New York Amsterdam News Issue: Sept. 12-18, 2024

How much money can you get for combating the climate crisis? Rep. Clarke reviews state and federal green energy tax rebates

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By ARIAMA C. LONG Amsterdam News Staff

Congressmember Yvette Clarke recently hosted educational seminars on the cost benefits of the federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA’s) programs, which offer taxpayers significant

grants and rebates for clean energy-efficiency in their homes, businesses, and vehicles.

“From lowering prescription drug prices and energy costs to delivering vital resources to combat the climate crisis to creating millions of well-paying union jobs, this law is a once-in-a-generation investment in our economy and our communities,” Clarke said at the seminar. “I was proud to cast a deci-

sive vote for the [IRA] because I knew the immense benefits of the legislation and that they would not only benefit communities across our nation but families just across the street right here in Brooklyn.”

The IRA was signed into law by President Biden in 2022. It allowed for significant investments in improving the country’s infrastructure, energy security, and efforts to combat climate change. It also created more than 20 tax incentives for clean energy and manufacturing, such as the energy-efficient home improvement and residential clean energy credits, credits for electric cars recently bought or used, and credits for alternative fuels.

According to Julie Tighe, president of the New York League of Conservation Voters (NYLCV), credits can range up to thousands of dollars in tax refunds. For example, a tax credit for electric vehicles (EV) that are at least two years old with a sale price of less than $25,000 provides up to $4,000 for the car and up to $1,000 for EV charger installation and hardware at home if eligible, said Tighe.

Under the IRA, New York State has received two grant programs: Home Efficiency Rebates (HER), with $159 million through 2031 for energy savings, and Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR), with $18.4 million for rebates through 2031 for electrification of households below 150% of the area median income (AMI).

See GREEN ENERGY on page 33

NYC electeds and advocates demand an end to 30/60-day shelter eviction policy

By ARIAMA C. LONG Amsterdam News Staff

New York City electeds and advocates gathered last week to protest Mayor Eric Adams’s 30/60-day shelter eviction notices, which are likely to affect housing-insecure school-aged children from migrant families as the city heads into another school year.

Adams enacted the shelter limit policy last year in an effort to stem the influx of asylum seekers and migrants needing sanctuary in the city. The rule initially focused on evicting adult men and exempted migrant families in shelters. The controversial move drew swift backlash from electeds, advocates, and the City Council, many of whom testified in a December 2023 hearing that migrant students missed school and had to transfer to different schools with long and complicated commutes, all while watching their families destabilize once eviction notices went out.

According to advocates, a total of 12,689 families with children have been given 60-day notices, including 18,348 children under 18, as of this August.

Last week’s press conference included City Comptroller Brad Lander; Public Advocate Jumaane Williams; and Coun-

cilmembers

De La

Shahana

Alexa

and Gale

as well as organizations including Mixteca, NYIC, 1199SEIU, United Federation of Teachers (UFT), Advocates for Children, Alliance for Quality Education (AQE), African Communities Together, Housing Works, Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, NYLAG, and VOCAL NY. They gathered at the Audubon Playground in Washington Heights, near P.S. 513 Castle

See SHELTER EVICTION POLICY on page 31

Carmen

Rosa,

Hanif,

Avilés,

Brewer,

Councilmember Carmen De La Rosa held a rally on September 4 in Washington Heights to demand an end to Mayor Eric Adams’s shelter evictions. (Gerardo Romo/NYC Council Media Unit)

A solar-powered electric vehicle charging station is visible in the Brooklyn borough of New York City on Tuesday, May 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)

‘She crushed it!’ — NYC debate watchers ecstatic over VP Harris performance

By ARIAMA C. LONG Amsterdam News Staff

The highly anticipated debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump was an epic showdown that many debate watchers said will set the tone for the next few months going into the general election.

At a debate watch party held at the Bleu Nuk restaurant in Brooklyn on Tuesday, Sept. 10, dozens gathered with food and drinks. They arranged fun bingo cards of expected Harris and Trump sayings.

A few were eager to hear what points Harris would raise and to watch her verbally joust with Trump — someone known for his namecalling, deflection with humor, and intimidation tactics.

“I’m waiting for Trump to embarrass himself,” said one Riverdale middle school teacher. She said she encouraged her seventh grade students to tune in and hopefully engage in conversation.

The debate covered a wide range of issues, including housing, the need to build a stronger economy, inflation, Project 2025, and abortion.

To recap, Harris said she is passionate about providing $50,000 tax deductions for small businesses and building up the U.S. workforce; proposing a $6,000 child tax cut to help families; reinstating the protections that federal abortion had under Roe v. Wade; con-

Blinken’s critique of U.S. policy in Israel

By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews

If a pair of interviews with Secretary of State Antony Blinken are indications, the U.S. may be ready to modify its conduct and policy on the war in Gaza. Blinken, on Sunday’s “Meet the Press” and “Face the Nation,” delivered the Biden administration’s strongest public criticism of Israel’s tactics in the ongoing war, stating that the war has left “a horrible loss of life of innocent civilians,” without neutralizing Hamas and possibly creating opportunities for increased insurgency.

tinuing to crackdown on gun and fentanyl trafficking; supporting affordable housing production, the Affordable Care Act, fracking, and diverse energy sourcing; investing in clean and renewable energy sources; working on a ceasefire deal in Gaza that will see Israeli hostages returned, adding that she believes in Israel’s “right to defend itself” and supports a two-state solution for Palestine and Israel.

“I think she took him to task. She stuck to the facts, and made sure to put out her plan because that was a big criticism that she didn’t

have one,” said District Leader Anthony Beckford. “A lot of the undecided have become decided.”

“She crushed it,” said another attendee, adding that “it was totally different from Biden and Hillary.”

Trump spoke about immigration, tariffs on China, and Biden being “weak” on national security policies as he tried to distance himself from Project 2025. Moderators had to repeatedly fact check some of his responses on late stage abortion, infanticide, and his assertion that crime is down globally.

Most egregiously, Trump kept

falsely saying that immigrants are eating pets in Ohio. This infuriated many of the debate watchers in the Brooklyn restaurant, particularly because many present were of Caribbean descent.

“I think Kamala showed that she was the stronger candidate and that she was giving a lot of facts over fiction,” said Jeanick Williams, 40, a Haitian Brooklynite. “America was built on slavery, on migrants, on immigrants, and everbody coming here to make a difference. That’s the only way that we’re going to thrive. That’s what we’re about. The Statue of Liberty stands for [something] and if you don’t understand what that is, then what’s the point? And if you don’t have a president that understands what we are as a melting pot and can’t respect it — then he doesn’t need to be our president.”

