader Keith Powers for his staunch leadership and partnership, Speaker Adrienne Adams for her support, and the many co-sponsors and other supporters who voted yes on Fair Chance for Housing.

We commend the New York City Council for passing Intro.

632-A and urge the mayor to sign it into law immediately.

Most of all, we thank the tireless advocates, including directly affected people, who fought for years to get us to this day.

Andre Ward is the associate vice president of Public Policy at the Fortune Society, an organization that has advocated on criminal justice issues since 1967 and is nationally recognized for developing model programs that help people with criminal justice histories to be assets to their communities.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS O P I N I O N

The fading American Dream: a clarion call for economic revival

January 4, 2024 - January 10, 2024 • 13

Happy New Year

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not represent those of the New York Amsterdam News. We continue to publish a variety of viewpoints so that we may know the opinions of others that may differ from our own.

CHRISTINA

GREER, PH.D.

ARMSTRONG

WILLIAMS

In the land of opportunity, the American Dream now seems like a distant mirage for many.

The recent reports from CNBC and Business Insider paint a stark picture of the financial struggles plaguing Americans, revealing a reality where this dream is slipping out of reach for millions.

The CNBC report highlights a phenomenon termed “doom spending,” where individuals—particularly Gen Z and millennials—spend mindlessly despite economic uncertainties. This behavior, driven by a desire to soothe concerns about the economy and foreign affairs, is leading to an alarming rise in credit card debt, which has surpassed $1 trillion.

The irony is bitter: In an attempt to escape economic anxiety, many are plunging deeper into financial despair.

The situation is exacerbated by high inflation, which poses a significant barrier to financial success, especially for younger adults just starting out. Over half of Gen

Zers view the increased cost of living as a major obstacle.

This generational financial strain is not just about frugality; it’s about survival in an economy that seems increasingly hostile to the aspirations of the young.

Business Insider’s report further illuminates the dire state of the American Dream. Achieving key milestones of this once-accessible dream now costs an astronomical $3.4 million, far outpacing the average lifetime earnings of $2.3 million among all education levels in the U.S. This staggering gap illustrates a grim reality: The American Dream, once attainable through hard work and perseverance, is now a luxury few can afford.

Childcare and housing— fundamental elements of family life—are among the most significant financial burdens. The cost of raising two children to the age of 18 is estimated at $576,896, a figure that puts immense pressure on families and particularly affects millennials, who already struggle with high consumer debt and childcare costs. This

generation, caught between two recessions and a pandemic, finds itself in an economic quagmire, burdened by debt and escalating living costs.

These reports underscore a critical point: The widening economic gap in America is not just a fiscal issue; it’s a ticking time bomb for social stability. The growing chasm between the haves and have-nots is fertile ground for unrest and violence. When a significant portion of the population feels excluded from the economic system, the social contract begins to fray, and the pillars of democracy are threatened.

The urgent need for economic revival cannot be overstated. Americans are struggling and the demand for policies that address income inequality; access to affordable housing, which is nonexistent in every major city in the United States; and accessible childcare are not just fiscal measures— they are investments in the social fabric of the nation. It’s time to shift the focus from short-term economic gains to long-

term societal stability.

As we grapple with these challenges, we must remember that the American Dream is not just about material wealth; it’s about the opportunity for a better life for all. This dream should not be a privilege reserved for the few but a realistic aspiration for the many. The future of America depends on our ability to maintain this dream, making it accessible and attainable once again.

The path forward requires bold action and visionary leadership. We need policies that empower the younger generation, ease the financial burdens of family life, and bridge the gap between the rich and the poor. Only then can we hope to revive the American Dream and restore the promise of prosperity for all.

Armstrong Williams (@ ARight-Side) is manager / sole owner of Howard Stirk Holdings I & II Broadcast Television Stations and the 2016 Multicultural Media Broadcast Owner of the year. www.armstrongwilliams.co | www.howardstirkholdings.com

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Welcome to 2024! I have been giggling at the memes alerting God that we’d like the “blessed and highly favored 2024 package” and not the “trials and tribulations package” so many people experienced in 2023. I am always excited about a new year and all of the possibilities it brings. Each year I try to set an intention for the year, whether it’s a goal, a color, a project, or just a mindset. Last year’s theme was “sunshine and empanadas” and the color for the year was blue. I wanted sunshine, good food, vacations, and a sense of calm. I think I mostly achieved that, but I know I can do more.

My theme for this year is “sunshine and connections” and my color is green. I am calling in more travel, good health, wealth, and ample time in nature to go birding.

I also want to work on building and nurturing more long-term relationships with new and old friends in my orbit. I want to be more intentional about spending time with family and friends and I want to allow those who aren’t for me to quietly exit stage left.

As I get older, I am more cognizant of the blessing that is good health. Each year I pledge to do more to get and stay healthy and this year is no different. I am hopeful that I will prioritize my physical and mental health during what will be a busy and possibly tumultuous election year. I am reminded of what my grandmother would say

about the importance of stretching and exercise, “If you don’t move it and use it, then you’ll lose it!” Hopefully we will all spend a bit more time in nature walking around and enjoying the beauty and abundance around us while also getting in some steps.

I am sure many of us are setting various professional goals, whether it is being more productive on a particular project or actually working less.

Whatever the priority may be, January is a great time to set and reset our intentions for the months ahead. And if we fall short in January, we can always reset at the beginning of each new month, new week, or new day.

What are your intentions for 2024? Do you have a particular place you’d like to travel, near or far?

Is there a book you want to read? Is there a friend with whom you want to reconnect? Is there a new business plan or project you’d like to begin?

Whatever it may be, this is the time to take a deep breath and “jump into the lagoon” as I call it.

So, welcome to 2024.

Let’s be our best selves and enjoy the wonders around us.

Christina Greer, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Fordham University; author of “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream”; and co-host of the podcast FAQ-NYC and host of The Blackest Questions podcast at TheGrio. She is a 2023-24 Moynihan Public Scholars Fellow at CCNY.

14 • January 4, 2024 - January 10, 2024

Continued from page 10

August cont.

Day Parade, an unforgettable night celebrating Caribbean music’s history spanning many generations, emanated from Brooklyn’s Kings Theatre on August 31.

New York City subway and bus fares were raised by 15 cents, from $2.75 to $2.90, this weekend and prices for drivers could also go up

by April 2024 when the state implements congestion pricing and tolls in midtown and lower Manhattan, a move that local city officials are understandably wary of. Majority Whip Selvena N. Brooks-Powers, who chairs the City Council’s Transportation Committee, held an oversight hearing with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) on August 17 to discuss how the city can prevent unintended hardships for vulnerable communities whose members might live in transit deserts and ensure an equitable rollout of congestion pricing.

Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams announced their combined $200 million investment into the redevelopment for the historic and long-underused Kingsbridge Armory in the Bronx. The push to reimagine the space has been a community-led project for decades that lacked funding. The Kingsbridge Armory first opened back in 1917 for military use, which lasted until 1994. The city has owned the landmarked building since 1996. It has recently been used as a temporary food distribution center during the COVID-19 pandemic and as storage for possessions of victims of the Twin Park North fire.

Senator Cordell Cleare kicked off her second annual Senior Day during Harlem Week, an event she initiated more than 20 years ago. The event stands as a testament to improving the quality of life for seniors and fostering community connections while tackling one of the challenges the city’s seniors face: staying cool.

A wrongful death in the Black and brown community is a tragedy that creates a ripple effect, affecting loved ones and the community at large.

The Grieving Families Act would reform New York’s 200-year-old discriminatory tort laws to allow financial compensation for emotional grief and anguish in wrongful death cases.

The North New Jersey Black Caucus for Social Justice held its first annual memorial service for Bernard Placide Jr., the 22-year-old who was killed on Sept. 3, 2022, by members of the Englewood, N.J., police department.

The event featured Rev. Al Sharpton as its keynote speaker and honored three civil rights leaders: Rev. Herbert Daughtry, Global Ministries; Larry Hamm, People’s Organization for Progress; and Min. Baba Zayid, Newark Communities for Accountable Policing.

In its most recent session, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (NYC LPC) met to consider landmarking Joseph Rodman Drake Park’s burial ground for enslaved Africans. The park is in Hunts Point, the Bronx. “We are pleased with the news that

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

(left to right) BABA Inc.’s Nova Felder; Henry Robinson; CIDNY’s Mbacke Thiam, Ricky Forde, and Sister Shirley march from City Hall to Foley Square demanding receivership and closure of Rikers Island (Tandy Lau photo)

Marcus Garvey Parade in Harlem was held on Garvey’s birthday, August 17.

(Bill Moore photo)

Protesters showed up with posters, placards, horn-honking trucks, whistles, megaphones, drums, and enthusiasm.

(Karen Juanita Carrillo photo)

the NYC LPC is considering the Bronx’s own Joseph Drake Park & Enslaved African Burial Ground for designation as a landmark,” said Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson in a statement. “From the moment a group of students and administrators at P.S. 48 pieced together a tangible link between the park and our nation’s colonial history in the discovery of an enslaved African burial ground in 2013, it brought to life a critical piece of our past that should never be forgotten.”

Donny Ubiera was the seventh person held on Rikers Island to die this year and the eighth to die in or immediately after NYC Department of Corrections (DOC) custody. The 33-year-old was found unresponsive in his cell at the George R. Vierno Center (GRVC) jail on Tuesday, Aug. 22. He entered DOC custody this past March, and his death was currently under investigation as of press time, according to a department spokesperson. The Legal Aid Society said Ubiera was a client of the practice and called for a “sweeping investigation” that would be fully transparent for the deceased’s next of kin.

The grassroots community came out on Sunday afternoon to witness the unveiling

of the Black Panther Way Street co-naming sign at the northwest corner of 122nd St. and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd. It’s near where their Harlem headquarters were once located, at 2026 Seventh Ave., and Brother Shep said it serves as a symbol of Black self-determination and resistance against systematic colonialism and oppression dating back to the Black Power era. Several dozen veteran activists were present.

TMZ reported that Rihanna and Harlem native A$AP Rocky are parents of a second child. Sources told the outlet that the billionairess entertainer/businesswoman gave birth to another baby boy on August 3 in Los Angeles, Calif. Like his older brother RZA, the baby’s name starts with an “R,” just like his parents’ names, although the full name is unknown…

In other baby news, Serena Williams and her husband, Alexis Ohanian, welcomed their second baby girl, Adira River Ohanian.

Hollywood’s unionized actors and writers rallied outside the Manhattan offices of Amazon and HBO on Tuesday, Aug. 22, with a few hundred of their unionized friends, in an effort to show their labor muscle. Picketing members of the Screen Actors Guild -

American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and Writers Guild of America, East (WGA) completely covered two long blocks—between 31st and 33rd Streets on 10th Avenue—with posters, placards, horn-honking trucks, whistles, megaphones, drums, and enthusiasm. A serious and determined group, they chanted “Hey, hey! Ho, ho!

Corporate greed has got to go” and “Who’s got the power? We’ve got the power! What kind of power? Union power!” and marched while calling for attention to their ongoing strike.

The descendants of a British family that had owned, demeaned, and brutalized hundreds of enslaved plantation workers in the Caribbean Community headquarters nation of Guyana centuries ago were headed to the country this week to formally apologize for the sins of their foreparents and pay an undisclosed sum in reparations to fund research into the impact of slavery, the University of Guyana said in a statement. Planter John Gladstone, described by today’s generation of Gladstone descendants as a vile and greedy man, had owned more than 2,500 slaves in Jamaica and Guyana, and was considered one of the most brutal plantation owners in the Caribbean. He owned several coffee, sugar, and other estates along Guyana’s east coast and in the western Essequibo Region in the early to mid-1800s. Profits from unpaid slave labor have been primarily attributed to the vast wealth of Scottish-born Gladstone, whose son became a four-time British prime minister in the colonial era.

Excessive summer heat was causing a lesser-known repercussion: It has correlation with the uptick in gun-related incidents in America’s cities.

The official 60th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was on August 28. Since the anniversary fell on a Monday this year, a coalition of marchers headed down in buses over the weekend to celebrate an enduring part of Black history. In 1963, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King led the historic march, delivering the iconic and impromptu “I Have a Dream” speech. The demonstration was organized by legendary Bayard Rustin, A. Phillip Randolph, and their fellow civil rights and labor figures known then as “the Big Six.” It was held at a pivotal time for the Civil Rights Movement, since it came two months after the murder of Medgar Evers and just weeks before the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing that killed four Black girls in Birmingham, Ala. The march also became a catalyst for passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act in 1965. A record 250,000 activists packed the National Mall in front of the Lincoln Memorial for the March on Washington back in 1963.

Following in the tradition of New York City mayors, Mayor Eric Adams took a three-day pilgrimage of sorts to two cities in Israel this month to learn about public safety technology and discuss how to best combat antisemitism. “As mayor of the city, I’m proud to spend the time with Israel leaders from across the political spectrum. Just like New York, there’s just

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THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

African American Day Parade (Bill Moore photo)

Coco Gauff (middle) wining 2023 U.S. Open (Margot Jordan photo)

Albany State knocks off Morehouse 24-14 in the second annual HBCU Classic (Jahvan White photo)

56th West Indian Day Parade (Bill Moore photo)

so many opinions and thoughts that are here, and it’s good to hear as they engage in what I consider to be healthy dialogue,” said Adams in a media briefing. Statistically, New York State has the highest Jewish population in the country and “one of the largest Jewish populations outside of Israel.” New York City has so far elected three Jewish mayors: Abraham D. Beame, Edward Koch, and Michael Bloomberg.

A gunman with swastikas painted on his rifle opened fire at the Dollar General where A.J. Laguerre worked in Jacksonville.

The sheriff said writings left by the killer, a 21-year-old white man, made clear that he was motivated by racism. Each victim was Black. “I never thought I’d have to bury my baby brother,” Quan Laguerre said Monday outside the family’s house, not far from the store. “They say don’t question God,” he said.

“But I just want to know why.”

The Biden administration unveiled a list of 10 medicines slated for price reduction. On Tuesday, the long-awaited plan received a fresh boost, although it won’t become a reality until 2026. Several of the 10 medications on the list are probably seen advertised nightly on television by older Americans— Eliquis, Jardiance, Januvia, Farxiga—and are earmarked for citizens with diabetes, heart conditions, or cancer. Others on the list from major pharmaceutical companies are Xarelto, Entresto, Enbreal, Imbruvica, Stelara, Fiasp, and Novolog insulin products.

French diplomats darted past the throng of protesters at the front door of the Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations during the after-work rush hour on Tuesday when “ready at a moment’s notice” demonstrators, armed with bullhorns and posters, were on the march, demanding “France Out of Africa!” and “Hands Off Niger!”

The Marcus Garvey Parade in Harlem was held on Garvey’s birthday, August 17. Marchers came from New Jersey, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Philadelphia, Connecticut, and Long Island— a mixed demographic, with the Black Power mantra reverberating as they marched to honor Marcus Mosiah Garvey on his special day.

The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFLCIO) kicked off what it’s designating as a new Labor Day tradition by holding a “State of the Unions” event in Washington, D.C., this week.

“Every year, we’re going to come together and talk about where working people stand in this country,” AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler promised those attending the inaugural event. “For a long time, working people in this country have felt powerless; they’ve been powerless. But here is the truth that we’re going to talk about today: Working people are reclaiming our power.

Working people are taking on the companies that have exploited us for a long time now. The State of the Unions is on the rise. We are on the rise with every strike, every picket line, every win we deliver for workers all over this country.”

September

By TANDY LAU Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member Light-rail service opens in Lagos, reducing travel time exponentially. NY1 news anchor Ruschell Boone dies at age 48 due to pancreatic cancer-related complications. West Indian Day Parade celebrates 56 years and is surveilled by NYPD drones. Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio is sentenced to prison for role in Jan. 6 attacks.

Nairobi, Kenya, hosts Africa’s first climate summit. Al Sharpton eulogizes Angela Carr, who was killed in August during the racist supremacist Jacksonville Dollar General shooting. Tahesha Way is appointed New Jersey lieutenant governor. Octogenarian Nancy Pelosi announces 2024 re-election bid for House seat. Ava DuVernay becomes the first Black woman director to compete at the Venice Film Festival with her new film, “Origin.”

Coco Gauff becomes the first teenager to win the U.S. Open since Serena Williams, prompting thousands of adults to question their own accomplishments. NYC cracks down on shortterm rental sites like AirBNB. First responders lost during 9/11 were remembered as more are now dying from related illnesses.

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy

launches impeachment probe on President Joe Biden. Jets’ QB Aaron Rodgers tears Achilles tendon in his first game in a Gang Green jersey. Pennsylvania prison Danilo Cavalcante, who spurred a manhunt and numerous internet memes, is captured.

An infant overdoses on fentanyl after he was exposed at a Bronx daycare center.

R&B singer SZA pulls out of MTV’s Video Music Awards after Artist of the Year nominee snub. The country’s Afro-Latino population grows. Cemetery remains are exhumed in search for Tulsa Race Massacre victims.

Albany State beats Moorehouse 24-14 in the second HBCU New York Classic.

Harlem celebrates the 54th annual African American Day Parade. Rihanna and A$AP Rocky reveal newborn son Riot Rose. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accuses the Indian government of assassinating a Sikh Separatist community leader in British Columbia. Chioma Nnadi becomes the first Black woman to head British Vogue.

Acting Temple University President JoAnne A. Epps, 72, dies after she falls ill on stage during a memorial service. Rupert Murdoch retires from Fox and shockingly hands off power to his son. Bon Voyage for France as French troops and ambassador withdraw from Niger. A judge finds Queens man Donald J. Trump liable for fraud for a lawsuit filed by Letitia James.

See YEAR IN REVIEW on page 26

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THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Caribbean Update

Guyana-Venezuela border row major issue of 2023

BY BERT WILKINSON Special to the AmNews The major issue of 2023 in the 15-nation Caribbean Community (Caricom) has to be, of course, the still-simmering Guyana-Venezuela border row with the two massing troops and heavy military equipment on both sides, forcing concerned leaders to hurriedly arrange mediation to ease tensions in the region.

For decades, Venezuela—Guyana’s neighbor to the west—has claimed Guyana’s western Essequibo region, contending that it was cheated out of the area during an 1899 boundary demarcation process. Successive administrations have provided little evidence over the decades that the mineral- and oil-rich area is Venezuela’s, but after massive amounts of oil and gas deposits were found offshore Guyana in 2015, Venezuela ratcheted up its claims to the area. These claims culminated in a December 3 referendum that approved annexation of the Essequibo.

Fearing that the two sides would have headed to war, Caribbean leaders and umbrella organizations like CELAC hurriedly arranged a mediation meeting in the eastern Caribbean nation of St. Vincent in mid-December, forcing both parties to agree to a declaration not to wage war or threaten each other with military force while setting up a mechanism for bilateral talks. A second round is due in March in Brazil.

Guyana is depending on an imminent ruling from the World Court in the Netherlands for a final decision about the border demarcation.

Venezuela does not recognize the court.

Just as tensions were easing, Venezuela at year’s end placed its army on alert and ordered more than 6,000 troops to be ready for battle because Britain had sent a warship— the HMS Trent—to Guyana in a show of support for its former colony. The 1899 agreement was signed by Britain as Guyana’s colonizer.

