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A truce in Congo ends soon. Aid groups say it could be lost opportunity to help civilians
By RUTH ALONGA Associated Press
GOMA, Congo—A two-week truce in eastern Congo has heavily reduced fighting, but with a week left, aid workers and local civil society groups say not much help has reached millions of people who are trapped in one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises.
The two-week humanitarian cease-fire was announced by the U.S. a week ago, bringing a pause to clashes between Congolese forces and rebels allegedly backed by neighboring Rwanda in the mineral-rich region. Fighting has intensified this year, especially in the North Kivu province, where hundreds of thousands have been displaced.
The two-week period is not enough, said Abdoulaye Barry, head of the sub-office of the U.N. refugee agency in the region, and even during the truce, there have been reports of continuing violence in Masisi territory near Goma, the capital of North Kivu.
“Even in accessible areas, the displaced suffer because resources are limited,” said Barry, adding that the agency has yet to deploy additional resources.
In the Bulengo displaced persons camp, one of the region’s largest, news of the truce brought joy that quickly faded when aid failed to arrive, said Faustin Mahoro, 45, a refugee and head of the camp.
“We continue to suffer from the lack of hu-
manitarian support,” said Mahoro. “We don’t see the benefit of a humanitarian truce if humanitarian aid does not reach us.”
According to Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, when asked reporters at U.N. headquarters in New York why aid isn’t being delivered to eastern Congo, “This truce was an extraordinary effort, and I think it was an extraordinary step forward to get this cease-fire. It is still ongoing,
and we will continue to push for the cease-fire to last longer, so that we can get humanitarian assistance in. The situation is still evolving, but we have not given up on getting the assistance directly to people, but in the meantime, we will be pushing for extending the truce.” Far from the nation’s capital, Kinshasa, eastern Congo, has long been overrun by more than 120 armed groups that have carried out
International leaders gather for 18th annual Human Rights Summit at the U.N.
By JASON PONTEROTTO Special to the AmNews
On Nelson Mandela Day (July 18), the 18th annual Human Rights Summit kicked off at the United Nations. Representatives and ambassadors attended from more than 50 countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bolivia, Bahamas, Sri Lanka, and the U.S. The summit was organized by the Church of Scientology and United for Human Rights (UHR), and hosted by the Permanent Mission of Timor-Leste to the U.N.
In her statements, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield emphasized the need for world leaders to listen to their youth.
“We need more young people in the rooms where decisions are being made,” Greenfield said. “You’re thinking critically about diversity, equity and inclusion, and justice, pushing us all to be better advocates and allies to the most marginalized among us.”
The summit also celebrated the work of the Youth Delegates, a group of young activists from the Youth for Human Rights international program of the UHR. It was founded by
international human rights educator and Scientologist Mary Shuttleworth.
One of the youth delegates celebrated was Mohammad Diallo, 32, who represents Guinea. He is a human rights attorney and runs a nonprofit organization, the Amedine International Citizens Center, that provides educational resources and job training to young people in developing countries. Diallo said his mission is to provide young Africans with opportunities in their countries and curb
the high number of deaths in migration in the Mediterranean Sea. According to the International Organization for Migration, around 29,984 migrants have gone missing during their route over the Mediterranean.
“It’s so vital that we get involved now,” Diallo said about leaders of all generations working together to create change.
Other panels included discussions about applying human rights through law, education, arts, and media.
See CONGO on page 29
A mother, Mapendo, sits with her child outside her tent at refugee camp on outskirts of Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Top U.N. official in Congo welcomed a two-week humanitarian cease-fire on Monday, July 8. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)
Delegates from Youth for Human Rights International at the United Nations. (Jason Ponterotto photo)
Mayor vs. Speaker: the advice and consent ballot battle
By ARIAMA C. LONG Amsterdam News Staff
The ongoing rivalry between City Council and City Hall, long an open secret progressing toward common knowledge, continues to quietly rage on with another decree dividing the two public entities.
Speaker Adrienne Adams moved to file the advice-and-consent law with the Board of Elections (BOE) last week so it can appear as a question on the ballot for New Yorkers to vote on in the general election this November, while Mayor Eric Adams concluded his charter revision hearings this week.
The advice-and-consent law, introduced May 23, allows the
City Council to approve mayoral appointments for agency commissioners. It was adopted after a majority of councilmembers passed it June 6. Shortly after the law’s introduction, Mayor Adams convened the Mayor’s Charter Revision Commission (CRC) to change the city’s constitution with a particular emphasis on public safety and “fiscal responsibility.” The commission’s first meeting was held May 29. The last CRC convened in 2019 to review the city’s charter through a racial justice lens and took nearly a year to hold public hearings.
The final commission report was released July 23, before the last meeting. The CRC received more than 2,300 written comments and
its 12 meetings were attended by more than 750 people in-person and virtually, said the city.
The mayor’s CRC ballot proposals include amendments to expand the sanitation department’s authority over city property and trash cans; assess the fiscal impact of proposed local laws and address “inefficient budget deadlines”; improve the city’s capital planning process; improve minority- and women-owned business enterprises (M/WBEs); and establish requirements and a prior vote for City Council laws centering around public safety.
The latter amendment dicates that if the City Council moves to pass any future legislation applying
See MAYOR VS SPEAKER on page 25
Former DOE teacher shocked by $1,000 fine for selling water and chips without a license on 125th Street
By TANDY LAU Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member
Brooklyn resident Edgar Telesford was slapped with a $1,000 summons for selling bottled water and pre-packaged chips without a license from the NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY) last June. A former teacher, Telesford was ticketed near the famed Apollo Theater on 125th in Harlem and says the fine is a major setback for remaining financially independent.
“I have to sell 3,000 bottles of water to be able to pay for that
Deed theft can now lead to prison time, says AG James
By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff
New York homeowners now have additional shields from deed theft with a new law on the books taking effect.
Attorney General Letitia James recently revealed the expansion of her ability to prosecute anyone who steals a property owner’s home title or deed in the state.
There are infrequent reports of scammers who have forged the fake signatures of homeowners onto a deed or stories of financially desperate homeowners who were talked into signing the title to their home over to seemingly legitimate mortgage lend -
ers, but then end up signing away the rights to their home.
Earlier this month, James announced the sentencing to prison of 48-year-old Marcus Wilcher of Bay Shore, Long Island for his part as the leader of a five-member deed theft crew that forged documents, marketed, and sold the homes of elderly and disabled homeowners in Jamaica and St. Albans, Queens. In one case, Wilcher even created documentation that made him appear to be the son of an elderly female homeowner, so that he could sell her home, valued at $320,000, to investors. Another Long Island-based fraudster, 60-year-old Joseph Makhani, used forged documents
and shell companies to purloin two Harlem brownstones located at 107 West 118th Street and 135 West 131st Street. Makhani reportedly paid $10 for each property, which were later jointly valued for as much as $4.7 million.
Although unusual, such cases have been taking place in many of New York City’s rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods. This past November, The City reported that “[o]ver the last decade, at least 3,500 complaints of deed theft have been filed in New York City, according to the New York City Sheriff’s Office. Most of the complaints originate in Brooklyn and Queens.”
ticket,” he said. “I walk up and down on 125th Street, from 125th to Marcus Garvey [Park], and I may sell about five to 10 bottles of water each time I walk the five to six blocks. And that was my route, and they caught me on my route.
“You could imagine how many times I would have to walk that route to pay for that ticket, and then pay rent and then buy something to eat.”
$1,000 marks the typical fine for section 17-307 (a)(1) of the city’s health code, which bans individuals from serving as a food vendor without a license.
Compliance can be tough. Mobile food vendors require both a license for handling food and a permit to set up shop. So after completing the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s licensing requirements, a vendor like Telesford would also need a permit.
“A lot of people cannot access the permits because there are caps on the number of these permits that goes back to the ‘80s,” said Mohamed Attia, managing director of the Street Vendor Project. “The only change that happened to this cap was really recent
Vendor Edgar Telesford (left). (Photo courtesy of Edgar Telesford)
See VENDORS on page 29
Speaker Adrienne Adams and councilmembers announce advice and consent ballot question for November general election on July 18, 2024. (John McCarten/NYC Council Media Unit)
Attorney General Letitia James (Bill Moore photo)
With Harris topping the ticket, money and energy infuse the Democratic Party
By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews
In a statement posted to X, President Biden finally conceded to the intense pressure for him to end his reelection dream on Sunday. “While it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term. I will speak to the nation later this week in more detail about my decision.”
He thanked Vice President Kamala Harris “for being an extraordinary partner in all this work,” and later endorsed her as his choice to replace him at the top of the Democratic ticket. “My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my vice president,” he wrote. “And it’s been the best decision I’ve made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year.”
Their voices blended as one on Monday when Harris, 59, traveled to Delaware for her first major address after receiving the baton from Biden. Harris quickly cut to the chase with an opening salvo on reproductive rights, which is sure to be a key talking point as she prepares for Trump—a showdown between a former prosecutor and a convicted felon. “Knowing if Trump gets the chance, he will sign a national abortion ban to outlaw abortion in every single state,” she warned. “But we are not going to let that happen.”
Her energy was expansive and animated, and she offered her credentials when it comes to dealing with lawbreakers. “Predators who abused women, fraudsters who ripped off consumers, cheaters who broke the rules for their... gain,” she said. “So, hear me when I say, I know Donald Trump’s type.”
She was assailing Trump when President Biden called in from his isolation, cheering Harris on and expressing his love for her, feelings that were mutually exchanged. “You’re an amazing team,” Biden said of Harris and the campaign staff. And even more astoundingly, Harris raked in more than $81 million in one day, money donated by thousands of Americans—not like the significant
See GOVT on page 27
Prepping for a fight, N.Y. Dems, leaders, line up for Kamala
By ARIAMA C. LONG Amsterdam News Staff
Bowing to the last month of relentless anxiety since his debate against ex-president Donald Trump and increased calls to drop out of the 2024 presidential election race, President Joe Biden officially announced this past Sunday that he would not be seeking his party’s nomination, and subsequently endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his potential replacement.
Harris is the first Black, first South Asian American, and first woman vice president in the U.S., now potentially facing a historic road to become the second Black president, and the first woman or South Asian to hold the office.
“My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” Biden told supporters Sunday, kicking off an action-packed remainder to the weekend that saw millions of dollars raised for
Harris almost instantaneously. “My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best decision I’ve made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.” Biden’s exit from the race and endorsement of Harris has caused a monumental upswing in the energy surrounding the upcoming Democratic National Convention (DNC) in August and the general election in November. Despite the bittersweetness, many fellow Democrats have expressed their sheer gratitude to Biden for deciding to drop out.
“As a longtime friend of Joe Biden’s, I was saddened that he did step down. I’m sure it was done with much thought by him and his family and I respect that,” Dr. Hazel N. Dukes, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) New York State Conference, told the AmNews Monday afternoon.
Kamala Harris challenges history, reuniting communities in presidential bid
By ASHLEIGH FIELDS Special to the AmNews
Kamala Harris is the first Black woman since 1972 to challenge white male ideology as a prerequisite for becoming an American presidential candidate.
After President Joe Biden dropped out of the race on Sunday and moved to endorse Harris, the sitting vice president immediately broke records with donor support, racking up nearly $50 million in 48 hours from Republicans and Democrats alike.
Over the course of those two days, 80,000 Black men and women joined various task force-hosted Zoom calls to voice their support, shock, and steadfast love for Harris.
“It was after midnight before the ladies finally called it a night. The excitement, unity, display of sisterhood and anticipated success was overwhelming,” Veronica McGriff Wallace, a resident of swing state North Carolina, posted on Facebook after the Sunday nightWin with BlackWomen call.
“To think that link went out within the day of the announcement and still drew over 40,000 women of color from all walks of life represents who we are.”
Grassroots donors pooled together $1.6 million through individual donations in just three hours during the initial meeting. The next night, 50,000 men joined Roland Martin’s Black Star Network succeeding with the same goal of crowdfunding to propel Harris as a frontrunner in the 2024 election.
The following days were dotted with rollouts of smaller, more intimate conversations with lawmakers, Black Greek letter organizations, and advocacy groups, a collective display of Harris’ representation of the cross sections of American life and ideals. All six of the nation’s Black attor-
ney generals—one of many titles Harris has held in her trajectory, once in her home state of California—put out a joint statement pledging full support to Harris.
“There is no one more qualified to lead and continue to uphold the values of our nation,” New York Attorney General (and, like Harris, Howard University alumna) Letitia James said in a joint statement on Sunday alongside Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford.
Born to an Indian mother and Jamaican father and raised in Oakland in 1964, Harris holds a vibrant and voracious vision for the nation she has always called home.
As a Howard graduate, she was steeped in Black-
centric curricula rooted in fundamental values of equality, truth, and service. Those morals still guide her today as she now faces former president and convicted felon Donald Trump in a head-on challenge for the position of commander in chief.
“Before I was elected as vice president, before I was elected as United States senator, I was the elected attorney general, as I’ve mentioned, of California. And before that, I was a courtroom prosecutor,” Harris said, slating her resume at the first campaign event in Wilmington. “In those roles, I took on perpetrators of all kinds, predators who abused women, fraudsters who ripped off consumers, cheaters who broke the rules for their own gain. So, hear me when I say: I know Donald Trump’s type.”
This direct approach at calling out Trump for past discrepancies ignited the audience prompting an emotional response from viewers in person and remotely.
“This campaign is not just about us versus Donald Trump. There is more to this campaign than that,” Harris continued. “Our campaign has always been about two different versions of what we see as the future of our country, two different visions for the future of our country: one focused on the future, the other focused on the past.”
Other Americans strongly agree, citing this election as a pivotal marker in the country’s civil liberties for the next 10 decades.
“Once the news about Biden broke, it felt like we collectively moved through a natural chain of succession emotions and events—from sadness to pride, and then onto momentum and hope,” Courtney Stockland, a caucasian donor from D.C. told the AmNews. “I was moved to donate to Vice President Harris’ campaign, my first contribution of this cycle, in honor of President Biden’s
President Joe Biden (left) and Vice President Kamala Harris (right). (Photo by Adam Schultz)
Kamala Harris at a 2017 protest (Photo courtesy of The United States Senate - Office of Senator Kamala Harris)
Sherwin Banfield cements his legacy as NYC’s hip hop luminary, one sculpture at a time
By ENOCH NAKLEN Special to the AmNews
In today’s world, where art can often be produced through artificial means, the genuine human connection behind a piece of art becomes increasingly valuable. This is why the most passionate art stands out and endures over time. For local luminary Sherwin Banfield, this passion springs from a deep “wonderment in the alchemy of art.” Banfield’s curiosity has always been rooted in understanding the structure and indirect impact of art. His exploration was particularly influenced by hip hop, which provided a cultural gateway after his move to Harlem. As an immigrant from Trinidad and Tobago, Banfield and his brother delved into New York’s history through the lens of hip hop pioneers like Kool DJ Red Alert and the Notorious B.I.G. As he matured, sculpting emerged as Banfield’s chosen medium and his entry into the art world. Graduating with honors from the Parsons School of Design in 1999, Banfield immediately engaged in various mentorships across New York City. His journey included participation in numerous programs, culminating in an opportunity to attend the Studio Art Centers International in Florence, Italy, in 2007. This international experience allowed Banfield to seek knowledge and refine his artistic skills, deepening his understanding of how to express himself through sculpture. By 2009, Banfield had returned to New York City and joined the Arts
artist through multiple citywide exhibitions.
During these early years, Banfield came to appreciate the discipline required to surpass previously perceived limitations. Immersing himself in diverse cultures and artistic expressions enabled him to pour his soul into his work, achieving heights he had once thought unattainable.
“The process of creating art reveals the strength of the mind. Engaging in such a marathon teaches you that there are possibilities beyond excuses,” Banfield tells AmNews This period was critical for Banfield, solidi-
Black
New Yorker
fying his path as a sculpture artist. His dedication was evident in numerous gallery exhibitions across New York City, where his meticulous attention to detail and creative vision distinguished him. It wasn’t until 2017, however, that Banfield began making notable contributions to outdoor infrastructures through collaborative projects with nonprofit organizations around the city.
As Banfield’s experience evolved, hip hop became a significant source of inspiration for many of his artworks. His installations gained widespread recognition across all five boroughs. Noteworthy pieces include the G.O.A.T. sculpture of LL Cool J, which the
Queens native publicly cosigned on network television, and the 9-foot “Sky’s the Limit” sculpture in Cortlandt Park, which pays homage to his childhood hero, the Notorious B.I.G., who recorded a song of the same name on his final album in his lifetime.
Banfield’s work seamlessly integrates various societal aspects into expansive designs. He emphasizes that collaborating with experts from diverse fields feels natural due to a shared commitment to advancing cultural initiatives.
“It’s an organic process. When you are devoted to bringing an idea to life, you encounter people, places, and resources that the universe reveals as valuable assets,” Banfield said.
Today, Banfield continues to expand his impressive portfolio as a sculpture artist. On Saturday, July 20, he honored another childhood idol, Kool DJ Red Alert, with the “YEAA-a-a-aa-ah!” sculpture, which now stands proudly in Harlem’s Montefiore Park. Cementing his piece in Harlem represents a continuation of the cultural legacy that profoundly influenced his life. He often reminisces about Harlem-based sculptors like Augusta Savage, whom he admires for her perseverance to overcome racism and sexism to leave a lasting impact on her community. Banfield now feels honored to contribute to that legacy.
“Harlem is a magical place with a rich history. Just knowing that I am sharing space with those who helped birth some of the greatest Black talents… being part of that legacy is truly special,” Banfield said.
Student League of New York, where he began to make his mark as a sculpture
This Saturday, Banfield unveiled his “YEAA-a-a-a- a-ah!” sculpture, honoring one of his childhood influences, Kool DJ Red Alert. (Enoch Naklen photos)
Cacophony for Kamala—NYS Dems endorsement solidified
By ARIAMA C. LONG Amsterdam News Staff
New York’s 268 delegates—the country’s second-largest collective of Democratic delegates—agreed unanimously to endorse Harris in an emergency virtual call with Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York State Democratic Committee Chair Jay Jacobs this week.
In the handful of days since President Joe Biden decided to back Vice President Kamala Harris as the new presumptive Democratic presidential nominee for 2024, she’s already secured dozens of state endorsements and raised $81 million in contributions.
“I ask you to join me in pledging your support to Vice President Kamala Harris, a proven leader and the future first woman president of the United States,” Hochul wrote in a letter to her state judicial delegates dated July 22, calling Harris “a champion of justice who will fight every single day for a woman’s right to choose, middle-class families, and for the integrity of our democracy.”
Presidential candidates need at least 300 electronic signatures from delegates at the Democratic National Committee (DNC) convention to be considered the nominee. Nearly 4,000 pledged delegates can vote on the first ballot at the convention, PBS reported.
Dems are planning an electronic roll call vote sometime in the first week of August, but rules for that procedure have to be finalized by July 26. The first candidate to win a majority of delegates will be the nominee. Should other candidates come to the forefront alongside Harris, her campaign will be allotted time to convince delegates to give her their vote.
The DNC conference will be held in Chicago from August 19 to 22.
Harris garnered overwhelming support out the gate following Sunday’s ground-shaking development, particularly from Black women voters, organizers, sororities, and elected officials both locally and nationally.
“If anybody gets in our way, up and down the ballot, we’ll remember people who left us because we’ve never left them,” Dr. Hazel N. Dukes, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) New York State Conference, told the AmNews. Dukes was one of the first delegates to endorse Congressmember Shirley Chisholm in 1972 for a historic presidential run. She is poised and excited to pledge her vote as a delegate for Harris in the virtual DNC vote, she said.
Brooklyn Assemblymember Stefani Zinerman, who joined more than 44,000 others on a #WinWithBlackWomen fundraising call that raised $1.5 million for Harris, said she was already committed to the Biden/Harris ticket, so the mission for her remains the same.
“I officially endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for President of the United States of America. Her experience as a prosecutor, Attorney General, U.S. Senator, and Vice President makes her the most qualified candidate in the presidential race,” Zinerman said in a statement. “Her un-
Vice President Kamala Harris (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
wavering advocacy for reproductive rights, historic vote for the American Rescue Plan, and leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and on the world stage are just some of the reasons for pledging my support. ”
Ny Whitaker, a former White House senior advisor, founder of the New York for Biden+Harris presidential campaign group, and founder and chief strategist at PROJECT NYNE PRODUCTIONS, said she’s excited to add her voice to the growing chorus of those in support of Harris.
“As a Black woman, [I’m] ready to go into gladiator mode,” Whitaker said. Her campaign group has been supporting Biden since 2019, she said, pivoting during COVID-19–related lockdowns to digital advocacy. They taught volunteers how to use virtual meetings, textbanking, and phone banking to get the vote out instead of more traditional inperson methods. Once Biden was in office in 2020, they continued working to support candidates like Councilmember Yusef Salaam in Harlem and U.S. Senator Rev Raphael Warnock in Georgia.
While the national Democratic Party had a conniption over Biden’s debate performance and called for him to drop out of the race for a month, some historically Black-led New York City Dem clubs, as well as Whitaker’s organization, were determined to ride it out with him all the way to November.
“We’re a diverse group, so yes, there were probably people in our group that were concerned, but it wasn’t something at the top of people’s minds,” Whitaker said. “What was at the top was preventing Project 2025. We were more looking at what’s at stake. We love Uncle Joe and this has been a tremendous show of selflessness, but prior to the last 24 hours, we were all in for him and really felt that the country needed that as a statement.”
A quick rebrand to New York for Harris has hit the ground running with all the energy
they had for Biden, Whitaker said. They have planned rolling weekly phone and text banks, forums about abortion access and women candidates, fun fundraising events like “cocktails and calls,” virtual ebanks, and pop-up educational series about voting rights and Project 2025. They also will host local debate watch parties to mobilize voters for Harris.
In an effort to also show up and show out for Black women, a #WinWithBlackMen live zoom discussion hosted by media personality Roland Martin saw more than 50,000 Black organizers, fraternities, and elected officials gather virtually for Harris. They raised $1.3 million in four hours.
“I hope we can match what our Black sisters have done,” said founder and CEO of the Strategies for Change Group Khalil Thompson on the July 22 call. He outlined ways to get involved: “Sign up for a shift, go out and knock on a door, talk to your brother when you’re at the shop getting your haircut and getting lined up. Make sure you talk to someone about voting.”
Some Black state delegates were concerned that people’s eagerness to support Harris would be criticized as undemocratic—a fear of an uphill legal battle from Republicans or within the party, should that be the case.
Mayor Eric Adams spoke highly about Biden when he announced he would not seek reelection, but didn’t immediately endorse Harris. Adams is a delegate and will be attending this year’s DNC. In an interview with CNN on July 21, Adams initially said he didn’t want to do anything that would interfere with the DNC voting process and looked forward to conferring with “other delegates and the leaders of the party to determine our next steps.” On its surface, Adams’s answer was perceived as similar to former President Barack Obama’s lack of endorsement for Harris.