Williams added that Haitians don’t eat dogs or cats, contrary to Trump’s insistence.

“I used to be surprised by that level of racism but I think it’s a precursor of what will come. It’s a dog whistle,” said Unified Political Association (UPA) President Hassan Bakiriddin about Trump. “Someone’s taking your jobs, committing crimes, and stealing. Others have said it in the past because those dog whistles might work when you don’t have substance.”

After the debate wrapped, singer Taylor Swift posted her official endorsement of Harris.

He emphasized the U.S. concerns that Israeli forces should “get out of Gaza,” while he awaits solid efforts on part of Israel for the governance and security in the region at the conclusion of combat.

One of the points Blinken made about the deeper incursions into Rafah may intensify the war. Continued collateral damage erupted Sunday as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) ordered the evacuation of residents in northwest Gaza, where Palestinian fighters have unleashed rockets towards Ashkelon, a nearby town.

All of this comes as Blinken grapples with the tragic death of an American peace activist, Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, who also held Turkish citizenship. On Tuesday, Blinken, who is now in London, charged that her death was “unprovoked and unjustified,” and this incident was among the issues that may have spurred his call for a fundamental change in how things were occurring in the West Bank and other parts of the region. The IDF has apologized for her death, claiming that she was likely killed by “indirect and unintended IDF fire, which was aimed at a main instigator” during a riot. She was there as a protester which was part of her history in opposition to the war in Gaza.

Blinken said her death and the way it happened was “not acceptable. It has to change. And we will be making that clear to the senior most members of the Israeli government.” He added that “It is clear that there are serious issues that must be dealt with, and we will make sure that they are dealt with.”

Brooklyn Young Dems with Assemblymember Brian Cunnigham at the debate watch party on Tuesday, Sept. 10 at the Bleu Nuk restaurant.

Debate watch bingo card for Harris and Trump. (Ariama C. Long photos)

Failure to comply: NYPD falls short in stop-and-frisk reforms a decade into monitorship

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

A federal monitor determined the NYPD remains “not in compliance” with decadeold court orders to reform stop-and-frisk practices in a report published Sept. 6.

Back in 2013, a judge found the department’s racial profiling of Black and Brown New Yorkers unconstitutional in the landmark class action lawsuit Floyd et. al v. City of New York. Lead plaintiff David Floyd, a Black Bronx resident, was stopped and frisked by police twice including while assisting his neighbor with reentering his unit. However, the case also broadly represented all minority New York City residents.

A remedial order was issued following the Floyd decision mandating the NYPD to curb racially-biased stop-and-frisks.

Sweeping policy changes and a body-worn camera pilot also sprung from the court order. The department rewrote its bias policing policy and overhauled its training for stop-and-frisks. And the court appointed the monitor to see the reforms through.

Two other lawsuits were brought into the fold after challenging similar practices. Davis et al. v. City of New York was settled after alleging unlawful stops and arrests in public housing. Ligon et al. v. City of New York challenged the NYPD’s Operation Clean Halls, which allowed police patrols in private apartment buildings, many with majority Black and Brown tenants.

More than ten years later, the NYPD still fails to monitor when stop-and-frisks racially target Black and Brown New Yorkers. The department is required to “develop sound policies” overseeing compliance to the 14th Amendment’s equal protection rights, which it was found liable for violating in Floyd.

No plan exists, although the monitor notes the NYPD is currently working on developing one.

Charles McLaurin, a senior counsel for the NAACP’s Legal Defense Fund (which represented plaintiffs in Davis), says despite the NYPD’s implementation of other reforms, the remedial order remains rooted in addressing racial profiling.

“This is not just the nuts and bolts on how the searches are done in accordance with the Fourth Amendment,” he said. “[These are] racial disparities that the department has to ameliorate per the 14th Amendment. The police department is supposed to actually come up with a plan [to] mitigate these disparities in how they conduct their stops and searches. Here we are more than 10 years later, and as this report indicates, they still have really produced a tangible plan that would give the public confidence that they’re actually taking this seriously.”

To be clear, stop-and-frisks — known as Terry stops or level 3 encounters in law-enforcement jargon — are broadly constitutional under the Fourth Amendment, which the NYPD was also found liable for violat-

ing in the case. Such stops require reasonable suspicion that a crime was or will be committed and subsequent frisks require further reasonable suspicion that the individual stopped is armed and dangerous. The officer can conduct a search during a Terry stop if the frisk yields an object with reasonable suspicion of being a weapon.

The monitor’s findings indicate the department’s reform efforts seem in better compliance with the Bill of Rights-based Fourth Amendment rather than the emancipation-based 14th Amendment. Earlier this year, the NYPD implemented “ComplianceStat” meetings, which regularly gather bureau officials from Patrol, Housing and Transit to scour body-worn camera footage for Terry stop violations.

Back in 2020, the department established an early intervention program for further oversight and training for problem officers suspected of conducting unlawful stopand-frisks or racial profiling.

An NYPD spokesperson touted these reforms over an email statement, calling public safety and constitutional policing as “both critical components of the NYPD’s mission.”

“The Department is proud that New York remains the safest big city in America and of the reforms that it has made, which the Monitor has recognized,” the spokesperson wrote. “The NYPD is committed to working collaboratively with the Monitor to address the areas of concern raised in this latest report.”

Friday’s report marked the 21st since the monitorship began and looked at data between 2020 and 2023. Mylan Denerstein, a partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, currently serves as the federal monitor after her predecessor and original appointee Peter Zimroth died in 2021.

Stop-and-frisks continue to generally rise under the Adams administration according to the monitor. In 2022, there were 15,102 reported Terry stops. Last year, there were 16,971.

The nature of stop-and-frisks are increasingly more aggressive as well. Previously, most encounters overwhelmingly originated from responding to a 911 or 311 call dispatch. Now most stops are self-initiated by police officers. Self-initiated Terry stops skyrocketed from 19% in 2020 to 46% in 2023.

While unconstitutional stop rates remain low, unconstitutional frisks and searches are up significantly under Mayor Eric Adams. In 2021, 15.8% of frisks were unlawful. The rate rose to 23.9% in 2022 after Adams took office.

Such increases coincide with the March 2022 creation of Neighborhood Safety Teams (NST), which the Adams administration frequently credits for reductions in citywide shootings since taking office. The squads staffed by handpicked cops in unmarked cars are deployed in neighborhoods disproportionately affected by gun violence, many home to a majority Black and Brown population.