Caracas said it had viewed the presence of the vessel as an insult and a threat to the country.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil in a statement described the vessel’s deployment as hostile, a provocation and a breach of a peace agreement Guyana and Venezuela signed during mediation talks in St. Vincent.

“The presence of the military ship is extremely serious since it is accompanied by statements by political and military spokesmen of the person who served as the looter of Guayana Esequiba, who insists on getting involved in said controversy. These statements have also been synchronized with actions by the United States Southern Command, which clearly becomes a direct threat to peace and stability of the region,” Minister Gil said, ratcheting up tensions once again. Guyanese authorities said the ship would not be turned away by any means.

Other key issues of last year had to do with the deaths of 20 children at a dormitory for indigenous girls in Guyana’s southwest, near Brazil: 20 teenage girls were killed when a fire broke out at the facility in May. Around that time, regional leaders were setting up an eminent persons group of three former prime ministers to serve as mediators in Haiti’s seemingly never-ending political crises.

After several rounds of talks both in Jamai-

ca and in Haiti, the group says encouraging signs are emerging that could lead to fresh elections, a new president taking office, and curbing gangs roaming the country. Caricom nations have already pledged to contribute to any multinational peacekeeping force headed to Haiti in the coming months.

Meanwhile, as a bloc, the region held a string of high-level meetings this year, including with Justin Trudeau of Canada and Paul Kagame of Rwanda, as they haggled over an international force to make peace in Haiti.

In addition, the region made some strides fighting with Europe to make former slavetrading nations pay reparations for the genocide against Africans, adjusting strategy to directly engage with some of the British families, like the Trevelyans and the Gladstones, to make them both apologize for the role of their ancestors and commit to paying as modernday beneficiaries. In late December last year, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte apologized for the Netherlands; King Willem did so at mid-year, even as pressure was being put on Britain’s King Charles and others to apologize and begin thinking about actual payment.

Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley, the leader responsible for reparations in Caricom, recently made public her preliminary invoice for King Charles, tapping it at close to $5 trillion.

“We’re not expecting that the reparatory damages will be paid in a year, or two, or five, because the extraction of wealth and the damages took place over centuries. But we are demanding that we be seen and that we are heard,” she said. The conspiracy of silence for

years “has diminished the horror of what our people faced,” Again as a bloc, St. Lucia moved all constitutional hurdles to joining the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), leaving its fellow eastern Caribbean neighbors and Jamaica in the lurch as they struggled to find ways around their constitutional roadblocks to also hook up with the regional apex court.

As extremely hot weather and drought stalked the region for much of the year, governments rejoiced about the massive rebound of the lifeline tourism sector ,with the Bahamas and Jamaica the shining stars. The two are likely to account for close to 13 million visitors by the end of the year as arrivals rebounded and have even surpassed pre COVID-19 levels in the past year.

As the year ended, Trinidad came close to matching the 2022 606 murder figure, ending at around 580. A court in Suriname in late December reaffirmed 2019’s 20-year sentence for mass murder of former military strongman and two-time elected president Desi Bouterse as he awaits a jail date or a pardon from President Santokhi for the 1982 killings of 15 government critics.

“This has been a landmark year for Caricom as we marked the 50th anniversary of the signing of the original Treaty of Chaguaramas with festivities across the region,” said bloc Secretary General Carla Barnett. “The occasion allowed us to reflect on our accomplishments, and recommit to the vision of the Caricom’s founders. The past 50 years have taught us that with collective action, we can achieve significantly more.”

Deportation numbers under Biden surpass Trump’s record FELICIA PERSAUD

IMMIGRATION KORNER As of December 27, 2023, President Biden’s administration, through the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), announced the completion of its 11th deportation flight to Central America and Venezuela. This development marks a significant milestone, with nearly half a million individuals deported between May and December 2023.

This figure surpasses the highest sevenmonth deportation tally under former President Donald Trump. According to the Biden administration’s DHS, the current deportations almost surpass the total for the entire fiscal year of 2019 and exceed the annual totals from 2015 to 2018.

In addition, the DHS highlighted that daily

deportations and enforcement returns have nearly doubled the pre-pandemic average from 2014 to 2019, a rate higher than during the Trump era. The Cato Institute’s David J. Bier reveals an even more striking comparison: The Biden administration is deporting individuals at a rate 3.5 times higher per month than the Trump administration.

Under Trump, the DHS recorded 1.4 million arrests over fiscal years 2019 and 2020, spanning 24 months. In contrast, the Biden administration’s DHS has made over 5 million arrests in just over 26 months. Additionally, while the Trump administration deported a minority of those arrested, the Biden administration has deported a majority.

These figures have raised concerns among Biden’s supporters, especially those who believed in his pre-election promise to end deportations for non-criminal immigrants. Despite the significant number of deportations, groups like Witness at the Border, which tracks flight data, indicate that these measures have not

effectively curbed the surge in illegal border crossings. For instance, Venezuelans alone accounted for more than 85,000 illegal crossings in October and November, trailing only Mexicans in frequency.

Since the beginning of the new fiscal year on October 1, 2023, migrant encounters at the southern U.S. border have exceeded 760,000, marking the highest quarter on record. There have also been about 82,000 “known getaways” since that date.

The situation is also notable in terms of detention data. According to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) at Syracuse University, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained 36,263 immigrants as of December 17, 2023, with 66.8% having no criminal record. The South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas, has the highest average daily detainee count, with 1,963 individuals in December 2023.

In an election year, the Biden administration seems to be adopting more centrist pol-

icies. Last month, it expressed willingness to congressional lawmakers to support new measures for expelling migrants without asylum screenings and significantly expanding immigration detention and deportations, as reported by CBS News.

Sameera Hafiz, policy director at ILRC, criticizes these policies, accusing the Biden administration of adopting “racist policies” and using immigrants as “political pawns.” Hafiz has called for leadership that listens to communities, meets the needs of migrants compassionately, and rejects political and hateful pressures.

Interestingly, CNN surveys indicate a shift in immigrant voter preferences, with Biden and Trump currently tied at 48% among this demographic. This is a stark contrast to the 2020 election, when Biden led Trump by about 20 points among immigrant voters. Biden should be very worried!

Felicia J. Persaud is the publisher of NewsAmericasNow.com, a daily news outlet focusing on Black immigrant issues.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Arts & Entertainment Dance pg 17 | Jazz pg 19 | Theater pg 21

January 4, 2024 - January 10, 2024 • 17

Pg. 20 Your Stars

Dance Calendar January 2024

(Christopher Duggan photo)

January 12-13: In a shared evening, Jordan Demetrius Lloyd and Mina Nishimura return to Danspace Project with new iterations on excerpts from works shown earlier: Lloyd’s Blackbare in the Basement (2023) with co-performer Owen Prum, and Nishimura’s newly expanded (空 kuu), her duet with Glenn PotterTakata from “Mapping a Forest While Searching for an Opposite Term of Exorcist” (2022).

Dormeshia Tap Collective (Christopher Duggan photo) (Jamie Kraus photo) For more information, visit https://dansBy CHARMAINE PATRICIA WARREN orklivearts.org/programs/live-artery/. neers-go-east-collective-32986072425. paceproject.org/calendar/.

Special to the AmNews Jan. 13: At BAAD!, led by Alicia Raquel MoWorks & Process’s various festivals from Finally, Gibney’s DoublePlus, curated rales, “CROWNING in the cold, or how to change Bring in the new year with festivals at January 10–February 4, offer up a cross- by choreographer Kyle Abraham, will fea- shape while remembering your name,” offers an the Joyce Theater’s American Dance Plat- town celebration of dance in New York City, ture world premieres by Dual Rivet in “Stuff interactive scavenger hunt/dance ritual followform, NYLA (Live Artery), the Guggenheim featuring Kayla Farrish, Lloyd Knight, Com- Your Eyes” and Roderick George | kNoname ing urban waterways back to the ocean.

(Works & Process), Pioneers Go East (Out- pany Stephanie Batten Bland, Ephrat Ash- Artist in “Venom.”

For more information, visit https://fareharFRONT! Fest), and the return of Gibney’s erie Dance, Omari Wiles’s Les Ballet Afrik, For more information, visit https://gib- bor.com/baadbronx/items/508262/.

DoublePlus.

It’s Showtime NYC!, Ladies of Hip-Hop, neydance.org/event/gibney-presents-douFrom January 9–14 at the Joyce The- Courtney “Balenciaga” Washington’s Mas- ble-plus-dual-rivet-and-roderick-george/.

January 16-21: Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE ater, this year’s American Dance Platform, terZ at Work Dance Family, The Missing Elreturns to the Joyce with “Walking Out the “American Dance Platform with Jazz at the ement, Princess Lockerooo’s The Fabulous ALSO THIS MONTH: Dark” (2001) and “Torch” (2012).

Joyce,” is curated by Melanie George and Waack Dancers, Kwikstep and Rokafella, January 5-14: Motion/Matter: Street For more information, visit https://www.joyce. features Dormeshia Tap Collective; Josette Mai Lê Hô’s LayeRhythm, and Music From Dance Festival, an international festival org/performances/ronald-k-brown-evidence.

Wiggan with Michelle N. Gibson; Soles of the Sole, plus the Underground Uptown celebrating the multitude of street dance Duende, comprised of Amanda Castro, Ar- Ball with Leggoh JohVera, DJ BelindZz, and movements emerging from New York City January 23-28: Hervé Koubi, with Compagnie ielle Rosales, and Brinda Guha; and the Hype Kitty, and much more. Performanc- and beyond, comes to the Perelman Per- Hervé KOUBI, returns to New York with a mix of Dallas Black Dance Theatre, the oldest es will be held at the Guggenheim, Lincoln forming Arts Center. The festival will feature break dance, acrobatics, and capoeira in “Sol Incontinuously operating professional dance Center, and the Joyce. an Afrikan Party, events and performances victus,” named after the “invincible Sun” deity. company in Dallas and the fourth-largest For more information, visit https://www. with DJ Spinna and Rimarkable, BreAking For more information, visit https://www.

Black dance company in the nation. worksandprocess.org/calendar.

Kia LaBeija, Ehizoje Azeke, all-styles dance joyce.org/performances/compagnie-herveFor more information, visit https://www. battle, and more. koubi. joyce.org/performances/american-danceOut-FRONT!, curated by Pioneers Go East For more information, visit https:// platform.

Collective and presented in partnership with pacnyc.org/whats-on/genres/dance/.

January 24-26: At the Japan Society, traditionthe LGBT Community Center and Abrons al Nihon Buyo dancers Hanayagi Motoi and From January 9–15, with performances Arts Center, will feature works by artists exJan.11-13: Urban Bush Women’s latest Azuma Tokuyo will perform a classic Kabuki at the Chocolate Factory, Gibney, and Col- ploring bold new performance modes. The work, "Haint Blu," which “…reflects on dance repertoire, followed by a contemporary lapsable Hole, Live Artery 2024 will present festival runs through January 20, with perfor- what has been lost across generations and work by Hanayagi Genkuro, set to Maurice Rava mix of artists and curated guests in ex- mances by Arthur Aviles and Collaborators, what can be restored, with spirits sharing el’s “Boléro.” cerpts from works-in-progress, full-length Joey Kipp with Pioneers Go East Collective, their legacies and leaving the thick resFor more information, visit https://japerformances, off-site productions, and Christopher Unpezverde Núñez, Jason An- idue of their knowing behind,” accord- pansociety.org/events/nihon-buyo-in-theintroductions to new explorations. Fea- thony Rodriguez, Paz Tanjuaquio, Ogemdi ing to the release, comes to Harlem Stage. 21st-century/. tured will be Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Com- Ude, and Annie MingHao Wang; and films "Haint Blu" is conceived, created, choreopany, Shamel Pitts I TRIBE, Albert Ibokwe by Fana Fraser, Omega X and Danni, and graphed, and directed by co-artistic diJanuary 27-28: Celebrate the Year of the Khoza, A.I.M. by Kyle Marshall, Jasmine Tourmaline. The festival will also include a rectors Chanon Judson and Mame Diarra Dragon with the Nai-Ni Chen Dance ComHearn, Miguel Gutierrez, Roderick George, teen voguing workshop and more. All fes- Speis with the company. For more infor- pany at the Kupferberg Center for the Arts Raja Feather Kelly l the feath3r theory, Faye tival events are free (donations accepted). mation visit https://www.harlemstage. at Queens College.

Driscoll, Wanjiru Kamuyu, and more.

Reservations are required at org/events-list/2024/1/11/urbanbushFor more information, visit https://kupFor more information, visit https://newyhttps://www.eventbrite.com/o/piowomen-haintblu ferbergcenter.org/lunar-new-year/.

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Best Black albums of 2023, Part 2

By JORDANNAH ELIZABETH Special to the Amnews As the fresh dew of the New Year appears, there is still time to reflect. All of the art and music that has been released into our cultural atmosphere grows in numbers in what seems like nanoseconds. There’s so much to consume and while it is important to make a point to support emerging Black artists, this year a number of veterans stand out. Continuing on the trajectory of part 1 where Big Freedia was the leading seasoned musician with nearly 25 years in the game, Tech N9ne and Ishmael Butler of Shabazz Palaces (and Digable Planets) release new music, along with a triumphant release of Nicki Minaj’s “Pink Friday 2,” her first studio album release in five years.

Time is of the essence and it slips away with every blink of the eye. Remember to savor the New Year and all the music and inspiration it will bring.

Shabazz Palaces - Robed in Rareness The iconic lyricist and producer, Ishmael Butler’s experimental hip hop outfit, Shabazz Palaces has set itself apart with beats and perspective that had never been uttered and cannot be duplicated. “Robed In Rareness” is rooted in the melodic, ambient Seattle hip hop sound, though Ish crafts No Name - Sundial his work into a gritty, psychedelic world of No Name’s second studio album, “Sun- its own. dial,” encapsulates neo-soul stylings with hip hop and afrofuturist soundscapes built Tech N9ne - BLISS on the artist’s signature rhythmic musings.

“I’m evolving lyrically and spiritually, conNicki Minaj - Pink Friday 2 The poeticism of her lyrics is complex and cept-wise. I’m super sharp now, way sharpSonically full-bodied and lyrically comforting, ultra-Black and empathetic. er than I was 10 years ago: cadence-wise, strong, Nicki Minaj’s 5th studio album is The album features verses from Common, flow-wise, my content, especially on this a consistent hip hop/pop album. It opens Ayoni and more. Sundial is spiritually album. I wanted to name it ‘BLISS’ because with a disarmingly moving ballad-esque potent and tastefully sensuous. that’s the state I’m in now,” Tech N9ne told track, “Are You Gone Already,” beautifully ornamented with heavily sampled verses from Billie Eilish’s “when’s the party’s over,” causing the song to permeate with an ethereal dream-like aesthetic.

The entire album is well-produced and of substance.

Amsterdam News earlier this year. “BLISS” is a technically complex album where every element of the record—beats, production, vocal and stylistic choices—are tightly intertwined. Nothing is out of place.

Young Thug - Business is Business Atlanta’s Young Thug was able to release one of the best hip hop albums of the year while experiencing the painful woes of incineration. “Free Thug” reverberated through the hip hop community while the darkly poignant album, “Business is Business,” cinematically projects the realism of the streets—its happiness and trauma, bleakness and sunshine—while Thug executes his lyrical candor. The album features 21 Savage, Lil Uzi Vert, Travis Scott and more.

Best Black books of 2023, Part 2

By JORDANNAH ELIZABETH Special to the AmNews Life can move so quickly that we can overlook the pleasurable and enlightening moments that informed and supported the evolution of our personal perspectives.

Books have the ability to reveal facets of the world, points of view, and artistic utterings that can quickly become pieces of ourselves.

Books can open a portal of understanding, eye-opening revelations, and historical journeys that lend to the very make up of who we are. I am honored to have covered the releases of a number of books this past year, and took care to select some of the standout Black books of the year. I, again, am thankful for every book written by Black authors written in 2023 that broaden our community’s contributions to the local, domestic, and global culture and make Black culture an unstoppable force of creative and intellectual benevolence, powerful intellect, and talent.

My Trade Is Mystery: Seven Meditations from a Life in Writing by Carl Phillips “My Trade Is Mystery” is a lovely collection of what are described as meditations on Phillips’s four decades of living the “writer’s life,” as he gives thoughts on his longevity as a writer, and his wealth of knowledge as a mentor to several emerging poets. The book is calming, healing and full of intelli-

is centered on Black women’s healing.

gent, elegant writing and wisdom.

This book is special because it gives readers a master class on the construction of great writing, as well as the endless depth of wisdom only available from the mind of a seasoned, experienced writer like Phillips.

Black Girl Autopoetics by Ashleigh Wade Greene, Ph.D. Ashleigh Greene Wade, Ph.D., assistant professor of Digital Studies, Media Studies, and African American Studies at University of Virginia, writes a fascinating book examining the intersection of Black girlhood and digital arts. She argues that Black girls who express themselves creatively in the digital sphere are exposed to the trauma of cyberbullying and harassment as they become hyper-visible, yet at the same time, seldom receive credit for their digital intellectual property and are rendered invisible.

In “Autopoetics,” Black girls in STEM are given a voice, their experiences are re-

Trafficking in Antiblackness: ModernDay Slavery, White Indemnity, and Racial Justice by Lyndsey P. Beutin Beutin unfolds the modern reformation of the history of transatlantic slavery by examining ways that the history’s narrative has been written to benefit the privilege of elite racial justice organizations. This examination enlightens readers with specifics vealed dimensionally, and their presence of how history is translated to benefit the in the field of digital science and media are white upper class, which creates a pathway examined seriously through empathy and to dismantling centuries of misinformation advocacy. and revealing the truth of the systemic injustice of trafficking and slavery of Black Why Am I Like This?: How to Break bodies.

Cycles, Heal from Trauma, and Restore Your Faith by Kobe Campbell Living Colour’s Time’s Up (33⅓ book “A lot of what I do is experiential ther- series) by Kimberly Mack apy. I primarily serve Black women, and “Through interviews with members of the therapy includes body and movement Living Colour and others involved in the that help process the emotions that you making of Time’s Up, Kimberly Mack exbecome aware of. Black women are so in- plores the creation and reception of this telligent…I was just giving them the lan- artistically challenging album, while examguage for what they already knew or what ining the legacy of this culturally important they were already feeling.” “Why Am I Like and groundbreaking American rock band,” This?” chronicles the pain and trauma of a writes Bloombury. Black music history writyoung Kobe, who found healing through a ten by Black experts in music criticism like mysterious text message from a friend that Mack brings a richness, enthusiasm, and— led her to seek solace in God and Christi- no pun intended—color to the storytelling anity. This book is not just faith-based; it of icons such as “Living Color.” This book is a testament to the work Campbell cur- was certainly a welcomed and exciting rerently does in her therapy practice, which lease of 2023.

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January 4, 2024 - January 10, 2024 • 19

Dizzy’s, Kojo, 802 Jazz Night, Winter Jazzfest, Unity Jazz Fest

” For the New year 2024, Dizzy’s jazz club y(10 Columbus Circle) on January 5-7, steps ,out with the GBD Trio: guitarist Mark Whit-field, bassist Bob Hurst, and drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts. These three artists of intoxicating relevance are an exhilarating collaborative force that will entice audiences of -all ages. e s “GBD is a cooperative group with each dof us lending our unique interpretive and eimprovisational approaches to the others’ -original compositions whilst adding no premconceived notions of how our creative offer,ings should be received,” said Whitfield.