“This is moving very quickly because time is not on our side, but I do agree that this shouldn’t be a coronation,” Whitaker said. “It should be a process where those who are elected or appointed to represent us actually exercise the will of the people and officially nominate her. We don’t want anyone to categorize this as a DEI hire. We want this to be the will of the people and make sure everyone is invested in this journey together.”
A scheduled meeting with the media on July 23 fell after Hochul’s delegate Zoom call, by which time Adams had changed his tune:
“When it comes down to the VP, my endorsement of her, it was extremely fresh that the president has decided not to run,” he said.
“I have a great deal of respect for President Biden, not only for his role as president, but a person who has overcome just a series of tragedies. As someone who has experienced their own tragedies, there was a moment to let the president go through his moment of leaving the race. I reached out to the leaders in the city, and I reached out to Jay Jacobs, who’s head of the party. We had a good conversation. I hope it’s not lost on anyone that when the VP ran for president in the primary, I endorsed her. I hope that’s not lost on you. I was with her in 2020 when everyone was in the race.”
For a minority of Black voters in the city, Biden’s announcement to leave the race was upsetting. Nick E. Smith, former first deputy public advocate under Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, said that Biden was “forced out” and that the “Democratic Party made one of the dumbest political moves.” He said that even with limitations and his age, Biden could still have won.
“This is not about the vice president—a great leader in her own right—but about the party,” Smith clarified in a statement. “Our kids’ lives are on the chopping block, and the party better do what it can to make Vice President Harris the next leader of the free world.”
Home sweet yours
Go With The Flo
FLO
“Divorce Court” judge Star Jones threw a fabulous get-together recently at her mansion in the town of Wainscott in the Hamptons. Jones’s guests included “Black Hamptons” actress Vanessa Bell Calloway, who was also spotted at the beach in the historically Black Hamptons section of Sag Harbor, along with Johnnie Cochran’s widow Dale Cochran, Tina Knowles and others. Under a photo of the lovely ladies, Star posted on Instagram, “Hanging with the girls and having a fun day with our boys in the Hamptons.” The magnificent Miss Tina posted a photo of the ladies with the caption, “Last night was a blast! All these gorgeous ladies danced the night away!”.........
As the Olympics opening approaches on July 26 in Paris, on July 25, Vogue magazine is throwing a party at the Foundation Louis Vuitton. Pharrell Williams, director of Louis Vuitton’s men’s collections, is co-hosting the soiree along with Vogue editor Anna Wintour, LVMH owner Bernard Arnault, and actor turned entertainment mogul Brian Roberts. Tennis champion Serena Williams is among the celebrities expected to attend. Said Pharrell, “The Olympic Games are a celebration of diversity, humanity and creativity, everything that brings us together as human beings.”..........
Two days prior to being named United States’ presidential candidate when President Joe Biden announced he is leaving the race, Vice President Kamala Harris stopped by Tyra Banks’s Smize and Dream ice-cream pop-up store in Washington D.C. on July 19, reported Women’s Wear Daily. Accompanied by her adorable nieces, Madame Vice President was looking very sporty in a cream blazer, white tshirt, and black pants. Banks’s ice cream business is named after her slogan “smize,” which was made popular on her show America’s Next Top Model. Smize means “Smile Through Your Eyes.” Now, a presidential candidate, Madame Harris posted on Instagram, “Thank you for having us, Tyra. I look forward to seeing your continued investment in the ambition and aspirations of the D.C. Community.”
A member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, which she pledged at Howard University, Madame is the first member of the Divine Nine (Delta Sigma Theta, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Zeta Phi Beta, Sigma Gamma Rho, Kappa Alpha Psi, Alpha Phi Alpha, Omega Psi Phi, Phi Beta Sigma) to run for president ......
WE TV announced Philadelphia native and raptress Rocky has been crowned the winner of its first-ever music competition reality series, “Deb’s House.” The series follows music mogul extraordinaire Deb Antney, who is the pioneering force behind A-list artists like French Montana, Gucci Mane and Nicki Minaj, as Antney searches throughout the USA for hip hop’s next female superstar femcee. Said Rocky, “I’m overwhelmed and honored to have been chosen as the winner of ‘Deb’s House,’ amongst these very talented artists. This journey has been an incredible experience and I’m so grateful Ms. Deb believed in me. Now, more than ever, I know whatever is meant for you will get to you..... never let anyone rush your process!”......
Young voters weigh in on ‘too old’ Biden stepping aside
By YASMIN MINOS Special to AmNews
QUESTION:
“How do you feel about President Biden leaving the campaign and how do you feel about Vice President Harris as the potential nominee?”
Coast Victor - Bronx resident, Age 22:
“[Biden leaving the campaign] was very surprising and actually very scary because I as a gay man who is 22 years old and doesn’t really know much politically, I just don’t want another person to try and set us back like Trump with all of the abortion laws and anti-trans laws and making rights for women in general and LGBT [something that’s at risk]. It’s like something to think about and scary to think about now.”
Xavier Pierre - Flatbush resident, Age 21: “I think Joe Biden dropping out of the election definitely changes things because he was probably the biggest person in the Democratic Party. He was really old and he didn’t make a lot of mistakes in his speeches before. So, I think it was eventually going to happen. It’s up to whatever happens now, with Trump running and maybe Kamala. I feel like she [Harris] has a chance. I hope she does get it, you know, being the first female, Black president. That would be pretty cool.”
ANTHONY
See CAMPAIGN on page 31
Xavier Pierre
Coast Victor (Yasmin Minos photos)
Courtney
Brooklyn honors legacy of Dr. Beny Primm with street naming
Dr. Beny J. Primm, an advocate who worked tirelessly for New Yorkers suffering from addiction, as well as those with HIV/AIDS, was honored in Brooklyn with a street-naming ceremony
where the first of his Addiction Research and Treatment Corporation clinics, now known as START NY, was located. Deputy Mayor Wright was among those who attended the ceremony.
Primm Way (Bill Moore photos)
Jeanine Primm Jones (Daughter)
Hon. Horne & Family
Primm Family: Ken, Eraka, India, Annelle, Marnne, Jeanine, Adelia
Union Matters
Labor speaks on President Biden’s withdrawal, supports Kamala’s candidacy
By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff
Organized labor, a stalwart voting base of the Democratic Party, has spent the week praising the union-aligned work of President Joe Biden after he said he would withdraw his bid for re-election in 2024.
“Thank you, President Biden,” SEIU (Service Employees International Union) International President April Verrett wrote in one of many statements issued. “There is no other president in recent U.S. history who has done more for working people. President Biden has given workers fighting for unions—Black, white, Brown, and beyond—a voice at the White House, used his bully pulpit to challenge CEOs and was the first president to walk a picket line.
“We are incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished under the Biden-Harris administration, including executive action to lift up care workers, record job and wage growth, debt relief for millions of student borrowers, lower prescription drug prices for seniors and historic legislation to address our climate crisis,” Verrett continued. “We respect his decision to step out of the race and appreciate his endorsement of Vice President Harris to finish the job they started.”
On top of recognizing Biden for his work, labor leaders lined up to endorse Kamala Harris as the best candidate to further efforts for union workers. Within hours of the announcement of Harris’s candidacy, some of the nation’s largest unions began endorsing her.
On July 22, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) became the first union to endorse Harris when its members unanimously ratified a resolution endorsing her candidacy at the 2024 AFT convention in Houston, Texas. In part of its rationale, the AFT noted that “Biden and Harris know that union membership can be transformative and provides a pathway to the middle class, and have supported worker rights; Trump relentlessly attacks unions and sought to weaken workers’ voice through appointing anti-worker voices to the National Labor Relations Board; and… there is still much work to be done on important economic, climate, healthcare, housing, child care, voting rights and education issues—here and abroad—including addressing the cost of food, gas and housing; and it is clear that Harris understands these issues, share our values and is the right choice in 2024.”
“It is regrettable that with such a stellar record of achievements, there was ever any doubt about President Biden’s ability to lead,” George Gresham, president of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, said. “Nevertheless, his decision to pass the torch to Vice President Harris reflects
his longstanding commitment to putting the American people before personal ambition.”
“Vice President Harris has been a proven ally of the IBEW,” said International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) International President Kenneth W. Cooper.
“Working by President Biden’s side, she cast the deciding vote to save our pensions. Their administration created good union jobs through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the American Rescue Act, the Inflation Reduction Act and the CHIPS and Science Act.
“IBEW members know Vice President Harris and have engaged with her over the last four years as she’s visited our job sites, union halls and training facilities. She has listened to us, and we stand confident that she will continue this administration’s extraordinary record on behalf of working people when she is sworn into office next January.”
“Kamala Harris believes in the promise of America––freedom, equality, opportunity, and justice for all,” said Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU).
“She is exactly the person we need to be elected president of the United States. We know that she will fight for working people
and we proudly endorse Kamala Harris for President.
“Kamala Harris is the person best positioned to continue and expand the work of the most pro-union administration in our nation’s history. In four short years, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and the BidenHarris administration have been able to reinvest trillions of dollars to rescue the economy, to rebuild our nation’s infrastructure and to create opportunity in every community through the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the American Rescue Plan. They’ve taken action to protect and uplift workers at every turn.”
Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) International President John Costa said his union was now ready to “focus on building on the progress of the past three and a half years by electing the first female president, the woman who has played a key role in so many of the successful policies that have benefited our members and all working families. For ATU members, this means further progress on transit worker safety through minimum vehicle safety standards on buses, investing in public transportation operating assistance to keep critical bus service on the road for transit dependent riders, and expansion of apprenticeship programs to ensure that transit workers
have the skills for the transition to electric buses to keep their jobs and help transit agencies operate efficiently and safely. We know that Kamala Harris will fight for us on these issues, because she has already been doing so as vice president.”
“Since the very beginning of her career in California — the nation’s largest agricultural producer — Kamala Harris has proven herself a loyal friend of all working people,” the United Farm Workers wrote in their endorsement. “Dime con quien andas, y te digo quien eres. (Tell me who you are with, and I’ll tell you who you are.) Vice President Harris has stood with farm workers as California attorney general, as a United States senator, and as vice president. The United Farm Workers could not be prouder to endorse her for president of the United States. Together, we continue the work of building an America that works for all of its working people. ¡Sí Se Puede!”
The Communications Workers of America (CWA) deemed the Biden-Harris administration “the most pro-labor administration in any of our lifetimes.” The union said it is resolved to “enthusiastically [support] the election of Kamala Harris as president of the United States [and] will organize, educate and mobilize our members to support Kamala Harris for president, to elect members of Congress who support our work to rebuild power for working people, and to ensure that everyone understands what is at stake in this election.”
“[T]he most important political priority for working people is preventing a second term for Donald Trump,” the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades said in a statement. “There’s no better candidate to keep the anti-worker Trump-Vance ticket and their Project 2025 as far away from the Oval Office as possible than Vice President Harris.”
“The AFL-CIO is proud of our early and steadfast support for the Biden-Harris administration, and now we’ll ratchet up our mass mobilization of union workers to elect Vice President Harris as president,” said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler. “Like Harris, the labor movement doesn’t back down—and we’ll never shy away from a tough fight when the future of workers and unions is on the line. Together, we will defeat Donald Trump, J.D. Vance, and their devastating anti-worker Project 2025 agenda in November.”
“Vice President Harris has been cracking the glass ceiling her whole career,” declared AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees) President Lee Saunders. “Now she has the opportunity to become the first woman and the first woman of color to hold the highest office in the land. And AFSCME will help her get there.”
SEIU International President April Verrett said: “We respect [Biden’s] decision to step out of the race and appreciate his endorsement of Vice President Harris to finish the job they started.” (SEIU photo)
Kamala Harris for President
Kamala Harris is our vice president. We have seen that, in a moment, she has brought back hope to the party. Although she had been right in front of us all along, it was not until this moment that we were ready for her—but now we are.
We need Kamala Harris now more than ever. We need her strength, her energy, her ideas, and her intellect. We need her as the next president of the United States of America. That is why we are endorsing Kamala Harris for president.
At the very start of the 2024 presidential race, there were signs of uniqueness. First, there were two elderly candidates— one seeking to return to office and the other an incumbent in a re-election mode.
There was a telling gap of disparity between Trump and President Biden, but ironically, both resorted to calling on “Almighty God”—Trump believing the supreme being intervened and saved his life from an assassin’s bullet, and Biden defiantly resisting the calls for him to drop out of the race, insisting he would do so only if the Almighty deemed it.
When the two candidates met in a nationally televised debate in June, Biden stumbled badly, blaming a cold and exhaustion from travel. The poll numbers he received were almost as detrimental as the war in the Middle East, and another setback for Biden among young voters.
On July 13, when Trump was grazed by a bullet, the nation was on edge and heaven knows what would have happened if the assassin had fulfilled his mission. The incident gave the presidential race another brutal piece of drama and an apparent failure for the Secret Service.
We thought that could be the death knell for the Democrats, their fate sealed. Then came another blow. Four days after the Trump drama, Biden tested positive
for COVID-19, which slowed and limited an 81-year-old leader even more.
The piling on and calls for him to end his campaign intensified, and several ranking Democrats joined the call for him to pass the torch.
His end was almost certain and so seemed any chance for the Democratic Party.
Meanwhile, the hubbub in Trump’s camp dominated the headlines, much of it centered on Trump’s choice for a running mate. His selection of Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio and the Republican National Convention momentarily commanded the media’s attention.
But then, in what now can be seen as perfect timing, just days after the close of a pitiful Republican convention, Biden conceded, after weeks of defying demands to end his campaign. And in almost the same breath, he endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place at the top of the ticket. The Republicans had just spent the entire convention focused on the wrong candidate.
In an instant, Black America woke up.
On Sunday evening, “Win With Black Women,” a group of Black women formed in 2020 to support Black women running for office, called on Black women to come together. Later that evening, 44,000 Black women showed up for a Zoom event (and tens of thousands listened in through other modes) or should we say, took over Zoom, and raised over $2 million for the vice president in less than three hours.
The next evening, more than 53,000 Black men took to the Blackstar network and raised $1.3 million during their fourhour call, to be split between Harris for president and Black men-led grassroots organizations.
The money started rolling in, along with the endorsements and the momentum. She is well on her way. Now it is your turn: Volunteer, spread the word, donate and—most importantly—don’t forget that your voice and your vote matter. The future is ours to lose.
Elinor R. Tatum: Publisher and Editor in Chief
Damaso
Reyes: Executive & Investigative Editor
Unjustly punished Black WWII sailors finally receive justice
By PAUL L. NEWMAN
At long last, a great injustice has been addressed: On July 17, 2024, Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro announced the complete exoneration of 256 sailors, reversing their convictions, changing their discharges to honorable, and providing compensation to their families for pay they lost while incarcerated.
Kristin Fayne-Mulroy: Managing
Editor
Aaron Foley: News Editor
Cyril Josh Barker:
Siobhan "Sam"
Eighty years earlier, on July 17, 1944, bombs being loaded onto a cargo ship at California’s Port Chicago exploded, killing 320 civilians and sailors, more than 70% of whom were Black. Despite the explosion, the Navy continued to neglect training sailors in loading munitions safely. Three weeks later, when Black sailors were called on to load another ship, 70 com-
plied and 258 refused. The 258 sailors were isolated for a few days to reconsider. They were then asked again to load munitions, and 208 agreed, but were immediately arrested, convicted, and fined three months’ pay for their initial refusal. The remaining 50 refused to load and were charged with conspiracy to commit mutiny.
African American sailors performed all of California’s Port Chicago’s physically demanding hazardous duty of unloading munitions from boxcars, reloading them onto pallets, and stacking them by hand in the holds of Liberty Ships. None received any safety training. While surviving Black sailors were assigned to clear the wreckage from the explosion and retrieve body parts, some of their white officers were granted leave to
recuperate from this domestic war zone.
Before WWII, the Navy never considered African American sailors capable of performing any duties other than as cooks, waiters, unskilled laborers, and officers’ stewards.
In June 1942, the Navy agreed to train 277 Black sailors for a week for other duties. In March 1944, the Navy commissioned its first 13 Black officers.
I mention these statistics to emphasize the Navy’s plantation-era mindset toward African American sailors.
The Port Chicago 50 were represented by five attorneys who met briefly with their clients. The court martial revealed important facts. There was no organized resistance to naval authority—
On the evening of July 17, 1944, residents in the San Francisco east bay area were jolted awake by a massive explosion that cracked windows and lit up the night sky. At Port Chicago Naval Magazine, 320 men were instantly killed when the munitions ships they were loading with ammunition for the Pacific theatre troops mysteriously blew up. (National Park Service Digital Image Archives photo)
Defying doubts: overcoming imposter syndrome as a Black woman
By COUNCILMEMBER
DR. NANTASHA WILLIAMS
The air buzzes with anticipation as graduation season sweeps across the nation. Proud families gather, cameras at the ready, to capture the triumphant smiles of graduates donning caps and gowns—images of effortless accomplishment. But for me, this year held a deeper truth. Graduation wasn’t just a culmination but a testament to the ongoing battles we face, not just in academia but within ourselves.
As a councilwoman, I tirelessly advocate for my constituents, seeking to effect real change in my community. But beyond the bustling chambers and community meetings lies a quieter victory: the recent completion of my doctorate. In my dissertation, “Black Women and Social Movements: A Narrative Analysis,” I aimed to rectify a historical oversight: Black women’s contributions to social justice movements have been largely undocumented, their voices erased from the narrative. My research explored their experiences and resilience, highlighting the power they bring to the fight for equality—a journey achieved while navigating the relentless demands of public service, the rigorous world of academia, and the process of understanding my cognitive strengths.
Fueled by a thirst for knowledge, I began my doctoral studies in 2018. Little did I know that a global pandemic would upend the world just months later. The crowded halls of academia gave way to the quiet hum of virtual classrooms, yet my intellectual fire remained undimmed.
In 2020, my academic pursuit was joined by an exciting new challenge: a calling to serve my community as an elected government official. Hitting the campaign trail was an exhilarating whirlwind. I made connections with residents, learning their concerns and aspirations. I spent early mornings on strategizing campaign tactics, and dedicated stolen moments between meetings to reviewing course material. Weekends, once a time for relaxation, became a race against the clock as I balanced voter outreach with looming research deadlines.
Earning the trust of my constituents and securing a Council seat the following year was an unforgettable honor. However, the victory was quickly followed by a daunting reality of balancing coursework demands, the responsibilities of a councilwoman, and the explosion of my personal life.
Suddenly, I received an ADHD di-
agnosis. While validating my experiences, navigating its complexities coincided with the challenges of unhealthy relationships and offered unwelcome distractions from my coursework. Systemic inequalities made it even harder to get the help I needed. Finding a therapist who understood ADHD and the specific challenges Black women face felt like searching for a unicorn. The stigma about mental health didn’t help, either. Every time I considered reaching out for help, a voice in my head whispered, “You should be able to handle this on your own.” With each new hurdle, the feeling of self-doubt grew louder, threatening to drown out everything else. Yet, through it all, the stories I followed in my dissertation became a constant source of strength, inspiring me to persevere to the end of my doctoral program.
Throughout my study, I had the privilege of interviewing three prominent Black women activists. With each encounter, I delved into the narratives of these remarkable women, gaining profound insights into their experiences and contributions to social justice movements. Some veterans of movements for decades, and others were starting their journeys. Each woman spoke with a refreshing layer of raw honesty—discussing the sting of underestimation, the micro-aggressions that chipped away at their confidence, and the moments when they questioned if their voices even mattered. And yet, they persevered. Their unwavering resilience became a guiding light throughout my doctoral journey; a true testament to the power of perseverance in the face of adversity.
Intriguingly, my study found that pain served as a powerful motivator for these Black women to engage in activism. It wasn’t just the pain of personal hardship, but the collective pain of witnessing injustice against their communities, social rejection, and racial battle fatigue. However, this pain wasn’t despair. They redefined it and fueled a wellspring of strength and determination to fight for change. Their stories became a testament to the transformative power of struggle—a powerful echo resonating within my own experience.
Like them, I, too, faced skepticism in academia—subtle jabs questioning my ability to juggle the council chambers with doctoral pursuits; the pressure to excel in both worlds, compounded by the ever-present fog of life’s chaos, juggling constituent meetings and dissertation research, left me feeling like I was constantly treading
water. But within the women’s voices, I heard a calling, a divine purpose that resonated deeply with my own. Each spoke of drawing strength from the challenges they endured. These burdens served as a transformative fire, fueling their fight for a just world—a torch we now share.
The work became more than finishing a dissertation; it became about adding my voice to theirs, amplifying the stories of Black women fighting for justice everywhere. It became about proving, not just to the academic skeptics but to the little girl in me who once felt unseen, that our voices deserve to be heard.
Yes, there were moments of doubt, and nights fueled by coffee and sheer willpower. But there were also moments of profound connection, a realization that the fire for justice burns bright in the hearts of countless Black women. Those who defied societal norms and raised their voices even when they trembled. The mothers who marched for their children’s futures, the educators who nurtured young minds, the activists who dared to dream of a more just world. That’s the fire I cling to. It’s the fire that pushes me to continue to fight for justice.
As I look back on this journey of success, I realize that this is not entirely my own. It’s a continuation of the struggle and triumph of those who came before you. The resilience that courses through our veins is a gift—a legacy passed down from generations of Black women who refused to surrender. Every step we take, every hurdle we clear, is a testament to their sacrifices and victories. We are the echoes of their dreams, the living embodiment of a future they fought to bring about.
To the graduates, on that momentous day when you cross that stage, let this truth resonate within you: You carry the torch of warriors, the legacy of thinkers, the untamed spirit of dreamers. You are not alone. You are a vital thread in this powerful continuum. Stand tall, speak out, and let your light shine. Because in your success, we all rise. And let us all remember to trust the power within ourselves as we dare to do the impossible, for it is in those moments of courage that we find our own voices and the strength to keep fighting.
Dr. Nantasha Williams represents City Council District 27 and the communities of Cambria Heights, Hollis, Jamaica, St. Albans, Queens Village, Addisleigh Park, and Springfield Gardens.
Racial affinity groups will not end racism…but if done well, they can help.
CHRISTINA GREER, PH.D.
This week, I turn my column over to my friend and colleague Micia Mosely, Ph.D., founder and director of the Black Teacher Project, an organization committed to supporting Black teachers in transforming schools. She provides some much-needed context about the role of racial affinity groups in schools and the workplace.
In 2020, we found ourselves in a humanitarian and racial reckoning. COVID-19 and Derek Chauvin’s murder of George Floyd saw many white folks with money focus their tax-deductible giving to support Black-led organizations and initiatives to seemingly soothe centuries old racial guilt. Even schools and workplaces began to support the call for people to gather in racial affinity groups—to meet in race-alike structures. For many Black people, these spaces offered a respite; a safe space from the experiences of racism and other forms of oppression. At the same time, many Black folks discovered that if these healing spaces were not held with the right combination of purpose, structures, and practices, the spaces could quickly turn toxic.