Specialized units like NSTs conducted more than half of the NYPD’s unlawful Terry stops in the first half of last year according to the monitor’s report, noting specific targeting of young Black and Brown men for wearing fanny packs. And such squads are also self-initiating stops the most frequently.

Last year, the monitor’s report emphasized the unlawful practices of NSTs, spurring the NYPD’s refresher training for incoming unit members.

Additionally, NSTs are regarded as the “spiritual successors” of the now-disbanded anti-crime units, which deployed plainclothes officers in similarly hotspot neighborhoods. The officers who stop-and-frisked David Floyd were notably part of the program.

The findings also mentioned severe underreporting by officers conducting Terry stops but did not document them. Through reviewing body-worn camera footage, the monitor found 31.4% of stops were not reported in 2022.

Jennvine Wong, supervising attorney for Legal Aid Society’s Cop Accountability Project, believes it goes beyond a paperwork issue.

“There are too many officers who are making Terry steps and not documenting them in a stop report as required,” Wong said. “But it’s not just that, right? There’s a culture issue. It’s not taken seriously. Officers are not disciplined appropriately when they fail to do their duty…unless you have sergeants and leadership at the command level taking appropriate action to correct and address unconstitutional practices,

they’re going to keep occurring.”

The report found supervisors approved improper stops conducted by officers in their charge, which the monitor fears will enable “renewed stop-and-frisk-related problems in the future.” For example, 11% of stops were unconstitutional according to the monitor’s audit. Yet NYPD supervisors found just 1% of all stops as improper.

Before 2022, racial profiling and other bias-based policing was investigated internally by the NYPD. Unsatisfied with how the police policed the police, the city council passed legislation granting the Civilian Complaint Review Board jurisdiction of such investigations. A Racial Profiling and Bias-Based Policing Unit was established with Darius Charney, lead counsel in the Floyd lawsuit.

“The stop and frisk cases we get time and time again, we really see in the allegations and in the evidence that we received in these cases very similar fact patterns in terms of stops to what we saw 10-15 years ago in Floyd,” said Charney to the AmNews.

Last year, the NYPD would not provide the CCRB with certain evidence to complete racial profiling investigations. Ultimately, the monitor ended up stepping in to ensure the necessary information was provided.

Guadalupe Aguirre, senior staff attorney at the New York Civil Liberties Union (which represented plaintiffs in Ligon), says ultimately, the NYPD is prioritizing form over substance in its reforms.

“The report says they’ve done all the trainings and the policy changing,” Aguirre said. “But that doesn’t matter if New Yorkers of color who [bear] the brunt of the unconstitutional stop-and-frisk and trespass enforcement [are not] feeling those changes on the ground.”

Like McLaurin, Aguirre believes the NYPD cannot decouple the 14th Amendment from complying with the court ordered mandates.

Beyond constitutional violations, the NYPD’s racial profiling is also simply ineffective policing. 2012 research by then-Public Advocate Bill de Blasio’s office reported police were twice as likely to find a weapon on a white New Yorker than a Black New Yorker during a stop-and-frisk.

There is precedent for the courts cracking down on law enforcement after failing to comply with mandates to reform racial profiling practices. A judge held Maricopa County Sheriff Office officials in Arizona in contempt after court orders from a class action lawsuit over targeting Latino drivers were not met. Former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio was convicted on criminal charges, but was pardoned by thenPres. Donald Trump.

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.

David Floyd, the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit regarding police stop and frisk tactics, leaves federal court in New York, Monday, March 18, 2013. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Founder and CEO of LOCnificent

Fest Lovaeta K. Amoako

By ARIAMA C. LONG Amsterdam News Staff

Lovaeta K. Amoako, 42, is a naturalista who founded Brooklyn’s LOCnificent Fest in 2018. The event has since become a cultural movement celebrating the beauty, spirituality, and pride associated with locs.

Locs — often shorthand for dreadlocks — are a natural, rope-like hairstyle popularized by Caribbean and African peoples, although they historically have been found in many ancient cultures all over the globe. Amoako first loc’d her hair in December 2010. For her, locs and natural hair are symbolic of empowerment, heritage, and self-love.

“I always had a love and appreciation for locs,” she said. “Given my interest and passion for amplifying culture, I decided to put together a loc appreciation event. That is where LOCnificent Fest came from and it just turned out really well, and they suggested that I do it annually.”

The festival is meant to be a space where locs are celebrated while bringing together people of various age groups, ethnic backgrounds, and hair textures, all against the backdrop of supporting Black- and Brownowned businesses.

A native Bronxite, Amoako grew up with

THE URBAN AGENDA

By David R. Jones, Esq

The Crisis in Black Maternal Mortality

Reproductive rights will be on the ballot this Election Day, as they should be.

Ten states including New York will ask voters on November 5 to weigh in on constitutional amendments that would protect or expand reproductive freedoms. In New York, voters will be asked to amend the state’s equal rights amendment prohibiting discrimination on the basis of “pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes and reproductive healthcare and autonomy,” also known as Proposal 1.

Safeguarding the fundamental rights of New Yorkers to be in charge of their personal healthcare decisions is a bedrock of modern democracy and should be something we all care about. One way to achieve that is by enshrining equal rights protections into the state constitution. If we learned anything in the past year it is that the rights of many groups of individuals, particularly women, are under attack. Unless constitutionally protected, a politician with an agenda can restrict those rights and freedoms.

It is good to see reproductive health issues getting the attention they deserve, and hopefully motivating voters to go to the polls in large numbers this November. At the same time, not nearly enough attention is being focused on the persistent racial disparities in the delivery of and access to quality health care. An issue that has serious implications for reproductive health.

State Department of Health, offers a framework for addressing disparities in maternal health outcomes. The report recommends instituting mandatory racial equity training for all staff working in health care delivery systems and for all licensed care providers. It also calls on professional physician organizations (emergency physicians, obstetricians, gynecologists) to establish guidelines that prioritize equitable care during pregnancy and postpartum periods.

Most importantly, the report acknowledges that systemic and structural racism exists in our health system, perpetuating barriers to maternal health that can lead to death or result in short or long-term adverse health consequences.

According to the Commonwealth Fund’s 2024 State Scorecard on Women’s Health and Reproductive Care, New York ranks 12th on maternal deaths. On health care quality and prevention, it ranks 27th. These two issues are interconnected and need to be addressed within a health equity framework.

her mother as an only child in a Ghanaian and African American household. She credits her mother for teaching her the importance of her African heritage and the fundamentals of pan-Africanism.