- Two shows nightly at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. on sFriday and Saturday, and 5 p.m. and 7:30 .p.m. on Sunday.

Once in a while that idiotic question arises “Is jazz dead?” The answer is always a resounding NO, we have too many electrifying young “teenage” lions to demonstrate otherwise. Drummer Kojo Melche Roney (the son of Antoine Roney and nephew of the late Wallace Roney, trumpeter and protégé of Miles Davis), is one of those young -lions, although the child prodigy began lplaying around age 3. At age 9, he sat in for Al Foster at the Village Vanguard. His 2017 nsolo performance (age 13) at the Summer-fest Jazzmobile on YouTube is hotter than a edesert sun at sky-noon. He plays with a fiery fcalm that crosses Tony Williams and Max -Roach. His most recent CD is “Psychedelsic- Kojo Roney Live at the Delmonte Speakeeasy” (2022) with guitarist Quintin Zoto and ybassist Jeremiah Kal’ab. n On January 8, for one night only at the -Blue Note (8 p.m. and 10:30.p.m.), Kojo kMelche Roney honors the 100th birthday of Max Roach. His quartet features saxophonist Antoine Roney, bassist Buster Wilkliams and DJ Logic. These are four artists known for their musical explorations. The fturntablist DJ Logic has toured with Chrisetian McBride, Uri Caine, Vernon Reid and -Bob Belden. He is known for his hip hopsjazz infused excursions. And of course, Wil-liams is the elder of the group, the titan of tglobal magnitude. ” As a maturing musician, Roney has al-ready performed with such masters as ehis father and uncle Wallace, Ron Carter, —Spaceman Patterson, Rene McLean, Brangdee Younger, and Hamiet Bluiett. k “I wanted folks, who were worthy of this -special night,” said Roney. “They all have a unique sound.” This is Roney’s first time

Kojo Melche Roney (Joey Whitley photo)

leading his own band during Blue Note primetime, he has lead a band during the club’s late-night series.

By the age of 8 years old Roney was featured on his first tour in Europe, which started his professional music encounters as a sideman. He has traveled and performed in countries such as France, Italy, Switzerland, Serbia, Poland, Mexico, Ivory Coast. As a student of home-schooling, these tours were classes in geography and world history while actively experiencing the culture of these countries in person.

“We are going to re-imagine the music of Max in our own context,” said the young drummer. “I am anxious to get on stage and make it happen.”

The Blue Note is located at 131 West 3rd Street. For reservations visit the website bluenotejazz.com.

Local 802, the Associated Musicians of Greater New York, American Federation of Musicians, is the largest local union of professional musicians in the world. During their long running jam sessions that were halted by COVID, the likes of T.C. III, Patience Higgins, Jimmy Lovelace, Donald Smith and others lit up the union stage.

Those Local 802 jam sessions are again in full swing, with monthly sessions co-sponsored the Jazz Foundation of America, as well as their own 802 Jazz Night.

On January 8, at 7-10 p.m., 802 Jazz Night will feature a FREE evening of blues with the duo of Gordon - Lockwood (guitarist and vocalist Jeremiah Lockwood and drummer Ricky Gordon). The two have been making music together for over two decades, originally as disciples of Piedmont Blues legend Carolina Slim. Expect old time blues, newtime rhythms, and ballads of life.

Lockwood is the founder of The Sway Machinery, a world-exploring, genre-defying band perhaps best known for its collaborations with the late, great Khaira Arby of Timbuktu. Gordon is a member of the Wynton Marsalis Ensemble and a prolific composer for the screen, including collaborations with Spike Lee. Local 802 is located at 322 West 48th Street. For a complete listing visit the website local802afm.org.

The Winter JazzFest is one of New York City’s most diversified jazz series. On January 10-18 with a variety of sites in Manhattan and Brooklyn with over 100 performing artists, 26 vibrant shows and three invigorating talks including; “The Universality of Jazz” with panelists Esperanza Spalding, South African pianist Nduduzo Makhathini and Shabaka. Also “Live at the East: The Meaningful Music of a Brooklyn Community” with panelists Basir Mchawi, Ahmed Abdullah and Fela Barclift.

“We continue in January 2024, proud as ever to support a host of today’s most fear-

less and creative musicians as we push boundaries and imagine new possibilities for our music scene and our world,” said founder and producer Brice Rosenbloom.

January 10, kicks off with “Take Two: Tyshawn Sorey Reimagines Max Roach’s ‘Members Don’t Get Weary” in Brooklyn at Public Records (233 Butler Street), at 8 p.m.

January 11 features NEA Jazz Master Big Chief Donald Harrison “Music Omniverse” at Town Hall (in partnership with Winter JazzFest) with his ensemble and special guests Dave Holland, DJ Logic, Vernon Reid, Charles Tolliver, Joe Dyson, Arturo O’Farrill, Fred Wesley, and The Headhunters (Bill Summers & Mike Clark). “‘Omniverse’ demonstrates the music has many generations and they all connect,” says Harrison. “I just want to expand the music conversation. I have played with all these great musicians, who represent different aspects of the music that is all related as the audience will witness during our performance.”

On his new project “The Magic Touch, Omniverse Music” multi-genre singles he continues an idea he started in 2006 on the recording “3D.” That recording featured three different CD’s which contained the same songs played in a different genre on each CD. As he explained, “I had a jazz CD, a soul and smooth jazz CD, and a hiphop CD all playing different paradigms of the same songs.” For tickets visit the website winterjazzfest.com or visit thetownhall.

org/event/Donald Harrison.

The ever-popular Winter JazzFest Marathon nights are January 12 in Manhattan (6 p.m.-3 a.m.) and January 13 (4:30 p.m.-3 a.m.) in Brooklyn, multi-artists in eight venues per night.

On January 16 listen to the flow of “My Words Are Music: A Celebration of Sun Ra’s Poetry” featuring Carl Hancock Rux, Moor Mother, Abiodun Oyewole of The Last Poets. On the Lower eastside at Nublu 151 Avenue C. For a complete schedule visit the website winterjazzfest.com.

On January 12-13, Jazz at Lincoln Center will present its inaugural Unity Jazz Festival, a weekend of 15 artists sharing their varied concept of jazz. They perform on multiple stages including; the Appel Room, Dizzy’s Club, and Ertegun Atrium. The festival jumps off at 6 p.m. and extends into the late hours. Some of the musicians will include; Chief Adjuah, Summer Camargo, William Parker: In Order to Survive. “Light Stratas,” the bassist, poet and author brings a cross section of straight ahead, avant garde music in thought provoking swing.

For a complete schedule and tickets visit the website jazz.org/concert/unity-festival.

Happy New Year 2024. Wishing you health, joyous experiences, prosperity and always prosperity!!! As you noticed my byline has changed from Ron E. Scott to my full name which I will now be using.

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By SUPREME GODDESS KYA WWW.KYAFRENCH.COM | CONSULTATIONS 866-331-5088

Rebirth of A New Nation: 2024 (2+0+2+4=8) is numerically an 8 year, which indicates finance, banking, farming, minerals, a time for preparation, rebirth, concentration, organization, separation, power, government, and advancement in your progress be it business or personal. Barry White has a song “Practice what you Preach.” That’s the theme for 2024. It’s time to show and improve to walk the walk, talk the talk, and put in that footwork. 2024 has an eight frequency with lessons and rewards. “When you learn to see the lesson in every situation, things don’t affect you the same way they used to. You begin to grow through everything you go through, you start shifting your energy to create what you want, and you stop worrying about what you cannot control.” -Unknown

Happy Solar Return Cappy. Put your needs first and by the month

When things are smooth sailing, suddenly something major happens that disrupts your plans, giving you the feeling to stay or go. At that point, the past wants to suck you back in and you already know that Dec 22 June 22 dreams, and goals in life? What sparks your passion and drives you feeling. Moving forward is your best option to build a foundation with Jan 21 July 23 to do what you do every day? Follow your passion and see where it boundaries and borders. Everything you need is within you to progress leads you. From January 9 around 8:33 p.m. until January 11 around to certain heights. Are you ready for a change? Ask yourself what, when, 10:45 p.m., allow no one to apply their agenda to you, but follow your own plans. why, who, where and all that will come when you are ready to make a move. From Jan2024 is a period of elevation and growth. uary 5 around 7:39 am until January 7 around 3:40 p.m., life is the unknown and when it’s time for you to know it will present itself to you.

This cycle week feels like back to work with a large load to complete.

Double check your schedule, voicemails, and emails before planning Make a wish, then apply your part as the other half will fulfill its part. to add more to your schedule. Drinking tea first thing in the morning When you put in the footwork you benefit from the process that gives Aquarius will assist your throat chakra; also include a full body stretch exercise. insight into what is forthcoming. You are an astute student of your own Jan 22 Leo Cover your head, ears, and neck when you go outside, especially if you temple, operations, corporation, you name it. That is why folks are Feb 19 July 24 live in a cold climate during the winter season. Working with the cominterested in what you do and will reach out to you. From January 7 Aug 23 munity in some kind of way will be beneficial to you. In the days leading up to Janaround 4:08 p.m. until January 9 around 8 p.m., listen before you speak uary 11 take care of your health. Add some spice in your appearance. as the answer is in the question. People who pick people’s brains only test an individual to see how they respond or how much information they give up. Be mindful of the What a busy schedule ahead this week! Are your feet and skin feeling conversation you entertain. a bit itchy? You may want to soak your feet, schedule a pedicure or foot massage, and change your laundry soap or the fragrance you use. You Life’s mysteries are being revealed in many ways that is right in your Pisces are surrounded by messages and clues within the world, be it through face only if you read. Just like when you read the stop signs, go when it Feb 20 conversations, meetings, signs or songs, including your dreams as they is a green light and stop when it’s a red light. I guess “The Facts of Life” Mar 20 Virgo hold key information. From January 5 around 7:39 a.m. until January 7 sitcom had some real facts about life. Life always reveals itself if huAug 24 around 3:40 p.m., the more you know, the wiser you are. Not everyone will see what manity pays attention to nature and the four seasons, humanity will be Sept 23 you see and hear what you hear. in tune with oneself. From January 9 around 8:33 p.m. until January 11 around 10:45 p.m., it is a month of advancement to be a teacher of your field, or have An ending is occurring in your life that sparks motivation within people paying for your services. Changes are occurring within your immediate enviinstead of feeling unhappy. Channel that energy into a project or ronment and by month end, you will know what path to journey. work that needs to be completed or relax for a moment. Women Aries will be a resource to you in areas of advice and counsel to get things The theme is “mind on my money, money on my mind” for the work Mar 21 off your chest. Hug yourself before you allow someone to hug you. you have completed. Finances can come through from an overdue payApr 21 Your emotions are running deep and what may feel like a storm is ment or back payment and money that has been postponed now on its Libra taking place. It’s there to wash away any debris to clear your path. From January way. Your signature is required for the final transaction. Double check Sept 24 7 around 4:08 p.m. until January 9 around 8 p.m., lighten up a bit. What you need your paperwork before submission. Days leading up to January 11 take Oct 23 to know will be revealed. inventory in the home, and in business also check on any prior investments. Folks from your past will resurface or things from your past may pop up. The Jupiter stationed direct on December 31, 2023 which began on keyword is concentration.

September 4, 2023. The aftermath is a review of what took place during that time. Things that were moving were also lagging, but When you find yourself in a revolving cycle, be still. It’s a signal to let Taurus now here comes the phone call, email, invoices paid, meetups, or go and whatever it is will pass. A woman has an intuition and so does a Apr 22 invites for the service you render. Trim any fat and cancel subscripman. When your intuition kicks in you know the difference when you May 21 Scorpio tions that you no longer use or need. From January 9 around 8:33 need to follow through or wait. It’s an up in the air week to have paOct 24 p.m. until January 11 around 10:45 p.m., it’s an elevation cycle to position yourtience before committing or reacting. From January 5 around 7:39 am Nov 22 self in certain places like folks graduating from high school heading to college. until January 7 around 3:40 p.m., if there is something you have been Jupiter is preparing you for advancement opportunities while Uranus has you in thinking or dreaming of doing, go for it, as long as it makes you happy. Get out of your the spotlight until 2026. feelings and your own way.

 end you will yield results. Begin a new adventure or hobby, be it perCapricorn sonal or business. Take a risk to invest in you. What are your plans,

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Time, space, and distance will tell you more about a person and Mars and Mercury are traveling in your sign a few degrees apart how they feel or what role they play in your life. The projects you from each other. Mars is lighting you up with all the willpower and are working on go into the depths of the origins of what you are strength before transiting into Capricorn. Mercury has traveled Sagitarius back into your sign from December 23, 2023 to January 1, 2024 as Gemini doing and why you do what you do.

The question “why” will pop up Nov 23 May 22 often and the answers to your why is soon forthcoming. Sit back as far as 22 degrees. Mercury traveled back to give you heads up on Dec 21 June 21 the story plays out before the revelation appears. In the meantime, the 411 to put you on notice until January 14, 2024. From January do your research, study, set time out for you and attend to any legal obligations 7 around 4:08 p.m. until January 9 around 8 p.m., what you do with the informathat include contracts. In the days leading up to January 11, decide what’s best tion given is up to you. It’s best to make progress and improvement within your for you and follow your passion within. personal and business affairs.

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The year in review in Black theater, Part 2

By LINDA ARMSTRONG Special to the AmNews

James T. Lane in scene from his one-man show “Triple Threat” (Jeremy Daniels photo)

July was a time for discovery, realization, and appreciation as audiences got to see “Triple Threat,” the autobiographical one-man show written and performed by James T. Lane. Lane candidly put his entire life up on the stage, from growing up without a father to becoming a star on stage and abusing drugs. He took the audience on a journey of the highs and lows of his life. He shared the racism he faced in this industry as a gay Black man with amazing classical acting talents. The play was riveting and powerfully directed and choreographed by Kenny Ingram, and played at Theatre Row on W. 42nd Street. Lane is definitely someone to keep an eye out for in the future!

What a complete joy it was to sit in the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park and watch the final production before its renovations begin. The Public Theatre presented “Hamlet,” and it was marvelous! It has the always-creative, unique direction of Kenny Leon, who takes classical plays and brings them into modern times, with mainly Black casts. This work had Leon’s creativity reaching new heights. The cast delivered the words with great intensity and impact. Actors included Ato Blankson-Wood, John Douglas Thompson, Lorraine Toussaint, Solea Pfeiffer, and Warner Miller.

“Rock and Roll Man” played at New World Stages on W. 50th Street and told the musical story of Alan Freed, a White DJ in the 1960s who was the first man brave enough to play Black artists’ songs on a White-owned station in Cleveland, Ohio. This musical gave audiences a rocking trip down memory lane as groups of that era were recreated and songs from the time were made vibrant again. Numbers included “Sixty Minute Man,” “Rocket 88,” “Money Honey,” “Jim Dandy,” “Lucille,” “Sincerely,” “Maybelline,” “Good Golly Miss Molly,” “Tutti Frutti,” “Tweedle Dee,” “Roll Over, Beethoven,” “Yakety Yak,” and “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes.”

The Black cast making this possible was phenomenal and included Rodrick Covington, Valisia LeKae, Matthew S. Morgan, Jamonte, Lawrence Dandridge, AJ Davis, and Eric B. Turner.

Scene from “Hamlet” with Lorraine Toussaint and John Douglas Thompson (Joan Marcus photo)

“Primary Trust” was a fascinating play, marking the debut of a new Black female playwright, Eboni Booth. It played at the Roundabout Laura Pels Theatre at the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre at W. 46th Street. Booth used humor, tragedy, trauma, mental illness, and finding a way to take another path in life to beautifully deliver a message of hope.

The play’s main character, Kenneth, suffered greatly and lost his mother at the age of 10, the same age that he created his imaginary best friend, Bert.

Kenneth had a hard time socializing and lived a very lonely existence. Booth delicately and caringly allowed Kenneth to tell his story and helped the audience to see the dilemma that people with mental illness go through and some of the things that can cause conditions to manifest themselves.

William Jackson Harper delivered a phenomenal performance as Kenneth. He took us on an emotional rollercoaster that made us have to strap in tight and hold onto the belt so we wouldn’t be thrown from the ride. He brought every ounce of passion, vulnerability, sadness, grief, and anger to the role.

Eric Berryman played Bert, Kenneth’s imaginary friend, and was marvelous.

April Matthis played multiple roles with great ease. She is such a gifted actress in anything that she takes on. In this production, she delivered several characters with humor, kindness, and sympathy.

The cast was joined on stage by theater veteran Jay O. Sanders, who was superb as always and delivered his A-game.

August gave us “Unentitled,” a new play by Charles Wright presented by the Negro Ensemble Company and played at 59E59 Theaters. The play was quite entertaining, but in between the multiple laughs, there were a lot of lessons about Black ownership, legacy, and our connection to our past that we should and must pass on to our children.

In this production, the Saunders family has a summer home in Sag Harbor that belongs to Deanna and her brother Ben, but what happens when Deanna’s husband Frank loses his law firm job and needs money to start a new business?

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Black theater Continued from page 21

That’s where the excitement comes in. There are also elements of surprise about this home that Deanna’s father left to his children.

The ensemble cast was splendid and included Kenya Wilson, Leah Finnie, Gil Tucker, Reggie Wilson, and Adrian Washington. The play had amusing direction by Florante Galvez.

It was ladies’ bonding time at Lincoln Center’s Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater on W. 65th Street as the play “FLEX” was presented. This play featured a woman writer and director, and an all-female cast! Yes, that’s right—and they were playing basketball and doing very well, I might add!

This incredible piece of theater showed the varied and complicated facets of young Black female friendships, competition, and betrayal, as well as the spiritual bonding that can occur among Black high school basketball players. The moving story was beautifully written by Candrice Jones and focused on five members of the Lady Train basketball team who were getting ready to compete in the state competition and hoping to be seen and appreciated by college basketball scouts.

This cast is funny, skilled, and touching, and they inspire you to aspire to know your dreams and fulfill them, but also realize the value of the friends around you. The actresses were a marvelous cohesive ensemble and delivered slam-dunk performances and had the audience on their feet cheering. This incredible all-female cast included Erica Matthews, Ciara Monique, Renita Lewis, Brittany Bellizeare, Tamera Tomakili, Christiana Clark, and Eboni Edwards. The direction of Lileana Blain-Cruz was absolutely brilliant.

A play that centered on Greek mythology and came across as a master class on storytelling was “The Half-God of Rainfall,” beautifully presented by New York Theatre Workshop at 79 E. 4th Street. The creative, captivating production was the work of Nigerian poet and playwright Inau Ellams. The production was co-produced with American Repertory Theatre. This production had to do with mythology—powerful gods like Zeus, Hera, Shango, Osun, Elegba, a mortal but highly favored female named Modupe, and her half-god son Demi—and the game of basketball. The stage design connected you to nature, because it was covered with dirt and the actors were barefoot.

You got the sense from the beginning that this production was going to be somewhat of a spiritual, healing journey—and it truly was. There are times when one is in the theater that a production connects with you on a deeper level than you were expecting, and that was what happened with this production. Every one of the seven actors delivered thunderbolts of mesmerizing performances. They told the story with their words,

Scene from “Primary Trust” (l-r) Jay O. Sanders, William Jackson Harper, and Eric Berryman (Joan Marcus photo)

their bodies, and their hearts.