It’s important to note that affinity space is a natural way of gathering. Family reunions are common affinity spaces that provide structures and practices to support the purpose of connection and legacy-building. We eat, play games, celebrate accomplishments, and share stories to honor and remember our elders and ancestors. Enlisting the right guides to assist us in staying focused on the intention of coming together can help prevent misunderstandings and potential drama. Gathering in racial affinity in schools and other work environ-
ments must be undertaken with the same intentionality. There are three primary reasons to gather in racial affinity: healing, learning, and organizing.
Racism has hurt us all, and we all need to understand how to heal from its harmful effects. Learning is embedded in the healing process. Racial affinity helps us understand our own racial context, our communities, and those who are racially different from us. Deep learning takes humility and vulnerability—just ask any Black adult learning how to play Spades. Gathering to organize demands we prioritize our healing journey. Without such a commitment, affinity spaces can become a location for lashing out in our trauma responses. Using affinity groups as a space to organize requires leadership and clarity of purpose. They must also offer ways to acknowledge small wins on the way to a larger goal. I’ve watched racial affinity spaces transform the lives of the Black teachers I work with, as well as their students. This was possible when we moved beyond seeing them as spaces to kiki (gather with friends for gossiping and chit-chat) and instead, rolled up our sleeves and began the work of connecting as diverse groups of Black people. Yes, racial affinity groups can help us address racism, but like most things, it’s not what you do, but how you do it.
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 FAQNYC and host of The Blackest Questions podcast at TheGrio.
Caribbean Update
England’s Anglican church says it’s sorry for slavery
BY BERT WILKINSON Special to the AmNews
The head of Britain’s Protestant Anglican Church traveled to Jamaica last week to both apologize for the horrors of the transAtlantic slave trade and suggest that a meager $130 million compensation fund it has set aside as remorse money should be managed by groups affiliated with the reparations movement of today.
The Most Reverend Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury in the Church of England, apologized profusely during a sermon in Jamaica over the weekend, saying that the role the church played in the slave trade was evil and regretful.
“We are deeply, deeply, deeply sorry. We sinned against your ancestors. I would give anything for it to be reversed, but it cannot, so what makes for a better future? When we come to worship God, when we come to serve Jesus Christ, we are all equal, even those who have sinned ter-
ribly. What we have done remains in the present, both for good and evil,” he told the gathering.
In recent months, the church had commissioned an audit of finances to paint a picture of how it had benefitted from the slave trade that killed millions of Africans headed to West Indian agricultural plantations. The audit had also suggested that slavery and the role the church played had amounted to a crime against humanity.
Welby told churchgoers celebrating 200 years of the Diocese in Jamaica and the neighboring Cayman Islands that the 100 million pounds sterling should go toward restoration, healing, and reconciliation among descendants of the slave trade. West African and Caribbean people should manage the fund, he said.
“It will be aimed at creating possibilities for people through investment, particularly in areas like education, which we also hope will produce income for the
fund so the fund becomes self-sustained. We do what God gives us the resources to do and the rest is up to God. The more resources God gives us, the more we give,” said the archbishop.
However, an independent study that had been set up by the church found that the money was insufficient when compared to the wealth that had flowed from slavery and “the moral sin and crime of African chattel enslavement.”
The study had suggested that the church come up with at least 1 billion pounds or about $1.3 billion as a better contribution to any form of reparations. Church leadership has said that it had accepted the recommendation from the study that the amount is too small compared to the benefits the church had raked in.
The Reformed Church in England had also apologized for its role in slavery.
The latest indication of contriteness has followed in the wake of formal apologies for slavery from both the Dutch govern -
ment and the king of the Netherlands. The Dutch had also said that the door was open for formal talks. This is as the umbrella Caribbean reparations commission and regional governments are trying to engage former European slave-trading nations in a formal summit to discuss the way forward. Demand letters for compensation and reparations have also been sent to European capitals and a British law firm has been engaged to fight the case if necessary.
Experts have estimated that the church benefited from up to $1 billion from slavery and should make a concerted effort to compensate today’s dependents properly who are still suffering from the effects of slavery and its aftermath.
Church assets from slavery go back to the turn of the 1700s; leaders back then invested money in the South Sea Company, which was engaged in transporting slaves from Africa to colonies in the region that were controlled by Spain.
The MAGA lies about immigrants and crime persist
FELICIA PERSAUD
IMMIGRATION KORNER
The recently concluded Republican National Convention, now effectively the MAGA convention, provided Democrats with a lesson in the power of storytelling, even if the narrative is false: A central theme in Donald Trump›s political discourse remains the myth of “migrant crime.”
Governor Greg Abbott of Texas, despite ongoing power outages in Houston, audaciously claimed, “President Biden has welcomed into our country rapists, murderers, even terrorists, and the price that we have paid has been deadly.” Similarly, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas falsely asserted, “Every day, Americans are dying” in crimes committed by migrants.
A video shown during the convention falsely claimed, “The Biden [illegal immigrant] surge has also led to a surge in violent crimes committed by illegal migrants.” Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas declared that Biden “welcomed a Third World invasion.”
The supposed violent intent of the illegal immigrants is implied by the word “invasion,” but a moment’s reflection is enough to realize that so-called invading armies are not looking for jobs when they intrude.
The speakers’ stories of individual immigrants who have committed awful crimes were front and center, but it is a leap to go from highlighting the need to punish indi-
vidual murderers to supporting punishing everybody who shares the same immigration status, as if they are all murderers, when there are no facts to substantiate the MAGA claim of a migrant crime surge.
In fact, U.S. rates of crime and immigration have moved in opposite directions in recent years. As the number of foreign-born Americans has increased for decades, the murder rate has fluctuated independently. Data from the New York Times, the U.S. Census Bureau, and the American Community Survey clearly show this lack of correlation.
Yes, some migrants have committed violent crimes. With more than 45 million immigrants in the U.S., it is inevitable that a few—like any other group—will commit crimes. Similarly, thousands of native-born Americans commit violent crimes each week, including the 20-year-old Thomas Cooke, a white native-born American and registered Republican who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump last week.
The best data on illegal immigration and crime comes from Texas—the only state that records criminal convictions and arrests by immigration status. Texas is also an ideal state to study immigrant criminality because it borders on Mexico, has the secondlargest illegal immigrant population of any state, is governed by Republicans, does not have sanctuary jurisdictions, has a reputation for strictly enforcing its criminal laws, and most border encounters of illegal crossers since 2020 occurred there. Homicide is the most serious crime, and the homicide data is the most thoroughly recorded.
Between 2013 and 2022, the homicide conviction rate in Texas was 2.2 per 100,000 illegal immigrants, 1.2 per 100,000 legal immigrants, and 3.0 per 100,000 native-born Americans. Illegal immigrants were 26.2% less likely than native-born Americans to be convicted of homicide. Legal immigrants were 61.4% less likely than native-born Americans to be convicted of homicide. Focusing on 2022, homicide conviction rates for illegal immigrants and legal immigrants were 35.6% and 62.3%, respectively, below those of native-born Americans.
Yet, Trump and other Republicans have suggested that immigrants are particularly likely to be criminals, citing a few isolated incidents. The data shows the opposite: Immigrants are less likely to commit crimes. There are legitimate concerns about the border and illegal immigration, but increased crime is not one of them. If more immigration led to more crime, statistics would reflect a spike in crime rates alongside immigration flows, both locally and nationally. Instead, the data reveals the opposite.
Cities like New York, Chicago, and Denver have experienced an influx of immigrants over the past couple of years, during which murder rates have fallen. Similarly, border counties in Texas have lower violent crime rates than the state and national averages, as crime analyst Jeff Asher has found.
The isolated crimes committed by migrants that Trump and his allies highlight do not represent a broader trend. Studies show that immigrants have had lower incarceration rates—a proxy for crime—than
native-born Americans for at least 150 years. Another study found that undocumented immigrants have lower felony arrest rates than legal immigrants or native-born Americans. Why? Consider migrants’ motives. Many risk their lives by crossing dangerous jungles, rivers, and deserts throughout Latin America to reach the U.S. for better-paying jobs and a better life. In many cases, they are fleeing crime and violence back home. If they entered the U.S. illegally, they have a strong incentive to avoid trouble with the law to avoid detection and deportation.
People have legitimate reasons to be frustrated with illegal immigration and to worry about border issues. Liberal mayors have faced challenges with the surge of illegal immigrants in their cities, which has strained public resources, particularly housing. A porous border also raises security concerns, such as the flow of fentanyl and the risk of terrorism. When an undocumented immigrant commits a crime, it can contribute to a sense of lawlessness and chaos.
However, more immigration has not caused more crime. The myth of a crime surge is a tactic to incite the MAGA base, who may believe that Black and Brown immigrants are inherently criminal due to their appearance. This narrative is racist, xenophobic, and despicable.
Felicia J. Persaud is the publisher of NewsAmericasNow.com, a daily news outlet focused on positive news on the Black immigrant communities of the Caribbean and Latin America.
Is the ‘Copmala Curse’ back?
By TANDY LAU Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member
Vice President Kamala Harris never donned a police uniform, was issued a gun or badge, or had an assignment to walk the beat. Yet her reputation as “Copmala”— stemming from serving as California’s attorney general and San Francisco’s district attorney—persists, an ideology the newly minted presidential candidate is likely to confront in the months leading to the November election.
Harris is undoubtedly a former law enforcer as an ex-prosecutor, and her roles required working in tandem with police at every level. Online progressives attacked her record first, before fellow candidate Tulsi Gabbard followed suit on national television during a Democratic primary debate during the summer of 2019. They pointed to supporting prison time from marijuana convictions while holding post as California’s AG and accused her of sandbagging wrongful conviction challenges.
After entering the race as a legitimate contender, she dropped out of the Democratic primary by the winter and ended up selected as running mate to the eventual presidential election winner Joe Biden. Harris now has a second chance at becoming commander-in-chief now that Biden has terminated his 2024 reelection campaign and endorsed Harris as the party candidate on July 21.
Internet culture continues to factor into Harris’s presidential ambitions today. A repeatedly shared snippet from a White House swearing-in ceremony, in which she relays her mom’s words of wisdom that “you think you just fell out of a coconut tree,” might break the internet. The ditzy and anxious portrayal of her in numerous TikTok edits of the speech seems reductive of the first Black vice president to some scrollers, but others see a narrative that could humanize and endear Harris to younger voters.
An unexplainable link between the vice president’s potential campaign and “Brat,” the recently released album by British pop act Charli XCX, seems inescapable: Simple black text on a lime-green background— fashioned after the album’s cover art ubiquitous among a certain sect of terminally online millennials and Gen Z’ers—spells out “Kamala HQ,” her official rapid response page on X (formerly known as Twitter). Even Mayor Eric Adams was reduced to fielding questions about Harris’s “Brat summer” during a routine media appearance this week.
As Harris’s campaign trails become more serious, so do conversations about the vice president’s prosecutorial track record. Underneath the hilarious Photoshop images of Harris arresting Republican nominee Donald Trump, Copmala is a serious allegation linking the potential first Black woman
president to the mass incarceration that is devastating Black and Brown Americans both historically and currently.
“What’s interesting about this debate in 2019, and is interesting in these conversations today, is how much of a role does the president actually have when it comes to criminal justice politics in this country,” said Benjamin Levin, a law professor at Washington University in St. Louis. “[It’s] one of the places where conversations may become more about symbolism than they become about actual policy and politics… but the reality is that the vast majority of people who are accused of crimes, who are currently in jail or prison, are there due to state and local decisions.”
Harris’s track record is a departure from the ideals of “progressive” prosecutors like Philadelphia’s Larry Krasner or Chicago’s Kim Foxx, according to Levin, but she wasn’t uniquely aggressive or tough on crime as a district attorney, either. Even with some bold reformist positions in the early 2000s, particularly on opposing the death penalty as San Francisco district attorney, Harris largely approached her prosecutorial offices conventionally.
“We need to be really careful [about] the phrase [“progressive prosecutor” because] anybody who wants to get outside of the mold of mass incarceration is often labeled a progressive prosecutor,” said Laurie Levenson, a law professor at Loyola Marymount University. “I would say that for her time, she was progressive. Whether that would be progressive in comparison to other prosecutors is a big question. To her credit, she was more successful than most who have embraced the label progressive prosecutor.”
Levenson added that “some people… would say you’re never going to be progressive if you’re the head of a prosecutorial agency and you work with the police. They want to defund the police, so they wouldn’t see anything short of that as progressive. I think [Harris is] probably more middle of the road.”
Levenson, herself a former prosecutor, called the Copmala narrative overly simplistic and a disservice in reporting. After all, delegating accountability and credit in elected prosecutorial offices is tricky. District attorneys and state attorney generals are public-facing officials selected on a ballot, but under them are appointed prosecutors and investigators who show up in court, don’t answer to voters, and boast their own intents and agendas. Proponents point to convictions against
white collar criminals and gender-based violence offenders while deflecting Copmala criticism toward line-level prosecutors below her. For example, the 1,500-plus prison sentences over marijuana charges for which she was criticized by Gabbard would not have been prosecuted directly by Harris as California attorney general.
Critics, on the other hand, argue that she served in a managerial role over aggressive criminalization against Black and Brown Californians even if she didn’t directly prosecute those cases, so when her office allegedly knowingly failed to produce damaging information about a police drug lab technician, accountability trickled upward.
Yet those perspectives are two sides of the same coin. Beyond sweeping reformist victories and miscarriages of justice is the constant cycle of people in and out of the criminal legal justice system that every prosecutor’s office encounters each day.
Robert Saleem Holbrook, executive director of Pittsburgh’s Abolitionist Law Center, believes Harris’s track record warrants the Copmala nickname. He said that simply serving as a prosecutor means she participated as an arm of the carceral state.
Holbrook is a prison abolitionist, as his organization’s name suggests, and faced mass incarceration first-hand. However, he See COPMALA on page 27
will be held on September 26, 2024 at 11am via ZOOM AT https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83941062205
Kamala Harris (Photo by Adam Schultz / Biden for President)
C. Virginia Fields retires from the National Black Leadership Commission on Health Health
By HEATHER M. BUTTS, JD, MPH, MA
Special to the AmNews
C. Virginia Fields recently retired from her position as president/CEO of the National Black Leadership Commission on Health (“Black Health”). Before that position, she served as president of the borough of Manhattan between 1998 and 2005. She also served as a member of the New York City Council between 1989 and 1998. Prior to elected office, Fields had an impactful career in social work. She spoke with the Amsterdam News for a Q&A about her career, health in the Black community, and future plans post-retirement from Black Health. This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.
AmNews : Please tell the AmNews readers about your background
C. Virginia Fields: The National Black Leadership Commission on Health was formerly named National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS but back in 2019, after a two-year rebranding process, the board voted and we renamed the organization…because…our work was across a number of areas that disproportionately impact African Americans and we wanted a name that more fully reflected who we are what we do. The expansion of the focus areas now includes HIV, Hepatitis C, cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, prostate cancer, mental health, diabetes, and sickle cell. Based on data, those are the eight areas that most disproportionately impact Black people and the vision is to create equity through education, advocacy, and policy.
[Prior to Black Health] I served eight years as the president of the borough of Manhattan.…and [before that] I was a City Council Member representing Central Harlem, parts of East Harlem and the Upper
West Side. By profession, I am a social worker, having received my master’s degree in social work from Indiana University and worked in the field prior to elected office. Being a social worker, I say this quite often, is part of what led me to even think about running for public office because social work is a helping profession. That’s why I went into social work because coming out of the background of growing up in Birmingham, Alabama, I learned very early about the impact of racism and how it made Black people subjected to things that unfortunately we’re seeing efforts to put back in place today [such as] Jim Crow laws. So growing up in that environment [and] seeing Black
adults not be able to vote and as a teenager, even before I was able to vote myself, going through the community helping them, going through this book that they had to know everything: what’s the state flag, who’s the lieutenant governor, what’s the name of the state bird which obviously had nothing to do with their ability but it was a disincentive. I grew up in that environment and then when Dr. King came and led the Civil Rights Movement in Alabama at the invitation of my pastor, the late Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth, I was a part of that struggle. I marched, went to jail for six days, and actively participated. [It helped] to frame my thinking about the importance of engagement and what
can be done when we do something, not just stand back and see conditions that you find deplorable…so my political activities came out of early training and early engagement and that’s how I would pretty much describe my life.
AmNews : Juneteenth 2024 was named C. Virginia Fields Day in New York by Mayor Eric Adams. What are your thoughts about the Mayor designating that day for you?
CVF: I was very honored and I was very humbled by the words that he chose which framed my background and my work during the years. He captured it and I was very honored and humbled to receive that.
AmNews : What is next for you after retirement?
CVF: Retiring [will] certainly give me an opportunity to focus on some other areas that I have spent my life [on] but have not dived into as deeply.
AmNews : July 21 was Zero HIV Stigma Day and July 28 was World Hepatitis Day. Both conditions have a significant impact on the Black community. Please talk about your work destigmatizing these and other diseases?
CVF: Based on all of the work that we’ve done, the need continues, the work continues, unfortunately stigmatization continues in these areas so much so that we find people still who may become diagnosed with HIV not wanting people to know it because they don’t want to be ostracized, despite the antiretroviral treatments. We certainly have made tremendous progress in terms of voluntarily [testing] for HIV… [but] ultimately to get to zero [HIV Stigma] I think is going to require a vaccine. In the meantime [we need] adherence to a lot of the advances and the treatments coupled with education, advocacy, policy, and resources.
AmNews : Is there anything you would like to add for the AmNews readers?
CVF: My work has come from my beliefs and desires to make a difference whether it was very early on helping people to vote in Birmingham as I said, whether it was working in the field as a social worker, working in each one of the places I’ve been and certainly working in elected office has been important to use positions to make a difference. Whether it’s an organization or whether it’s a political office, the time that you’re there, think about how you can use it to create change and real impact, not just the next election. We have [a finite] amount of time in these positions that we serve…What are you building to make sure that the work you do does not get lost?
C. Virginia Fields (Photo courtesy of C. Virginia Fields)
Urban Bush Women at Lincoln Center’s ‘Summer In The City’
By ZITA ALLEN Special to the AmNews
Urban Bush Women (UBW), the legendary Brooklyn-based performance ensemble and dance company founded by Jawole Willa Jo Zollar in 1984, continues its full-calendar 40th anniversary season with a week-long series of free presentations at Lincoln Center, Friday, July 26 through Sunday, August 4. While the award-winning Zollar, whose woman-centered perspective emanated from the provocative Black Arts Movement which sprang up at the intersection of art, politics, gender, and race, has passed the torch to co-artistic directors and company members Chanon Judson and Mame Diarra Spies, UBW’s tradition of thought-provoking and engaging performative experiences continues.
Zollar says she feels comfortable passing the torch to this younger generation because, between them, Judson and Spies have a wealth of experience both at UBW and other dance venues, including Broadway and Alvin Ailey. But also, she says, during the COVID-19 pandemic the two showed the exciting and varied artistic vision and leadership initiative that folks will get a taste of during the upcoming program series. On July 26, “How We Got to the Funk” kicks everything off with an interactive workshop that sweeps the audience off their feet and takes them on a whirlwind exploration of African American social dances from the mid-1950s to the 1970s. Joyously led by Zollar, this event allows folks to learn new moves or recall old ones in a session that is more a party than a dance class. UBW’s Pia Monique Murray explains that in the best UBW tradition, it’s a free-flowing, come-as-you-are thing: “All folks have to do is show up, grove together, feed off each other’s joyous energy, and ultimately just have a good time.”
A similar spirit prevails during UBW’s Builders, Organizers, and Leaders in Dance, or BOLD, workshops, titled “Mindful Bodies & Reflective Practices,” on July 31 and August 4 at the Griffin Sidewalk Studio of David Geffen Hall. The two workshops are designed to show that dance is accessible to everyone regardless of level of experience or ability. The Mindful Body workshops highlight what is described as the organization’s somatic principles which combine movement and dance with a mindful and restorative practice. “A workshop focusing on self-care, rejuvenation, and (re) constructing healthful images,” it’s an experience that has something for everyone as an event that requires only “a willingness to exhale.”
Murray, who wears several creative hats including that of associate producer, has also brought together “When Black Women Speak,” a compelling conversation that explores the nuances of identity, community, values, and success among BIPOC women and producers, on July 31 at Lincoln Center’s David Rubenstein Atrium.
Closing the series on Aug. 4 at Hearst Plaza is UBW’s magical site-responsive dance theater work “Haint Blu/Episodic Chapters.” The name comes from the sky- or sea-like color used by the Gullah people in the South to paint houses to ward off spirits. Haint, which stands for ghosts, uses dance, text, original music, and visual installation with what might be described as a sense of “critical fabulation.” This writer first experienced Haint Blu in a tree-covered Harlem church courtyard where it moved from place to place, creating a mix of mystery and magic. It promises to do the same during UBW’s Lincoln Center performance.
In fact, all of the Lincoln Center events are in the best tradition of UBW, whose website contains a manifesto proclaiming, “Telling Black women’s stories, words don’t do it justice...Language does not amount to the experience, it doesn’t have the nuance of our tone. The experience of UBW is that tone...We are Blackness as an asset. Blackness as an expansive idea...validating the complexity and intersectionality of our experiences.”
After all, UBW is a company with a strong commitment to community engagement and artistic achievement, whose critically acclaimed repertory includes such provocative dances as Zollar’s “Batty Moves,” “Give Your Hands to Struggle,” “Shelter,”a poignant depiction of the homeless crisis, and “Walking With Pearl: Africa Diaries,” a tribute to Trinidadian-born dance pioneer Pearl Primus. The company was, apparently, ahead of its time when two decades ago it presented a dance event at the time of the Republican National Convention, titled “Are We a Democracy?”
In addition, there is the provocative inspiration of iconic women-of-color writers like Ntozake Shange, Jewel Gomez, and Jamaica Kincaid. Zollar says that tradition continues under this new leadership, as does UBW’s commitment to the power of community, a concept that has always been an integral part of the company’s mission and all are in full bloom as part of the “Summer in the City” programming. For more info, visit www.lincolncenter.org..
Jawole Willa Jo Zollar (Kyle Froman photo)
Urban Bush Women’ s“Haint Blu/Episodic Chapters” (Bee Lively Photography)
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Bernice Johnson Reagon, whose powerful voice helped propel the Civil Rights Movement, has died
By TRAVIS LOLLER Associated Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Bernice Johnson Reagon, a musician and scholar who used her rich, powerful contralto voice in the service of the American Civil Rights Movement and human rights struggles around the world, died on July 16, according to her daughter’s social media post. She was 81.
Reagon was probably best known as the founder of the internationally renowned African American female acapella group Sweet Honey in the Rock, which she led from 1973 until her retirement in 2004. The Grammynominated group’s mission has been to educate and empower as well as entertain. They perform songs from a wide range of genres that include spirituals, children’s songs, blues and jazz. Some of their original compositions honor American civil rights leaders and international freedom movements like the struggle against apartheid in South Africa.
“She was incredible,” said Tammy Kernodle, a distinguished professor of music at Miami University who specializes in African American music. She described Reagon as someone “whose divine energy and intellect and talent all intersect in such a way to initiate change in the atmosphere.”