“My mom was sick — she had a stroke and unfortunately, she passed away about two weeks before the first event. She was an integral part of my life. She raised me. A lot of my interest and culture stem from her,”

Amoako said. “She had locs when I was very young, in the ’80s, when it was kinda trendy but definitely not like now when it comes to natural hair and the movement.”

Amoako said that in many ways the festival is a dedication to her mother’s legacy and love for Black and African culture and natural hair. It’s become Amoako’s favorite way to honor her every year.

Amoako currently works as a director in the real estate and development department of the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). She is also a board member of Africa Everything NYC, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering West African creatives and Black small-business owners in the U.S.

LOCnificent Fest 6.0 kicks off on Thursday, Oct. 3, through Sunday, Oct. 6, in Brooklyn. For more information and tickets, visit locnificentfest.com/.

For proof of that, one need look no further than health outcomes for maternal and infant mortality rates. Consider these disturbing national statistics: Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy related causes than White women; Black women are twice as likely to have a birth with late or no prenatal care at all when compared to White women. Cardiac health is the biggest concern for Black maternal health with postpartum cardiomyopathy being a leading cause of postpartum deaths. Finally, late maternal deaths, those occurring between six weeks and one year postpartum, are six times more likely among Black women than White women.

In New York City, the picture is even bleaker. Black women are nine times more likely to die from pregnancy or childbirth than White women, a far starker disparity than the national numbers described above.

On their own, these statistics are sobering enough. But when you add that more than 80 percent of pregnancy related deaths may be preventable, it’s no surprise that among many Black people there is a profound distrust of the medical establishment, from the doctors to the providers.

The good news is a series of recommendations in a 2023 report on maternal mortality and morbidity, commissioned by the New York

For example, New York has taken important steps to improve maternal outcomes. Through a community health program called Nurse-Family Partnership, first-time mothers who are pregnant 28 weeks or less are paired with specially educated nurses from early pregnancy until the child’s second birthday. But this program has not yet been rolled out statewide. Another important statewide effort is through New York State’s Medicaid program which requires reimbursement for a specific set of Doula services for pregnancy, birthing, and postpartum care.

But there is more New York can do, starting with eliminating barriers to postpartum care. The World Health Organization “standard of care” calls for four postnatal checkups in the first six weeks. Yet, Medicaid Managed Care in New York only covers an initial postpartum visit, after a health plan’s “prior approval,” and all subsequent visits must be further approved as “medical necessity.” Midwives, other skilled providers or well-trained and supervised community health workers should be eligible to provide postpartum care under Medicaid without undergoing any insurance approvals or barriers to access this crucial component of care. New York should also eliminate cost-sharing for prenatal and postpartum services for individuals in all state-regulated health plans to ensure that small, short-term costs are never a barrier to accessing pre- or post-natal care.

Finally, more must be done to reduce implicit—and even explicit—bias in the medical and hospital community. Though it may be unrealistic to believe we can eradicate all forms of racial bias and stereotyping of people in the delivery of health care, that nevertheless should be the goal.

Lovaeta K. Amoako. (Contributed by Raven Robinson) Black

New Yorker

‘Hey, we own half your house’ –– Bed-Stuy family terrorized by deed theft

By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff

In June of 2017, Ayisha Doyle’s phone rang. A man on the other end of the line was calling to inform her that he was a representative of the ARLO 67 LLC company.

“Hey, we own half your house. Just thought I’d let you know,” the man said.

“Excuse you? What are you talking about?” Doyle said she responded. He said, “Oh, yeah, we purchased your uncle’s interest in the house, so we own half the house.”

Doyle immediately asked for some proof of this, since she hadn’t seen her uncle in person or heard from him since March of 2007 when he came to Brooklyn for his mother’s funeral –– he’d been living in Australia for the last 40-plus years.

Her uncle, Walter Giles, had inherited part of the house along with his sister, Phillipa –– Doyle’s mother — but Giles had no active role in paying bills or the building’s upkeep, and rarely returned to Brooklyn or contacted family members.

“So, I was shocked when this guy told me that because I was like, first of all, how’d you find him at the bottom of the world? That’s what immediately made me think, oh, this can’t be real. The guy said, ‘Well, we’ll send something in the mail, and I’ll call you back.’ And I said, ‘No, no, no. Who you can speak to next is my lawyer, because you and I will not be conversing.’ And then the next thing I got in the mail was a default judgment from the foreclosure court granting them a partition. That’s when I was like, ‘Something’s really wrong.’”

Doyle has been fighting to save her family home from deed theft ever since.

Brooklyn’s ‘Little Harlem’

Doyle’s family has lived in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood for nearly a century. In the 1940s, her great-grandparents Mabel and Walter Clement Moore purchased the property at 234 Jefferson Avenue. It’s a three-story, single-family Victorian brownstone, originally built in the 1880s. They had to think carefully about how to acquire the stately house. Although they had saved up the funds to buy a home, Bed-Stuy was a predominantly white neighborhood at that time and locals were determined to keep it that way. Many had joined a white supremacist group called the Midtown Civic League to try to stem the growing influx of Black people renting and buying the district homes.

Bed-Stuy was quickly becoming a preferred neighborhood for African Americans because of its site as a nexus for public transportation. The area was nicknamed Brooklyn’s “Little Harlem.” At the time, the Amsterdam News wrote reports about efforts by the Midtown Civic League to keep Blacks out of Bed-Stuy.

“The Midtown Civic League was the ‘Ku Klux Klan in the north,’” the Rev. Theophilus

Joseph Alcantara of the St. Simon African Orthodox Church told the paper.

“The Rev. Alcantara further related that the purpose of the white organization is to co-operate with the banks and merchants in order to prevent Negroes from holding any real property in the Bedford Stuyvesant section,” the paper stated in its September 17, 1938 edition: “‘These bankers,’ he charged, ‘are out to press off the few Negro property owners by insisting on early payment of the interest on the mortgage held by them.’”

The Doyle family survived the race-based turmoil of the time: They were one of the first of three Black families to move to the block. Overt housing discrimination was so strong that they used a proxy –– a white person to stand in as their substitute –– to purchase their home. Even with the paperwork for the property signed, though, they couldn’t get a bank mortgage on the house: Banks would not give Black people mortgages.

Doyle’s grandparents, James and Phyllis Giles, took possession of the house after their parents passed. James died in 1995, then Phyllis passed on March 4, 2007, and the house was left to their children: Walter and Phillipa.