The cast featured several African Americans, including Patrice Johnson Chevannes, Jason Bowen, Jennifer Mogbock, Lizan Mitchell, and Mister Fitzgerald. The production had stunning direction by Taibi Magar.

community—to address the serious and worsening issue of gentrification. It delved deeply into the history of Black Harlem, how that history is kept by the older generation, but how the present generation will not be able to have similar, incredible memories: memories of community as a Black “Mecca Is Burning,” a presentation by family, of the elders, and of cultural conthe Negro Ensemble Company that played nection. This raw work called out all the caat the Harlem School of the Arts, sound- tastrophes that have overwhelmed Harlem, ed a clarion call throughout the Harlem with white people deciding that this is now

their home and working to make Black folks feel unwelcome in their own community.

With a deliberately vivid, candid, raw, and truth-filled script created collaboratively by Cris Eli Blak, Lisa McCree, Levy Lee Simon, and Mona R. Washington, under the leadership of director Karen Brown, this play hit home in so many ways. The audience learned the story through four scenarios and the actors were captivating to watch at every instance. This cast included Benjamin Rowe, Joy Renee, Reginald L. Barnes, Tatianna Perry, Kenya Wilson (who you may recall was also in “Unentitled”), Alton Ray, Ashlee Danielle, and Sharell Williams.

September ushered in Ishmael Reed’s play about white racists in this country targeting various minority groups other than Blacks—for this piece, people from India.

The play was “The Conductor: A Living Newspaper” and it played at the Theater for the New City on 1st Avenue. In this play, people from India are targeted to the point of trying to return to India to be safe. They had their businesses closed, families threatened, and things become so dangerous that they had to get passage to India through an underground railroad.

The cast delivered stirring performances and included Brian Anthony Simmons, Monisha Shiva, Sri Chilukuri, Kenya Wilson, Laura Robards, and Emil Guillermo. Carla Blank provided interesting direction.

Cast of FLEX at Lincoln Center’s Newhouse Theater (Marc J. Franklin photo)

The brilliant, powerful, and hilarious play “Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through The Cotton Patch,” written by the late, great Ossie Davis returned to Broadway more than 60 years later, and it is as relevant today as it originally was.

This play tells the story of Purlie Victorious, a Black minister trying to fight to get a church and respect for his people who live on the plantation of Ol’ Cap’n Cotchipee.

Laugh-out-loud funny, joyous, and inspiring all words describe this work. Let the church say “Amen.”

This production, which is still playing at

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the Music Box Theater on W. 45th Street, is a must-see and will run through February 2024. This play is done with great respect, joy, and love for Davis’s message and it amusingly points out the ridiculousness of racism, which Davis combats with humor.

I love the fact that this is also a producing debut for the play’s star, Leslie Odom, Jr. The play has a remarkable Black cast— Odom is joined on stage by phenomenal thespians, including Kara Young, Billy Eugene Jones, Heather Alicia Simms, and Vanessa Bell Calloway. Jay O. Sanders and Noah Robbins are also featured in this marvelous cast. The direction by Kenny Leon is nothing less than perfection.

October was when a first happened on Broadway as “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding” played at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. This play, written by African American playwright Jocelyn Bioh, told the stories of women who worked at Jaja’s African Hair Braiding in Harlem. This storyline shined a spotlight on a group that has never had a voice on Broadway. It let the audience get to know these hardworking women and the struggles that they endure in trying to make a living and take care of their families in this country. You saw friendships, rivalries, and women maneuvering through their relationships with the men in their lives.

The play had stunning direction by Whitney White.

This play delivered a lot of laughs and a lot of zaniness, and felt a lot like watching a Nollywood film on YouTube, complete with great humor and African music.

This ensemble cast hit the ground running for the 90 minutes that you shared in their world. From the workers to the customers, you had a thoroughly good time.

The cast featured Zenzi Williams, Nana Mensah, Dominique Thorne, Brittany Adebumola, Maechi Aharanwa, Rachel Christopher, Somi Kakoma, Kalyne Coleman, Lakisha May, and Michael Oloyede.

“The Refuge Plays” were presented by the Roundabout Theater company at the Laura Pels Theatre Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre on W. 46th Street. This play, written by Nathan Alan Davis, looked at the connection shared by family members over generations; a haunting connection that allowed our passed-on relatives to visit us, warn us, guide, and advise us about positive, helpful things we can do to improve our lives. It told the story in reverse order, which was unusual.

Deep down, we all want to believe that our loved ones who have gone on are able to be around us and help us with this journey called life. In Davis’s work, the family of Grandma Early shares a special connection.

The ensemble cast was terrific. It included Nicole Ari Parker, Jessica Frances Dukes, Ngozi Anyanwu, JJ Wynder, Daniel J. Watts, Jon Michael Hill, Lance Coadie Williams, Mallori Taylor Johnson, Lizan Mitchell, and

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Ashlee Danielle and Sharell Williams in scene from NEC’s “Mecca Is Burning” (Jonathan Slaff photo)

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these women faced. This was a production to educate you and ignite your interests in our history.

The four actresses bought their characters home beautifully and included Elizabeth Van Dyke, Richarda Abrams, Petronia Paley and June Ballinger. King gave flawless direction.

Black Spectrum Theatre, the brainchild of Carl Clay, did what it does best at 177th Street and Baisley Boulevard: It presented an original work, this one written and directed by Clay, about a topic that is very important to our community: gentrification, based in a Queen’s neighborhood.

Entitled “The Last Block Association,” the production focused on a block association composed of mainly Black homeowners and people from other cultures as well. Pauline, president of the block association, had to deal with the neighbors arguing, fighting, and threatening each other as she tried to keep the block together and make improvements. Suddenly they are faced with a Jewish family trying to move in and change the look of the block—something that gave the people a lot to be concerned about.

This play showed the importance of the people on the block standing together to protect what has been in their families for Jerome Preston Bates. Patricia McGregor Wesley Brown, shined a light on four women generations. It also addressed the need to delivered distinctive direction. in history: Zora Neale Hurston, Jessie Fauset, squash misunderstanding and disagreeNella Larsen, and Nancy Cunard. ments that make neighbors have a weak Woodie King, Jr.’s New Federal Theatre preWhile Cunard was white, all four women link that can allow people to come in and sented “Telling Tales out of School” at the fought for the rights of Black people. The break up the neighborhood they have esCastillo Theatre on W. 42nd Street and it was writers let the audience get to see the vul- tablished. quite memorable. The production, written by nerable sides and hardships that each of The ensemble cast was amazing and included Ashlee Danielle, Jade Mason, Aaron Watkins, Fulton C. Hodges, Swavian Loney, Amer Zafer, Darnell Shelton, Joy Renee, Matthew Sirju, and Kevin Shivcharran. This play is scheduled to come back in 2024, so look out for it.

Scene from “The Conductor: A Living Newspaper” (l-r) Brian Anthony Simmons, Kenya Wilson, and Monisha Shiva (Tennessee Reed photo)

You can’t have a review of the year in Black theater without talking about and celebrating the inaugural gala at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in Manhattan by Black Theatre United (BTU), an organization started by Black Theater professionals to secure equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging on Broadway for Black people. Birthed during the COVID lockdown and impelled by the murder of George Floyd, BTU seeks to ensure that Black people have opportunities in all phases of the industry, from onstage to behind-the-scenes work.

The organization came up with “The New Deal,” an agreement with theater owners, producers, and unions, setting down rules for making sure that Black theater workers have access to a range of opportunities, including company management, public relations, and jobs connected to Broadway shows.

BTU offers Black students internships and mentors so they get a taste of the industry while they are in school, and many BTU student participants have See BLACK THEATER on page 24

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Cast of “Purlie Victorious…” at Music Box Theatre (Marc J. Franklin photo)

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gone on to get jobs in the industry in their chosen fields.

The founding members of BTU include Lisa Dawn Cave, Carin Ford, Vanessa Williams, Audra McDonald, LaChanze, Billy Porter, Capathia Jenkins, Kenny Leon, Michael McElroy, Wendell Pierce, Anna Deavere Smith, Allyson Tucker, Tamara Tunie, Schele Williams, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Darius de Haas, NaTasha Yvette Williams, Lillias White, and Norm Lewis.

In December, Broadway began taking inclusion to another level with “How to Dance in Ohio” at the Belasco Theatre at W. 44th Street. This musical production, based on the documentary film of the same name by Alexandra Shiva, is a true story that introduces audiences to seven autistic young people navigating their way through life, school, and love.

It has a book and lyrics by Rebekah Greer Melocik, music by Jacob Yandura, and choreography by Mayte Natalio. Of its seven actors, all making their Broadway debuts, are two African Americans: Desmond Luis Edwards, who plays Remi, and Imani Russell, who plays Mel. It is absolutely captivating to watch this musical and these very talented young people telling the stories of what life is like as an autistic person.

On October 30, the Ziegfeld Ballroom at 141 W. 54th Street was an amazing place to be as the gala themed “A Salute to Broadway Legends: Past, Present and Future” was held. Performers included Vanessa Williams, Norm Lewis, Andra McDonald, LaChanze, and Billy Porter. The evening honored Kandi Burruss, Common, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Samuel L. Jackson, Robyn Coles, Dr. N. Anthony Coles, and Dr. Indira Etwaroo. Presenters for the event included Andrea Burns, Nicholas Christopher, Lorna Courtney, Wilson Cruz, Seth Rudetsky, and Josh Groban. The honorary co-chairs for this gala included Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Cookie Johnson, Al Roker, Deborah Roberts, Blair Underwood, Congresswoman Ayanna Presley, Tommi A. Vincent and Troy Vincent, Sr. November is always when the AUDELCO VIV Awards honor Black theater excellence and the 51st Annual Awards were quite glorious. Held at the Alhambra Ballroom in Harlem, the evening was hosted

by Tobias Truvillion and Aixa Kendrick, and it was amazing! The 2023 honorees were a who’s who of the theater. Legacy Awards deservedly were bestowed on Allie Wood, Jr. and Sonia Sanchez. Lifetime Achievement Awards went to Ted Lange, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Petronia Paley, and Roscoe Orman.

Pioneer Awards went to Dr. Aduke Aremu, Elain Graham, and Terria Joseph.

Outstanding Achievement Awards were presented to Yolanda Brooks and John Ruiz Miranda, John Douglas Thompson, and Karen Thorton. Board of Director Awards were given to Senator Cordell Cleare, Brian A. Moreland, and Johnnie Mae. Special achievement awards were presented to Roslyn Ruff, Javon Johnson, Dietrice A. Bolden, and Luther D. Isler.

As always, the gala was a gathering filled with love, admiration, appreciation, and a feeling of ancestral connection—we all appreciate standing on the shoulders of those who have come before. So many marvelous productions were honored with VIV awards the evening of November 20th and the detailed article can be found on AmNews’ website!

“Monty Python’s Spamalot” has achieved the holy grail of Broadway theater

by delivering the biggest, longest, and best laughs you will ever experience in a Broadway house. Playing at the St. James Theatre on W. 44th Street, it is without question the best, funniest musical theater experience you could ever imagine.

Based on the film “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” it is hilariously enhanced by the book and lyrics of Eric Idle and the music of John Du Prez and Idle. It stars African American James Monroe Iglehart and features Nik Walker with a cast that is unbelievably zany. This is a musical you must plan to experience!

Scene from “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding” (l-r): Nana Mensah, Lakisha May, Maechi Aharanwa, and Kalyne Coleman (Matthew Murphy photo)

Maleah Joi Moon (foreground) and company of world premiere production of “Hell’s Kitchen” (Joan Marcus photo)

“Hell’s Kitchen,” currently playing at the Public Theater, with plans to move to Broadway in 2024, is a musical that features Alicia Keyes songs and is loosely based on her life story growing up in Hell’s Kitchen in the artists’ building on W. 44th Street between 9th and 10th Avenues.

It is inspiring to watch this musical about this well-known and loved singer, and to experience the creative environment that she was fortunate enough to grow up in.

“Hell’s Kitchen” has a book by Kristoffer Diaz, hip hop choreography by Camille A. Brown, and direction by Michael Greif. It has an enormous, ethnically diverse cast, led by Maleah Joi Moon, who plays Ali and narrates the story for the audience. The singing and music are phenomenal. You can still try to get tickets before it goes to Broadway in the spring.

When you consider going to the theater, please always try to support our people in their theatrical endeavors. They are fantastic and dedicated, and it uplifts them as much as it does you when they can see their community in the audience. Black people are on Broadway, off-Broadway, in Black Theater companies, and displaying our craft with a pride that is beautiful to witness. Make 2024 the year that you go out and support Black theater. “The Wiz,” “Home,” “Hell’s Kitchen”— Broadway will have Black shows to offer. Plan to be in the room where they happen!

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Flateau Continued from page 8

talk to me. He taught everybody. John provided masterclasses to people. That’s how many of the people out there doing this work in politics learned under him.”

Robinson said that at the time, few people in the voting majority, especially people of color, understood the nuances of political governance and structure the way Flateau did, which was why he was drawn to positions on the elections board and districting commissions. He had a gift for analyzing where candidates from Black and brown neighborhoods would excel, how to fill in the “gaps” of Black political representation in the city and state, and running campaigns, she said. She often sought him out for advice about how to manage her assembly district when she was in office.

“Al Vann, John Flateau, and the team that Al had around him helped to incorporate that whole movement. John was pivotal. When John came to speak, we knew that he had knowledge we did not have. He had the tone and information for us all,” said Robinson.

“He was a consummate tactician who really believed,” said attorney Gregorio Mayors, an associate law professor at Medgar Evers and a close friend of Flateau’s. They met when Flateau was working on Dinkins’s campaign and he was a student leader at Medgar Evers in his 20s.

Mayors said this was right after the height of the Civil Rights Movement, when young Black advocates were challenging how the political system was run.

Flateau was a behind-the-scenes person who never had an aspiration to be an elected official himself. He preferred data and research to the limelight, he said, and getting other candidates into office.

Mayors said that having voices like Flateau’s is critical to maintaining the bedrock of voting rights and fighting against gerrymandering.

“If you look at the generation now, today, someone has to continue that legacy, someone has to have the tools, the history, the tactical organizational skills to do that,” said Mayors.

“In my first encounter with Dr. John Flateau, it was a job interview that unfolded into a year of close collaboration,” Jabaran Akram told the AmNews. Akram was assistant chief of staff for the city’s districting commission and worked closely with Flateau while surveying the city’s various districts and redrawing City Council lines.

“His commitment to inclusivity stood out, granting access and valuing the opinions of everyone under his guidance,” Akram said. “Amidst the redistricting process, he championed not only for Black communities but for all minority communities.”

Akram described Flateau as adept at navigating political controversies while steadfastly advancing his work, and that

his resilience in serving on multiple redistricting commissions over the course of decades was unparalleled.

“The drives into Bed Stuy with John were more than journeys; they were history lessons. John would say. ‘This where we opened our VIDA office, where we organized long before your time.’ John, an authentic New Yorker, shared tales that painted the rich tapestry of the city,” said Akram. “Even in his 70s, John exuded a youthful spirit. Even after parting ways, John consistently checked in, sharing news and events he thought we’d find relevant. His legacy as a tireless advocate, mentor, and a true New York original will forever resonate. RIP, John, and to his family, thank you for sharing him with us.”

In October 2023, Flateau was honored by VIDA with the organization’s first legacy award. VIDA President Henry Butler told the AmNews that he was proud of Flateau’s work in political action and was “shocked” when he heard the news of Flateau’s passing. “[We’re] grateful that we got a chance to give him his flowers while he was here and let him know how much the organization appreciates the work that he did for VIDA, and the city, with redistricting and serving as commissioner for [the] Board of Elections and being an educator. He was a giant in politics for the city and state,” Butler said.

An array of prominent Black political figures is mourning Flateau’s death as well.

In a statement, Congressmember and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called Flateau a brilliant strategist, electoral tactician, scholar, and community leader. “Dr. Flateau helped to usher in an era of Black political empowerment in central Brooklyn in the 1980s and 1990s that positively transformed the community and lives on to this day,” he said.

Brooklyn Democratic County boss and Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn also had a few words to add about Flateau’s passing in a social media post.

“We are dismayed by the loss of Dr. John Flateau—an ardent community advocate whose profound public service uplifted Brooklyn,” said Bichotte Hermelyn. “Dr. Flateau significantly impacted civil rights.

He will be greatly missed and his legacy will be felt for generations. We’re praying for his loved ones.”

Funeral services for Flateau will be held at Bridge Street AWME Church (277 Stuyvesant Avenue, Brooklyn) on January 10.Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. before the funeral service at 10 a.m.

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January 4, 2024 - January 10, 2024 • 25

NEW YORK'S PROPERTY TAX SYSTEM IS

BROKEN NYC's property tax system is fundamentally flawed, creating higher effective tax rates for lowincome & minority residents.

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Ariama C. Long is a Report for America corps member and writes about politics for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1.

For over two decades, political leaders have failed to take action.

Learn more about the problem and what we’re doing to address it.

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26 • January 4, 2024 - January 10, 2024

Continued from page 15

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

BP Gibson launched Domestic Violence Awareness Month at Borough Hall on Monday, October 2. (Photo contributed by Gibson’s office)

September cont.

The Writers’ Guild strike ends. Nelson Mandela’s granddaughter Zoleka Mandela, 43, dies from cancer. New Jersey U.S. Senator Bob Menendez pleads not guilty to federal bribery charges. NYC gets a long-awaited shower as historic levels of rain pour down on the city and shut down the subway system.

The Madison Square Garden Company unveils “Sphere” venue in Las Vegas. And speaking of Sin City, an arrest was finally made for the 1996 unsolved murder of rap legend Tupac Shakur, with Duane “Keffe D” Davis charged with the crime.

October Federal government averts shutdown thanks to last-minute funding. “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding” opens on Broadway. A mass shooting on HBCU Morgan State University’s campus injures multiple people. House Republicans oust Kevin McCarthy as speaker.

Frank James is sentenced to life in prison for 2022 NYC subway mass shooting that injured 10 people. Progressive titan Cornel West launches independent presidential campaign. Simone Biles dominates in her gymnastics comeback.

Hamas launches October 7 attacks on Israel, leading to more than 1,000 deaths, capturing hundreds of hostages, and sparking deadly ongoing war. 2,400 people killed in Afghanistan earthquake. Mayor Eric Adams returns from Latin America trip addressing migrant situation. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., son of the senator, also kicks off independent presidential bid.

Powerball prize balloons to $1.73 billion, enough to afford rent a decent apartment in New York City. Hughes Van Ellis, one of the last three known 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre survivors, dies at age 102. Jada Pinkett Smith reveals she and Will Smith have been separated since 2016.

New York City paints the town purple in observation of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. One of two Aurora officers charged in Elijah McClain’s death is convicted of criminally negligent homicide. Rudolph Isley of the Isley Brothers dies at 84. Gov. Kathy Hochul backs NYC’s challenge to scale back right-toshelter consent decree.

A Texas high school forced a Black student to enroll in a “disciplinary alternative education program” after suspending him in August over his locs. Israel orders Gazans to evacuate as ground invasion begins. Banana empire scion Daniel Noboa, 35, elected Ecuadorian president. Reentry program Fortune Society receives $3 million from Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg.