Reagon’s musical activism began in the early 1960s when she served as a field secretary for the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and became an original member of its Freedom Singers, ac-
cording to an obituary posted on social media by her daughter, musician Toshi Reagon. The group reunited and was joined by Toshi Reagon to perform for then-President Barack Obama in 2010 as part of a White House performance series that was also broadcast nationwide on public television.
Born in Dougherty County outside of Albany, Georgia, in 1942, Reagon attended music workshops in the early 1960s at Tennessee’s Highlander Folk School, a training ground for activists. At an anniversary gathering in 2007, Reagon explained how the school helped her see her musical heritage as something special.
“From the time I was born, we were always singing,” Reagon said. “When you’re inside a culture and, quote, ‘doing what comes naturally to you,’ you don’t pay attention to it. ...
I think my work as a cultural scholar, singer and composer would be completely different if I had not had someone draw my attention to the people who use songs to stay alive, or to keep themselves together, or to lift up the energy in a movement.”
While a student at Albany State College, Reagon was jailed for attending a civil rights demonstration and expelled. She later graduated from Spelman College. She formed Sweet Honey in the Rock while a graduate student of history at Howard University and vocal director of the D.C. Black Repertory Company.
Reagon recorded her first solo album, “Folk Songs: The South,” with Folkways Records in
1965. In 1966, she became a founding member of the Atlanta-based Harambee Singers. Reagon began working with the Smithsonian Institution in 1969, when she was invited to develop and curate a 1970 festival program, Black Music Through the Languages of the New World, according to the Smithsonian. She went on to curate the African Diaspora Program and to found and direct the Program in Black American Culture at the National Museum of American History, where she was later a curator emeritus. She produced and performed on numerous Smithsonian Folkways Recordings.
For a decade, beginning in 1993, Reagon
served as distinguished professor in history at American University in Washington, later becoming a professor emerita.
We assume that music was always a part of civil rights activism, Kernodle said, but it was people like Reagon who made music “part of the strategy of nonviolent resistance. ...They took those songs, they took those practices from inside the church to the streets and the jail cells. And they universalized those songs.”
“What she also did that was very important was that she historicized how that music functioned in the Civil Rights Movement,”
Abdul ‘Duke’ Fakir, last of the original Four Tops, is dead at 88
By HILLEL ITALIE AP National Writer
Abdul “Duke” Fakir, the last surviving original member of the beloved Motown group the Four Tops, known for such hits as “Reach Out, I’ll Be There” and “Standing in the Shadows of Love,” has died at age 88.
Fakir died Monday of heart failure at his home in Detroit, according to a family spokesperson, with his wife and other loved ones by his side. Motown founder Berry Gordy said in a statement that Fakir helped embody the Tops’ “showmanship, class and artistry.
“Duke was first tenor—smooth, suave, and always sharp,” Gordy said. “For 70 years, he kept the Four Tops’ remarkable legacy intact.”
The Four Tops were among Motown’s most popular and enduring acts, peaking in the 1960s. Between 1964 and 1967, they had 11 Top 20 hits and two No. 1’s: “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)” and the operatic classic “Reach Out, I’ll Be There.” Other songs, often sagas of romantic pain and bereavement, included “Baby, I Need Your Loving,” “Standing in the Shadows of Love,” “Bernadette,” and “Just Ask the Lonely.”
Many of Motown’s greatest stars, from the Supremes to Stevie Wonder, came of age at the Detroit-based company started by Gordy in the late 1950s, but Fakir, lead singer Levi Stubbs, Renaldo “Obie” Benson, and Lawrence Payton had been together for a decade when Gordy signed them up in 1963 (after the group had turned him down a few years earlier). They already had a polished stage act and versatile vocal style that enabled them to perform anything from country songs to pop standards like “Paper Doll.”
They called themselves the Four Aims when they started out, but soon renamed themselves the Four Tops to avoid confusion with the white harmony quartet the Ames Brothers.
The Tops had recorded for several labels, including Chess Records in Chicago, with little commercial success. When Gordy and A&R man Mickey Stevenson paired them with the songwriting-production team of Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Brian Holland, they quickly caught on, blending tight, haunting harmonies behind Stubbs’s urgent, sometimes desperate baritone.
After Holland-Dozier-Holland left
Motown in 1967, the Tops had more sporadic success, with hits over the next few years including “Still Water (Love)” and a pair of Top 10 songs in the early 1970s for ABC/Dunhill Records, “Keeper of the Castle” and “Ain’t No Woman (Like the One I’ve Got).” They reached the Top 20 for the last time in the early 1980s, with the sentimental ballad “When She Was My Girl.” Throughout, they remained a busy concert act and at times toured with latter-day members of the Temptations, a friendly rivalry launched when the groups performed together at the all-star 1983 television concert marking Motown’s 25th anniversary. While the Temptations and other peers suffered from drug problems, dissension, and personnel changes, the Four Tops remained united and intact until Payton died in 1997 (Benson died in 2005 and Stubbs in 2008).
“The things I love about them the most: They are very professional, they have fun with what they do, they are very loving, they have always been gentlemen,” Wonder said of them when he helped induct them into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.
See BERNICE JOHNSON REAGON on page 29 See ABDUL ‘DUKE’ FAKIR on page 29
Sweet Honey In the Rock performing in Japan in 1980. (Photo courtesy of Amy Horowitz / https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sweet_Honey_In_The_Rock_in_Japan_1980_-_ Credit_Amy_Horowitz.jpg)
Abdul “Duke” Fakir, founding member of the Four Tops, at Dolph Briscoe Center for American History at UT on Wednesday, April 10, 2019, participating in educational panel as part of The Summit on Race in America at the LBJ Presidential Library. (Public domain photo)
“Cats: ‘The Jellicle Ball’’’ is catnip for your feline soul
BY LINDA ARMSTRONG Special to the AmNews
I was so excited when I heard that Andre De Shields was starring in “Cats: ‘The Jellicle Ball’” at the Perelman Performing Arts Center at 251 Fulton Street in lower Manhattan. Andre plays Old Deuteronomy and is as marvelous, intense, and penetrating in the role as you would expect. Andre is such a pleasure to watch and the audience leaped to their feet with a standing ovation from the time he appeared and stood in all his glory. He sang a song about being old and having to move slowly, but then he graced the runway with dance moves that had everyone cheering and shouting. He holds a note as only Andre can!
This production is inspired by the musical “Cats” by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats” by T.S. Eliot, but don’t go into this show with any perceived notions. This “Cats” showcases ballroom runaway culture and does it with such joy, energy, flexibility, diversity, and excitement. The fantastic, tal-
ented company of actors portrays the beloved characters from “Cats,” but you’ve never seen these characters played with such spirit, pride, and pleasure. This company will have you cheering, laughing, and screaming as they let you know that they have gathered for the Jellicle Ball, where Old Deuteronomy will pick one cat to start their new life with the rising of the moon. These cats come dressed in sexy, gorgeous, tantalizing outfits and their dances explode on the runway. You will have never seen such captivating moves and they are performed, seemingly, with effortlessness. You may be a “Cats” lover and know the names of the characters, but you probably haven’t seen them performed so boldly and provocatively before. This company will have you purring for more! Prior to Old Deuteronomy appearing, we get to know a company of brilliant performers. One familiar face who is marvelous is Antwayn Hopper, whom you might remember for “A Strange Loop.” His bass voice is intoxicating as he plays. Macavity, the “mystery cat.” Each of the performers play their role
deliciously. Dudney Joseph Jr. is Munkustrap, Master of Ceremonies; “Tempress” Chastity Moore is Grizabella, the glamorous cat. When she sings “Memory,” well, you will certainly remember it! Sydney James Harcourt is one sexy Rum Tum Tugger. Robert “Silk” Mason is tremendous in the role of Magical Mister Mistoffelees, a “conjuring cat.” The outfits that he performs in are captivating, and his dance ability is off the chart. Every time he took the stage to grace the runway, the audience was up on its feet.
Once this cast sinks its claws in, you are captured and raptured. Other members of this phenomenal company include Xavier Reyes, Baby, Primo, Emma Sofia, Teddy Wilson Jr., Nora Schell, Jonathan Burke, Dava Huesca, Garnet Williams, Junior LaBeija, Shereen Pimentel, Emma Sofia, Kendall Grayson Stroud, Tara Lashan Clinkscales, Phumzile Sojola and the DJ Capital Kaos.
The role of Demeter, normally played by Bebe Nicole Simpson, was dynamically performed by Shelby Griswold.
The choreography from Arturo Lyon and
Omari Wiles is some of the most stunning, pulsating moves you are going to see on a stage! And this company knew just what to do to make every move POP!
Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch provide exhilarating direction. It is so much fun, as the actors perform not just on the runway, but among the audience members. The audience was entertained on every level from the exquisite dancing and costumes by Qween Jean to the scenic design by Rachel Hauck, lighting design by Adam Honore, sound design by Kai Harade, projection design by Brittany Bland, hair and wig design by Nikiya Mathis. You need to see this show! The audience experienced so much theatrical splendor they burst at the seams with applause, shouts, and screams throughout the performance. When it was over the energy in the room was in the heavens. This is a musical that spotlights the fierce energy, passion, talent, and power of the LGBTQIA community represented incredibly on the stage and in the audience! The show runs through August 11. For tickets visit pacnyc.org.
André De Shields in “Cats: ‘The Jellicle Ball’” at Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC NYC). (Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman photos)
Xavier Reyes and Emma Sofia in “Cats: ‘The Jellicle Ball’” “Tempress” Chasity Moore in “Cats: ‘The Jellicle Ball’”
HOROSCOPES BY KNOWYOURNUMB3RS
By SUPREME GODDESS KYA
WWW.KYAFRENCH.COM | CONSULTATIONS 866-331-5088
The last week of July has come and before you know it, it’ll be September 1. Pluto is currently retrograding until October 11 and from September 1, Pluto will retrograde back into Capricorn at 29 degrees. 29 degrees is a vital time to make necessary changes and transformational shifts in your life. Saturn is here to help after the great assistance when Pluto, Saturn, and Jupiter were conjunct in Capricorn in 2020. Pluto is the finisher, the transformer, and the revolutionary so its effect lasts longer. Pluto is here to give you all the power, knowledge, and wisdom he can give and has been sharing all the since 2008. Saving the last dance for you, Capricorn, from September 1- November 19, your life will truly transform. Make it count.
Well Aquarius, you received a preview of Pluto in Aquarius and after November 19, Pluto transit Aquarius will be in full throttle motion for the next 20 years. This is going to be a great phoenix rising from the ashes on all humanitarian levels. Start planning and as you journey through your life, document your progress. The next 20 years are going to be a recycling generation of advancement that has been in place since the last Pluto transit in Aquarius from 1777-1798, which will change history as humanity knows it to be. Life is an evolution and human beings are a prime example of it.
Neptune is stationed at 29 degrees, Pisces, and anxious for you to revisit what you did from March 8-July 2 in order to inform you on how this current retrograde will impact you in implementing new concepts or making simple changes before proceeding with the final touch. Take your time this week to receive the answers to your questions. The buildup is the experience leading to the main event, like a roller coaster ride. Look how it starts out slowly, then takes you for a faster ride with a turn, loop and maybe a spiral effect before it’s over.
Prior obligations, duties, responsibilities, and fine-tuning need to be balanced like the Libra scales before moving forward. This is a tough lesson with a huge assignment then a test to pass. As long as you stay organized and prepared, review inventory, and trim the fat where needed, you will be fine. You will level up. Positioning yourself is important. Doing so will free up your time for opportunities that have been waiting in the queue. Smile, embrace, take accountability, and advance yourself into higher awareness and positions.
Uranus is currently in transit at 26 degrees, very close to the end before previewing into Gemini in 2025. It’s a cycle to receive all the knowledge, experiences, visit/converse with your elders, learn financial economics, and research social engineering to implement changes for the better; and a cycle week to be in the public arena. A spiritual epiphany will bring you the 411 right on time. Have some patience, you are going to need it during Uranus’ retrograde.
Mars and Jupiter are in Gemini and that’s a lot of unique and sudden changes of events in circulation. Mars and Uranus are at the board meeting, conversing and implementing a new direction. Uranus needs Mars to cause a needed distraction to unchained territory to shift gears into uncertainty, where the great minds link up together to position themselves to move forward. Uranus in Taurus is informing Mars to reach out to the youth and spread a message in all directions. Taurus, Uranus is not playing due to its old funny bones being awakened within the last degree, joining Pluto in retrograde to wipe the system clean with a new program and agenda in its place.
July was a slow-paced month, but then suddenly had a big bang on a global scale within the social aspects of humanity. We’re in a cycle where prior obligations need to be addressed before officially moving forward with a new agenda. When you sit in silence in a meditative state consistently, you become more in tune with the universe and the events taking place. It’s an essential week to discover affairs on all levels, be it financially, emotionally, physically, privately, publicly, spiritually, and healthwise on the social aspects. As July ends, August turns a bit more inward when Mercury retrograde begins on August 5, 2024, right before September rolls out with the agenda around its second and last weeks. What is on your agenda? “Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.” -Tzu
Mars is on the way to visit your sign on September 4, 2024 to send the message to the mothers/women of the world. In the meantime, separation is needed to focus on areas that need improvement in your life. It can be any category from health, wealth and home renovation to personal or business. Mars will be knocking on your doorstep to assist in the change. Emotionally and mentally get it together. You got this and have come this far. Keep going. Healing starts with you.
A round of applause please, no pictures needed, this is a private invite only, for only like minded peoples’ eyes to see. What’s on the agenda is what needs to be discussed, as a transformation has begun. It’s a time to level up in Leo season as Mercury has given humanity the 411 and again when it retrogrades to see the picture closer and clearly. Mercury in Leo has new speech and writing techniques, new platforms to speak, as well as new creative ways to showcase and take the lead in its affairs as a collective energy. Things may be in limbo, but not for long. Stay focused on the agenda and pay attention to the details.
Virgo Season will be a season to remember as all things that have been initiated as early as November of last year come to a head in September. Surrounding us are the ancestors at the board meeting. Women will be involved in your affairs in some shape or form this week as some come to share vital information with you for the next generation. Any work needs that extra preview before you add on all the bells and whistles.
Sam Cooke has a song called “A Change is Gonna Come.” This is a week of change: emotionally, spiritually, mentally, physically, and financially. South nodes at 10 degrees and 10 numerically indicate the advance of a new cycle. Sit in stillness for a few minutes to allow the information to come to you and do your research this week. The North node in Aries is changing how humanity operates and sees us moving forward in society. Your spiritual awakening has key information, so take notes.
After Libra has weighed and balanced the heart on the scale, the transformation is next, which is Scorpio, balancing the old and new ledger of affairs, responsibilities, duties, and new/old obligations. Check in with your spirit: how do you feel? Do you hear or feel your ancestors’ presence around you? Financial gifts, rewards, and recognition are due. What do you feel is your position in this weekly cycle? Next month is the proof within the work and a soul journey taking place.
Did you receive that ancient call from the higher ups? Women will help this week for any counseling or mentoring needed. Take inventory of your health as some type of unusual things will occur to detour you for a bit to see or know something clearly. Listen to your heart and allow your heart to guide you.
A girlfriend getaway to Northern Virginia
By TRACY E. HOPKINS
Special to the AmNews
If you’re looking for a quality yet budget-friendly getaway with your girls that’s not too far from the tri-state area, consider visiting the Northern Virginia region, about 30 minutes from the nation’s capital.
Here are some highlights of what to do and see, including hiking, shopping, restaurant-hopping, and live entertainment.
Go chasing waterfalls
You won’t believe your eyes. The 800acre Great Falls Park (open 7 a.m. until dark every day, https://www.nps.gov/ grfa/index.htm) in McLean, Virginia, offers three awe-inspiring overlook points of the falls, a short walk from the visitor’s center and parking lots. The views of the Great Falls of the Potomac are Instagram-worthy, and hiking along the Mather Gorge clifftops is tranquil. Go early and mid-week to avoid the crowds. The entrance fee is $20 per private vehicle (includes all passengers) and $10 per person entering by foot or bicycle.
Listen to the music
Located close to the Capital Beltway (I-495) in Vienna, Virginia, Wolftrap (https://www.wolftrap.org/) is a popular performing arts center with several indoor and outdoor venues and free parking. Upcoming calendar highlights include The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, with jazz singer and composer Cécile McLorin Salvant as the opening act (Aug. 15, 8 p.m.), and Boyz II Men with Bel Biv Devoe (Aug. 18, 8 p.m.).
Shop ’til you drop
Tysons Corner Center (https://www.tysonscornercenter.com/) in Tysons, Virginia, has something for everyone, including an AMC Theaters multiplex, American Girl, Under Armor, and Nordstrom. It’s also a fast-fashion haven, with stylish retail staples like H&M, Old Navy, Zara, and the recently opened Primark. On a “girls’ just want to have fun” note, Tysons is the first indoor mall in the area to implement a “sip and stroll” program where shoppers can bring a boozy beverage (in a designated cup) from a participating mall restaurant to sip in common areas and in stores marked “C’mon in with your drink.”
Wine and dine
Overlooking the Tysons Corner Center outdoor plaza, Barrel & Bushel (https:// www.barrelandbushel.com/) delivers tasty, elevated comfort food with locally sourced ingredients. Menu standouts include pimiento deviled eggs, amber maple salmon, and hot fried chicken. To wet your whistle, the restaurant boasts 30 regional craft beers on tap (try the Blackowned Harlem Grapricot), 65 handpicked bourbons, and several McBride Sisters wines. There’s a daily happy hour from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. and live music on Fridays.
Perfect for date night or a girls’ night out, pair pizzas, pastas, and other sea -
sonal vineyard-inspired cuisine with the 60 sustainable wines on tap at Sixty Vines (https://www.sixtyvines.com/locations/ reston-va) in Reston, Virginia, in Reston’s bustling Town Center retail district. The modern eatery has an open chef’s kitchen, private and communal tables, outdoor seating, and a hip bar area.
Where to stay
The Watermark Hotel (https://www. thewatermarkhotel.com/) is a luxury boutique hotel in Tysons, Virginia, that feels exclusive, and the customer service is stellar. The artfully designed lobby on the 11th floor is designed like an open living room space. There’s a 2,000-squarefoot gym on the top floor, and the guest rooms are modern and spacious (book a junior suite for your girls’ trip). A bountiful breakfast buffet with hearty options like eggs, waffles, chicken sausage, smoked salmon, and potatoes is included with each overnight stay.
For dinner, reserve a table at the lobby restaurant Wren, with views of the developing downtown skyline. Share a toast with sparkling rosé or creative cocktails, and nosh on shareable and craveable Japanese-meets-gastro-pub cuisine (the sushi rolls are the bomb).
During your stay, don’t miss the Perch, a 2.5-acre landscaped park atop the Capital One Hall performing arts center (https:// www.capitalonehall.com/) that connects to the Watermark. Play games like cornhole and miniature golf, chill on the oversized bench swings, and grab a brew at Starhill Biergarten.
Travel tip: Stock up on water and snacks, and pick up picnic fare like sandwiches, cheese, wine, crackers, and charcuterie, at the Wegman’s adjacent to the hotel.
Watermark Exterior Perch Night (Photos courtesy of The Watermark Hotel)
Watermark Junior Suite QQ 2104
Night Out
‘LaToya Ruby Frazier: Monuments of Solidarity’ on display at the MoMA through Sept. 7
By YASMIN MINOS Special to the AmNews
The role of Black people throughout history has often been reduced and excluded, with programs committed to focusing on Black history exclusively coming under fire in states like Florida, Arkansas and most recently South Carolina banning/ restricting AP African American Studies.
Throughout her works, artist and activist LaToya Ruby Frazier aims to combat such erasure.
“For this reason, it is incumbent upon me to resist— one photograph at a time, one photo essay at a time, one body of work at a time, one book at a time, one workers’ monument at a time—historical erasure and historical amnesia,” Frazier said.
She is committed to presenting and preserving stories and representations of labor, race, and gender in a post-industrial world in “LaToya Ruby Frazier: Monuments of Solidarity,” currently on display at the Museum of Modern Art in the Robert Menschel Galleries.
A series of photographs, moving images, and text bring to life Frazier’s message of the celebration of “the expressions of creativity, mutual support, and intergenerational collaboration that persist in light of these denials of fundamental labor, human, and civil rights.”
When you first enter the exhibition, you’re greeted by several compositions in black and white, ranging from seemingly mundane objects like a recliner or a refrigerator. But upon closer inspection, there is more to the images than that. The images capture the mundanity of life and things of significance to her—the recliner dubbed as “Grandma Ruby’s” is well-loved and “Grandma Ruby’s Refrigerator” is littered with pictures and magnets of various childhood and family photos.
Apart from the more personal photographs from Frazier’s collaborative “Notion of Family” series, she also depicts the crumbling infrastructure she’s seen in her hometown of Braddock, Pennsylvania in pieces such as “Fifth Street Tavern and
to
U.P.M.C. Braddock Hospital on Braddock Avenue,” which shows the destruction and remains of the town’s only hospital.
Similarly in “Rally to Protest at UPMC East,” she sheds light on the struggles within her community with the depiction of the
protests against the construction of a new hospital, seen by residents as a means of prioritizing the healthcare of more suburban, well-off communities rather than that of the town’s Black and Brown residents. Through these photographs
and the exhibition, Frazier both highlights and prioritizes the voices and stories of Black and Brown people within her community, ulimately preserving their perspectives in history in a way that has often been overlooked.
“LaToya Ruby Frazier: Monuments of Solidarity” will be on display at the MoMa until Sept. 7. It is worth the visit not only because of its message but also for the blends of photography and videography displayed. For more info, visit www.moma.org.
Frazier’s exhibition (Yasmin Minos photos)
“Rally
Protest at UPMC East”
“Braddock’s Infrastructure”
New poetry books by Camae Ayewa & Carl Phillips
By JORDANNAH ELIZABETH Special to the AmNews
Contemporary Black poetry is like purple to lilac: No matter the generation, no matter the inspiration, no matter the nativity or region from which a Black poet derives, their work is potent, moving, unique, and beautifully piercing to the matrix of the mundane. In other words, Black poetry opens our eyes, removes the scabs from our eyes, and allows us to see the world in a deeper, clearer, more colorful manner.
Two collections of new work will enthrall you to no end: American Equations in Black Classical Music by poet and musician Camae Ayewa and Scattered Snows, to the North: Poems by veteran Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Carl Phillips.
“American Equations in Black Classical Music” by Camae Ayewa
“American Equations in Black Classical Music” is a testament to the power of poetry as a vehicle for introspection, social commen-
tary, and artistic expression.With its evocative verses and resonant themes, “American Equations in Black Classical Music” invites readers on a transformative journey through the melodic landscapes of jazz, the analytical realms of economics, and the intricacies of American life. While making room for the speculative, “American Equations in Black Classical Music” allows the reader’s imagination to begin to draw from past lessons/ innovations to open future portals for these traditions to breathe new lives.