Tending to the building for future generations

Walter had not been interested in the property even before his parents passed. He’d moved to Australia and only rarely surfaced to contact his family. Ayisha said that by 2016, she and her mother, Phillipa, had been able to pay off a mortgage the family had taken out on the building when they needed extra funds. They paid all the bills, tended to the building’s maintenance, and looked after it for future generations of their family.

Giles had reportedly sold 75% of his stake in the house to Theodore Zucker, a property investor and owner of Zucker Asset Management and ARLO 67 LLC, for $300,000. Since Phyllis’s will was never probated or legally transferred over to her heirs after she died in 2007, it was not clear whether the Doyles could keep the house. Zucker was claiming that he paid for his share of the house and was entitled to a portion of it; he allegedly had a deed signed by Giles and notarized in Australia.

To this day, Ayisha Doyle can’t believe that Zucker was able to locate her uncle and purchase shares of the property. She said that she has asked him to provide some kind of payment receipt proving that Walter Giles sold his share, but Zucker has failed to do so. Zucker’s ARLO 67 LLC has made several attempts to force a partition sale of the BedStuy home and at some point, Doyle even sat down to a mediated settlement conference with Zucker, but no agreement between the two parties could be found. This past June 6, the property was reportedly

Portrait of Mabel and Walter Clement Moore taken on back deck of 234 Jefferson Avenue in late 1946 or early 1947. (Photos courtesy Ayisha Doyle)

Ayisha Doyle’s great-grandfather, Walter Clement Moore, had a NYC taxi license in the 1930s. He used his earnings to save money and purchase brownstone in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn.

James Earl Jones, acclaimed actor, dies at 93

By MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — James Earl Jones, who overcame racial prejudice and a severe stutter to become a celebrated icon of stage and screen — eventually lending his deep, commanding voice to CNN, “The Lion King,” and Darth Vader — has died. He was 93.

His agent, Barry McPherson, confirmed Jones died Monday morning at home. The cause was not immediately clear.

The pioneering Jones, who worked deep into his 80s, won two Emmys, a Golden Globe, two Tony Awards, a Grammy, the National Medal of Arts, the Kennedy Center Honors, and was given an honorary Oscar and a special Tony for lifetime achievement. In 2022, a Broadway theater was renamed in his honor.

He cut an elegant figure late in

life, with a wry sense of humor and a ferocious work habit. In 2015, he arrived at rehearsals for a Broadway run of “The Gin Game” having already memorized the play and with notebooks filled with comments from the creative team. He said he was always in service of the work.

“The need to storytell has always been with us,” he told the Associated Press then. “I think it first happened around campfires when the man came home and told his family he got the bear, the bear didn’t get him.”

Jones created such memorable film roles as the reclusive writer coaxed back into the spotlight in “Field of Dreams,” the boxer Jack Johnson in the stage and screen hit “The Great White Hope,” the writer Alex Haley in “Roots: The Next Generation,” and a South African minister in “Cry, the Beloved Country.”

James Earl Jones 'Prince Of Broadway' Anekwe, Simon

New York Amsterdam News (1962-); Oct 19, 1968; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: New York Amsterdam News pg. 24

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

He was also a sought-after voice actor, expressing the villainy of Darth Vader (“No, I am your father,” commonly misremembered as “Luke, I am your father”), as well as the benign dignity of King Mufasa in Disney’s animated “The Lion King,” and announcing “This is CNN” during station breaks. He won a 1977 Grammy for his performance on the “Great American Documents” audiobook.

“If you were an actor or aspired to be an actor, if you pounded the payment in these streets looks [sic] for jobs, one of the standards we always had was to be a James Earl Jones,” Samuel L. Jackson once said.

Some of his other films include “Dr. Strangelove,” “The Greatest” (with Muhammad Ali), “Conan the Barbarian,” “Three Fugitives,” and three Tom Clancy blockbuster adaptations — “The Hunt for

Red October,” “Patriot Games,” and “Clear and Present Danger,” in which he played an admiral. In a rare romantic comedy, “Claudine,” Jones had an onscreen love affair with Diahann Carroll.

Jones made his Broadway debut in 1958’s “Sunrise At Campobello” and would win his two Tony Awards for “The Great White Hope” (1969) and “Fences” (1987). He was also nominated for “On Golden Pond” (2005) and “Gore Vidal’s The Best Man” (2012). He was celebrated for his command of Shakespeare and Athol Fugard alike. More recent Broadway appearances include “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” “Driving Miss Daisy,” “The Iceman Cometh,” and “You Can’t Take It With You.”

As a rising stage and television actor, he appeared in “As the World Turns” in 1965, becoming one of the first African Ameri-

can actors in a continuing role in a daytime drama. He performed with the New York Shakespeare Festival Theater in “Othello,” “Macbeth,” and “King Lear” and in off-Broadway plays.

Jones was born by the light of an oil lamp in a shack in Arkabutla, Mississippi, on Jan. 17, 1931. His father, Robert Earl Jones, had deserted his wife before the baby’s arrival to pursue life as a boxer and, later, an actor.

When Jones was 6, his mother took him to her parents’ farm near Manistee, Michigan. His grandparents adopted the boy and raised him.

“A world ended for me, the safe world of childhood,” Jones wrote in his autobiography, “Voices and Silences.” “The move from Mississippi to Michigan was supposed to be a glorious event. For me it was a heartbreak, and not long after, I began to stutter.”

James Earl Jones (AP Photo/Joel Ryan, file photo)

James Earl Jones in 1960 (AmNews Archives)

Jones

Sen. Cordell Cleare holds 3rd Annual Back to School fest

Harlem’s State Senator Cordell Cleare recently held her Annual Back to School Event at the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Building. Hon. Inez Dickens, Councilmember Yusef Salaam, and Hon. Al Taylor joined in to bring

school supplies and other resources to the community, with the hope that every child has the tools to succeed. The event brought resources and opportunities for all ages in the classroom and community.

(Bill Moore photos)

Union Matters

The passions of Danny Glover

By GWEN MCKINNEY Word in Black

It started as a private conversation with my friend Danny Glover. He had just participated in a protracted war in Mississippi, working with the United Auto Workers to organize a Nissan plant. As a fitting homage to Labor Day, I soon realized our discourse should enjoy a public stage.

A living testament to arts and activism, celebrity is Glover’s megaphone. The protagonist of progressive struggle, he lives the tradition of his heroes Paul Robeson and Harry Belafonte.