Dispute over which side fired a rocket at AlAhli Arab Hospital that killed more than 500 Palestinians underscores mounting civilian death count in Gaza. Mayor Eric Adams limits

Frank James is sentenced to life in prison for 2022 NYC subway mass shooting, Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

migrant families to 60 days in shelter. Rep. Jim Jordan fails to secure House Speaker vote. New brief alleges the lawyer for Fugees’ Pras used AI for closing arguments in a case where the rap legend was convicted for an illegal foreign influence scheme in April.

Legal cannabis dispensary Gotham Buds opens in Harlem after delays; local snack shops rejoice. Ex-WNBA player Tasha Butts, 41, dies from breast cancer before her first game as Georgetown women’s basketball head coach. “Shaft” actor Richard Roundtree, 81, dies from pancreatic cancer. Donald Trump’s lawyer Jenna Ellis pleads guilty to felony—the fourth defendant in the Georgia election subversion case to be convicted.

Mass shooter kills 18 and injures 13 in Lewiston, Maine, spurring an at-large manhunt before he’s found dead of a presumably self-inflicted gunshot wound. Rep. Jamaal Bowman ordered to pay $1,000 fine and serve three months’ probation after pleading guilty for pulling fire alarm that caused evacuation of federal building. Speaking of the House, Rep. Mike Johnson is finally elected speaker. Middle-schooler Kavion Brown-Godfrey’s body is found by the Wall Street Heliport after the teen disappeared into the East River a week before.

Magic Johnson officially becomes a billionaire, reports Forbes. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refuses a ceasefire with Hamas. “Friends” actor Matthew Perry dies at age 54. King Charles’s Kenya visit is met with demands for apology for British colonization

Yusef Salaam is sworn in as a member of the New York City Council. (John McCarten/NYC Council Media Unit photo)

and mass suffering. Black is Beautiful pioneer Helene “Nomsa” Brath dies at age 81. President Joe Biden signs first order addressing artificial intelligence. Countless New Yorkers dressed as Barbie and Ken celebrate Halloween 2023.

November Texas Rangers win first World Series title in team history. Rideshare titans Uber and Lyft ordered to pay a combined $328 million settlement over wage theft lawsuit led by Attorney General Letitia James. Crypto “poster boy” Sam Bankman-Fried convicted of felony fraud and conspiracy. FBI raids home of Brianna Suggs, a fundraising associate of Mayor Eric Adams.

Memphis police officer pleads guilty to federal excessive force and obstruction of justice charges in the killing of Tyre Nichols. Former NBA All-Star Walter Davis dies at age 69. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducts the likes of rapper Missy Elliot, “Queen of Funk” Chaka Khan, hip-hop pioneer DJ Kool Herc, Motown group the Spinners, and television personality Don Cornelius (“Soul Train”). New Yorkers enjoyed an extra hour of sleep as clocks were dialed an hour back for daylight saving time.

Tuskegee Airman James Harvey III honorarily promoted to colonel during halftime of Air Force vs. Army football game. Ethiopian long-distance running champ Tamirat Tola finishes first in New York City marathon.

New Edition announces 2024 Las Vegas residency as Gen Xers throughout Ameri-

ca suddenly recall their senior prom dance.

Woman rams car into Black Hebrew Israelite school after mistaking the building for an Israeli school in alleged antisemitic attack.

Exonerated 5’s Yusuf Salaam officially wins Harlem’s District 9 council seat after unopposed general election and Democratic primary landslide earlier in the year. Other notable City Council election results include Republican challenger Kristy Marmorato upsetting incumbent Marjorie Velazquez for her Bronx seat and Justin Brannon defeating Ari Kagan in a redistricting-spurred race between two sitting south Brooklyn council members.

In Kentucky, Republican AG Daniel Cameron loses gubernatorial election to Democratic incumbent Gov. Andy Beshear.

SAG-AFTRA tentatively agrees to end strike.

Music mogul L.A. Reid accused of sexual assault. Omegle, which pairs random strangers on video chats (what could go wrong?), shuts down after child safety lawsuit. 500 former Biden staffers pen letter demanding president to call a ceasefire in Gaza.

FBI seizes Mayor Eric Adams’s phone and iPad in investigation into campaign. Binghamton-area spruce selected as this year’s Rockefeller Christmas tree. Sen. Tim Scott ends presidential campaign despite recent girlfriend reveal. Gabe Amo sworn as first Black representative to represent Rhode Island in Congress. South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns F.C. win the first e-ver African Football League.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Tamirat Tola, of Ethiopia, runs though Central Park during the New York City Marathon in New York, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

National Action Network’s (NAN) annual Christmas Day dinner and toy giveaway. (Benny Polatseck/Mayoral Photography Office)

Councilmember Lincoln Restler lights candles at library vigil.

(Ariama C. Long photo)

101 United Nations workers confirmed killed in Israel-Hamas conflict as Gaza’s two biggest hospitals shutter, leading to World Health Organization’s concern for prematurely born Palestinian infants. Gov. Kathy Hochul ends backlog for minority- and women-owned business enterprises. Six people are killed in Ohio car crash when a trailer and bus collide. 125th Street lights up in holiday lights as Harlem holiday tradition hits third decade.

Thousands of pro-Israel demonstrators march on Washington, D.C.’s National Mall to protest anti-semitism and demand the release of hostages taken by Hamas. Lithium ion battery fire kills three New Yorkers. City of New York ordered to pay $17.5 million to wrongfully convicted George Bell. Liberian President George Weah concedes to former Vice President Joseph Boakai in run-off election. Spotify Wrapped arrives and becomes inescapable on social media Mexican songwriter Natalia Lafourcade wins Record of the Year at Latin Grammy Awards for the critically acclaimed “De Todas las Flores.” Apple suspends advertising for X, formerly known as Twitter, due to Elon Musk’s antisemitic and white supremacist remarks.

Miss Nicaragua Sheynnis Palacios wins Miss Universe competition. Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter dies at age 96.

A four-day military pause in the IsraelHamas conflict is instituted after hostage swap and international intervention. U.S.Canadian borders are temporarily closed after car explodes at the Rainbow Bridge near Ni-

Celebrating Kwanzaa. (AP Photo/John Amis)

agara Falls. Pro-Palestinian protesters disrupt Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. Mayor Eric Adams, along with Jamie Foxx, Axl Rose, and Sean “P Diddy” Combs, accused of sexual assault in New York State-based civil lawsuits as Adult Survivors Act expires.

Nationwide curfew implemented in Sierra Leone. Tensions rise as Venezuela’s encroachment of Guyana heightens. Washington Heights native and former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger dies at age 100.

December And finally, December 2023.

The House voted to expel Rep. George Santos.

The flu rose as RSV infections peaked. Kennedy Center honored the likes of Queen Latifah and Dionne Warwick. Landslides killed more than 60 people in Tanzania. And the seven-day combat pause in Gaza ende.

A Queens knife attack left four people dead and two officers wounded before police fatally shot the suspect. E-bike battery fire killed one, injured several in Bronx building fire. Explosion leveled home in Arlington, Va., while officers attempted to serve a search warrant. And a study found students around the world suffered huge learning setbacks during the pandemic.

Families of the anti-Black Jacksonville Dollar General shooting victims sued the store’s landlord. Alicia Keys’ semi-biographical musical “Hell’s Kitchen” was slated for Broadway next spring. “Renaissance: A Film

by Beyoncé” opened to $21 million. African nations collaborated with Caribbean allies to pressure European countries to return stolen artifacts. NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene released HIV/AIDS stats as the city observed World AIDS Day. NYCHA’s Brooklyn Nostrand Houses held a resident vote for a preservation trust. “The Jeffersons” creator Norman Lear died at age 101. The National Action Network held a toy giveaway. Maintenance workers negotiated for a new contract.

City Council members called a new shelter eviction policy for migrants “cruelty.” Vice President Kamala Harris attended the COP28 UN Climate Summit in Dubai; President Joe Biden did not. BK Navy Yard held its sixth annual holiday market. P Diddy (real name, Sean Combs) was accused of raping a 17-year-old girl in 2003.

LSU’s Jayden Daniels became the 10th Black quarterback to win the Heisman Trophy.

Ed Poindexter, Black Panther who maintained his innocence for the 1970 bombing death of a white Omaha police officer, died at age 79. FDA approved gene therapies for sickle cell anemia. Holiday crowds reached “record highs.” Fantasia and Jeffrey Wright were nominated for Golden Globes.

An exonerated Black New Yorker sued the city over wrongful conviction. Community thanked outgoing Harlem City Councilmember Kristin Richardson Jordan. Israeli farms employed Malawian youth amidst ongoing war. The White House delayed a menthol ban. Harvard kept

January 4, 2024 - January 10, 2024 • 27

Claudine Gay as university president despite calls for her removal after a House committee hearing about ongoing pro-Palestinian protests and alleged on-campus anti-semitism.

The Biden administration announced $4.8 billion in student loan debt was forgiven.

National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. was slated to teach a race and racism course at Duke University. The UN General Assembly voted in favor of a ceasefire in Gaza. Emmy-winning actor Andre Braugher died at age 61.

The City Council passed a menstrual equity bill package. Lynelle Maginley-Liddie was appointed the new NYC Department of Corrections commissioner. Ex-NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani was ordered to pay $148 million to George election workers. A Mississippi judge sentences 10-year-old Black child to probation over urinating in public. Hanukkah ends after the eighth day of observation. Actor Jonathan Majors was convicted for assaulting his ex-girlfriend and subsequently removed from his leading role in the Marvel superhero films.

NBA Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar faced months of recovery after breaking his hip at a concert. Mayor Eric Adams awarded UNCF’s Dr. Michael Lomax and TheGrio’s Eboni K. Williams with the Shine a Light Civic Courage Award. A nurses’ strike at Robert Wood Johnson Hospital leads to a new contract. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III held a Tel Aviv press conference.

A Black Rochester man’s conviction was vacated after witnesses recanted testimony almost four decades later. Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a reparations commission bill into law. Kwanzaa grew in popularity as local businesses prepared for holiday shopping. Protests over public libraries’ Sunday closures escalated. The Colorado Supreme Court ruled to remove Donald Trump from upcoming presidential race ballots due to his role in the January 6 insurrection.

A Washington jury cleared charges against officers over a Black man’s death after he was beaten and restrained by police on camera.

Medical reporters were removed from credit reports in New York State. Ex-Suriname President Desi Bouterse was sentenced to 20 years in prison for mass murder. Paramedics who applied the sedative ketamine leading to Elijah McClain’s death were convicted.

Hochul vetoed the Challenging Wrongful Convictions Act. Christmas in Hollis…and all of New York City as locals and tourists celebrated alike. Kwanzaa kicked off with the observation of Umoja, the principle of unity. A bill banning solitary confinement passed in New York City.

Dancer and choreographer Maurice Hines dies at age 80. Medgar Evers College professor and administrator Dr. John Flateau dies at age 73. Influential jazz musician Les McCann dies at age 88. Marland Jeffries, father of Democratic House Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffires, dies at age 85.

And as quick as it arrived, 2023 ends. Happy New Year, everyone.

28 • January 4, 2024 - January 10, 2024

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Religion & Spirituality Vinie Burrows, actress, activist, and radio producer, passes

By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews Vinie Burrows, the ageless actress and activist, who once noted that her greatest role in life was the one she performed for truth and justice, died on Christmas Day, surrounded by her family, according to her press representative and an obituary in Playbill.

She was 99.

Whether on or off stage, Burrows seemed to always be aware of who she was and where she was, usually dressed splendidly and charming whoever was fortunate enough to meet and greet her.

According to her profile in “Notable Black American Women,” edited by Jessie Carney Smith, Burrows was born on November 15, 1928, in New York City and earned her B.A. and master’s degree from New York University. She was also a recipient of an honorary doctorate from the New School.

Burrows was still a student at NYU in 1950 when she made her stage debut with Helen Hayes in “The Wisteria Trees,” written by Joshua Logan and based on Anton Chekhov’s “The Cherry Orchard.”

A succession of performances on stage followed, from “The Green Pastures” in 1951 to “Black Medea”

Never one to cower and always willing to speak truth to power, Burrows was opposed to the films of the 1970s in which Black men were “superstuds” and then, as she said, Black became “not only beautiful but bountiful” for the white producers. in 1978. During these stints, she often shared the bill with notables such as Mary Martin, Cicely Tyson, James Earl Jones, and Ossie Davis. Her numerous television appearances included conversations on “The Merv Griffin Show” and “The Tonight Show.”

Burrows was perhaps best known for her one-woman shows, where the full complement of her talent was showcased. Smith wrote that the most successful of these productions was “Walk Together Children,” a collection of poetry and prose by Black authors.

After performances at the Greenwich Mews Theater in 1968,

Burrows toured more than 900 colleges in the U.S. and abroad to great acclaim. “As a Black actress,” she explained in Smith’s book, “whose talents have never been fully used in our theater, I have turned to solo performances, not merely to find employment but also to gain a greater measure of artistic fulfillment and personal satisfaction.”

Equally successful was her performance as poet Phillis Wheatley, with the assistance of dancer Pearl Primus. Besides her interpretation of Black writers, she produced and performed a collage of seven women based on the writings of

Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde, Edgar Allan Poe, and Langston Hughes.

Never one to cower and always willing to speak truth to power, Burrows was opposed to the films of the 1970s in which Black men were “superstuds” and then, as she said, Black became “not only beautiful but bountiful” for the white producers. For Encore magazine, she wrote that “the hunger of the Black community to see Blackness triumph over Whiteness in celluloid fantasy is a psychological mechanism social scientists might contend is a necessary emotional cathartic. Nevertheless, it is a damaging

misdirection of energies born of oppression and frustration.”

On more than one occasion and sometimes during her one-woman shows, Burrows expressed the need for Black artists, writers, and producers to explore that vast reservoir of Black experience for their themes and creations. Her shows were exemplary of this edict.

That commitment to Black selfdetermination manifested itself beyond the theater to her membership in several organizations: the Black Theater Alliance, Committee for the Negro in the Arts of the Screen Actors Guild, a permanent non-governmental organization representative to the U.N., and vice president of Women for Racial and Economic Equality.

She received an Obie Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2020.

Age meant little to her spirited resolve to continue on the stage, and she did so magnificently in “Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters’ First 100 Years” at several venues.

At the time of her death, according to Playbill, Burrows was in development for the TEAM’s productions of “Reconstructing (Still Working But The Devil Might Be Inside).”

Burrows is survived by her son and daughter, six grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild.

Profoundly gifted, self-taught historian Celedonia Jones died last April

By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews

educated historian who, at any given moment, could provide chapter and verse about ManFew could speak with the au- hattan’s history, and had a spethority of Seneca Village like Cel- cial understanding of Seneca edonia Jones.

Village and its inhabitants.

Seneca Village? Celedonia Jones?

Jones was born on February 21, Both of these names should be 1930, in Harlem, and his family etched in Black history, although moved around the communithey fly well under the radar for ty often to avoid eviction. He retoday’s readers. www ceived his unusual name from Historian Jones became a lead- his Cuban-born maternal granding authority on the predomi- father, and like James Baldwin, nantly Black village that thrived was a student of poet Countee from 1825 to 1857 in what is now Cullen. According to Jones, in an Central Park. And were it not for interview with the Central Park a recent December obituary of Conservancy, Cullen once told Jones in the New York Times, we him, “If you had done a little would still be unaware of his pass- more research...you could have ing back on April 15 from leuke- gotten a 90.” mia, according to his daughter, After graduating from high Diane Jones Randall, who said he school in 1949, Jones worked as a was 93 when he died. bookkeeper at the New York City Jones was a fastidious, self- Board of Transportation, later the

NYC Transit Authority. He became director of fiscal operations and director of fiscal services of the Human Resources Administration for the Office of the Comptroller.

Meanwhile, he earned a bachelor’s degree in business management and economics from Empire State College (now University) in 1975. Given his background and knowledge of Seneca Village, some of which he learned firsthand from people who lived there, Jones was sought out and hired as an adviser to the Institute for the Exploration of Seneca Village History in 2007. Cynthia Copeland, the institute’s president, said Jones helped the group navigate its requests with the city’s Parks Department and the Central Park Conservancy to get approval to perform an archeological dig.

One depiction of Seneca Vil-

lage is cited in Edward Robb Ellis’s book “The Epic of New York City,” where he noted that “the trustees had acquired property in Central Park along the westside of Fifth Avenue from 80th to 96th Street. This had been a disgraceful area; nearby Seneca Village, the largest and foulest squatter camp in the park, had stunk up the neighborhood.”

When students were taken on tours of the Museum of the City of New York in Manhattan, they would be entertained by a Jones lecture that was always embellished with humorous commentary and asides. In 1997, Ruth Messinger, the Manhattan borough president, received a recommendation from the museum’s director, Robert McDonald, that Jones be named as Manhattan borough historian, an unpaid

position that she enthusiastically endorsed him for.

In this capacity, Jones recruited many historians and authorities to join him in presentations and seminars. He also created and edited a publication about African American history and culture in Manhattan. Historian Kenneth Jackson and professor emeritus of history at Columbia University, said in an email that Jones “was a public historian in the best sense.”

According to his daughter, one of the last projects Jones was working on was to identify the locations depicted in the photographs in “Berenice Abbott’s New York Album, 1929,” a show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Jones also consulted on an earlier exhibition at the Met inspired

by Seneca Village.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

January 4, 2024 - January 10, 2024 • 29

Health Handcuffed and sent to the ER—for misbehavior: Schools are sending more kids to the hospital

By ANNIE MA Associated Press and MEREDITH KOLODNER The Hechinger Report SALISBURY, Md. (AP)—Three times a week, on average, a police car pulls up to a school in Wicomico County on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. A student is brought out, handcuffed, and placed inside for transport to a hospital emergency room for a psychiatric evaluation.

Over the past eight years, the process has been used on students at least 750 times.

Some are as young as 5 years old.

The state law that allows for these removals, known as petitions for emergency evaluation, is meant to be limited to people with severe mental illness who are endangering their own lives or safety or someone else’s. It’s the first step toward getting someone involuntarily committed to a psychiatric hospital.

But advocates say schools across the country are sending children to the emer-

gency room for psychiatric evaluations in response to behaviors prompted by bullying or frustration over assignments. The ER trips, they say, often follow months, and sometimes years, of students’ needs not being met.

Black students are more frequently subjected to these removals than their peers, according to available data. Advocates point to students with disabilities also being removed at higher rates.

“Schools focus on keeping kids out rather than on keeping kids in,” said Dan Stewart, managing attorney at the National Disability Rights Network. “I think that’s the fundamental crux of things.”

Schools in Wicomico County agreed not to misuse emergency petitions as part of a 2017 settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice, but while the number of suspensions and expulsions declined, mandated trips to the emergency room ticked up.

Last year, children were handcuffed and sent to the emergency room from Wicomico schools at least 117 times, about once

per every 100 students, according to data obtained from public records requests to the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office.

At least 40% were 12 or younger. More than half were Black children, even though a little more than a third of Wicomico public school children are Black.

‘Trying to get him out of school’ In interviews, dozens of students, parents, educators, lawyers, and advocates for students with disabilities in Wicomico County said a lack of resources and trained staff, combined with a punitive culture in some schools, are behind the misuse of emergency petitions.

One Wicomico mom, who asked for anonymity because she feared retaliation from the school, recalled the terror she felt when her son’s school called and said they were going to have him assessed for a forced psychiatric hospitalization. When she arrived at the school, she said, her son was already in handcuffs. He was put in the back of a police car and taken to the hospital.