Camae Ayewa is known for her poetry and her musical works. “Moor Mother” flows within the poetic tradition of jazz and protest poetry of the 1960s and ’70s. Ayewa continues to question systems and make connections between the historical and the present. In the tradition of her artistic group Black Quantum Futurism, Ayewa’s poems speak to the communal survival mechanisms and temporal technologies that Black musicians and artistic communities have developed, uncovered, and reconfigured to combat temporal oppression and reclaim our time.
“American Equations” is an intricate interplay of history, society, and the human condition—it illuminates the stark realities and poignant struggles of the past and present. From the vibrant jazz culture to the pressing economic disparities, from racial equations to the melancholic strains of the blues, and from the enduring legacy of Black classical music to the profound impact of time and speculation, these poems delve deep into the interconnections and entanglements that shape our world.
“Scattered Snows, to the North: Poems by Carl Phillips”
Carl Phillips’s “Scattered Snows, to the North” is a mesmerizing exploration of memory, perception, and the intricate dimensions of the human experience, marking another profound achievement from the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet.
In this collection, Phillips delves into the complexities of memory and the inherent unreliability of human recollection. Where his previous works examined power dy-
namics, “Scattered Snows” shifts focus to vulnerability, embracing it as a means of understanding and transcending the past.
Phillips skillfully probes the philosophical question of what constitutes truth in memory: If we remember an event, does that make it real? Conversely, does disbelief nullify its existence?
Phillips gazes into the past as a lens through which to discern the enduring truths of the human condition. He navigates themes of regret, acceptance, and the transient nature of life with poignant clarity.
Each poem in this collection serves as a window into moments where tears were shed, mistakes were made, and joy and beauty unexpectedly emerged amidst life’s complexities.
Phillips’s lyrical prowess shines through in his meditations on the enduring beauty of the world, even in the face of uncertainty and impermanence. His language is both contemplative and profoundly moving, inviting readers to reflect on their own journeys of understanding and acceptance.
Doo-wop singers in church and jazz
Although American Black music is derived from one root, some people have a difficult time connecting doo-wop, bebop, and hip hop. Both doo-wop and hip hop were started in urban cities, particularly in New York, by Black youth. It was their way of releasing creative energy that roared within their being. It was this organic creativity that defied instruments, or taking formal music lessons. For doo-wop and hip hop, they used their vocal instruments and wrote their own lyrics.
In Harlem, while Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonius Monk, Charlie Christian and Max Roach were incubating bebop at Minton’s, neighborhood teenagers were singing acapella on street corners, apartments stoops, project staircases, and in high school bathrooms—adjusting their acoustics for background harmony to accompany the falsetto leaders. Hip hop bum-rushed the scene some 30-40 years after bebop, but its fast-paced tempo, improvisation, and harmonic structure was similar. These three genres were entertaining, but for the artists it was their way of expressing perspectives on an elitist anti-human rights society.
Two former doo wop singers— Joseph “Joe” Rivers and Barbara Jean English—found time to discuss their early days as doowop stars in Harlem. Rivers was a member of the duo Johnnie & Joe, best known for their 1957 hit “Over the Mountain Across the Sea” which climbed to #3 on the R&B chart and #8 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Rivers moved to New York City with his parents and nine siblings from Ridgeville, S.C. in 1950. They lived in Harlem, in a one room apartment on 126th Street and 7th Avenue. They eventually moved to a larger apartment on 122nd Street where Rivers met his next-door neighbor, Rex Garvin, who was a singer, songwriter, and pianist. He had just formed an all-girls group, The Hearts, that was managed by another neighbor Zelma “Zell” Sanders. At the time, she was one of the very few women who owned a record label, J & S Records, located in the Bronx on Nelson Avenue.
Johnnie Mae Sanders was Zell’s daughter, who was teamed with Rivers for the duo. “I was attending Cooper J.H.S. in Harlem, when we began studying and practicing with Rex,” said Rivers. “He had to teach me about diction because I had that strong southern accent. It took a year to get my diction right.” Rivers shared that Rex had written the duo’s soon-to-be hit song in the bathroom.
“Over the Mountain Across the Sea” was released in 1957 and became an instant hit. “A lot of people in the service loved the song,” said Rivers. “New York City disc jockeys like Alan Freed and Murray the K were playing the record constantly. We started performing at the Brooklyn Paramount and we performed so much at the Apollo Theatre, I thought we had stock. When it was time to go on our first tour at age 15, my mother had to give me permission.” They often appeared on the Dick Clark Show but said there was no dancing with white girls.
Touring doing one-nighters was very difficult for the young duo once they hit the south. “In some places, the band had to play behind a sheet so the audience couldn’t see they were white playing with Black singers,” explained Rivers. “Sometimes [pop singer] Paul Anka would go into restaurants to get food for us. We played in a lot of places that refused to pay us. We ate at Elvis Presley’s house and he told us how much he liked the song, he had ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ out at the time.” When Rivers graduated from Cooper J.H.S. his mom asked if he wanted to attend high school or continue touring. He decided to stay on the road. He said, “I made $100 touring cities and I sent $75 to my mom and kept $25. It was important for me to help my family.” While touring, they met B.B. King, Clyde McPhatter, Big Joe Turner, Fats Domino, Roy Hamilton, Pearl Bailey (before her fame), Harvey and the Moonglows, and Big Mae Bell.
Like many young doo-wop sing-
I wrote a song ‘But Not for Me’ and needed back-up singers. I found some girls who liked my song and the four of us started a group. We went uptown where all the music people hung out at 1650 Broadway and met Zell Sanders. We auditioned in the back seat of her car; she liked us and agreed to be our manager,” said English. “She changed our name to the Clickettes. She also managed the Hearts and Johnnie & Joe.”
The group won “Amateur Night” at the Apollo and started performing there regularly where English became friends with Johnnie and Joe. “We rehearsed five days per week and there was no hanging out with other groups. As a girl group, we had to be disciplined but we saw lots of groups on the road like the Cadillacs, Coasters, Skyliners and Frankie Lymon.”
The Clickettes worked regularly but their pay did not reflect their many successful performances. “We were cheated out of a lot of funds by our manager, considering we worked at the Apollo six days per week for barely nothing,” explained English. “I wrote five hit songs for the group but they paid me per song. After a long legal battle, I finally received my first royalty check last year. Fortunately, today young musicians understand the business of music.”
ers of that era, including Frankie Lymon, they weren’t paid for the actual song. Rivers said, “I was given one check and not a penny afterwards.” Rivers later went to acting school and actually auditioned for a role in the film “Blackboard Jungle” that starred Sidney Poitier. Sanders and Rivers resumed their professional partnership later in the 1960s. “Johnnie and I were like peas in a pod during the 1970s and ‘80s. We performed in oldies concerts, the Desert Storm Review, traveled to England to perform for Queen Elizabeth and recorded the album, ‘Kingdom of Love,’ in 1982.” Johnnie Sanders died in 1987. In the 1990s, Rivers began singing with Barbara Toomer, a former member of The Toys (“A Lover’s Concerto”). “I love jazz but I am a ballad singer and I always sang off key,” said Rivers. Barbara Jean English began singing on the Lower East Side and attended Yorkville High School. “Everybody in school sang, especially in the bathrooms.
English eventually became a solo artist making the transition from doo-wop singer to song stylist and jazz singer. “I was never an acapella singer during those days, that was mostly the boy groups,” she said. English maintained her singing career as a cabaret singer performing on cruise ships and at Atlantic City. In 1999, the Clickettes convened for a 50-year reunion. “We worked the east coast circuit doing doo-wop shows. The only time I am happy is singing and I have no regrets. We have a legacy with this music and I am still working.” More than likely, you may catch English performing in Harlem at one of Berta Alloway’s jazz concerts.
Rivers can be found on Sundays in Harlem, where I interviewed him, at Christian Parish for Spiritual Renewal Church, pastored by Rev. Ronald Sullivan, on 122nd Street (2044 Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Blvd. He has been a faithful member of this congregation for over 30 years. He isn’t in the choir but is often called upon to rouse the congregation as a guest singer.
Joseph “Joe” Rivers of legendary vocal duo Johnnie & Joe. (Photo Illustration by AmNews; Ron Scott Associates photo; Visticaffairs, CC BY-SA 4.0
Wikimedia Commons)
Mayor vs. Speaker
to the NYPD, FDNY, or Department of Correction (DOC), it would have to first give notice of an intention to hold a hearing and vote to the public, the mayor, and relevant agency heads at least 45 days in advance; allow agency leadership to testify and file a “public safety impact statement”; and give an additional 50-day advance notice before the vote of the public, mayor, and agencies, said the report. The mayor and city agencies would also be allowed to hold their own public hearings on city laws during the period between the notice and the ultimate vote.
Speaker Adams, councilmembers, and some advocates speculate that the CRC ballot proposals are being “rushed” to block voters from voting on advice and consent. Regardless, the law currently authorizes the City Council to practice that process until November 2025.
“The Council is filing the ballot question for voters to decide on the advice-and-consent law in this November’s general election, so voters can exercise their democratic right to vote on this existing proposal,” said Speaker Adams in a statement. “The Mayor’s Charter Revision Commission should refrain from blocking New Yorkers’ ability to decide on advice-and-consent by rushing to create new proposals, because that would be undemocratic. Advice-and-consent strengthens representative democracy and government by
[C]ouncilmembers in the City Council Progressive and Black, Latino, and Asian caucuses held a press conference ahead of the CRC meeting in Queens to double down on slamming the mayor’s commission as “undemocratic.”
ensuring we have the most qualified and ethical commissioners to effectively deliver the services that New Yorkers deserve.”
On July 22, councilmembers in the City Council Progressive and Black, Latino, and Asian Caucuses held a press conference ahead of the CRC meeting in Queens to double down on slamming the mayor’s commission as “undemocratic.”
“The mayor initiated this charter review commission as a very blatant effort to block our ballot proposal that we passed earlier this year that should and must be on the ballot this November,” said Councilmember Sandy Nurse.
“We should be questioning the necessity and legitimacy of this entire process right now,” Councilmember Chi Ossé said. “The council passed the advice-and-consent bill to expand oversight of the city’s executive branch—of the mayor’s work, that he does uphold our Democratic process. Immediately thereafter, the mayor initiated this Charter Revision Commission, clearly as a cynical ploy to force the council’s measure
off of our November ballots. Whatever proposals ultimately come from this commission, we know that they are secondary to the commission’s purpose of existence to undercut the Democratic process and the New York City Council.”
Ossé went so far as to liken the mayor’s “power grab” to the authoritarian and furtive political tactics of ex-President Donald Trump. “We do not want a mayor within the City of New York to do that same thing with the process that is undergoing right now,” he said. “We have an obligation to call this out for what it is.”
After the release of the final report, numerous advocacy groups, including Housing Works, New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), Make the Road New York, LatinoJustice PRLDEF, Muslim Community Network, and the Immigrant Defense Project, signed a letter demanding the mayor’s CRC proposals stay off the ballot.
“New Yorkers deserve nothing short of a thoughtful City Charter that creates a city that works for all New Yorkers. This report
from the Charter Revision Commission stands in stark contrast to these values, prioritizing political gamesmanship over safeguarding our city’s guiding principles,” said Michael Sisitzky, assistant director of policy at the NYCLU. “This harried, disorganized, and opaque revision process has led to final recommendations that would undermine our local democracy in the service of making agencies like the NYPD even less accountable to New Yorkers. We urge the Commission to keep those dangerous measures off of the November ballot.”
In his usual Tuesday morning briefing, Mayor Adams said that he was impressed with the commission’s job so far and disagreed with the idea that anything was done in haste.
“No: being rushed is introducing legislation in a week. That’s what’s being rushed,” Mayor Adams said. “We allowed New Yorkers to come in and speak. Part of the recommendation that people are saying [is] before you do these changes in law, people should have a right to come in and speak. That’s ironic. It’s all going to work itself out. It is all part of the process. All we need to do is take a deep breath, meditate, drink a green smoothie, and just be fine.”
The final public hearing will take place
Thursday, July 25, at Brooklyn Public Library Central Library at 2 p.m. The CRC will vote to adopt the final report proposals then. If adopted, they will be placed on the November general election ballot for people to vote on.
CLASSROOM IN THE
Vocalist and actress Abbie Mitchell
By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews
As we do so often, this is another week in which we try to keep it in the family: Since we have profiled Will Marion Cook, let’s introduce you to his amazing wife, Abbie Mitchell. She was born on September 25, 1884, in Harlem, and named Abriea, but called Abbie. Her mother was African American and her father was of Jewish-German ancestry. Alice Payne, her maternal aunt, raised her in Baltimore and she attended a Catholic convent school.
After the death of her father, which interrupted her formal schooling in Baltimore, she returned to New York and began living with another aunt. She was 14 when she was discovered singing on a fire escape by Will Marion Cook and the poet Paul Laurence Dunbar. So compelling was her voice that they signed her immediately for a leading role in “Clo-
rindy: The Origin of the Cakewalk,” a one-act musical comedy, in 1898. Her performance, according to several reviews, was astounding and the show ran for the whole season at the Casino Roof Garden.
A year later, she married Cook and appeared in the lead role of his musical “Jes Lak White Folks.” This success was followed by her role in her husband’s “The Southerners.”
The couple had a daughter, Marion Abigail Cook, in 1900, and a son, Will Mercer Cook, in 1903. It should be noted that she studied voice with H.T. Burleigh and Emilia Serrano, along with starring in her husband’s productions, she was also a member and one of the principal singers in Joe Jordan’s Nashville Students, although they were neither from Nashville nor students. In 1905, they appeared at Hammerstein’s Victoria Theater and later toured Europe.
She was still a teenager when she was invited to appear in a Royal
Command Performance for King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra at Buckingham Palace.
In 1908, she performed in an operetta, “Red Moon,” composed by Bob Cole and J. Rosamond Johnson. Five years later, she ventured into the film realm with Bert Williams, but the project was never released. She was off to Europe again in 1919 with Cook’s Southern Syncopated Orchestra.
Abbie was in a short film by Lee de Forest in 1922, “Songs of Yesteryear,” where she sings in the newly developed sound-on-film process. It has been preserved in the Maurice Zouary film collection at the Library of Congress.
Abbie took full advantage of her trips abroad, often securing vocal training from teachers such as Jean de Reszke in Paris, as well as concertizing at several venues. Back in the States, she further cultivated her natural talents at the Lafayette Theatre, and in 1924, she collabo-
rated with her husband, Flournoy Miller, and Aubrey Lyles of “Shuffle Along,” fame. She also appeared in several Broadway productions, including “In Abraham’s Bosom,” in 1926, “Coquette” in 1927 with Helen Hayes, and Tallulah Bankhead in “The Little Foxes,” in 1939.
Abbie is perhaps best remembered for her role as Clara in the premiere of George Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess,” in 1935, which was her last musical role on stage. Her recording of “Summertime” was the first for this immortal song. With her stage career put on hold, she took her talent to the classroom, teaching mainly at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama.
Her son, Will Mercer Cook, was a professor at Howard University, a translator, and later appointed U.S. Ambassador to Niger and Senegal.
Abbie Mitchell died in New York on March 16, 1960, and was given a Catholic funeral. She was 75.
ACTIVITIES
FIND OUT MORE
Anthologies and encyclopedia entries by editors Bruch Kellner and Darlene Clark Hine are indispensable.
DISCUSSION
As we noted in the profile of her husband, more information is required about her marriage at such an early age.
PLACE IN CONTEXT
Abbie Mitchell’s career on stage during the early 20th century offers an interesting and arresting perspective on the era.
THIS WEEK IN BLACK HISTORY
July 16, 2024: Civil rights icon Bernice Johnson Reagon died in Washington, D.C. She was 81.
July 17, 2024: Acclaimed journalist, author, and teacher Robert Allen died in California. He was 82.
July 19, 2024: Sheila Jackson Lee, a long-term representative from Texas, died in Houston. She was 74.
Abbie Mitchell (Public Domain photo)
Abbie Mitchell (Photo courtesy of NYPL)
reserves in Trump’s war chest from several super-rich supporters. Along with a deluge of funds, Harris has also gathered a sufficient number of delegates, making her the presumptive nominee.
Almost immediately upon hearing of the seismic shift, Trump and his cohorts began screaming foul play, claiming that the change in candidates was illegal. But a statement from the Democratic Party in-
Copmala
maintains a “purity test” is unproductive and said Harris’s prospective presidential campaign offers her a reset.
“I can’t say that there’s anything in her electoral history that really gives me promise or hope [as an abolitionist],” Holbrook said. “I look for someone like her to recognize an opportunity. When she sees one and sees momentum, she has to come [to the campaign] with something different this election cycle…you can’t just offer us ‘Trump is a bad guy, fascism is coming, [and] he’s a racist.’ We’ve seen that. We’ve heard that before. That is, unfortunately, the story of America.”
Holbrook urged Harris to “Give us some-
dicated that the change, though extraordinary, abided by the rules and procedures.
“In this instance,” the statement explained, “the Democratic Party will determine its path forward and its delegates will vote to approve a nominee at or before the Democratic National Convention this August.”
As for the delegates, the Democrats are not bound to their candidates like the Republicans. At the convention, they are free to do what they want.
But all that may be academic since Harris has already gathered the number needed for the nomination. Even so, DNC Chair
thing different—that is what we’re looking for. That’s what we’re looking for [in] Kamala: a transformative candidate. If she’s going to be a status quo candidate…it’s not going to resolve any of the fundamental issues or flaws with American society.”
Woods Ervin, co-director of the Angela Davis-founded abolitionist movement Critical Resistance, said their concerns about Harris remain similar to the ones they had about her predecessor.
“I think for an organization like Critical Resistance, our primary concern with Harris is the same that we had with Biden: that her commitment to policing and incarceration will increase funding and infrastructure for imprisonment at the state and local level, and especially at the southern border,” Ervin said over email. “I think the particular risk she poses (that is differ-
Jaime Harrison said, “In the coming days, the party will undertake a transparent and orderly process to move forward as a united Democratic Party with a candidate who can defeat Donald Trump in November. This process will be governed by established rules and procedures of the party. Our delegates are prepared to take seriously their responsibility in swiftly delivering a candidate to the American people.”
Among the burning issues facing Harris is the selection of a running mate, and several elected officials have been proposed. Some are suggesting that she choose some-
ent from Trump) is the impact she could have on progressive voters and constituents to become less open to policies and campaigns that shrink the carceral apparatus.”
In her first campaign speech, Harris championed affordable healthcare and fair wages, but she also somewhat embraced the Copmala identity herself, boasting about her former offices’ work in convicting fraudsters whom likened to former president Donal Trump, who is guilty of 34 felony counts related to his hush money scheme. Now, “cop vs. felon” and “prosecutor vs. felon” memes already populate the internet space and similar narratives have reached election coverage at major publications. In the process, though, they also stigmatize everyday people living with a conviction record.
one from the battleground states to bolster a win in Michigan, Wisconsin, or Pennsylvania to improve her chances of winning the vote in the Electoral College. But it may be wiser to select someone who can provide clout in several states, and either of the Castro brothers, Julian or Joaquin, might be good to attract the Hispanic voters. But that’s her call, and thus far she’s been doing pretty good in consultation with her staff and President Biden, who will be ever-present throughout the campaign. “He’s not going anywhere,” Harris said in Biden’s home state of Delaware on Monday.
“It suggests that the worst thing about former President Trump and to oppose him isn’t necessarily a range of objectionable or odious policies,” Levin said. “The fact that he’s in a country, where according to many estimates, one in three adults has a criminal record…[and] those records are disproportionately felt in Black communities and in low-income communities, there’s something perhaps worrying about the message that says let’s make this about the prosecutor versus the felon.”
Tandy Lau is a Report for America corps member who writes about public safety for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1.
Education
Black Greeks, task forces, mobilize en masse for Kamala
By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff
It didn’t take long for the meeting invites to go out.
Soon after President Joe Biden declared his support for Vice President Kamala Harris to launch what will undoubtedly be a historic campaign to become his successor in the Oval Office, a Zoom call was organized by members of the #WinWithBlackWomen network, a national collective of Black women leaders.
Those on the July 21 call took to social media, even as the call was still taking place, to talk about the energy and excitement they were hearing from Black women who appeared thrilled to witness the start of Harris’s campaign. Like many, they were expressing a supercharged interest in this year’s campaign, because they now feel they have an essential role to play in it.
The #WinWithBlackWomen Zoom tallied about 44,000 attendees. The network said they quickly hit capacity and that led them to widen participation so that 30,000 more women could attend the call via the social audio room app Clubhouse, and 20,000 more joined on various other platforms.
“This groundbreaking gathering featured a distinguished roster of guest speakers, including influential political and spiritual leaders, policy makers, activists, celebrities, and prominent figures,” #WinWithBlackWomen representatives said in a statement.
“The event also heralded the revival of the Brown Girls Fundraising Collective, raising an unprecedented fundraising initiative that surpassed all expectations by raising over $1.5 million dollars in less than three hours. Additionally, the enthusiasm was palpable, as nearly 10,000 individuals from across all 50 states eagerly volunteered to join #WinWithBlackWomen’s State Organizing Groups.”
The #WinWithBlackWomen call led to a similar effort to organize and strategize with Black men on July 22. The journalist Roland S. Martin created the WinWithBlackMen.org video call which was broadcast on the Black Star Network app and on YouTube. It saw 35,000 Black men show up to hear political strategists and Congressional Black Caucus members discuss the Harris campaign.
Kamala Harris’s well-known collegiate attendance at Washington, D.C.’s Howard University and her membership in the Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) sorority also stand to benefit her campaign.
The AKAs, like other Black Greek-letter organizations are non-partisan, but as with many fraternities and sororities, they support philanthropic programs, raise funds for charitable causes, and support community organizing. Harris’s sorors told
the AmNews they have already heard from members who are eager to get back to work with their door knocking and phone banking campaigns.
“Delta Rho Omega will focus on voter registration, voter education, and voter mobilization as we approach the historic 2024 presidential election,” Monique Okumakpeyi, president of Brooklyn’s Delta Rho Omega chapter of the AKAs said. “The stakes are high for our democracy, and everyone’s voice must be heard as we choose our local and national leadership. We will answer the call of Alpha Kappa Alpha’s international president and CEO, Danette Anthony Reed, by engaging in our most robust voter registration efforts to date. However, we cannot stop at adding names to the voter registration rolls. We will make sure voters are familiar with the issues, know the candidates on their ballot, and know their polling location. For those who are unable to make it to the polls on Election Day, we will share information about early voting dates and locations, as well as absentee ballots. Lastly, each member is encouraged to ‘Take 4 or more in ’24’; namely take four or more people with them to the polls this year. Voting is our ‘Black job,’ and the 2024 election is a serious matter.”
The presidents of The Divine Nine, the network of Black greek-letter organizations, issued a statement vowing to conduct a massive, coordinated voter mobilization campaign “to activate the thousands of chapters and members in our respective organizations to ensure strong voter turnout in the communities we serve. This nonpartisan coordinated voter mobilization
effort builds on our shared legacies of social action and service to our communities.”