Today, we’re gripped in a deep and disconcerting crisis of conscience. The soul of America is tattered and torn. Beyond partisan, racial, or geographic divides, the fault lines crack between those who long to “Make America Great Again” and those who imagine — in the hopeful spirit of one of our favorite poets — that we can “Let America Be America Again … (Never was America to me).”

As we approached Labor Day, Danny Glover poured his passions into our chat about labor, movement, and change.

Gwen McKinney (GM): You describe yourself as a child of the labor movement. Talk about the early experiences that shaped you.

Danny Glover (DG): My outlook has been shaped by more than the labor movement. It’s the labor movement within the Civil Rights Movement and the push for justice and racial equity. My parents both became postal workers in 1948. The post office was one of the most vibrant sources of Black employment and helped forge the early movement for equal employment opportunity in the federal government and private industry. This was the beginning of the modern Civil Rights Movement and reflective of increased expectations for justice and opportunity among African Americans who fought heroically against fascism abroad and were true patriots at home. My parents embodied that spirit. The politicization in our house profoundly affected me. I was 14 in 1960 when the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) was

formed; too young to join SNCC but inspired to become an activist in college a few years later. That backdrop fueled my activism, not only for workers’ rights, but also for Black power generally.

GM: What do you think is missing for people who did not grow up in a labor household like yours?

DG: Labor’s cultural atmosphere seeded an understanding of the collective rights of a community, a people. The labor movement unifies men and women around the value of working together collectively with respect and dignity. The movement was at its pinnacle after World War II. It gave ordinary people a seat at the table, honored a common appreciation for earning a living. Almost 40% of the labor force was unionized in the private sector, and the vast majority of Blacks moved into the middle class because of unions. For children of my era, the Civil Rights Movement and the labor movement were synonymous. The climate had not transformed into what we see today: sustained attacks to undermine organized labor.

GM: You’ve spent a lot of time

with the United Auto Workers to organize at the Canton, Mississippi, Nissan plant. The UAW lost the recent vote for union representation — a crushing two-toone defeat. What happened?

Editor’s note: There was a fiercely contested election for UAW recognition at Nissan’s Canton plant, which the union ultimately lost in August 2017. The National Labor Relations Board cited Nissan for campaign violations.

DG: The loss would have been less difficult if the margin hadn’t been so wide, but Nissan launched a massive campaign — one of the most vicious I’ve ever seen, spending millions and allying with the Chambers of Commerce, the governor, the Koch Brothers. Their playbook was a microcosm of what has happened to unions and collective bargaining rights. The battle cry in Canton, where Blacks constitute nearly 80% of the workforce, was that you’re better off without collective rights. Otherwise, you will have no job; the plant will pick up and leave.

Racism was ever present, and the legacy of Mississippi loomed large. Look at Charlottesville and then contextualize what happened in a relatively isolated

jobs and working conditions? This also begs the question of the nature of unions in 21st-century America. Nissan has 45 assembly plants (not counting subsidiaries) worldwide. The only three that are not unionized are in the United States; not by accident, based in the South (Tennessee and Mississippi).

Over the last several years, men and women have taken on the global car industry, which has found a fertile ground in the right-to-work South, but without a signed contract, they have no leverage.

way in Canton. Opponents of the union tied to the KKK and Aryan Nation were openly broadcasting on the radio against the UAW. The governor declared that a vote for the union would ruin business prospects in the state. They actually made statements on radio talk shows like “You’re lucky to have this job. You could be out picking cotton or corn.” Despite the UAW framing of the campaign around the theme “Workers Rights = Civil Rights,” the union was unable to deal with the myriad tentacles of racism in a frontal way. The issues are broader and more complex than the message of that campaign theme. The Nissan workers also did not assess what they deserved or what they are entitled to. This has to do with how we see ourselves in this contemporary landscape and the disintegration of dignity and respect for workers.

GM: What is the takeaway from the UAW campaign?

DG: Nissan’s Altima is one of the top sellers for young Black urban millennials throughout the United States. Perhaps a campaign should have linked to those young people. Should the message extend beyond the workers — a larger framework than

We learned something from this campaign, which I hope will create conditions for necessary adjustments. And there must and will be a next campaign. The company employed scorched-earth tactics, fear, intimidation, and buying off receptive backers in the community. The union has to win only one time. That becomes the template and sends a statement to everyone — opponents and supporters — that organizing is possible.

GM: There’s been a lot of discourse about the blue-collar white male worker and the onslaught he has faced in recent years due to the decline in American manufacturing. Speak to this through your racial justice prism.

DG: Just drawing from the UAW experience, we recognized a significant number of auto workers (both union and non-union) voted for Trump. We cannot separate the status of working-class people from the impact of automation and globalization on job security and workers’ insecurity. Ironically, technology has put us out of touch. We’ve lost our sense of interconnection, and people of color have become even more marginalized. In states hardest hit by deindustrialization, white workers — all workers — are on the edge, especially workers who formerly felt secure. But Black and Brown workers have always been on the edge. The challenges have been intensified by a commodification of the individual in the most basic aspects of our lives — what we eat, what we wear, how

Danny Glover (Gage Skidmore photo via Wikimedia Commons)

Trump slumps!

Kamala Harris trounces Trump in debate

By KEITH BOYKIN Word in Black

“Black Vote, Black Power,” a collaboration between Keith Boykin and Word In Black, examines the issues, the candidates, and what’s at stake for Black America in the 2024 presidential election.

Philadelphia — Kamala Harris was virtually flawless tonight, turning in one of the most impressive debate performances I’ve ever seen by a presidential candidate.

From the very beginning, when she approached former President Donald Trump and forced him to shake her hand, she took command. Then, she stayed on offense all night long and simply gave Trump the rope to hang himself. And he did.

tried to throw out thousands of votes in this largely Black city after he lost the 2020 election and manufactured bogus claims of election fraud. But he repeated those claims tonight, echoing language from the past that votes in Philly, Detroit, Atlanta, and Milwaukee were “fraudulently or illegally obtained” when he accused those cities of being “politically corrupt.”

Kamala Harris responded to Trump’s lies with a cool, calm composure. She did not take the bait to make personal attacks against Trump on race and instead used the question to bemoan the “tragedy” that a former president had “consistently over the course of his career attempted to use race to divide the American people.”

Six feet separated Vice President Kamala Harris from former President Donald Trump Tuesday evening on the stage of the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia for their first and perhaps only presidential debate. But they were leagues apart when it came to their visions. Kamala closed some of that distance at the very start when she walked across the stage and shook his hand.(And they stood a little bit closer the next day at a ceremony in the city as the nation honored those killed on 9/11 23 years ago.)