“He said his wrists hurt from the handcuffs,” the mother said. “He was just really quiet, just sitting there, and he didn’t understand why he was in the hospital.”

The practice isn’t just happening in Wicomico.

Recent data shows New York City schools still call police to take children in emotional distress to the emergency room despite a 2014 legal settlement in which they agreed to stop the practice.

A Kentucky school district was found to have used a psychiatric assessment on kids more than 1,000 times in a year. In Florida, thousands of school-age children have been subjected to the Baker Act, the state’s involuntary commitment statute.

In a settlement with the Education Department’s Office of Civil Rights, the Stockton Unified School District in California agreed to protocols that require other interventions before referring students with disabilities for psychiatric evaluation.

See MISBEHAVIOR continued on page 36

30 • January 4, 2024 - January 10, 2024

Education

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

These kids want to go to school. The main obstacle? Paperwork

By BIANCA VÁZQUEZ TONESS AP Education Writer ATLANTA (AP) — Thousands of kids went missing from schools during the pandemic.

For some who have tried to return, school paperwork has proved a daunting obstacle.

In Atlanta, one family’s four kids have been home since March 2020, ultimately unenrolled for poor attendance. To sign them back up, their mom—Tameka—must present several identification, health, and residency documents—including one that must be notarized. Without a driver’s license or a working phone, Tameka has found the task overwhelming. (Tameka is her middle name. The AP is withholding her full name because she runs the risk of jail time or losing custody since her kids aren’t in school.)

Records show Atlanta school staff have called Tameka 19 times since the pandemic about her children’s school attendance.

Most of those calls went to voicemail or didn’t go through because the phone was disconnected. Tameka said she’s unaware of any outreach from Atlanta schools.

It’s unclear to Tameka how—or even when—her children became unenrolled from Atlanta Public Schools. But it was traumatic when, in fall 2021, they figured out it had happened.

After more than a year of online learning, students were all required to come back to school. Tameka was skeptical that the schools could keep her kids safe from COVID-19, but one morning, in a test run, she sent two kids to school.

Her oldest daughter, then in seventh grade, and her second-youngest, a boy entering first grade, boarded buses. She had yet to register the youngest girl, who was entering kindergarten. Her older son—a boy with Down syndrome—stayed home because she wasn’t sure he could mask.

After a few hours, one school called: Come pick up your son, they told her. He was no longer enrolled.

Around lunchtime, the other called: Come get your daughter, they told her. She doesn’t have a class schedule.

Tameka’s children—all four of them— have been home ever since.

For the thousands of students who went missing from American classrooms during the pandemic, onerous re-enrollment requirements, arcane paperwork, and the everyday obstacles of poverty are preventing them from going back.

“One of the biggest problems that we have is kids that are missing and chronic absenteeism,” said Pamela Herd, a Georgetown University public policy professor. “I”m really taken aback that a district would set forth a series of policies that

Tameka’s 8-year-old daughter ties her shoe before running out to play in Atlanta. The little girl should be in second grade, but has never attended school. Tameka’s kids have essentially been out of school since COVID hit in March 2020. They have had a consistent place to live, but nearly everything else in their lives collapsed during the pandemic (AP Photo/Bianca Vázquez Toness)

make it actually quite difficult to enroll.”

In Atlanta, parents like Tameka must present at least eight documents to enroll their children in public school. One of them—a complicated certificate evaluating a child’s health—is required by the state. Most of the others are Atlanta’s doing, including Social Security cards and a notarized residency affidavit.

The district asks for proof of residency for existing students every year at some schools, and also before sixth and ninth grades, to prevent students from attending schools outside of their neighborhoods.

The policy also allows the district to request residency proof after an extended absence.

Without that proof, families say their children have been disenrolled.

Tameka’s kids have essentially been out of school since COVID hit in March 2020.

She never graduated from high school and has never gotten a driver’s license Tameka’s partner worked construction and had a car—but he died of a heart attack in May 2020. His death left her overwhelmed and penniless. Suddenly, she had four kids to care for by herself, with only government cash assistance to live on. Because her kids were home during the early days of COVID, she couldn’t work.

When Tameka’s children didn’t return to school, she also worried about attention from the child welfare department. She said staff visited her in spring 2021 after the school reported her children’s absences. The social workers interviewed the children, then said they’d be back to set her up with resources. For more than two years,

she said, “they never came back.”

When the kids missed 10 straight days of school that fall, the district removed them from its rolls, citing a state regulation.

Tameka then had to re-enroll them.

Suddenly, another tragedy of her partner’s death became painfully obvious: He was carrying all the family’s important documents in his backpack when he died. It was never found.

Slowly, Tameka has tried to replace the missing documents. She said it took more than a year to get Medicaid cards to take her children to the doctor for the health verifications and immunizations the school requires. When she called for a doctor’s appointment in October, the office said the soonest they could see her children was December.

She also has to show the school her own identification and a new lease, plus the notarized affidavit. “It’s a lot.”

Tameka said no one from the district has offered her guidance.

Contact logs show school social workers have sent four emails and called Tameka 19 times since the pandemic started. Tameka rarely called back.

The only face-to-face meeting was in October 2021, when Tameka sent her kids on the bus, only to learn they weren’t enrolled.

A staffer wrote: “Student lost father in May 2020 and only other barrier is uniforms.”

The social worker said the school would take care of the uniforms. “Mom given enrollment paperwork,” the entry ends.

“Our Student Services Team went above and beyond to help this family,” wrote

Atlanta communications director Seth Coleman.

In some cities, even during the pandemic, school staff checked on families in person.

In Atlanta, Coleman said, the district avoided in-person contact because of COVID. Tameka currently lacks a working phone with a cell plan. An Associated Press reporter has had to visit in person to communicate.

The logs provided by Atlanta Public Schools show only one attempt to visit the family in person, in spring 2021. No one was home.

To many observers, Tameka’s troubles stem from Atlanta’s rapid gentrification.

The city, known for its Black professional class, also boasts the country’s largest wealth disparity between Black and white families.

“It looks good from the curb, but when you get inside, you see that Black and brown people are worse off economically than in West Virginia,” said Frank Brown, who heads Communities in Schools of Atlanta, which runs dropout-prevention programs.

Atlanta’s school board passed many of its enrollment policies in 2008. The schools in mostly white and upper-income neighborhoods were complaining of “overcrowding.”

“But it was also about race and class,” said Tiffany Fick, of Atlanta-based Equity in Education.

The board cracked down to prevent parents living elsewhere from sending their children to those schools.

The Atlanta suburbs, plus communities such as St. Louis, the Massachusetts town of Everett, and Tupelo, Mississippi, have adopted similar policies.

Advocates say the increased bureaucracy makes it difficult for the poor to attend their assigned schools. The AP spoke to five additional Atlanta mothers whose kids were withdrawn because the families’ leases had expired or were month to month, or their child lacked vaccinations.

On a typical school day, Tameka’s children sleep late and stay inside watching television.

The youngest, who should be in second grade, has had to settle for “playing school.”

She practices her letters and writes her name. She runs through pre-kindergarten counting exercises on a phone.

Even at 8, she understands it’s not the real thing.

“I want to go to school,” she said, “and see what it’s like.”

The Associated Press education team receives support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

January 4, 2024 - January 10, 2024 • 31

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32 • January 4, 2024 - January 10, 2024

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

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100 101 PUBLIC LEGAL NOTICES NOTICES

101 LEGAL NOTICES

SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NEW YORK HILTON RESORTS CORPORATION, Plaintiff, -against- MARCO ARTURO DEJESUS LAGUNES RUEDA, BEATRIZ SANSORES GARCIA, if living, and if he be dead, any and all persons unknown to Plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or generally or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs-at-law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs-at-law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to Plaintiff, Defendants.

INDEX NO.: 850082/2013 FILED: 12/15/23 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 within 20 days after the service of this summons, exclusive of the day of service or within 30 days after completion of service where service is made in any other manner than by personal delivery within the State. In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the complaint. TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS: The foregoing Summons is served upon you by publication pursuant an Order of the Hon. Francis A. Kahn III, a Justiceof the Supreme Court, of New York County, dated December 5, 2023 and entered December 7, 2023. NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT: THE OBJECT of the above captioned action is to foreclose a Timeshare Mortgage in the amount of $32,435.00, recorded in New York County Clerk's Office on August 9, 2011 in CRFN: 2011000280522 of Mortgages covering the .009864% undivided tenant in common interest of the Timeshare Unit which comprises a portion of the premises known as 102 WEST 57th STREET, NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10019-3302. The relief sought in the within action is a final Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale directing the sale of the .009864% undivided tenant in common interest of the Timeshare Unit which comprises a portion of the premises described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage. New York County is designated as the place of trial on the basis of the fact that the real property affected by this action is located wholly within said County. Dated: October 31, 2013, Westbury, New York. Maria Sideris, Esq., DRUCKMAN LAW GROUP PLLC, Attorneys for Plaintiff, 242 Drexel Avenue, Westbury, New York 11590, (516) 876-0800. WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT AND ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE.

SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK - COUNTY OF NEW YORK 57TH ST. VACATION OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC., BY AND THROUGH ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS, Plaintiff, -against- DIANA GOMEZ JUAREZ , if living, and if he be dead, any and all persons unknown to Plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or generally or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs-at-law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs-at-law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to Plaintiff, Defendants. INDEX NO.: 850070/2020 FILED: DECEMBER 12, 2023 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 within 20 days after the service of this summons, exclusive of the day of service or within 30 days after completion of service where service is made in any other manner than by personal delivery within the State. In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the complaint. TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS: The foregoing Summons is served upon you by publication pursuant an Order of the Hon. Francis A. Kahn III, a Justiceof the Supreme Court, of New York County, dated November 28, 2023 and entered November 30, 2023. Dated: October 6, 2023, Westbury, New York. Maria Sideris, Esq., DRUCKMAN LAW GROUP PLLC, Attorneys for Plaintiff, 242 Drexel Avenue, Westbury, New York 11590, (516) 8760800. WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT AND ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE.

101 LEGAL NOTICES

101 LEGAL NOTICES

101 LEGAL NOTICES

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NEW YORK HSBC BANK USA, N.A., Plaintiff, -againstCarmen Patricia Armendariz Guerra if living and if any be dead, any and all persons who are spouses, widows, grantees, mortgagees, lienor, heirs, devisees, distributees, or successors in interest of such of the above as may be dead, and their spouses, heirs, devisees, distributees and successors in interest, all of whom and whose names and places of residences are unknown to Plaintiff , Juliana Hinestrosa Armendariz if living and if any be dead, any and all persons who are spouses, widows, grantees, mortgagees, lienor, heirs, devisees, distributees, or successors in interest of such of the above as may be dead, and their spouses, heirs, devisees, distributees and successors in interest, all of whom and whose names and places of residences are unknown to Plaintiff , Maria Hinestrosa Armendariz if living and if any be dead, any and all persons who are spouses, widows, grantees, mortgagees, lienor, heirs, devisees, distributees, or successors in interest of such of the above as may be dead, and their spouses, heirs, devisees, distributees and successors in interest, all of whom and whose names and places of residences are unknown to Plaintiff , The Board of Managers of Trump Parc Condominium, State of New York Commissioner of Labor, New York City Environmental Control Board, New York City Parking Violations Bureau, New York City Transit Adjudication Bureau, United States of America-Internal Revenue Service, New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, Defendants, Index No. 850396/2023 SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS Plaintiff designates New York County as the place of trial. Venue is based upon the County in which the Mortgage premises is situated TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANT(S): 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 attorneys for the plaintiff within twenty (20) days after service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within thirty (30) days after service is complete if this Summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York). In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint.

NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT THE OBJECT of the above captioned action is to foreclose a Mortgage to secure $945,000.00 and interest, recorded in the Office of the Clerk of the County of NEW YORK on August 10, 2011, in Book CRFN 2011000281448, Page , covering premises known as 106 Central Park South, Unit 15G, New York, NY 10019.

The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above.

NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME If you do not respond to this Summons and Complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the Mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home.

Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the Summons and protect your property.

Sending a payment to your Mortgage company will not stop this foreclosure action.

YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. Dated: Bay Shore, New York November 7, 2023 By: Kristina Negri, Esq. Frenkel, Lambert, Weiss, Weisman & Gordon, LLP Attorneys for Plaintiff 53 Gibson Street Bay Shore, New York 11706 (631) 969-3100 Our File No.:01-097442-F00

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NEW YORK U.S. Bank National Association, not in its individual capacity but solely as trustee for the RMAC Trust, Series 2018 G-CTT, Plaintiff AGAINST Latasha O’Bryant; et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered October 2, 2023 I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at Room 130 at the Supreme Court, New York County, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007 on January 17, 2024 at 2:15PM, premises known as 297 West 137th Street, Unit No. 2574D a/k/a 2574D, Frederick Douglas Boulevard, New York, NY 10030. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, County, City and State of New York, Block 2023 Lot 1114. Approximate amount of judgment $459,098.00 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 850120/2019. The auction will be conducted pursuant to the COVID-19 Policies Concerning Public Auctions of Foreclosed Property established by the First Judicial District. Jeffrey R. Miller, Esq., Referee LOGS Legal Group LLP f/k/a Shapiro, DiCaro & Barak, LLC Attorney(s) for the Plaintiff 175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, New York 14624 (877) 430-4792 Dated: August 30, 2023

SUPREME COURT-NEW YORK COUNTY- HILTON RESORTS CORP., Pltf. v. FELIX R. SANCHEZ, NYC PARKING VIOLATIONS BUREAU, NYC TRANSIT ADJUDICATION BUREAU, NYC ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD, COMMISSIONER OF SOCIAL SERVICES, CRIMINAL COURT OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK, NEW YORK SUPREME COURT, Defts. - Index # 850098/2018. Pursuant to Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated August 8, 2003, I will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse located at 60 Centre Street, NY, NY on Thursday, January 11, 2024, at 2:15 pm, an interest of an undivided .09864% tenant in common interest in the timeshare known as 57TH STREET VACATION SUITES located at 102 West 57th Street, New York, New York. Approximate amount of judgment is $12,839.39 plus costs and interest as of October 26, 2017. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale which includes annual maintenance fees and charges. Scott H. Siller, Esq., Referee. Cruser, Mitchell, Novitz, Sanchez, Gaston, & Zimet LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 341 Conklin Street, Farmingdale, NY.

NOTICE OF SALE RSS CD2017-CD-4-NY T5B, LLC, A NEW YORK LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY, Plaintiff, vs. THOR 50 BOND STREET LLC, ET AL., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale and Decision + Order on Motion duly entered on September 21, 2023, and an Order Substituting Plaintiff and Amending Judgment Caption Nunc Pro Tunc duly entered on October 25, 2023, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the New York County Courthouse, Room 130, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007 on January 17, 2024 at 2:15 p.m., premises known as 50 Bond Street, Unit C-1, New York, NY 10019. 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 530 and Lot 1301 together with an undivided 14.00 percent interest in the Common Elements. Approximate amount of judgment is $10,995,481.84 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #850068/2022. COVID-19 safety protocols will be followed at the foreclosure sale.

Jeffrey R. Miller, Esq., Referee Duane Morris, LLP, 1540 Broadway, New York, New York 10036, Attorneys for Plaintiff

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

101 LEGAL NOTICES

101 LEGAL NOTICES

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK 57TH ST. VACATION OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC., BY AND THROUGH ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS, Plaintiff -against- JULIA ALEXIS AS ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ESTATE OF EILEEN DUIGNAN WOODS, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated August 29 and entered on September 1, 2023, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street New York, NY on January 24, 2024 at 2:15 p.m. premises situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, County of New York, City and State of New York, being an undivided ownership interest as tenant-in-common with other owners in the Timeshare Unit in the building located at 102 West 57th Street, New York, NY. Together with an appurtenant undivided .009864% common interest percentage. This a foreclosure on ownership interest in a timeshare unit, a studio penthouse on a floating use basis every year, in accordance with and subject to declarations. Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions dated October 10, 2008 and October 31, 2008 as CFRN # 2008000426142 as recorded in the Office of the City Register, County, City and State of New York. The Timeshare Unit is also designated as Block 1009 and Lot 37. Said premises known as 102 WEST 57TH STREET, NEW YORK, NY. Approximate amount of lien $17,972.99 plus interest & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale.

Index Number 850024/2022.

ALLISON M. FURMAN, ESQ., Referee DRUCKMAN LAW GROUP PLLC Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 242 Drexel Avenue, Westbury, NY 11590 SUPREME COURT-NEW YORK COUNTY- HILTON RESORTS CORP., Pltf. v. CARL T. ANDERSON, PATRICIA ANN ANDERSON, NY STATE OF TAXACTION AND FINANCE, NYC TRANSIT ADJUDICATION BUREAU, Defts. - Index # 850400/2023. Pursuant to Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated November 9, 2023, I will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse located at 60 Centre Street, New York, NY on Thursday, January 11, 2024, at 2:15 pm, an interest of an undivided 0.0519144314871446% tenant in common interest in the timeshare known as HC SUITES located at 1335 Avenue of the America, New York, NY. Approximate amount of judgment is $75,344.14 plus costs and interest as of August 15, 2023. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale which includes annual maintenance fees and charges. Scott H. Siller, Esq., Referee. Cruser, Mitchell, Novitz, Sanchez, Gaston, & Zimet LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 341 Conklin Street, Farmingdale, NY. SUPREME COURT-NEW YORK COUNTY- HILTON RESORTS CORP., Pltf. v. KIM RENAYE NWAGWU, GORDIAH NWAGWU, Defts. - Index # 850402/2023. Pursuant to Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated November 9, 2023, I will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse located at 60 Centre Street, New York, NY on Thursday, January 11, 2024, at 2:15 pm, an interest of an undivided 0.00493200000% tenant in common interest in the timeshare known as 57TH STREET VACATION SUITES located at 102 West 57th Street, New York, NY. Approximate amount of judgment is $20,587.05 plus costs and interest as of August 10, 2023. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale which includes annual maintenance fees and charges. Scott H. Siller, Esq., Referee. Cruser, Mitchell, Novitz, Sanchez, Gaston, & Zimet LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 341 Conklin Street, Farmingdale, NY. SUPREME COURT-NEW YORK COUNTY- HILTON RESORTS CORP., Pltf. v. MARTIN J. COYNE, Defts. - Index # 850415/2023. Pursuant to Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated November 9, 2023, I will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse located at 60 Centre Street, NY, NY on Thursday, January 11, 2024, at 2:15 pm, an interest of an undivided 0.00986400000% tenant in common interest in the timeshare known as 57TH STREET VACATION SUITES located at 102 West 57th Street, New York, New York. Approximate amount of judgment is $132,551.49 plus costs and interest as of August 16, 2023.

Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale which includes annual maintenance fees and charges. Matthew D. Hunter III, Esq., Referee. Cruser, Mitchell, Novitz, Sanchez, Gaston, & Zimet LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 341 Conklin Street, Farmingdale, NY. Notice of Formation of GATES MILLS VILLA PRESERVATION GP, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/19/23. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 30 Hudson Yards, 72nd Fl., NY, NY 10001. 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.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of GATES MILLS VILLA DEVELOPER, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/19/23. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 30 Hudson Yards, 72nd Fl., NY, NY 10001. 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.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Bronx Creative Crafts LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 10/23/2023. Office: Bronx County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail a copy to: United States Corporation Agents, Inc., 7014 13th Ave., Ste. 202, Bklyn, NY 11228. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Snackbasket LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 10/03/2023. Office: NY County.

SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail copy to: MYCOMPANYWORKS, INC., 187 E. WARM SPRINGS RD. SUITE B, LAS VEGAS, NV, 89119. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

101 LEGAL NOTICES

101 LEGAL NOTICES

SUPREME COURT-NEW YORK COUNTY- HILTON RESORTS CORP., Pltf. v. JULIA FAIRBANKS, Defts. - Index # 850419/2023. Pursuant to Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated November 9, 2023, I will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse located at 60 Centre Street, NY, NY on Thursday, January 11, 2024, at 2:15 pm, an interest of an undivided 0.00986400000% tenant in common interest in the timeshare known as 57TH STREET VACATION SUITES located at 102 West 57th Street, New York, New York. Approximate amount of judgment is $46,108.24 plus costs and interest as of August 16, 2023.

Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale which includes annual maintenance fees and charges. Matthew D. Hunter III, Esq., Referee. Cruser, Mitchell, Novitz, Sanchez, Gaston, & Zimet LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 341 Conklin Street, Farmingdale, NY. SUPREME COURT-NEW YORK COUNTY- HILTON RESORTS CORP., Pltf. v. KRISTINE M. GLEIN and DARYL P. GLEIN, Defts. Index # 850273/2022. Pursuant to Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated October 23, 2023, I will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the NY County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, NY, NY on Thursday, February 1, 2024, at 2:15 pm, an interest of an undivided 0.00986400000% tenant in common interest in the timeshare known as 57th STREET VACATION SUITES located at 102 West 57th Street, New York, New York. Approximate amount of judgment is $32,039.15 plus costs and interest as of February 24, 2023. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale which includes annual maintenance fees and charges. Mark McKew, Esq., Referee. Cruser, Mitchell, Novitz, Sanchez, Gaston, & Zimet LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 341 Conklin Street, Farmingdale, NY. SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK BOARD OF MANAGERS OF THE 425 FIFTH AVENUE CONDOMINIUM, Plaintiffs -against- UNITED ENTERPRISES INTERNATIONAL INC., et al. Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated September 5, 2023 and entered on September 8, 2023, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street New York, NY 10007, on Wednesday on January 31, 2024 at 2:15 pm premises situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, City, County and State of New York; known and designated as Block 868 Lot 1547. Said premises known as 425 FIFTH AVENUE, UNIT 25-C, NEW YORK, NY. Approximate amount of lien $46,778.62, through July 1, 2023, plus interest fees & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale.

Index Number 656892/2021.

ROBERTA ASHKIN, ESQ., Referee Seyfarth Shaw LLP Attorney(s) for Plaintiffs 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, NY 10018 SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NEW YORK HNY CLUB SUITES OWNERS ASSOCIATION INC., BY AND THROUGH ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS, Plaintiff, -against- UNKNOWN HEIRS AND DISTRIBUTEES OF THE ESTATE OF MYRNA D. WILLIAMS, if living, and if he be dead, any and all persons unknown to Plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or generally or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs-at-law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs-at-law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to Plaintiff, Defendants. INDEX NO. 850107/2023 FILED:12/15/23 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 within 20 days after the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service or within 30 days after completion of service where service is made in any other manner than by personal delivery within the State. In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS: The foregoing Summons is served upon you by publication pursuant an Order of the Hon. Francis A. Kahn III, a Justiceof the Supreme Court, of New York County, dated December 6, 2023 and entered December 6, 2023. Dated: December 5, 2023, Westbury, New York. Maria Sideris, Esq., DRUCKMAN LAW GROUP PLLC, Attorneys for Plaintiff, 242 Drexel Avenue, Westbury, New York 11590, (516) 876-0800 SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK. THE BOARD OF MANAGERS OF THE 251 CONDOMINIUM, SUING ON BEHALF OF THE UNIT OWNERS, Plaintiff -against- W89D5 LLC C/O NYLLLCO, LLC, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered herein and dated September 6, 2023, 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 7, 2024 at 2:15 p.m. premises situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, County, City and State of New York, known as Unit No. 5D in the building known as “The 251 Condominium”, together with an undivided 1.5389% interest in the common elements. Block: 1237 Lot: 1040. Said premises known as 251 WEST 89TH STREET, UNIT 5D, NEW YORK, NY 10024. Approximate amount of lien $109,588.28 plus interest & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale.

Index Number 150779/2022.

CLARK A. WHITSETT, ESQ., Referee Kagan Lubic Lepper Finkelstein & Gold, LLP Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 200 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016

January 4, 2024 - January 10, 2024 • 33

101 LEGAL NOTICES

101 LEGAL NOTICES

SUPREME COURT-NEW YORK COUNTY- HILTON RESORTS CORP., Pltf. v. COLIN MILL and ERICA LYNN RANCE MILL, Defts. - Index # 850272/2022. Pursuant to Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated September 28, 2023, I will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the NY County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, NY, NY on Thursday, February 1, 2024, at 2:15 pm, an interest of two undivided 0.0519144314871446% and 0.0135990382819495% tenant in common interest in the timeshare known as HNY CLUB SUITES located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York. Approximate amount of judgment is $111,378.55 plus costs and interest as of March 29, 2023. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale which includes annual maintenance fees and charges. Mark McKew, Esq., Referee. Cruser, Mitchell, Novitz, Sanchez, Gaston, & Zimet LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 341 Conklin Street, Farmingdale, NY. SUPREME COURT-NEW YORK COUNTY- HILTON RESORTS CORP., Pltf. v. MONIQUE DUNCAN, Deft. - Index # 850425/2023. Pursuant to Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated October 23, 2023, I will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the NY County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, NY, NY on Thursday, February 1, 2024, at 2:15 pm, an interest of an undivided 0.1505136467542480% tenant in common interest in the timeshare known as HNY CLUB SUITES located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York. Approximate amount of judgment is $65,658.34 plus costs and interest as of August 25, 2023. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale which includes annual maintenance fees and charges. Tom Kleinberger, Esq., Referee. Cruser, Mitchell, Novitz, Sanchez, Gaston, & Zimet LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 341 Conklin Street, Farmingdale, NY. LEGAL NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE, Supreme Court – New York County, Board Of Managers Of Morningside Parc Condominium, Plaintiff v. Jacqueline E. Pugh a/k/a Jacqueline De Veaux, et al., Defendants, Index #156822/2022. Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered on September 18, 2023, I will sell at Public Auction to the highest bidder in Room 130 of New York County Supreme Court, 60 Centre Street, New York, New York 10013, on January 31, 2024 at 2:15 PM of that day, the premises known as Unit 4E in the building located at 370 West 118th Street, New York, New York 10026, Block 1944 Lot 1120. The Unit is a one-bedroom apartment that is approximately 674 square feet. Approximate amount of Judgment is $63,127.14 plus interest, common charges, assessments, late fees accrued from March 1, 2023 to the date of sale of the Premises plus plaintiff’s attorneys’ fees and expenses allowed by the Court. Premises will be sold subject to: (a) provisions of Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered September 18, 2023; and (b) the terms of sale.

ALLISON FURMAN, ESQ., Referee. Attorney for Plaintiff: ANNA GUILIANO, BORAH, GOLDSTEIN, ALTSCHULER, NAHINS & GOIDEL, P.C., 377 Broadway, New York, New York 10013, (212) 431-1300 Ext. 628.

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK: COUNTY OF NEW YORK. JY TANGEROUS L.P., Pltf v. SIXTH STREET COMMUNITY CENTER, INC, et al., Defts. Index No. 850041/2021 pursuant to the Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated August 16, 2023 and entered on October 12, 2023, 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 January 24, 2024 at 2:15 p.m., prem. k/a 638 East Sixth Street, New York, New York 10009, Block 387, Lot 128 (the “Property”). Approx. amt of judgment is $1,483,225.50, plus costs, attorneys’ fees and interest. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed judgment and terms of sale. Peter Sklar, Esq., Referee. Jacobowitz Newman Tversky LLP, Attys. for Plaintiff, 377 Pearsall Ave., Ste C, Cedarhurst, NY.

BARBO 906, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 12/05/23.

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, 165 West 73rd Street, New York, NY 10023. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

BARBO 908, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 12/05/23.

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, 165 West 73rd Street, New York, NY 10023. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Deborah's Beauty Spa, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 12/08/2023. Office: NY County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail a copy to: 115 W. 142 St., Apt 6B, NY, NY 10030. Purpose: Any lawful act.

Studio Unfurl LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 11/16/2023. Office: NY County.

SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail a copy to: Karen Wertheim, 44 W. 62nd St., Apt 15B, NY, NY 10023. Purpose: Any lawful act.

Shirty Words LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 12/04/2023. Office: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail a copy to: 28 E. 21st St, #1A, NY, NY 10010.

Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of TrayScapes LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 10/25/23. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Kent Beatty & Gordon, LLP, 11 Times Sq., 10th Fl., NY, NY 10036. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

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34 • January 4, 2024 - January 10, 2024

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

101 LEGAL NOTICES

101 LEGAL NOTICES

101 LEGAL NOTICES

101 LEGAL NOTICES

101 LEGAL NOTICES

Notice of Formation of WEST 48 MASTER TENANT LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/10/23. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 7 Penn Plaza, Ste. 600, NY, NY 10001. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Jeffrey Levine at the princ. office of the LLC. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of 163 CSTREET LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/21/23. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 121 Varick St., 4th Fl., NY, NY 10013. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the addr. of its princ. office. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of (C)worthy, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/14/23. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 05/05/23.

Princ. office of LLC: 1909 Broadway, Ste. 200, Boulder, CO 80302. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Charitable and scientific purposes.

Notice of Qualification of 40 MADISON HOLDINGS, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/20/23. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 10/23/23. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, 140 E. 45th St., 43rd Fl., NY, NY 10017. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, 820 N. French St., 10th Fl., Wilmington, DE 19801. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

NIROLA GOLF LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 11/14/2023. Office: NY County.

SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail copy to: UNITED STATES CORPORATION AGENTS, INC., 7014 13TH AVENUE, SUITE 202, BROOKLYN, NY, 11228. Purpose: To teach golf or to engage in any lawful act.

Notice of Formation of WILLETS TRIANGLE HOUSING LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/09/23. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 30 Hudson Yards, 72nd Fl., NY, NY 10001. 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.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of STRENTA PHILANTHROPIC GRANTING SERVICES, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/27/23. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 11/10/20. Princ. office of LLC: 600 Brickell Ave., Ste. 1720, Miami, FL 33131.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of RGNMCA ITHACA I, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/01/23. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 10/27/23. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to Corporataion 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 ECLAIR PARTNERS (GP) I, L.L.C. Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/15/23. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 12/01/23. Princ. office of LLC: 353 W. End Ave., Apt. 1, NY, NY 10024. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Jeffrey W. Bullock, Secy. of State - State of DE, Div. of Corps. - John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: Investment management.

Notice of Formation of GATES MILLS VILLA PRESERVATION, L.P. Cert. of LP filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/19/23. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LP: 30 Hudson Yards, 72nd Fl., NY, NY 10001. Latest date on which the LP may dissolve is 12/31/2122.

SSNY designated as agent of LP upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. Name and addr. of each general partner are available from SSNY. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Dewy Dawn LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 12/16/2023. Office: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail a copy to: 89 Jewel St, Brooklyn, NY 11222.

Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Notice of Qualification of CORIO GENERATION USA LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/22/23. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 10/25/23. Princ. office of LLC: One Lincoln St., Ste. 2400, Boston, MA 02111.

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, Wilmington Office, 820 N. French St., 10th Fl., Wilmington, DE 19801. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of HabSchu Holdings, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/21/23. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 311 11th Ave., Apt. 5306, NY, NY 10001. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Attn: Brian Haber at the princ. office of the LLC. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

AC TAXPROS LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 8/07/2023. Office: NY County.

SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail copy to: 157-16 45th Avenue, 1st floor, Flushing, NY 11355. Purpose: Any lawful act.

Notice of formation of Hagley's West 137 Management LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 5/11/2023. Office: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail copy to: 226 West 136th St, Apt 1R, New York, NY 10030. Purpose: Any lawful act.

CREEK CAPITAL, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 11/8/2023. Office: NY County.

SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail copy to: 180 WATER ST APT 810, NEW YORK, NY 10038. Purpose: Any lawful act.

Notice of Formation of TET FIFTH AVENUE LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/05/23. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 6400 Georgetown Pike, McLean, VA 22182. 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. Purpose: To own and hold real estate investments.

Notice of Qualification of SUGAR FOODS LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/01/23. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 09/18/23.

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 DE Secy. of State, John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of CROW HOLDINGS RENEWABLES GP, L.L.C. Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/18/23. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 02/07/23. Princ. office of LLC: 3819 Maple Ave., Dallas, TX 75219. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 122072543. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wimington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, Div. of Corps., PO Box 898, Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of STANDARD POWER HOSTING ULTRA COMPANY LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/14/23. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 12/12/23. Princ. office of LLC: 551 Madison Ave., Ste. 450, NY, NY 10022. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: c/o CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Jeffrey W. Bullock, DE Secy. of State, DE Div. of Corps., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of TRIPLE P SECURITIES, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/18/23. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 08/31/22. Princ. office of LLC: 640 Fifth Ave., 10th Fl., NY, NY 10019. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543.

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 BOSTON CHILDREN'S HEALTH NATIONAL, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/21/23. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Massachusetts (MA) on 08/09/23. Princ. office of LLC and MA addr.: 300 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA 02115. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of the Commonwealth of MA, One Ashburton Place, Rm. 1717, Boston, MA 02115. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of BSP SUMMER GP L.L.C. Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 09/06/23.

Office location: NY County.

LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 07/25/23. Princ. office of LLC: 345 Park Ave., NY, NY 10154. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 122072543. DE addr. of LLC: CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St. - Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of 17 EAST 70TH HOLDINGS LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/28/23. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

101 LEGAL NOTICES 250 MANHT FURN 195 HELP WANTED ROOMS

272HELP BROOKLYN 195 WANTED UNFURN ROOMS Unfurn. Rms share kit/bath /n Canarsie: 3 rms, Crown Hts: 2 rms Flatbush, E.Flatbush, $700-900 Broker 917.541.6394

349 195 APARTMENTS HELP WANTED FOR RENT E. Flatbush, 3 Bdrms duplex,/n 1 1⁄2 bath, $2,600/m.

3 Bdrms/n Ocean Hill, $2,500/m. /n E. Flatbush, 1 Bdrm /n Ground Fl., Util incl. /n $1,575/m. E. Flatbush,/n 1 Bdrm, $1,575/m./n Call Realtor 917.541.6394

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212-932-7412 shaquana.folks @amsterdamnews.com Or you can schedule your own Legal and LLC advertising with us online by scanning the QR Code

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

January 4, 2024 - January 10, 2024 • 35

Imam dies after being shot outside Newark mosque AP News

Gov. Phil Murphy identified the victim as Imam Hassan NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — A New Sharif. He noted that authorJersey imam was fatally shot ities have no information Wednesday outside a mosque about who shot him, or why. as officers worked to identify and arrest the shooter. It “At a time when the Muslim was unclear what motivated community is concerned by the shooting, but the governor an increase of bias incidents promised to do what’s possible and crimes, I want to assure to protect houses of worship. the Muslim community and people of all faiths that we The cleric was shot after 6 a.m. will do everything in our outside the Masjid-Muham- power to keep all residents mad-Newark Mosque, Newark safe, especially in or near our Public Safety Director Fritz houses of worship,” Murphy’s Fragé said in an emailed state- statement said. ment. The victim was taken to nearby University Hospital and The New Jersey chapter of was in critical condition. He the Council on American-Islater died, authorities said. lamic Relations, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights Hours later, police had no one and advocacy organization, in custody. said it is gathering information and urged people to conIt’s unclear what led to the tact local police. violence and if the imam was targeted. Fragé said the shoot“We are deeply concerned ing is under investigation and about this incident and pray no other information is avail- for the speedy recovery of the able. A message seeking more imam,” CAIR-NJ spokesperinformation was left with the son Dina Sayedahmed said mosque. in a statement.

Imam Hassan Sharif (Masjid-Muhammad-Newark Mosque photo)

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36 • January 4, 2024 - January 10, 2024

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Misbehavior Continued from page 29

dren who have a teacher of the same race have fewer suspensions and higher test scores, but that diversity is lacking in Wicomico County—Wicomico schools have the largest gap between the number of students of color and teachers of color in the state.

Wicomico school officials said they do not discriminate against any of their students.

A Wicomico teenager described a yearslong process of becoming alienated from school, with an emergency petition as the ultimate break. He said he was bullied in middle school over a series of months until one day he snapped and hit a student who had been taunting him.

The school called the police. He told the officers not to touch him, and that he needed to calm down. Instead, the officers grabbed him and shoved him into the ground, he said. He was handcuffed and transported to the emergency room. When he returned, he said the only thing that was different was how he felt about the adults in the building.

“I got used to not trusting people, not talking to people at school,” he said. “Nothing else really changed.” _____ This story about emergency petitions was produced by the Associated Press and the Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. _____ The Associated Press education team receives support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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Black parents point to culture problem Some Wicomico parents and educators point to an insular culture in the school district where problems are hidden rather than resolved.

They are frustrated that there is no relationship with the county’s mobile crisis unit, which other counties often relied on to help de-escalate issues instead of calling the police.

Jermichael Mitchell, a community organizer who is an alum and parent in the Wicomico County Schools, said educators often do not know how to empathize and respond to the trauma and unmet needs that might lead to children’s behavior.

“A Black kid that’s truly going through something, that truly needs support, is always looked at as a threat,” he said. “You don’t know how those kids have been taught to cry out for help. You don’t know the trauma that they’ve been through.”

Studies have found Black and Latino chil-

Children play on swings during National Night Out, Tuesday, August 1, 2023, in Salisbury, Md. The event, hosted by the Salisbury Police Department, aims to promote stronger community relationships and includes a number of organizations that provide support services to families (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

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Educators stretched thin By law, certain classroom removals must be recorded. Suspensions, expulsions, and arrests are the most commonly documented indicators of racial disparities in discipline. Schools are required by law to publicly report the data, which often triggers oversight and investigations.

But with the exceptions of Florida and New York City, most places do not routinely collect information about removals from school for psychiatric assessments.

Without that data, there is no way to hold schools accountable, said Daniel Losen, senior director for the education team at the National Center for Youth Law. “The civil rights of children is at stake, because it’s more likely it’s going to be Black kids and kids with disabilities who are subjected to all kinds of biases that deny them an educational opportunity,” he said.

Families who have experienced emergency petitions say educators who can communicate with their children are stretched thin, and measures that could de-escalate a situation are not always taken. The day her son was sent to the hospital, the Wicomico mother recalled, the administrator who had consistently advocated for him was out of the building.

“If you use the discipline process, and you’re a student with a disability, your rights kick in,” said Selene Almazan, legal director for the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates.

In many places around the country, the resources needed to support students with disabilities are scarce.

On Maryland’s Eastern Shore, lawyers and advocates for families said the spectrum of alternatives for students is limited by both money and geography. Those can include private, out-of-district placements and specialized classrooms for specific needs like dyslexia, for example.

In cases where children need targeted services unavailable in the local district, the district must allow them to be educated outside the school system—and pay for it.