The Divine Nine include the following organizations: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity; Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.; Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity; Omega Psi Phi Fraternity; Delta Sigma Theta Sorority; Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity; Zeta Phi Beta Sorority; Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority; and Iota Phi Theta Fraternity.
“As you know, we’re a nonpartisan organization, so we don’t encourage the vote one way or the other,” Elicia Pegues Spearman, Alpha Kappa Alpha’s North Atlantic regional director, explained to the AmNews. “But we do encourage people to understand what their voting rights mean, [and] how to get to the polls. So that’s why we’re doing voter education and voter registration.
“We don’t endorse any candidates or the party they’re in; what we endorse is voter registration and voting. But are we surprised that one of our members has been nominated? Not necessarily surprised, because we have members who are held in high esteem, who’ve achieved many great things, and that give back to our community. So, it’s not surprising that someone of her character, her skillset, has been nominated. Of course we’re pleased that she’s a member.”
Harris had just recently delivered a keynote speech at the AKAs’ 71st Boule in Dallas, Texas. At one point during her July 10 speech, Harris said, “Consider: Donald Trump has openly vowed, if reelected, he’ll be a dictator on day one, that he will weaponize the Department of Justice against his political enemies, round up peaceful protesters and throw them out of our coun-
try, and even, and I quote, ‘terminate’ the United States Constitution.
“What’s more, Trump advisors have created a 900-page blueprint of their agenda for the second term. They call it Project 2025. It includes a plan to cut Social Security, to repeal our $35 cap on insulin, to eliminate the Department of Education and end programs like Head Start.
“So, let us be clear: This represents an outright attack on our children, our families, and our future. And all of this is to say, I do believe this is the most existential, consequential, and important election of our lifetimes.”
If Kamala Harris wins the presidency, she would not only be emblematic of the promise of Black Greek-letter organizations, added the AKA’s Pegues Spearman, her impact on the world as an HBCU graduate — similar to President Barack Obama –– would be substantial.
“In general, for females, we’ve had presidential nominees –– like Shirley Chisholm and Hillary Clinton –– but no one’s been elected yet in the United States. Other countries have had female leaders that are doing great jobs. So as the leader in the world, we should not be lacking behind in our female leadership,” Spearman said.
“I think empowering others and inspiring others to know that they can put their best foot forward and try to do anything, that’s important,” she added. “So whether you’re an AKA that’s a Republican, an independent, or a Democrat, the fact that it’s a female is important. I think we want to hear her voice and hear what she has to offer to the country.”
Kamala Harris was celebrated on the AKA’s Ivy Leaf when she became U.S. vice president. (Karen Juanita Carrillo photo)
Vice President Kamala Harris delivered a keynote speech at Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority’s 71st Boulé in Dallas, Texas (Photo credit YouTube)
mass killings as they seek a share of the region’s gold and other resources. The most active is the March 23 Movement (M23), which once occupied Goma and now controls about half of North Kivu province, according to Richard Moncrieff, the Crisis Group’s Great Lakes region director.
Violence has spread across other parts of the country and has displaced more than 7
Deed theft
Continued from page 3
“Communities like mine in Central Brooklyn are particularly vulnerable. I’m grateful for Attorney General James’s partnership in strengthening our laws to prosecute deed theft and protect New Yorkers’ homes,” State Sen. Zellnor Myrie said.
Assemblymember Landon Dais added, “This landmark bill will protect the homeowners in my district and across the great state of New York from con artists that are specifically targeting the seniors that own homes. Our bill will provide the attorney general and district attorneys across the state a strong legal tool to prosecute the scam artists taking advantage of homeowners in our state.”
Deed theft now means prison time Under the new law, deed theft now qualifies as larceny. Instead of being handled in civil court as a case of one person in a contract dispute with another, anyone accused of deed theft can now be charged with different felony classes.
The attorney general’s office lists the felonies as:
• Grand Larceny in the First Degree, a Class B Felony applies to deed theft of a residential real property that is occupied as a home by at least one person and is a home that is owned
Bernice Johnson Reagon
Continued from page 18
Kernodle added. “Her dissertation was one of the first real studies of civil rights music.”
Reagon received two George F. Peabody Awards, including for her work as principal scholar, conceptual producer and host of the Smithsonian Institution, and National Public Radio series “Wade in the Water: African American Sacred Music Traditions.”
She was also the recipient of the Charles E. Frankel Prize, Presidential Medal, for outstanding contributions to public understanding of the humanities, a MacArthur Fellows Program award, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change Trumpet of Conscience Award.
million people, most of them in the east. At least 416 violent attacks have targeted civilians across the country this year, resulting in 1,467 deaths, nearly half in the North Kivu province, according to the U.S.-based Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED).
The French medical organization Doctors Without Borders (MSF, for the French version of its name, Medecins Sans Frontieres), said the cease-fire would help it work “more calmly and deliver medications” in several
by someone who is elderly, incapacitated, or physically disabled, or deed theft of three or more residential real properties, regardless of monetary value.
• Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a Class C Felony applies to deed theft of one residential property, one commercial mixed-use property with at least one residential unit, or two or more commercial properties, regardless of monetary value.
• Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a Class D Felony applies to deed theft of one commercial real property, regardless of monetary value.
“Deed theft is a merciless crime that robs New Yorkers of their homes, communities, and financial stability,” AG James said. “By making deed theft the crime we know it to be, this law gives my office and district attorneys more power to stop these scammers from taking advantage of hardworking people.”
New Yorkers who believe they may be a victim of deed theft can contact the attorney general at 800-771-7755, by emailing deedtheft@ag.ny.gov, or by filing a confidential complaint. Homeowners who need free housing counseling and legal assistance can contact the Homeowner Protection Program at HOPP online or call 855-466-3456 to get help.
Abdul
‘Duke’ Fakir
Continued from page 18
Fakir later toured as the Four Tops with lead vocalist Alexander Morris, Ronnie McNeir, and Lawrence “Roquel” Payton Jr., the son of Lawrence Payton. “As each one of them (the original members) passed, a little bit of me left with them,” Fakir told UK Music Reviews in 2021. “When Levi left us, I found myself in a quandary as to what I was going to do from that moment on, but after a while, I realized that the name, together with the legacy that they had left us, simply had to carry on, and judging by the audience reaction, it soon became pretty evident that I did the right thing and I really do feel good about that.”
Besides the Rock Hall of Fame, the
affected communities where it already operates. “The absence of artillery between the two parties enables us to work more safely in the sites where we offer free care,” said Camille Niel, MSF’s emergency coordinator.
Last month, the U.N. children’s agency reported a 30% increase in major violations against children in eastern Congo during the first three months of this year, compared to the last quarter of 2023.
Even though fighting has been reduced on the frontlines, the villages of Nyange and
Vendors
Continued from page 3
the Street Vendor Project. “The only change that happened to this cap was really recent in 2021 when the council passed Intro. 1116 which is now known as Local Law 18 [of] 2021. The local law states that the health department should make 445 applications for a new type of license, called a supervisory license. [But] 445 applications doesn’t mean 445 licenses.
“That means that the agency will send those applications to vendors and wait for the vendors to fill it out, submit it, and go through the whole process, and then they can obtain the supervisory license. Now this supervisory license is different from the old license, which allows the vendor to obtain a permit for their cars or truck immediately. So there is no more waiting time for the permits, but there is a significant wait time for that supervisory license.”
Attia says while the $1,000 fine is a longstanding flat fee, some vendors are double-ticketed for $2,000 due to lacking both a license and permit. He’s also seen both civil and criminal summons issued at the discretion of the officer.
Telesford started street vending after losing his job in the NYC Department of Education teaching science. Struggling in his job search and too young to retire, he began vending in Manhattan, which he found more accessible than in his home borough of Brooklyn. He typically buys water and chips in bulk from
Tops’ honors included being voted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998 and receiving a Grammy lifetime achievement award in 2009. More recently, Fakir completed the memoir “I’ll Be There,” published in 2022, and had been working on a planned Broadway musical based on their lives.
Fakir was married twice, for the last 50 years to Piper Gibson, and had seven children (six survive him). In the mid1960s, he was briefly engaged to Mary Wilson of the Supremes.
A lifelong Detroit resident who stayed home even after Gordy moved the Motown label to Los Angeles in the early 1970s, Fakir was of Ethiopian and Bangladeshi descent and grew up in a rough neighborhood where rival Black and white gangs fought often. He had early dreams of being a profes -
Bibwa in Masisi territory experienced violent clashes on Wednesday between M23 rebels and some “youth resistance fighters,” who often work with security forces, said Kambere Bonane, a civil society leader in the region.
“We commend international diplomacy, but we urge the international community to move beyond theory and consider practical solutions for lasting peace,” Bonane said.
Associated Press journalist Chinedu Asadu contributed from Abuja, Nigeria.
warehouse stores and sells them loose. However, the city requires the same standards for such goods as it would for handling raw ingredients, according to Attia.
DSNY spokesperson Vincent Gragnani said 73 warning signs and fliers were distributed in the 125th corridor before the agency took “any enforcement actions.” He also pointed to enforcement stemming from more than 18,000 complaint calls through 311, business improvement districts, councilmember offices and community boards between last April to the end of this past March.
Mayor Eric Adams re-established DSNY as the enforcement agency over street vendors last year.
“We should be clear that the Department of Sanitation did not create street vending laws nor set the fines,” Gragnani said in an email to the AmNews. “We enforce these laws, with a focus on situations where vending has created dirty conditions, safety issues, items being left out overnight, and setups that block curbs, subway entrances, bus stops, sidewalks or store entrances.” City council members introduced the “Street Package Reform” bill package last year, which includes Intro. 431, a bill increasing the number of licenses.
Tandy Lau is a Report for America corps member who writes about public safety for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1
sional athlete, but was also a talented singer whose tenor brought him attention as a performer in his church choir. He was in his teens when he befriended Stubbs, and the two first sang with Benson and Payton at a birthday party thrown by a local “girl group” whom Fakir remembered as “high-class, very fine young ladies.”
“Singing was the by-product of us going to the party looking for the girls!” Fakir said in a 2016 interview with https://writewyattuk.com. “We told Levi to just pick a song and sing the lead. We’d just back him up. Well, when he started, we all fell in like we’d been rehearsing the song for months! Our blend was incredible. We were just looking at each other as we were singing, and right after, we said, ‘Man, this is a group! This is a group!’”
Brother Leroy Baylor returns to the ancestors
Contributed obituary
The Janazah Service (funeral) for Leroy Joseph Baylor, radio talk show host and Amsterdam News contributor, was recently held at Unity Funeral Chapel in Harlem. Known as “The Communicator,” Baylor was a beloved member of the community and a registered member of the Nation of Islam since 1963.
According to information from his family, Baylor was born April 25, 1941, at Harlem Hospital, and was the youngest of four children of Emmett and Lillian Baylor, residing in Harlem on 148th–149th Avenue (Frederick Douglass Blvd.). He started his education at Resurrection Catholic Elementary School and later attended Cardinal Hayes High School, where he was the first of three generations of graduates. As the second-fastest runner in the city of New York, he earned a four-year scholarship to Manhattan College, where he received a B.S. in business and was initiated into Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Baylor’s life in business included marketing, ad sales, product sales, public speaking, and sales training with the advertising firm JWT, Time Life, IBM, and Harlem Hos-
pital. At the end of his career, he retired from The New York Times. In retirement, Baylor focused on his passion of pursuing information of importance to the Black community, including becoming a radio talk show host. He facilitated the Books that Matter broadcast on Manhattan Cable Network; was the radio host of “The Communicators,” “Respect for Life,” and the “Guild Press Experience” with recurring special guests; and “Black Life in America,” which featured guests such as Alton Maddox, Dr.
Sebi, Dick Gregory, Shahrazad Ali, Les Brown, Dr. Velva Boles, and Amiri Baraka, to name a few. Baylor is survived by his mother and family matriarch JoAnn Baylor; his children Kevin J. Baylor, Dedan Baylor, Aliyyah Baylor, Khalid Baylor, and Karim Baylor; grandchildren Krystofer Harris, Khalid Baylor Jr., Malachi Baylor, Danielle JoLee Monroe, and Kailey Josephine Baylor; and his partner Hafeesa Nettles and bonus son Jalal Nettles Kane, in addition to a host of nieces and nephews, including Gregory Baylor, Emmett Baylor III, Steven Baylor, Gladys Baylor, Renee Baylor, Hillary Baylor, Kristy Baylor, and Brent Baylor. Baylor was preceded in death by his brothers Frank Baylor, Alvin G. Baylor, and Emmett Baylor Jr.; nieces Kathy and Shirley; and beloved grandson Kuwan Joseph Christian.
Longtime National Action Network
EVP and general counsel Michael Hardy, Esq. has died
Contributed Obituary
From the inception of the National Action Network (NAN) in 1991 to the present day, Michael Hardy, Esq. had an enormous impact on the evolution of the organization. For more than 30 years, Hardy stood beside NAN founder Rev. Al Sharpton as a brilliant legal counselor and steadfast friend who was a legal architect behind some of the most important civil rights cases of the times. Even while seriously ill, he walked with NAN until his very last step.
(Bill Moore photos)
(Bill Moore photo)
Courtney - New Jersey resident, Age 30
“I was actually glad, frankly, or excited that he dropped out of the race because I supported him in 2020. I was planning to vote for him again, but I was just feeling that he was too old and his performance was just not up to par and he was going to lose the election to Trump. So I’m actually excited. I feel like this is going to bring new life into the party; people are going to be more engaged in an election that’s not just between the same two elderly men that it was four years ago.”
Chanel - California resident, Age 34
“I would say, not gonna lie, when I first heard I was really shocked and kind of nervous, because it’s kind of like, what? That’s what I was waiting for! But now that I’ve done a bit more research and Kamala I think I mean, obviously, she’s qualified and, you know, I think we need something new, something fresh. I don’t know––a woman would be great!”
Justice
Continued from page 12
a necessary element to sustain a mutiny charge.
Port Chicago’s commanding officer had no prior experience in supervising munitions loading.
The sailors weren’t properly trained in munitions loading and safety.
Safety lapses were magnified when bored white officers occasionally bet on whose crew could load more munitions during an eight-hour shift.
At least three sailors were physically incapable of performing any physical labor on the day in question.
Coast Guard officers had warned Navy officers of prior safety deficiencies they had observed.
A Longshoreman’s Union representative had been rebuffed when he offered to have his men train the sailors in safe munitions loading.
Not mentioned at the court martial was a military secret that Navy safety personnel knew: Hawaii’s West Loch Explosion of May 21, 1944, had caused the deaths of more than 300 sailors, soldiers, and Marines. Although no blame was officially assessed, Army officials believed untrained Black Army munitions loaders were responsible.
After six weeks of testimony, the 50 sailors were convicted of mutiny and received sentences of up to 15 years. The NAACP’s Thurgood Marshall appealed their convictions several times and managed to reduce their sentences to about 18 months.
The “mutineers” received general discharges under honorable conditions, entitling them to GI Bill benefits. I believe
these general discharges were awarded to assuage the Navy’s guilt for blaming the sailors for the Navy’s own negligence. Otherwise, why allow someone convicted of mutiny to receive GI Bill benefits?
The sailors didn’t enjoy the positive feeling that most members of the “Greatest Generation” had. Some were so angry and embarrassed about their imprisonment that they didn’t discuss their wartime service with family members.
A Navy webpage about Port Chicago acknowledges that “[t]he men’s insistence on safer working conditions and better leadership, however, changed the Navy and probably saved many other lives. The court-martial…underscored the Navy’s discriminatory policies...”
In 1999, one sailor applied for a pardon, which then-President Clinton granted. When another “mutineer” was asked if he wanted a pardon, he replied with a firm “No” because an acknowledgment of guilt must accompany a pardon request. He felt he hadn’t done anything wrong, and that the Navy owed him an apology.
There are undoubtedly other injustices that have happened to Black members of the military. It’s incumbent on the Defense Department to thoroughly investigate these long-ago incidents to finally make our nation a home reflective of “liberty and justice for all.”
Paul L. Newman is an amateur historian of African American history who recently completed a miniseries docudrama about the African American Civil Rights Movement of the first half of the 20th century. He also produced a 1999 award-winning
St. Brendan Senior Apartments
Monsignor Mullaney Apartments
4301 8th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11232
1215 Avenue O, Brooklyn, NY 11230
Beginning January 27, 2024 our 15-unit building 4301 8th Ave in Brooklyn will be re-opening the waitlist for to the elderly (head of household or spouse is 62 or older) or those with a mobility impairment or developmental disabilities. Income restrictions apply and are based on Section 8 guidelines.
Qualifications and eligibility for the affordable apartments, which include units for the mobility impaired, will be based on Section 8 guidelines. Interested persons may obtain an application:
Beginning July 15, 2024 our 120-unit building at 1215 Ave O in Brooklyn will be re-opening its waiting list to the elderly or head of household or spouse is 62 or older or those with a mobility impairment. Qualifications and eligibility for the affordable apartments, which include units for the mobility impaired, will be based on Section 8 guidelines. Interested persons may obtain an application by writing to:
Interested persons may obtain an application:
Send a written application request to:
BY MAIL
POP Management – Msgr Mullaney
POP Management – St. Brendan
191 Joralemon St 8th Floor, Brooklyn NY, 11201
191 Joralemon St 8th Floor, Brooklyn NY, 11201
*Written application requests must be received by 7/22/24
https://www.ccbq.org/service/ senior-housing info.popm@ccbq.org OR
www.ccbq.org/service/senior-housing Or by emailing info.popm@ccbq.org
Completed applications must be sent by regular mail to the PO Box listed on the application and be postmarked by 2/13/2024. If you have a disability and need assistance with the application process or any other type of reasonable accommodation, please contact Sheena Williams at (718) 722-6155.
Completed applications must be sent by regular mail to the PO Box listed on the application and be postmarked by 7/29/2024. If you have a disability and need assistance with the application process or any other type of reasonable accommodation, please contact Yhasara Humphrey at 718-722-6081.
Chanel (Yasmin Minos photo)
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Breakfast Bar Books LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 5/31/2024. Office location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail a copy to: Cohen Schneider Law, P.C., 275 Madison Ave., Suite 1905, New York, NY 10016. Purpose: Any lawful act.
CORE SETON AVENUE PROPERTIES, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 06/12/24. Office: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 3184 Westchester Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
RIVIERA DEL CORALLO LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 06/12/24. Office: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 1-50 50th Avenue, Apartment 2508, Long Island City, NY 11101. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
ALL ANGLES PRODUCTIONS
LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 06/03/2024. Office location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail a copy to: 40 Bruckner Blvd, Apt 1213, New York, NY 10454. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
FEATHERS MANAGEMENT, LLC, filed App. for Auth. with the SSNY on 1/25/2024. Office: New York County. LLC formed in DE on 6/10/2021. SSNY is designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served and shall mail process to: c/o Blair Feldman, 30 W 57th St, NY, NY 10019. Address required to be maintained in DE: 1105 N Market St. Ste 801, Wilmington, DE 19801. Cert of Formation filed with DE Sect’y of State, 401 Federal St #4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: any lawful act.
DK LEGAL LLP. Notice of Registration filed with the SSNY on 06/13/24. Office: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLP upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLP, 502 Park Avenue, 9D, New York, NY 10022, which is also the location of the partnership. Purpose: For the practice of the profession of Law.
IQEQ Law, PLLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 5/06/2019. Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail copy to: 237 36th St., Brooklyn NY 11232. Purpose: Any lawful act, including laws of business practices.
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK INDEX NO. 850248/2022 COUNTY OF NEW YORK
U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE, SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST TO WACHOVIA BANK, N.A., AS TRUSTEE, FOR J.P. MORGAN MORTGAGE TRUST 2005-A1,
Plaintiff, vs.
FRANK STEO, if living, and if she/he be dead, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or general or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in 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; BOARD OF MANAGERS OF THE HAMPTON HOUSE CONDOMINIUM, if living, and if she/he be dead, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or general or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in 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; JPMORGAN CHASE BANK; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE-DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY; 115 ESSEX STREET LLC; NEW YORK CITY PARKING VIOLATIONS BUREAU; NEW YORK CITY ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD; NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT ADJUDICATION BUREAU; CASPER R. CALLENTRUST, if living, and if she/he be dead, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or general or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in 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; PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK; "JOHN DOE" (REFUSED NAME) AS JOHN DOE #1; "JOHN DOE" (REFUSED NAME) AS JOHN DOE #2, "JOHN DOE #3" through "JOHN DOE #12," the last ten names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the premises, described in the complaint, Defendants.
Plaintiff designates NEW YORK as the place of trial situs of the real property
SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS
Mortgaged Premises: 404 EAST 79TH STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10021
Block: 1473, Lot: 1188
To the above named Defendants
YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in the above entitled action and to serve a copy of your Answer on the plaintiff ’s attorney within twenty (20) days of the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service, or within thirty (30) days after service of the same is complete where service is made in any manner other than by personal delivery within the State. The United States of America, if designated as a defendant in this action, may answer or appear within sixty (60) days of service. Your failure to appear or to answer will result in a judgment against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. In the event that a deficiency balance remains from the sale proceeds, a judgment may be entered against you.
NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT
THE OBJECT of the above caption action is to foreclose a Mortgage to secure the sum of $532,000.00 and interest, recorded on February 03, 2004 , in CRFN 2004000065608, of the Public Records of NEW YORK County, New York. , covering premises known as 404 EAST 79TH STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10021.
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. NEW YORK County is designated as the place of trial because the real property affected by this action is located in said county. NOTICE
YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME
If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to the mortgage company will not stop the foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT.
RFP No. MT072024: Opportunity for a perpetual air and light easement located on a portion of Metro-North property along the Hudson Line situated on Section 1.1, Block 7,000, Lot 1 in Yonkers, Westchester County, New York, 10701. For information on this RFP, please go to http://mta.info/realestate
NOTICE
OF SALE
SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK.
HILTON RESORTS CORPORATION, Plaintiff -against- UNKNOWN HEIRS AND DISTRIBUTEES OF THE ESTATE OF RECA DANIELLE BARWIN, if living and if they be dead, etc..., et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated November 28, 2023 and entered on March 26, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street New York, NY on August 28, 2024 at 2:15 p.m. premises situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, County of New York, City and State of New York, being an undivided ownership interest as tenantin-common with other owners in the Timeshare Unit in the building located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY; known as The NYH Condominium. Together with an appurtenant undivided 0.8100% common interest percentage. This a foreclosure on ownership interest in a timeshare unit, a studio penthouse on a floating use basis every year, in accordance with and subject to declarations. Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions dated October 27, 2003 and November 3, 2003 as CFRN # 2003000442513 as recorded in the Office of the City Register, County, City and State of New York. The Timeshare Unit is also designated as Block 1006 and Lot 1305.
Said premises known as 1335 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS, UNIT HU4, NEW YORK, NY 10019
Approximate amount of lien $45,365.82 plus interest & costs.
Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale.
Index Number 850059/2022.