Much of the drama you expect in a debate was minimized by muted mics and the absence of an audience. Even so a contentious exchange of words prevailed and Kamala got the best of him with substantive answers, particularly on abortion, Russia. and Ukraine — some of which were ladened with nice one-line zingers. She reminded Trump again and again that he was running against her and not Joe Biden.

One of her most telling blows came during her comments on the Russia-Ukraine war, saying that with Trump as president, Putin would be sitting in Kyiv with his next move on Poland. “And why don’t you tell the 800,000 Polish Americans right here in Pennsylvania how quickly you would give up for the sake of

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While Harris spoke about her plans for new families, first-time homebuyers, and small businesses, the angry, petulant Trump raised his voice, yelled, and screamed, and looked unhinged as he took the bait she fed to him at every question, whining about his grievances from the past, relitigating the 2020 election, and fighting against a candidate who is no longer in the race.

Trump made the baffling claim that “we have a president that doesn’t know he’s alive,” while Kamala Harris reminded him “You’re not running against Joe Biden, you’re running against me.”

As Harris wisely introduced herself to the audience and talked about her middle-class upbringing, Trump revealed a total lack of message discipline and a wildly inappropriate temperament, refusing even to look at her.

“And this…former president,” said Kamala Harris with a pregnant pause as she spoke, letting the audience know that she wanted to call him something else but had the restraint not to do so.

Harris needled Trump about Project 2025 and kept referring to him as the former president, apparently to remind voters that he represents the past. And Trump dutifully played into the role by taking every opportunity to talk about ancient grievances, argue about his crowd sizes, and introduce every petty issue he could bring up.

The debate covered the economy, abortion, immigration, fracking, the January 6 insurrection, Gaza, Ukraine, Afghanistan, race, health care, and cli-

mate change, and Kamala Harris came out on top of every single issue.

I still think it’s problematic that we allow a twice-impeached, quadruple-indicted, criminal, insurrectionist, and adjudicated sex predator to share the stage with the vice president of the United States, but former prosecutor Kamala Harris proved more than capable of handling the convicted felon Trump.

Toni Morrison once said that the function of racism is distraction: “It keeps you from doing your work. It keeps you explaining, over and over again.”

Maybe that was Trump’s debate strategy, if you can call it that, Tuesday night as the 78-year-old former game show host spent the evening rambling on about his greatest hits.

He blamed immigrants for taking “African American jobs,” a claim that was debunked months ago.

He claimed not to care about Kamala Harris’s racial identity but then repeated the same false accusation moments later. “I read where she was not Black,” he said. It was a farcical assertion for an old white man to make about a self-identified Black woman with a Jamaican father, a Howard University degree, and an Alpha Kappa Alpha membership.

And he claimed that Harris is soft on crime, but she would not let him forget that Trump, himself, is two months away from a potential ankle bracelet or a prison sentence.

Trump had a lot of nerve coming to Philadelphia, the place where he

She cited Trump’s decades-long history of racism even before he was elected — housing discrimination in the 1970s, vilifying innocent Black teenagers in the Central Park Five Case in the 1980s, and birtherism in the 2010s. And Trump made it clear that if we let him back in office, things will only get worse, as he repeated a debunked racist lie that Haitian immigrants are eating people’s pets in Ohio. “In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs, the people that came in. They’re eating the cats.”

How on earth can Tim Scott, Byron Donalds, or any self-respecting Black person defend this racist, old white man spewing dangerous lies about Black and Brown immigrants eating white people’s pets?

So, these are the options, America. One of these two people will be the next president of the United States, and you, the voter, get to decide.

Do you want four more years of old man Trump and his circus of chaos, crises, court cases, and corruption on your TV every night? Or do you want a president who will lead and behave with dignity, respect, and maturity?

I don’t know about you, but I’m not going back.

Keith Boykin is a New York Times–bestselling author, TV and film producer, and former CNN political commentator. A graduate of Dartmouth College and Harvard Law School, Keith served in the White House, cofounded the National Black Justice Coalition, cohosted the BET talk show My Two Cents, and taught at the Institute for Research in African-American Studies at Columbia University in New York. He’s a Lambda Literary Award-winning author and editor of seven books. He lives in Los Angeles.

Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump, speaks during a presidential debate with Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia (AP Photo/Alex Brandon photo)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris gestures as she speaks during a presidential debate with Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon photo)

Kamala Harris’s campaign fulfills Shirley Chisholm’s dream

By DONNA BRAZILE

When Rep. Shirley Chisholm of New York ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1972, few people took her candidacy seriously. The idea of a Black woman becoming president struck many as unrealistic as a Black woman becoming a cabinet secretary or U.S. senator.

Although I was only 12 years old when Chisholm ran, I admired her as the first Black woman elected to Congress and wished she would make it to the White House, but I realized that sexism and racism made that an impossible dream.

How times have changed.

Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential candidacy took off like a rocket when President Joe Biden announced on July 21 that he would no longer seek re-election and endorsed her.

Biden is one of America’s greatest presidents. Like Harris, I strongly supported his re-election efforts. But when doubts arose about whether he was too old at 81 to serve four more years after his poor debate performance against former President Donald Trump, Biden selflessly stepped aside and said Harris should succeed him.

No one seriously challenged Harris for the Democratic presidential nomination. Now, unlike Chisholm, Harris is being taken very seriously as a candidate who could lead our nation.

Harris has generated strong voter enthusiasm by building her campaign around the themes of preserving and expanding our freedoms, and moving our nation forward. Her campaign reported on August 25 that it had raised a stunning $540 million since Biden ended his candidacy. The enthusiasm continues to grow and has sparked a movement of voters who are organizing across America.

The vice president has rolled out impressive proposals, including ones to strengthen our economy, fight inflation, create jobs, expand reproductive rights, make healthcare more available and affordable, increase the affordable housing supply, support voting rights, reduce gun violence and other crime, and reform our immigration system and reduce unauthorized migration.

A Gallup poll released August 29 found the enthusiasm for voting among Democrats and people leaning Democratic soared from 55% in March to 78% in August. Enthusiasm among Republicans and Republican-leaning voters rose from 59% in March to only 64% in August.

The last time the enthusiasm of Democrats was higher was in February 2008, when it hit 79% when Barack Obama was running for the party’s presidential nomination.

But enthusiasm won’t necessarily

translate into votes. The election remains close. Harris needs our votes, our volunteer efforts to help her campaign, and our campaign contributions if we are able to donate. She also needs to harness this energy by urging supporters to help strengthen our political system to enable more people to participate in our electoral process.