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St. John’s aspires to become a beast of the Big East

By DERREL JOHNSON Special to the AmNews When St John’s University hired legendary basketball head coach Rick Pitino to lead the men’s basketball team, expectations were immediately raised for the Red Storm. The team was 18-15 a year ago and did not make a postseason appearance.

With a 10-4 record to begin the 2023-2024 college basketball season, including 2-1 in the Big East Conference, the team is off to a good start. But can Coach Pitino and the Red Storm compete with the best teams in the Big East?

They battled the 2023 NCAA champion Connecticut Huskies on the road two days before Christmas, but UConn pulled out a 69-65 win. Despite the loss, the team has won four out of five, defeating Fordham, Xavier, Hofstra, and Butler on Tuesday, where the Red Storm earned an 86-70 victory at Carnesecca Arena in Queens, New York.

They were led by senior guard Daniss Jenkins who scored 17

points and added 7 assists, 5 rebounds and 2 steals. Senior big man Joel Soriano posted 14 points and a team-high 12 rebounds. RJ Luis Jr., an uberathletic 6-7 sophomore guard contributed 14 points in his second game as a starter.

From Yonkers, New York, Soriano is the focal point of the Red Storm’s attack on both ends of the floor, leading the team with 17.1 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks.

Butler senior Chris Ledlum, a transfer from Harvard University, was questionable before the game against Butler with a sprained ankle after missing the previous game against Hofstra, but grinded out a strong 13-point, 11-rebound performance.

“I thought Ledlum deserved a lot of credit,” said Pitino. “He’s only about 70% back and he said, ‘I’ll play through it, coach.’ Our trainers did a great job in getting him ready. He gutted it out and we needed that.”

The Red Storm will face the Villanova Wildcats on the road this Saturday (1 p.m.).

St. John’s senior center Joel Soriano scored 14 points and had a team high 12 rebounds in a 86-70 victory over Butler on Tuesday. (redstormsports.com photo)

New professional women’s volleyball league launches

By LOIS ELFMAN Special to the AmNews While women’s volleyball has long been a popular collegiate sport, attempts to have a professional league for the indoor game have not been successful. With the U.S. women’s national team revving up to defend their Olympic gold and a spotlight on women’s sports, though, this spotlight has led to results.

On January 24, the Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF) launches.

For more than a decade, founders Dave Whinham and Stephen Evans have been talking about women’s volleyball as a pro sport. The long-time collaborators knew they wanted to do something, but were waiting for the right timing.

“We saw it as a great opportunity to have a sport that really you can do at its highest level and not be a minor leaguer,” said Evans. Television executives told them how much collegiate women’s volleyball has risen in viewership. “Obviously, [with] the momentum we’ve seen in women’s sports over the past few years, we came to the conclusion that it was the exact right thing at the exact right time.”

The PVF bills itself as “Real Pro Volleyball,” indicating that it operates at a major league level. The seven teams for the inau-

gural season are the Atlanta Vibe, Columbus Fury, Grand Rapids Rise, Omaha Supernovas, Orlando Valkyries, San Diego Mojo, and Vegas Thrill. The season will run until May and each team will play 24 matches—12 at home and 12 on the road. Teams will have 14 players on their rosters, plus two spots for practice squad players. For this season, each team is limited to two international players.

“Played at its highest level, the constant action is unmatched as it relates to team sports,” said Evans. “One of our players, Morgan Hentz (libero/Atlanta Vibe), said, ‘In women’s volleyball, something cool happens [at] every point.’ It’s also the fact that women’s volleyball is the only team sport…where the women’s version doesn’t take a back seat to the men’s version. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.”

Whinham and Evans attended the NCAA Championship game between Texas and Nebraska, and were blown away by the spectacle and excitement. Asjia O’Neal of the winning Texas Longhorns was the first pick in the PVF draft, but has not yet decided whether she will turn professional or return to Texas for another season.

“We’re endeavoring to bring the highestlevel women’s professional volleyball to the United States,” said Evans. “Ultimately, we want to be the premier women’s volleyball league in the world.”

University of Florida legend Aury Cruz

Shainah Joseph will play for Orlando Valkyries (Pro Volleyball Federation photos)

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Giants and Jets prepare for the end of their disappointing seasons

By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor This past September, there were reasonably high expectations among the New York football teams and their fans that when they reached the final weekend of the regular season, they would be looking ahead to making a run in the playoffs.

Instead, they will be dashing towards their winter vacations after falling well short of reaching postseason play. The 5-11 Giants will host the Philadelphia Eagles at MelLife Stadium on Sunday (4:25 p.m.) and the 6-10 Jets will end their campaign Sunday on the road facing the New England Patriots.

It has been an emotionally and physically painful four months for the Giants and Jets. Both of their starting quarterbacks suffered season-ending injuries. The Jets Aaron Rodgers ruptured his left Achilles in the opening game four snaps into season and the Giants’ Daniel Jones, who had already sat Weeks 6 through 8 with

was asked how he and the players will handle an off-season that is filled with uncertainty, notably the status of running back Saquon Barkley, who like last year will have his contract expire.

“Yeah, we focus on the opponent we are playing, doing as well as we can do, that’s the stuff that we’re focused on as a coaching staff and the players,” he said, deflecting from the major storyline surrounding the franchise.

“The business side of things, they’ll take care of themselves, but during the season we’re just locked into our opponent, doing what we need to do, practicing, preparing. That’s where all our focus is.”

The Jets will also be confronted with consequential personnel decisions. Do they draft a quarterback with their high pick in preparation for him to replace the The result is that going into 40-year-old Rodgers down the line their final games, the Giants once he retires or in case of anothhold the No. 5 pick in April’s NFL er injury?

Draft and the Jets No. 8.

Certainly both teams will be in Giants head coach Brian Daboll complete reset mode.

Saquon Barkley and the 5-11 Giants will finish the regular season on Sunday hosting the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium (Giants.com photo)

a neck injury, returned in Week 9 but tore the ACL in right knee.

The Jets’ offense was rendered impotent after Rodgers went out and the Giants, with backup

Tyrod Taylor having suffered four broken ribs in Week 8 against the Jets, keeping him on injured reserve for four weeks, lacked consistent production.

After capturing the HBCU football title, FAMUs Simmons heads to Duke

By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor

Willie Simmons (center, pictured after the SWAC championship) who led Florida A&M to the HBCU National Championship, has moved on to become Duke’s running backs coach (Florida A&M Athletics photo)

Willie Simmons has high aspirations. Perhaps as a coordinator or head coach at a much larger and better resourced college program than Florida A&M. Maybe someday he’ll be a position coach or coordinator in the NFL. For the moment, however, Simmons’s next opportunity on his career path after leading Florida A&M to the HBCU National Championship with a 30-26 win over Howard last month in the Celebration Bowl to cap a 12-1 season, will be at Duke University as their running backs coach.

He will join the staff of new head coach Manny Diaz, the former University of Miami head coach (2019-2021) and most recently Penn State defensive coordinator (2022-2023).

Diaz was hired by Duke early last month, replacing Mike Elko, who left the Durham, North Carolina school for the Texas A&M head coach position. The 43-year-old Simmons and Diaz previously worked together on

the staff of Middle Tennessee State (2007-2009).

Simmons took over the Rattlers program in 2018 after racking up a 21-11 record from 2015-18 as the head coach at Prairie View A&M. In six sea-

sons guiding Florida A&M, he was one of the most successful coaches in the MEAC and SWAC, finishing no lower than second in conference play and going 45-13 in all games.

In a statement, the Tallahas-

see, Florida, native who was a collegiate quarterback at Clemson and then The Citadel, thanked the Florida A&M community.

“I would like to start off by wishing everyone a Happy New

Year from my wife Shaia and me. 2023 was a year for the ages for Florida A&M University and the Rattlers Football Team… I came to FAMU in 2018 with the goal of returning Florida A&M Football to its rightful place at the top of HBCU and FCS football, and together as a FAMULY, we have done that. “…There are so many individuals who’ve played a pivotal role in our success. I want to thank (FAMU president) Larry Robinson for his leadership over these past six years. It’s very difficult to lead a collegiate football program at a place with such high expectations as FAMU without direct support from university leadership…

“I want to thank Vice President and Director of Athletics TiffaniDawn Sykes for helping make this past year one that allowed our team to achieve championship status… I want to thank my previous athletic directors, Dr. John Eason, Kortne Gosha, and Michael Smith for working diligently to stabilize the athletic department at FAMU and working to make a first-class experience for all the student-athletes at FAMU.”

January 4, 2024 - January 10, 2024 • 39

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NYC Division I women’s hoops gets heavy on conference play

By LOIS ELFMAN Special to the AmNews Non-conference action has wrapped up and the heat is fully on for New York City’s Division I women’s basketball teams. Ideally, the last two months have prepared them to take on their conference rivals in pursuit of carving paths to the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament in March.

Before diving into the six teams located across the five boroughs, there has to be a moment of reflection about a team that is missing. After the spring 2023 sports had concluded, St. Francis College in Brooklyn ended its entire athletic program. Here’s a final salute to the Terriers.

Let’s hold onto the glorious memory of the women’s basketball team winning the 2015 NEC title and a trip to the Big Dance.

That game was played against the University of Connecticut, and obviously UConn won (that was the Breanna Stewart era). At the conclusion, UConn coach Geno Auriemma embraced St. Francis team captain Sarah Benedetti and congratulated her for what the team had achieved.

Columbia University guard Abbey Hsu (Columbia Athletics photo)

Bronx Fordham University Under a new coaching staff, the Rams are 5–8. The team opened Atlantic 10 play last Saturday with a loss to Saint Joseph’s. Senior guard Taylor Donaldson is averaging 18.2 points per game.

Manhattan College The Jaspers have had a pretty good season so far. Their conference season started in mid-December, going 1–1 against MAAC teams.

They’re currently 8–3 overall. Junior

LIU guardAshley Austin (LIU Athletics photo)

guard Nitzan Amar is the team’s leading scorer.

the championship game of the WNIT last spring, but the winning spirit remains ferocious. Senior guard Abbey Brooklyn Hsu is setting records and garnering Long Island University national recognition. Ivy League play It’s been a rough non-conference opens on Saturday against Penn. season for the Sharks, who are 1–10.

NEC play starts this Saturday. Ashley Queens Austin is the team’s leading scorer.

St. John’s University The Red Storm started conferManhattan ence action with a win over VillaColumbia University nova at Madison Square Garden The roster of the Lions is quite dif- and a loss to Creighton in Nebrasferent from the team that made it to ka. Unique Drake and Jillian Archer

have been playing outstanding basketball, but need to step it up even more because Big East competition includes UConn, Marquette, Seton Hall, and DePaul.

Staten Island Wagner College It has also been rough going for the Seahawks, who went 3–9 in non-conference action. NEC play is a clean slate, and that gets going on Saturday. Junior guard Semie Brar is the leading scorer.

DeLisha Milton-Jones marks 100 wins as a Division I head coach

By LOIS ELFMAN Special to the AmNews Women’s Basketball Hall of Famer DeLisha Milton-Jones, head women’s basketball coach at Old Dominion University, likes to focus on the task at hand. Last Saturday, that was winning the Sun Belt Conference opener. After the Monarchs’ win over South Alabama, Milton-Jones was met with a joyous celebration from her players for her 100th win as a head coach.

“It makes me know that I’ve been at this for a minute,” said MiltonJones, who achieved the milestone in her sixth season as a head coach. “It feels like just yesterday when I got my first win against Nevada at Pepperdine; now here I am on number 100.”

Milton-Jones didn’t begin coaching until she concluded her WNBA career, which ran for 17 seasons and a then-record 499 games.

Over these past seven years, she has seen not only the growth in her players on and off the court, but also her own growth.

which she won two WNBA titles (2001 and ’02), coach Michael Cooper spent one off-season working closely with her and Lisa Leslie to fine-tune their games. Cooper used his connections to get them opportunities, such as having his former Lakers teammate James Worthy work with them.

“What I went through then, I can see clearly why we put an emphasis on the details of our players’ individual games and skillset, how we enhance it, and how they get better faster,” said Milton-Jones.

With 100 in the books, Milton-Jones is ready for more. That means taking it game by game, day by day. Next up is a home game tonight against the Ragin Cajuns of Louisiana.

“We try to win every day in hopes of winning every game,” said Milton-Jones. “It’s going to be us “For as long as I played the the aspect of four other individu- coaches and Olympic coaches… putting our heads down and congame…I was an individual who als on the court that I had to work Every coach [who] has impacted tinuing to grind our way through prided myself on listening well, with,” Milton-Jones said. “I have me, I pull from their wisdom and this season game by game, taking paying attention and not just un- to pay homage to my high school knowledge.” each opponent as they come, in derstanding the game for me, but coach, my college coach and all During Milton-Jones’s early days hopes of us being closer to being understanding the game from my pro coaches, international with the Los Angeles Sparks, with able to call ourselves champions.”

Old Dominion University women’s head basketball coach DeLisha Milton-Jones (ODU Athletics photo)

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06/08/23 A dramatic change01234 in the08/24/23 Knicks’ roster01344brings11/09/23 new hope

By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor Last week, in road losses versus the OklahoAM News ma City Thunder and Orlando Magic, emerging All Stars06/15/23 Jalen Williams and Franz Wagner, both characterized as small forwards, increased the Knicks’ urgency to acquire a wing player who could doggedly guard multiple positions and provide critically efficient scoring, particularly from beyond the 3-point line.

AM News The 22-year-old Williams scored a careerhigh 36 points in the 129-120 Knicks defeat 06/22/23 and Wagner, also 22, had 32 points in Orlando’s 117-108 victory. Since last season, OG Anunoby had been a player the Knicks desired to fill the void, and this past Saturday, they executed a trade to acquire him from the Toronto Raptors along with power forward AM News Precious Achiuwa and point guard Malachi Flynn in exchange for small forward RJ Bar06/29/23 rett, combo guard Immanuel Quickley, and a 2024 second round pick.

It was a move that led to deep emotions among the Knicks fan base, having a soft spot for the homegrown duo of Barrett and Quickley. franchise drafted Barrett AMThe News with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft and obtained Quickley on draft night 07/06/23 in 2020 (which was moved from its regular June date to November due to the COVID-19

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comings were problematic. Barrett showed flashes of being a cornerstone player, but was unable to maintain a requisite level of conAM News AM Newssistency the Knicks needed to help close the gap between them and the NBA’s best teams.

08/31/23 11/23/23 While Anunoby is not the franchise-altering star the Knicks still desire and must have to become a championship contender, he is a valuable component to building a complete roster.

Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau highlighted some of the 6-7, 240-pound AnunoAM News AM Newsby’s attributes ahead of his debut this past Monday at Madison Square Garden versus 09/07/23 11/23/23the Minnesota Timberwolves.

“I think what…he has shown, one he has positional size. Two, he can guard multiple positions. Three, he’s a terrific three-point shooter, so he can space the floor.”

AM News AM News The 26-year-old Anunoby, drafted by the pandemic), after the Thunder selected him beyond the range the Knicks were willing to Toronto Raptors in the first round (No. 23) at No. 25. Barrett was in09/14/23 his fifth season with commit to a player whose value substantial11/30/23in 2017, displayed his 2023 All Defensive the Knicks and Quickley his fourth. ly increased after he finished second in last Second Team prowess in 35 minutes, scorBoth played key roles in the Knicks’ ascen- season’s Sixth Man of the Year voting to then ing 17 points on 7-12 shooting, including sion from a bottom of standings team to a No. Boston Celtics guard and current Portland 3-6 from the 3-point line in a stirring 1125 seed in the Eastern Conference standings Trailblazer Malcolm Brogdon.

106 win over the Timberwolves. last season, and their first playoff appearance As for the 23-year-old Barrett, who signed The Knicks went into last night’s game since the 2012-13 campaign 2021. Yet, when a four-year, $120 million extensionAM in SepAMinNews Newsagainst the Chicago Bulls at the Garden 18-15 the Knicks and the 24-year-old Quickley failed tember of 2022, his career 42% overall career and No. 8 in the East. They will play the Philto reach an agreement on an extension of his shooting, 34% mark on 3-point attempts over adelphia 76ers tomorrow, the Washington 09/21/23 12/07/23 rookie contract by the October 22 deadline, it 297 games in a Knicks uniform— both below Wizards Saturday on the road, and host the signaled that his undisclosed asking price was the league averages—and defensive short- Portland Trailblazers at home next Tuesday.

On Saturday, the Knicks traded Immanuel Quickley (pictured with the ball) and RJ Barrett to the Toronto Raptors for forward (r) OG Anunoby (L: Bill Moore photo, R: NBA.com photo)

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07/13/23 The Nets’ coaching staff, led by Jacque Vaughn, are hoping backup forward/ center Day’Ron Sharpe and his teammates increase their collective physicality.

(Bill Moore photo)

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The Nets’ struggles to end 2023 carried over to the start of their schedule in 2024.

They went into the newAM year News on a three-game losing streak, falling to the Milwaukee Bucks at the Barclays Center 144-122 on December 10/05/23 27, then losing on the road to the Washington Wizards last Friday by 110-104, followed by a 124-108 defeat to the Thunder in Oklahoma City on New Year’s Eve. Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn expected a strong effort from the team on Tuesday in New Orleans when AM News they faced the Pelicans. Instead, Brooklyn 10/12/23 dropped their fourth straight, getting thoroughly beat 112-85. It was the Nets’ lowest point total of this season. They were 2-9 over their previous 11 games and the East Conference’s No. 9 seed at 15-19 before playing the Rockets in Houston last night (Wednesday).

AM News “Disappointed that we didn’t match their intensity and physicality from the beginning 10/19/23 of the game,” Vaughn said afterwards via the YES Network. “And it was literally [from] the first play of the game.”

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When pressed about the lack of 12/14/23 urgency starting lineup after the loss to the Bucks and from his team, Vaughn was blunt. has since come off of the bench, replaced in the “I was very concerned how we responded,” first five by Dorian Finney-Smith. Vaughn said he said. “We’ve been a team able to step up the move was to add more size and defense to to challenges and we didn’t do a lot of things open games. Thomas was 0-11 in 20 minutes well tonight. We didn’t shoot the basketball AM Newsand went scoreless versus the Pelicans. well, we didn’t rebound the basketball well.

“As a competitor, I want to be out there We had no physicality tonight and so when steady,” Thomas said after logging 24 min12/21/23 you have a list of items like that, you’re not utes and scoring 15 points against the gonna win a ball game.”

Wizards. “We got a lot of guys who could conBrooklyn shot just 35.7% overall (35-98) and tribute at any moment.”

25.6% (11-43) on 3-pointers. They were outBrooklyn opens a four-game home stand torebounded by the Pelicans 53-43. morrow in a rematch with the Thunder. They “It really is like a boxing match,”AM he said.

Newswill play the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday, “When you get hit, how are you going to re- the Cleveland Cavaliers next Thursday and spond? We can’t think that making 12/28/23 shots is close it out hosting the Miami Heat on MLK the response. That’s the first piece of it. And Day on January 15. so the deflections come from their activity level, their ability to climb into us and really put us on our heels.

“Now they’re longer, they’re stronger... And, AMthen News if you’re really desperate about winning, you’ll dive on the floor. You’ll do it all.”

01/24/24 Nets guard Cam Thomas, who is the team’s leading scorer (22.4 points per game prior to playing the Rockets), was removed from the