GEORGIA PAPAZIS, ESQ., Referee
DRUCKMAN LAW GROUP
PLLC
Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 242 Drexel Avenue, Westbury, NY 11590 DLG# 38752
Notice of Qualification of ATLAS VI DEKALB LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/10/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 05/17/24. Princ. office of LLC: 40 W. 57th St., 29th Fl., NY, NY 10019. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT, on or about July 31, 2024, New York Transco LLC (NY Transco) and the New York Power Authority (NYPA), through their collaboration known as Propel NY Energy (Propel NY), will file an application (the Application) with the New York State Public Service Commission (the NYSPSC) for a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need (CECPN) pursuant to Article VII of the New York Public Service Law (PSL) to construct, maintain, and operate the Propel NY Energy Project (the Project). At a high level, the Project’s proposed route, further detailed in the Application and below, will be built in a small segment of western Suffolk County, throughout Nassau County crossing Long Island Sound to Westchester County, and through Queens County crossing East River to Bronx County.
By way of background, the New York State Independent System Operator, Inc.’s (NYISO) Board of Directors selected the Project, together with certain other component parts (the Upgrades), to satisfy the NYSPSC-declared Long Island Offshore Wind Export Public Policy Transmission Need (LI PPTN). As the NYISO summarized, the Project will “benefit New York State’s electric consumers by enabling the delivery of renewable power required to meet state energy goals and relieving congestion while enhancing New York State’s already high standard of system reliability.” NY Transco and NYPA entered into a development agreement with the NYISO that requires the Project to be in service by May 2030.
The Project includes submarine and terrestrial components within New York State (NYS) that, in total, subject it to PSL Article VII review and include approximately 89.7 miles of new underground transmission lines (approximately 78.5 miles at 345 kilovolts [kV] and approximately 11.2 miles at 138-kV) and direct interconnection with nine existing and/or new substations located within Suffolk, Nassau, Queens, Bronx, and Westchester counties. Of the approximately 89.7 miles of new underground transmission lines, two components are within NYS waters: (1) an approximately 9.1-mile crossing of the Long Island Sound between the Town of Oyster Bay and the City of New Rochelle, and (2) an approximately 0.7-mile crossing of the East River and an approximately 0.3-mile crossing of the Westchester Creek in Bronx County.
Given the Project’s size and geographic scope, it is discussed throughout the Application in six primary components (each, a Project Segment): (1) Barrett to East Garden City (EGC), (2) EGC to Tremont, (3) EGC to Shore Road, (4) Ruland Road to Shore Road, (5) Syosset to Shore Road, and (6) Shore Road to Sprain Brook. The transmission and substation infrastructure included in each Project Segment is described at a high level in the following section and in more detail throughout the Application. Barrett to EGC : The Project will begin at a new 345-kV Barrett Substation (the New Barrett Substation), which will be constructed on a portion of the E.F. Barrett Generation Station’s parcel located in the Hamlet of Oceanside in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County. The New Barrett Substation will also serve as a point of interconnection (POI) for local 138-kV transmission infrastructure. The substation will step up the 138-kV POI voltage to 345-kV, and a new 345-kV underground transmission line will interconnect and run north approximately 8.6 miles through the villages of Rockville Centre, Hempstead, and Garden City to the 345-kV East Garden City Substation (the 345-kV EGC Substation) located in the Hamlet of Uniondale in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County. Note that the 345-kV EGC Substation will be expanded by NYPA as one of the Upgrades and, while discussed here for context, that expansion work is not a part of the Project for Article VII siting purposes.
EGC to Tremont: From the 345-kV EGC Substation, a new 345-kV underground transmission line will extend approximately 23.5 miles, terminating at Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc.’s (Con Edison) existing 345-kV Tremont Substation (the Existing Tremont Substation). From the EGC Substation, the line will travel north from the Village of Garden City in the Town of Hempstead through the villages of Mineola, Williston Park, Roslyn Estates, Roslyn, and Flower Hill in the Town of North Hempstead in Nassau County. The line will then extend west from the Village of Flower Hill along Northern Boulevard adjacent to the villages of Munsey Park, North Hills, and Thomaston and through the villages of Lake Success and Russell Gardens in the Town of North Hempstead in Nassau County and into Queens County. From there, the line will extend north toward Little Neck Bay and then west through the neighborhood of Whitestone in Queens County. Adjacent to Interstate 678, the line will travel north approximately 0.7 miles under the East River from Francis Lewis Park in Queens County to Ferry Point Park in Bronx County. From there, the line will travel approximately 0.3 miles under the Westchester Creek. Once across the Westchester Creek in Bronx County, the line will travel in a northwesterly direction starting from the neighborhood of Castle Hill until its termination point at the Existing Tremont Substation. The Project will also include the installation of certain new 345-kV equipment within the Existing Tremont Substation’s existing fence line.
EGC to Shore Road: From the 345-kV EGC Substation, a new 345-kV underground transmission line will extend approximately 10.4 miles north through the Village of Garden City in the Town of Hempstead, continue through the villages of Westbury, Old Westbury, and East Hills in the Town of North Hempstead, and cross into the villages of Roslyn Harbor and Old Brookville in the Town of Oyster Bay to a new 345-kV Shore Road Substation (the New Shore Road Substation) in the Town of Oyster Bay, all located in Nassau County. This substation will serve as the transition station and new connection for the existing, adjacent Long Island Power Authority (LIPA)-owned 138-kV Shore Road Substation (the Existing Shore Road Substation). Ruland Road to Shore Road: From a newly constructed 345-kV Ruland Road Substation (the New Ruland Road Substation) in the Town of Huntington in Suffolk County, a new 345-kV underground transmission line will extend approximately 17.8 miles to the New Shore Road Substation. More specifically, this line will begin in the Town of Huntington in Suffolk County before extending west into Nassau County. Once in Nassau County, the line will run adjacent to the Village of Muttontown before crossing through the villages of Brookville, Upper Brookville, and Old Brookville in the Town of Oyster Bay and terminating at the New Shore Road Substation. Syosset to Shore Road: From LIPA’s existing 138-kV Syosset Substation (the Existing Syosset Substation) in the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, a new 138-kV underground transmission line will be installed to the New Shore Road Substation. This line will extend approximately 11.2 miles northwest into the Village of Muttontown, continuing southwest through the Village of Upper Brookville, then extending northwest through the Village of Old Brookville in the Town of Oyster Bay before terminating at the New Shore Road Substation. Shore Road to Sprain Brook: From the New Shore Road Substation, two new 345-kV transmission circuits will travel underground approximately 18.2 miles to Con Edison’s existing 345-kV Sprain Brook Substation (the Existing Sprain Brook Substation), including the approximately 9.1-mile crossing of the Long Island Sound. First, four, three-core submarine cables will leave the New Shore Road Substation and travel underground approximately 0.3 miles within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County towards the Hempstead Harbor where the cables will enter the Hempstead Harbor and cross the Long Island Sound for approximately 9.1 miles to a landing point in the Hudson Park and Beach in the City of New Rochelle in Westchester County. From there, the submarine cables will enter into transition joint bays (TJB) and exit as 12 single-core terrestrial cables before travelling on land approximately 0.8 underground miles to a newly constructed 345-kV New Rochelle Transition Station (the New NR Station) located near Echo Avenue in the City of New Rochelle (the Transitional Terrestrial Cable). The New NR Station will transition the Project’s 12 single-core terrestrial cables to six single-core terrestrial cables, which make up the two terrestrial lines. Then, from the New NR Station, the two terrestrial lines will extend approximately eight additional underground miles across Westchester County through the Town and Village of Pelham and City of Mount Vernon and north toward the villages of Bronxville and Tuckahoe in the Town of Eastchester before reaching the City of Yonkers and terminating at the Existing Sprain Brook Substation.
An electronic copy of the Application will be served upon the entities identified in the Application’s service list, including: certain government officials located in, or representing, constituents within the municipalities where the Project will be located; required State agencies; and impacted utility companies. In addition, the Application will be available for review in over 50 public libraries throughout the Project’s footprint on or about August 1, 2024. For a full listing of those libraries, please see the Project’s website, provided below.
For information or assistance concerning the Application, interested persons may contact:
Hon. Michelle L. Phillips
Secretary to the Commission
New York State Public Service Commission
3 Empire State Plaza
Albany, New York 12223-1350 Telephone: (518) 474-2500 Fax: (518) 474-9842
Email: secretary@dps.ny.gov
Additional information is also available at the Project’s website, www.propelnyenergy.com
NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURT. NEW YORK COUNTY. U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR THE REGISTERED HOLDERS OF WELLS FARGO COMMERCIAL MORTGAGE SECURITIES, INC., MULTIFAMILY MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2020-SB80, Pltf. vs. 300 WEST 114 TH OWNER, LLC, et al, Defts. Index #850012/2023. Pursuant to judgment of foreclosure and sale entered January 17, 2024, I will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY on August 28, 2024 at 2:15 p.m. prem. k/a Parcel I, 2107 Frederick Douglass Boulevard, a/k/a 2107 Eighth Avenue, New York, NY 10026 a/k/a Block 1847, Lot 59; Parcel II, 2109 Frederick Douglass Boulevard, a/k/a 300 West 114 th Street, New York, NY 10026 a/k/a Block 1847, Lot 60. Approximate amount of judgment is $4,102,281.91 plus costs and interest. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed judgment and terms of sale. GEORGIA PAPAZIS, Referee. BALLARD SPAHR LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 1675 Broadway, 19 th Floor, New York, NY 10019. #101360
Notice of formation of NYCR Sub-CDE 30, LLC Articles of Organization filed with the SSNY on July 9, 2024. N.Y. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served. The SSNY shall mail a copy of any process to NYCR Sub-CDE 30, LLC, 99 Hudson Street, 15th Floor, New York, New York 10013. Purpose: Any lawful act.
Notice of formation of NYCR Sub-CDE 25, LLC Articles of Organization filed with the SSNY on July 9, 2024. N.Y. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served. The SSNY shall mail a copy of any process to NYCR Sub-CDE 25, LLC, 99 Hudson Street, 15th Floor, New York, New York 10013. Purpose: Any lawful act.
NOTICE OF FORMATION of NYC Catalyst Fund, LLC (the “LLC”) filed with the Secretary of State of the State of New York (“SSNY”) on 05/20/2024. Office location: New York County. The principal business address of the LLC is: One Liberty Plaza, New York, New York 10006. SSNY has been designated as the agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail service of process to c/o New York City Economic Development Corporation, One Liberty Plaza, New York, New York 10006, Attention: General Counsel. Purpose: any lawful purpose.
NYC FOREIGN AUTO SALES, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 04/16/24. Office: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 645 11th Avenue, New York, NY 10019. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
Notice is hereby given that a license, serial #RM-24-10515701 for beer, wine & liquor has been applied for by the undersigned to sell beer, wine & liquor at retail in a vessel under the ABC Law at 2430 FDR Dr., Slip 8, NYC 10010 for on-premises consumption; Fantasy Barco LLC
Notice of Qualification of ALM FIRST EXECUTIVE BENEFITS LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 04/10/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Texas (TX) on 11/14/23. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the TX addr. of LLC: 3800 Maple Ave., Ste. 600, Dallas, TX 75219. Cert. of Form. filed with Jane Nelson, Secy. of State, 1100 Congress Capitol Bldg., Rm. 1E 8, Austin, TX 78701. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
Notice of Qualification of LAFAYETTE AND PATTERSON LENDER LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/25/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 03/01/22. Princ. office of LLC: 520 Madison Ave., NY, NY 10022. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543, regd. agent upon whom and at which process may be served. DE addr. of LLC: 1209 Orange St., Wilmington, DE 19801. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Real estate investments.
NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE AUCTION SALE
Pursuant to a judgment dated January 24, 2023, the property located at and commonly known as 768 5th Avenue, Unit 1126, New York, NY 10019 (Block 01274, Lot 1304) (the “Property”) currently held by Kondo Enterprises, Inc., and the rights together with the Property and related collateral described in the judgment and the mortgage being foreclosed thereby, will be sold to the highest qualified bidder at a public auction to be held at 2:15 PM, EST, on August 7, 2024 in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse located at 60 Centre Street, New York, NY.
The Property will be sold subject to the terms of the above-referenced judgment (New York County Supreme Court, Index No. 850050/2022), in addition to the terms of sale, by Jerry Merola, Esq., the Referee. The approximate amount of the sums due pursuant to the judgment, as of September 22, 2022, excluding costs and expenses of the sale, reimbursable costs and expenses incurred by plaintiffs in the foreclosure action, additional accrued interest, and protective advances made to preserve the Property through the date of sale, is $411,359.28. For all questions and inquiries, contact James N. Faller, Esq., james. faller@reedsmith.com , +1 (212) 521-5400, Reed Smith, LLP, attorney(s) for Plaintiff, 599 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10022.
NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF New York , HMC Assets, LLC Solely in its Capacity as Separate Trustee of Cam XI Trust , Plaintiff, vs . Leo Tsimmer a/k/a Leo E. Tsimmer , ET AL., Defendant(s).
Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale and Decision + Order on Motion duly entered on April 8 , 2024 , I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007 on August 7, 2024 at 2:15 p.m., premises known as 200 East 58th Street, Unit 16F, New York, NY 10022. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, County of New York, City and State of New York, Block 1331 and Lot 1083 together with an undivided 0.68227 percent interest in the Common Elements. Approximate amount of judgment is $645,401.04 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #850209/2020. COVID-19 safety protocols will be followed at the foreclosure sale.
Paul R. Sklar, Esq., Referee Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff. Firm File No.: 150137-5
Notice of formation of NYCR Sub-CDE 26, LLC Articles of Organization filed with the SSNY on July 9, 2024. N.Y. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served. The SSNY shall mail a copy of any process to NYCR Sub-CDE 26, LLC, 99 Hudson Street, 15th Floor, New York, New York 10013. Purpose: Any lawful act.
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
INDEX NO. 850116/2020
COUNTY OF NEW YORK
DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY AS TRUSTEE FOR INDYMAC INDX MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST 2006-AR39, MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES SERIES 2006-AR39
Plaintiff, vs.
DOUGLAS DAVIS, if living, and if she/he be dead, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or general or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in 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; WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS SUCCESSOR INDENTURE TRUSTEE TO CITIBANK, N.A., AS INDENTURE TRUSTEE OF SACO I TRUST 2006-12, MORTGAGE-BACKED NOTES, SERIES 2006-12; NEW YORK CITY ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD; NEW YORK CITY PARKING VIOLATIONS BUREAU ; NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT ADJUDICATION BUREAU,
"JOHN DOE #1" through "JOHN DOE #12," the last twelve names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the premises, described in the complaint,
Plaintiff designates NEW YORK as the place of trial situs of the real property
SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS
Mortgaged Premises:
259W 131ST STREET , NEW YORK, NY 10027
District: , Section: , Block:1937, Lot: 8
Defendants.
To the above named Defendants
YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in the above entitled action and to serve a copy of your Answer on the plaintiff ’s attorney within twenty (20) days of the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service, or within thirty (30) days after service of the same is complete where service is made in any manner other than by personal delivery within the State. The United States of America, if designated as a defendant in this action, may answer or appear within sixty (60) days of service. Your failure to appear or to answer will result in a judgment against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. In the event that a deficiency balance remains from the sale proceeds, a judgment may be entered against you.
NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT
THE OBJECT of the above caption action is to foreclose a Mortgage to secure the sum of $1,430,000.00 and interest, recorded on September 01, 2006 , in Instrument Number 2006000497991 , of the Public Records of NEW YORK County, New York. , covering premises known as 259W 131ST STREET , NEW YORK, NY 10027.
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. NEW YORK County is designated as the place of trial because the real property affected by this action is located in said county.
NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME
If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home.
Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property.
Sending a payment to the mortgage company will not stop the foreclosure action.
YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT.
Dated: May 15 th , 2024
Rebel Soul Music Fair LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 04/23/2024. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail a copy to: 228 Park Ave S PMB 304952, New York, NY 100031502. Purpose: Any lawful act.
LEGAL NOTICE Formation of THE CLAYTON FARM LLC filed with the Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 6/26/2024. Office loc.: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. The address SSNY shall mail process to 300 W. 53rd St., Apt. #5B, New York, NY 10019. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
ROBERTSON, ANSCHUTZ, SCHNEID, CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC Attorney for Plaintiff Corey Robson, Esq. 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310 Westbury, NY 11590 516-280-7675
Angel Charlie & Co LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 06/17/2024. Office location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail a copy to: 11 Broadway, Suite 615, New York, NY 10004. Purpose: Any lawful act.
Notice of Formation of 107 PARRISH POND LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/18/24. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
Notice is hereby given that a license, NYS Application ID: NA-0340-24-101939 for On-Premises Liquor has been applied for by Area Latina Bar & Grill Corp to sell On-Premises Liquor, Wine, Beer, and Cider at retail in a Full Service Restaurant under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law at 2117 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10029 for on-premises consumption.
Notice of Formation of 471 WASHINGTON STREET LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/12/24. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Brian Richard Lenker, Esq., Brach Eichler L.L.C., 101 Eisenhower Pkwy., Roseland, NJ 07068. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
FreshCleanNYC LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 06/04/2024. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail a copy to: 20 Pine Street Unit #1004, New York, NY 10005. Purpose: Any lawful act.
ANA SOLUTIONS LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 06/05/24. Office location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail a copy to: 203 East 72nd St, New York, NY 10021. Purpose: Any lawful act.
SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK.
CIPRIANI CLUB RESIDENCES AT 55 WALL CONDOMINIUM, BY ITS BOARD OF MANAGERS, Plaintiff -against- SOLU PROPERTIES LLC, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered herein and dated February 29, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street New York, NY on August 7, 2024 at 2:15 p.m. premises situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, City, County and State of New York, known as "The 55 Wall Condominium" designated and described as Unit 622. Together with an undivided 0.4804% percent interest in the common elements. Block: 27 Lot: 1033 Said premises known as 55 WALL STREET, UNIT 622, NEW YORK, NY
Approximate amount of lien $45,598.51 plus interest & costs.
Notice of Formation of BE CLEVER LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/21/24. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 1180 Sixth Ave., 8th Fl., NY, NY 10036. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the addr. of its princ. office. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
Notice of formation of NYCR Sub-CDE 27, LLC Articles of Organization filed with the SSNY on July 9, 2024. N.Y. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served. The SSNY shall mail a copy of any process to NYCR Sub-CDE 27, LLC, 99 Hudson Street, 15th Floor, New York, New York 10013. Purpose: Any lawful act.
Notice of formation of NYCR Sub-CDE 28, LLC Articles of Organization filed with the SSNY on July 9, 2024. N.Y. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served. The SSNY shall mail a copy of any process to NYCR Sub-CDE 28, LLC, 99 Hudson Street, 15th Floor, New York, New York 10013. Purpose: Any lawful act.
Notice of formation of NYCR Sub-CDE 29, LLC Articles of Organization filed with the SSNY on July 9, 2024. N.Y. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served. The SSNY shall mail a copy of any process to NYCR Sub-CDE 29, LLC, 99 Hudson Street, 15th Floor, New York, New York 10013. Purpose: Any lawful act.
KingCo Ventures LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 05/27/2024. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail a copy to: 7014 13th Ave, Ste 202, Brooklyn, NY, 11228. Purpose: Any lawful act.
LONG ISLAND FOREIGN AUTO SALES, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 04/16/24. Office: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 645 11th Avenue, New York, NY 10019. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 154426/2023.
Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 444 Madison Ave., 6th Floor, New York, NY 10022
LEGAL NOTICE
Formation of ARCHIE STUDIOS LLC filed with the Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 6/26/2024. Office loc.: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. The address SSNY shall mail process to 300 W. 53rd St., Apt. #5B, New York, NY 10019. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT. NEW YORK COUNTY. U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR THE REGISTERED HOLDERS OF WELLS FARGO COMMERCIAL MORTGAGE SECURITIES, INC., MULTIFAMILY MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES, 2020-SB80, Pltf. vs. 372 WEST 127 TH OWNER, LLC, et al, Defts. Index #850013/2023. Pursuant to judgment of foreclosure and sale entered January 16, 2024, I will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY on August 28, 2024 at 2:15 p.m. prem. k/a 372 West 127 th Street, New York, NY 10027 a/k/a Block 1953, Lot 59. Approximate amount of judgment is $1,487,171.64 plus costs and interest. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed judgment and terms of sale. PAUL SKLAR, Referee. BALLARD SPAHR LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 1675 Broadway, 19 th Floor, New York, NY 10019. #101359
Notice of formation of NYCR Sub-CDE 24, LLC Articles of Organization filed with the SSNY on July 9, 2024. N.Y. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served. The SSNY shall mail a copy of any process to NYCR Sub-CDE 24, LLC, 99 Hudson Street, 15th Floor, New York, New York 10013. Purpose: Any lawful act.
Notice of Qualification of FlexLegal Services, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/28/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 06/17/24. Princ. office of LLC: 600 Madison Ave., 8th, NY, NY 10022. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK.
NYCTL 2021-A TRUST AND THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON, AS COLLATERAL AGENT AND CUSTODIAN FOR THE NYCTL 2021-A TRUST, Plaintiffs -against- KAYLAND REALTY LTD., et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered herein on March 15, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street New York, NY on August 14, 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, known and designated as Block 1372 and Lot 53 on the New York County Tax Assessment Map.
Said premises known as 5 RIVERVIEW TERRACE, NEW YORK, NY 10022
Approximate amount of lien $27,224.10 plus interest & costs.
Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale.
Index Number 160409/2022.
RONALD ZEZIMA, ESQ., Referee
Phillips Lytle LLP
Attorney(s) for Plaintiffs 28 East Main Street, Suite 1400, Rochester, NY 14614
New York Democrats and other prominent left-leaning figures have been lining up in support of Biden’s decision and Harris’ endorsement in the hours since Biden’s groundshifting announcement. A large number of New York Democrats have also already pledged diehard allegiance to making sure Harris becomes the Democratic presidential nominee and is subsequently elected into office.
“President Joe Biden is one of the most accomplished presidents in American history. Throughout his entire career, President Biden dedicated his service to creating opportunities for Americans. He has rescued the country from the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, created millions of jobs for Americans and been a trailblazer for gun safety in our nation. President Biden in under one term has enacted consequential policy benefiting the American people and has always been a staunch supporter of maintaining our democracy and advocating for civil rights and reproductive freedoms,” said U.S. Rep. Gregory W. Meeks (NY05) said in a statement, “President Biden has my deepest gratitude for his unwavering service to our nation. America is a better place because of his leadership.”
The Rev. Al Sharpton, the founder and president of the National Action Network (NAN), added that it cannot be forgotten that “a second Trump term is a real threat. The former president has gotten even more dangerous, emboldened by those he put in our nation’s highest courts. With every hateful rhetoric and constant lies, he exposes his deep desire to use his office to exact revenge against anyone who stood against him and for democracy.”
The Associated Press reports that Biden’s announcement means his judicial delegates are now free to vote for Harris or other candidates. His campaign funds of nearly $96 million and massive campaign staff have already been formally changed to support Harris, said the AP.
Harris quickly won endorsements from the leadership of several influential caucuses and political organizations, including the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Victory Fund, The Collective PAC, and the Latino Victory Fund; as well as the chairs of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and the entire Congressional Black Caucus, said the AP.
“Former senator, former prosecutor. Really tested and ready to take on this position. And Black women vote and that’s how we know we’re going to win,” Dukes said.
emplary public servant for the betterment of our country for over five decades. As our President, Biden has greatly advanced our nation forward; achieving immense progress uplifting all Americans through his historic accomplishments and astute leadership,” Brooklyn Democratic Party Chair and Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn said in a statement. “The Brooklyn Democratic Party wholeheartedly echoes Biden’s endorsement of Harris as our next president, and we’re confident she’ll be an ‘extraordinary partner’ to keep building on our strongest economy in decades, defending democracy, and improving our quality-oflife—from combating gun violence, to advancing women’s rights, to myriad more pressing issues facing Americans.”
Ny Whitaker, a former White House Senior Advisor, added her voice to the growing chorus of those in support of Harris.
“Black Women have been the backbone of the Democratic Party for decades. This is the time for all who care
about our democracy, our freedoms, justice and equity, to build a new coalition and partner with communities of color without fear in order to move our nation forward with unity toward the election of Kamala Harris as the president of the United States of America,” said Whitaker. “Now is the time for the media to be responsible caretakers of our democracy and to pivot the rhetoric away from Joe Biden and towards the existential threat that is the Trump-Vance ticket. We must prevent Project 2025 and we cannot stop beating the drum until every voter knows what’s at stake, and the true contrast that is on the ballot this November. Any conversation that eliminates or lessens the contributions of Kamala Harris to the viability of our nation is moot.”
Sharpton said that “every Black woman in a seat of power” is already under attack on two fronts, which means Harris will need every ounce of support she can muster in the coming weeks and months.
“The attacks we have seen
will only be supercharged as she prepares to take on Donald Trump this November. Racist, sexist tropes will be deployed to question every action or accomplishment in her life – just as we saw with Claudine Gay earlier this year,” Sharpton said, “President Biden has turned to her repeatedly for guidance on the most pressing issues facing our community and her fingerprint is on all of the things 15 that the Biden-Harris Administration has delivered for Black America. It will be imperative for all Americans, especially Black men, to stand with her in this historic moment.”
The AP reported that former President Barack Obama held off on an immediate endorsement of Harris, sharing concerns with some in the Democratic party that the quick shift to Harris would appear to be a coronation and not a democratic election of a new nominee. Obama has pledged his support behind the eventual party nominee, said AP.
“President Joe Biden has steadfastly served as an ex-
Continued from page 4
remarkably brave and selfless act of democracy, and in support of the V.P. Kamala, who is wicked smart, obviously able, and most importantly, a good person. And that’s what we need more of in this country— goodness and progress—not hate and regression.”
A CBS News poll showed 52%
of women voters, 76% of Black voters, and 62% of voters aged 18-29 prefer Harris over Trump.
“I’m hoping you’ll give every bit of your heart and soul that you gave to me to Kamala,” President Biden told supporters on July 22.
Democratic leaders like Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY-8), Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-11), Jim Clyburn (D-SC-6) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) amongst many more have done just that, encouraging Americans to re-
flect on the failures of Trump’s four years in office.
“This election is about choices, what do you want for your family, your friends and yourself?” Congresswoman Alma Adams (D-NC-12), a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority shared days after the rally citing abortion bans and the issue of women’s rights as backsliding efforts spawned by Republicans. “We’re rallying behind Harris 100 percent, I am endorsing her 100 percent.”
Housing Works receives $300,000 grant from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation
At event for Housing Works (L-R): Nadine Akinyemi, CEO, Bringing Access to Care and board chair of EngageWell IPA; Christopher Joseph, executive director, Engagewell IPA; Mark Levine, Manhattan borough president; Jessica Diamond, executive director, Housing Works Community Healthcare Services; Manisha Franklin, director, Community Relations, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BC/ BS); Dr. Lisa Thompson, plan performance medical director, Anthem BC/BS. (Photo courtesy of Anthem BC/BS)
Contributed
Press Release
Representatives of the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BC/BS) Foundation, EngageWell IPA, and Housing Works leadership joined elected officials, including Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, in a formal grant presentation and ribbon-cutting at a new health facility in East Harlem recently. The event was in celebration of Housing Works’s new Community Health Center at 145 East 125 th Street in Manhattan.
The grant will support EngageWell IPA’s
Care Your Way digital intervention, a model that delivers fresh, healthy food boxes, and prepared meals to the doorsteps of people experiencing food insecurity and other chronic conditions.
“The Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation works to promote health equity by focusing on improving the wellbeing of New Yorkers with the greatest health-related social needs through our community partnerships and collaborative programs,” said Dr. Lisa Thompson, plan performance medical director at Anthem. “We at Anthem are thrilled that this innovative grant is being
commemorated alongside the ribbon-cutting for Housing Works newest health center. The center will increase access to muchneeded resources.”
EngageWell’s Care Your Way program is an integrated model that provides clients a choice in how and where they receive care and treatment—either face-to-face or virtually. It addresses common socioeconomic barriers to positive health outcomes, such as food insecurity and medication adherence, which leads to higher patient satisfaction, improved engagement in preventive care and treatment, and reduced avoidable healthcare
spending. Moreover, as food insecurity grows due to COVID-19, post-pandemic inflation, and rollbacks on emergency SNAP benefits, EngageWell is leveraging smartphone technology to modernize and destigmatize residents’ experience with an outdated food safety net system.
Housing Works’s new East Harlem Community Health Center will bring primary care, psychiatry, and psychotherapy services to the corner of 125 th Street and Lexington Avenue, for expanded access to compassionate care that addresses a number of chronic conditions and other needs in the community.
Pools are becoming a prime destination for New Yorkers trying to beat the heat; here’s how the city is responding
By ENOCH NAKLEN Special to the AmNews
With heatwaves scorching the city and air quality plummeting, New Yorkers are increasingly diving into pools as a refreshing escape. But as the demand for cool waters rises, so grows the awareness of pool safety and accessibility.
Earlier this month, Gov. Kathy Hochul launched the “Get Offline, Get Outside” campaign, granting free access to all New York State pools. This initiative includes a $1.5 million grant to the ‘Connect Kids to Swimming Instruction Transportation Grant’ program as part of the NY SWIMS initiative.
Introduced in January, NY SWIMS has made a historic investment of over $150 million to expand and improve accessibility to recreational aquatic activities, marking “New York’s biggest investment in swimming since the New Deal.”
One beneficiary of NY SWIMS, + Pool, aims to increase access to swimming by utilizing New York City’s rivers. What began in 2010 as a pitch from four designers to create a water-filtering swimming pool has evolved into a significant nonprofit supported by New York Ciy and Governor Hochul, raising over $300,000 to reimagine and restore control over New York’s natural waterways.
In addition to this project, + Pool’s Learn
to Swim programs have taught over 1,000 children from underrepresented communities effective water safety habits and swimming skills. Nora Cronin, program director at + Pool, emphasizes the importance of promoting inclusivity within aquatic programs.
“The success of these free programs can
largely be attributed to offering programs near where children live and close to public transit. Not surprisingly, these areas often correspond to locations that have a lack of affordable swim programming,” Cronin told the AmNews
As beach drowning incidents rise, with deaths already matching last year’s total,
more New Yorkers are turning to pools for safer swimming options. However, the national lifeguard shortage also impacts pools, with only a third of the New York City lifeguard quota being filled, even as pool hours extend into the evening. Shawn Slevin, founder and president of the Swim Strong Foundation, calls for a cultural shift towards pool etiquette and aquatic safety.
“The responsibility lies on us to make those good decisions,” Slevin told AmNews Swim Strong has been a vocal advocate for inclusivity and education in aquatic safety. Slevin pointed out that drowning is a global epidemic and the leading cause of death for children aged 1 to 4, with an average of 3,960 drownings per year in the U.S. These tragedies disproportionately affect underprivileged communities due to barriers in accessing aquatic safety knowledge. Swim Strong’s initiatives, including the “Know Before You Go” courses and the “Blacks Can’t Swim” documentary series, aim to address these issues and dispel racial stereotypes.
“Regardless of the color of our skin, we are in this risk together, and we will rise out of it together,” Slevin said.
As more New Yorkers turn to pools, ensuring safety and accessibility remains a priority. Advocates across the state are stepping up to establish a promising future for swimming culture in New York.
+Pools has reimagined the future of NYC pools, being sponsored by the state to create a water-filtration system that maximizes New York waterways for recreational swimming.
(+Pools Press Release)
With its traditional pomp and pageantry, the Summer Olympics is set to open in Paris
By JAIME C. HARRIS
AmNews Sports Editor
Three years after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics began on July 23, 2021, 12 months after its originally scheduled start date due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the 17-day Paris Olympics commences tomorrow with the traditional spectacular opening ceremony. It is the third time the City of Light has hosted the Olympics adding to the 1900 and 1924 stagings.
For the first time since its inception at the 1908 London Olympics, the Parade of Nations—where athletes stride into a venue wearing their country’s matching outfit in a collective display of unity and sportsmanship—will not be held in a stadium. Instead, the procession will take place on the 3.7 mile Seine River route, with competitors being feted while floating on boats and reciprocating to the adoring crowd in what Paris Olympics organizers are promising to be the largest opening ceremonies in the game’s history dating back to the first modern Olympics in Athens, Greece in 1896. Over 300,000 spectators are expected to attend the opening ceremony.
NBA icon LeBron James will be a pioneer as the first men’s basketball player to be the United States’ flag bearer, as selected by his nearly 600 fellow Team USA Olympians. U.S. Open tennis champion Coco Gauff will be the female flag-bearer for
Team USA
include LeBron James, Simone
and Coco Gauff. NBA icon LeBron James will be the first U.S. men’s basketball player to ever bear the country’s flag at an Olympics opening ceremony when it is held tomorrow in Paris, France. (USA Basketball photo; Fernando Frazão/Agência Brasil, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons; AllPro Reels from District of Columbia, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
Team USA. This will be James’s fourth time playing for the U.S. squad, helping them win gold in 2008 and 2012, and earning a bronze as 19-year-old in 2004.
“It’s an incredible honor to represent the United States on a global stage, especially in a moment that can bring the world together,” said the now 39-year-old, four-time NBA champion and all-time leading scorer last
weekend upon being informed of the honor.
“For a kid from Akron, this responsibility means everything to not only myself, but to my family, all the kids in my hometown, my teammates, fellow Olympians and so many people across the country with big aspirations.”
The Paris Olympics is replete with some of the most legendary athletes in history such
as James and gymnast Simone Biles, the 27-year-old, Columbus, Ohio native widely viewed as the best ever. She has seven Olympic medals, including four golds, and 23 World Championship gold medals. Yet by the time the closing ceremony ends the Games on August 11, new worldwide stars are certain to have emerged on the sports and cultural landscape.
History-making Olympian Simidele Adeagbo advocates for gender equity in sports
By LOIS ELFMAN
Special to the AmNews
For Winter Olympian Simidele Adeagbo, a former track and field athlete who now competes in bobsled, the upcoming Olympic Games have a personal touch. In 2022, she launched the SimiSleighs Foundation, which has the mission to build a better world for girls and women. One of the foundation’s key focuses is on working toward gender equity in sports, and each year it provides grants to elite female athletes training for either the Olympics or Paralympics.
“It’s a holistic program that really develops them on and off the field of play,” said Adeagbo. In addition to financial grants, the athletes receive monthly programming that includes athlete support services, skills development and leadership development. They explore a range of topics such as sports nutrition, mental performance and digital marketing with experts who share their knowledge.
It is a global program. Among the athletes competing at the Olympics are grant recipients Paige Crozon, who will represent
Canada in 3x3 basketball, and Helen Maroulis, U.S. wrestler heading to her third Games. Six-time Paralympian in U.S. track and field, Tatyana McFadden, will compete in her seventh Paralympics.
“Sometimes as athletes they don’t have opportunities to develop leadership capability, so we’re helping them to get to their goals,” said Adeagbo. “Then, it’s about how you leverage the platform and influence you have to make a positive impact in your communities and around the world.”
There have been ongoing discussions about having an equal number of men and women that will compete at the Paris Olympics. “It’s a step forward that we’re able to get to that milestone of equal participation, but I think there’s still room to grow and build,” Adeagbo said. “That’s part of the work we do every day with the foundation. Equality and equity are different things. We work to make sure the equity component is there. There’s a gap in opportunities in terms of funding.”
Adeagbo, who represents Nigeria, is training for the next bobsled season. She is looking forward to watching the Olympics and
Bobsledder Simidele Adeagbo is a staunch advocate for creating pathways for women in sports through her SimiSleighs Foundation. (Photo courtesy of Malte Babion)
thinking about how SimiSleighs can continue to build opportunities and strengthen voices.
“We feel this is a perfect moment to invite people to join the movement,” she said.
“We’ve seen women’s sports kind of exploding this year. We want to issue a call to action. We work just as hard as our male counterparts. We just need to make sure that the support is there in the same way.”
(L-R)
Olympians
Biles,
Ogunbowale’s record-setting WNBA All-Star Game
By LOIS ELFMAN Special to the AmNews
When the U.S. women’s Olympic basketball team was announced a few weeks ago, there was a lot of chatter about the absence of Caitlin Clark. Perhaps people should have looked harder at whose name was also missing from the roster. Although Arike Ogunbowale had removed herself from the pool being considered for the Olympic team, she clearly still wanted to show USA Basketball what it was missing. With a record-setting 34 points, all in the second half, Ogunbowale powered Team WNBA to a 117–109 win over Team USA at the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game in Phoenix. Obviously, Ogunbowale was named MVP of the game. The same happened at the 2021 All-Star Game, which also served as a sendoff for the Olympic team. Ogunbowale has been an offensive powerhouse capable of unleashing a torrent of three-pointers since college— let us not forget the buzzer-beating shots that won University of Notre Dame the 2018 NCAA title. She had eight in this All-Star Game.
Clark and fellow rookie Angel Reese also played admirably and put to rest any speculation over tension between them. Clark set a rookie record of 10 assists, which was just one shy of Sue Bird’s all-time All-Star Game assist record of 11. Reese had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart had
a double-double with 31 points and 10 rebounds. Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson had 22 points and six rebounds. It was an off night for the Liberty’s Sabrina Ionescu, who went one-for-five on three-pointers.
Much ado was made about the lack of preparation time the Olympic team has before the 2024 Games. While this is true, there have been training camps over the
past year. Also, keep in mind that seven members of the team played together at the last Olympics and eight of them played on the gold medal-winning 2022 World Cup team. That doesn’t mean winning an eighth consecutive gold medal will be easy, though. The growth of the WNBA has fueled basketball globally. Stewart and Ionescu aren’t the only Liberty players headed to Paris. Nyara Sabally
and Leonie Fiebich will be on Team Germany and Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello coaches Team Australia, which includes threetime WNBA MVP Lauren Jackson, 43, marking her first Olympic appearance since 2012. Team USA opens Olympic play on Monday, July 29, versus Japan, a team that challenged them to the finish of the gold medal game at the Tokyo Olympics.
The Mets and Yankees end their Subway Series ahead of potential trades
By JAIME C. HARRIS
AmNews Sports Editor
This was supposed to be a transition season for the Mets and another World Series or bust year for the Yankees. It still is for the so-called Bronx Bombers, who have lived up to their moniker as one of the top power hitting clubs in baseball, driven by center fielder Aaron Judge, who as of yesterday led MLB with 35 home runs, and right fielder Juan Soto, who was sixth in the league with 25. Collectively, the Yankees were second overall with 147, ten behind the Baltimore Orioles (157), sitting in first place in the American League East division standings.
Before the Yankees hosted the Mets last night in the Bronx, they were 60-43, 1 1/2 games behind the Orioles after losing to the Mets 3-2 on Tuesday night, as Mets’ second baseman Jeff McNeil’s sixth inning, two-run home run was the difference breaking a 1-1 tie. The Yankees and Mets concluded their four-game season series last night, with the Mets sweeping the two games at Citi Field on June 25 and 26. Since June 2, when the Mets were 24-35, they have reversed course and were 52-48 prior to last night’s game and holding on to the third wildcard spot.
The expectations for the Mets were moderate entering the season for many close followers of the Mets after they went 75-87 a year ago. But as of today, Mets owner Steve Cohen has been prescient. “I mean, Arizona got in (to the playoffs) last year with 84 wins,” he said in March in an interview with the monthly magazine Vanity Fair.
“I think we’re going to surprise people this year. I think we’re better than people think.” Not only did the Arizona Diamondbacks reach the postseason, they won the National League pennant and advanced to the World Series, losing to the Texas Rangers. So while early last month it looked like the Mets would be sellers approaching the July
30 MLB trade deadline, they will now look to strengthen their bullpen.
Last year, they dealt starters Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander after accepting the playoffs were not attainable. Now they are possibly eyeing the Oakland A’s Lucas Erceg and the Miami Marlins’ Tanner Scott, two right handers, to solidify a relief corps that has been leaky all season. The Yankees also have a desire to improve their bullpen, add another starting pitcher, and bolster their flawed lineup around stars Judge and Soto. It seems counterintuitive that a team tied for the third most wins in MLB at the start of the league’s schedule yesterday would have as many issues to address as they do. But they view their season only through the prism of winning a World Series. And anything short of meeting that goal would be a disappointment.
The Mets begin a seven-game homestand today playing four against the Atlanta Braves through Sunday then three versus the Minnesota Twins next Monday through Wednesday. The Yankees have six straight on the road, going to Boston to face the Red Sox for three games tomorrow through Sunday, and then three in Philadelphia Monday through Wednesday battling the Phillies, arguably the best team in MLB.
New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart’s 31 points were not enough for Team USA to defeat WNBA All-Stars in league’s showcase game on Saturday. (Brandon Todd/New York Liberty)
Yankees center fielder Aaron Judge was leading MLB in home runs (35) and RBI (89) when his team hosted the Mets in the Bronx last night. (MLBbro.com photo)
Billings Outlaws outduel Albany Firebirds to win ArenaBowl XXXIII
By DERREL JOHNSON Special to the AmNews
ArenaBowl XXXIII took place on Friday night at the American Dream Meadowlands entertainment and retail center in East Rutherford, N.J., with the No. 1 seed Billings Outlaws defeating the No. 2 seed Albany Firebirds 46–41 in a tightly fought match-up. The victory earned Billings its first Arena League title.
The Outlaws ended their season 9-1 while the Firebirds concluded the AFL campaign at 8-3. The title is the second for Outlaws head coach and defensive coordinator Cedric Walker and his first as a head coach. He was a defensive back on the 1997 Arizona Rattlers squad that captured ArenaBowl XI. Outlaws wide receiver Duane Brown, who played in college for Indiana University of Pennsylvania, caught five touchdown passes from quarterback Isaac Harker, a product of Indiana State, and overall had nine catches for 125 yards.
Brown said he envisioned holding the championship trophy along with his daughter.
“That was the goal coming into this game—being able to have [my infant daughter Arabella]…watch me play and get this done, man, especially because it is my rookie year, you feel me?” he exclaimed to the Amsterdam News. “It was all new to me, but being able to get that done with my brothers, it means everything.”
Wide receiver Duane Brown of Billings Outlaws, who caught five touchdown passes in ArenaBowl XXXIII on Saturday, celebrates his team’s 46-41 win over Albany Firebirds with his daughter Arabella and head coach Cedric Walker (left). (Derrel Johnson photo)
The ArenaBowl is a product of the Arena Football League (AFL), in which all games are played indoors on a field that is 50 yards long and 85 feet wide, with eight-yard end zones to facilitate higher scoring and more offensive-oriented games than the NFL, where the field is 100 yards long and 53.3 yards wide, and has 10-yard end zones.
The game opened with a low scoring first quarter and the Outlaws leading 3-0. They took a 17-13 halftime edge into the locker room. The scoring picked up in the third quarter, as Billings started off the second
half with a 36-yard touchdown pass from Harker to Brown to move further in front at 24-13 after the extra point.
AFL rules provide teams multiple extrapoint options after touchdowns: the traditional one-point kicks, as well as three-point conversions from the five-yard line and fourpoint conversions from the 10-yard line.
The third quarter ended with each team putting up 16 points as the fourth began with Billings still ahead 33-29. When Brown recorded his fifth touchdown of the game that saw him break a tackle for a long run to the
end zone, it seemingly put the game away at 46-35 after the extra point. But the Firebirds weren’t done and scored a touchdown with under 10 seconds to go, yet failed on the subsequent four-point conversion.
The Amsterdam News will be back at American Dream for the Cup of Dreams, NYC Footy’s newest soccer tournament— a coed, five-a-side contest. Registration is open to players of all skill levels and is free for spectators. It will take place Saturday, July 27, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Visit NYCFooty. com for additional information.
Odessa Jenkins positions women’s tackle football in the sporting landscape
By LOIS ELFMAN Special to the AmNews
Odessa Jenkins, founder of the Women’s National Football Conference (WNFC), is reveling in the positive energy for women’s sports that the world is now embracing. Her goal continues to be making the WNFC, a women’s tackle football league launched in 2019, a vital part of that landscape.
“It’s moving past the start-up phase,” said Jenkins. The WNFC added a franchise in Chicago last year and is currently engaged in conversations to add a team in New Jersey in 2025, which would bring the number of franchises to 18. “We’re in a place in the growth of the sport and of the business where the ownership groups are changing. The higher-resourced, more wealthy individuals and investment groups are really starting to look at women’s sports investment as a viable opportunity.”
She’s aware that the development of women’s football is young when compared to volleyball and ice hockey, both of which saw the launch of pro leagues in 2024. Jenkins said what matters is ownership groups and their resources and their connections to the cities where the franchises would be placed. This year, the WNFC played in April and May.
“We’re all a part of fueling the growing popularity of women’s sports,” said Jenkins. “What we’re doing in the WNFC, being the first league that clearly sets a mission to drive professionalism and drive financial equity for the women in the sport, and constantly talks about how to drive money into the hands of the women playing and the coaches coaching and the owners owning. I think that changed the trajectory of sport as well.”
Flag football will debut at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, and the WNFC has launched the WNFC Flag. She hopes this will drive even greater interest in women’s tackle football and build a pipeline. “I believe football is the final frontier,” said Jenkins. “When it comes to eyeballs and frankly when it comes to the attraction of family, nothing does it like football.”
Jenkins is a successful tech executive and noted for her impact on developing inclusive leadership. She said it is crucial to see Black women in leadership positions.
“Because there are dollars to be had in women’s sports. This is a gold rush, and unfortunately history has told us that gold rushes don’t necessarily involve people of color first,” said Jenkins. “That’s something I want to see change.”
Whether In the boardroom or on the field, Odessa Jenkins, founder of the Women’s National Football Conference, is helping to grow the participation of women in the sport. (Photo courtesy of Odessa Jenkins/Bonfire)