A Pew Research Center poll released August 22 — taken before Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suspended his presidential campaign and endorsed Trump — found 77% of Black voters supported or leaned toward supporting Harris, compared with 13% for Trump, 7% for Kennedy, and 3% for other candidates. That’s a big drop from the 92% to 8% lead Biden ran up over Trump in voting by Black Americans in 2020, according to a post-election analysis by Pew.

A challenge for the Harris campaign will be to boost support among Black voters to reach what Biden or Obama achieved. Exit polling after the 2008 election found that Obama — America’s only Black president so far — received 95% of the Black vote, compared with 43% of the white vote. In 2008, Black voter turnout exceeded white voter turnout for the first time in U.S. history, with 69% of eligible Black voters casting ballots, compared with 65% of white voters.

There are many similarities between Harris and Obama. The most obvious is that they have both always identified as Black, despite the absurd lie by Trump that Harris “happened to turn Black” a few years ago for political advantage. Harris is the daughter of a Black father from Jamaica and a mother from India. Obama is the son of a Black father from Kenya and a white mother.

The similarities between Harris and Obama are more than skin-deep. Both are brilliant high-achievers who have inspired movements. Both have the leadership qualities the presidency demands. Both radiate optimism, empathize with the needs of everyday Americans, and know how to get things done. Both put the needs of the American people ahead of their personal needs and desires.

In other words, Harris and Obama are the polar opposites of Trump, who

was ranked this year by a group of 154 presidential historians and experts as the worst president in American history. Trump seeks to weaponize government against his enemies and poses a grave threat to our freedoms and our democracy.

Trump doesn’t know how to run against Harris. The 78-year-old former president built his campaign on false claims that Biden is a decrepit old man (just three years older than Trump) suffering from dementia. But Harris is 19 years younger than Trump, making it impossible for him to attack her as too old and putting him on the defensive about his own age and mental fitness, so Trump has turned to attacking Harris with vile racist and sexist stereotypes, and blatant lies. He even disgustingly reposted vulgar false claims on social media that she has advanced her career by performing sex acts.

These are desperate actions by a desperate, twice-impeached former president unfit to return to the White House.

November marks the 100th anniversary of Shirley Chisholm’s birth. “I stand, as so many of us do, on her shoulders,” Harris said in 2019, acknowledging the pioneering achievements of Chisholm and the paths to electoral success she opened up for female and Black candidates.

Reflecting on her unsuccessful 1972 presidential campaign, Chisholm said: “I felt that someday, a Black person or a female person should run for the presidency of the United States, and now I was a catalyst for change.” Indeed she was.

As president of the United States, Barack Obama opened the door of the Oval Office to a new generation of Americans. With a strong voter turnout, Kamala Harris has the potential to open the most powerful position in the world to all who want to build a more perfect union together.

Harris deserves to sit in the Oval Office not because she is a Black woman, but because she is the most qualified candidate for president on the ballot in this year’s election and the one most capable of building a better future for us all.

The movement she has inspired is for and about the people. If the people decide it is time to move forward, Harris will win on Tuesday, November 4, 2024. For the future and for our country.

Donna Brazile is an ABC News contributor, senior advisor at Purple Strategies, chair of the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, veteran political strategist, and adjunct professor in the Women and Gender Studies Department at Georgetown University. She previously served as interim chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and of the DNC’s Voting Rights Institute.

Vote with your phone?

CHRISTINA GREER, PH.D.

If you have read any of my previous columns, you know I am always encouraging my readers to register to vote, have a voting plan, and encourage others in their families and communities to participate in the electoral process if they are voting-eligible. This year’s presidential election on November 5 is definitely one of the most consequential elections in our lifetime. I would also encourage people to think about the important local elections in June (and November) of 2025, where New Yorkers will elect their mayor, comptroller, City Council members, borough presidents, and more.

On September 17, my friend and colleague Bradley Tusk will publish “Vote with Your Phone: Why Mobile Voting is Our Final Shot at Saving Democracy” (Sourcebooks). Tusk has compiled a straightforward book to assist voters in their quest to become more informed and more participatory. As a political scientist, I sometimes forget that not everyone feels comfortable talking about politics … or asking questions about certain systems that might need clarification and further explanation.

As an educator, I am always so pleased when I find a book that helps demystify the electoral process and leaves voters with a sense of excitement about elections to come. One of the most important factors in getting people excited about participating in the electoral process is making sure they feel confident in how the process works and also giving them information and tools to further solidify their role in moving their communities forward.

What makes “Vote with Your Phone” so important for this moment is largely due to the clarity in which it presents ideas and themes. For example, breaking down the primary electoral process, rank choice voting (which New York City voters use to help elect their mayor), compulsory voting, digital voting, and so much more. Tusk has even assembled personal essays from thought leaders ranging from Martin Luther King, III to David Hogg, who are advocates for mobile voting.

I must admit, like Erykah Badu, I’m an analog girl in a digital world. I still like pen and paper in many facets of my life, but “Vote with your Phone” has laid out an argument for mobile voting that I suspect we will continue to have in the upcoming years. The 45th president has made it clear that he wants November 2024 to be the last American election if he wins. Therefore, it is imperative that we get out and vote to save/salvage our democracy on November 5 so we can continue to have these important discussions and debates about technology in our electoral processes. I tend not to be an early adopter of technology, but Tusk lays out the importance of reimagining our political process to include more voters and increase not just participation but enthusiasm as well. Be sure to grab a copy of “Vote with Your Phone” next week!

Christina Greer, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Fordham University; author of “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream”; and co-host of the podcast FAQ-NYC.

Donna Brazile

Caribbean Update

Barbados again in reparations tiff with Britain

BY BERT WILKINSON Special to the AmNews

In the quasi inter-government set up in the 15-nation Caribbean Community, Barbados is responsible for leading the regional effort to make former European slave trading nations pay reparations to the Caribbean for the centuries of the transatlantic slave trade.

Barbadian prime minister Mia Mottley is the lead head of government on the reparations issue, maintaining links with the umbrella Reparations Commission (CRC) and other relevant bodies and involved personnel.

Earlier this year, Mottley and her cabinet were just about to tie up a deal with the descendants of a former British slave owning family — which amazingly still owns property and plantations in Barbados — when many in the nation of close to 300,000 forced her to abandon the idea to pay the Drax family 3 million in British Sterling for 53 acres of a plantation that the family still owns today. Mottley took to the national airwaves to tell the populace and the Draxes that she had heard the cry of descendants whose ancestors had worked sugar and other plantations for free and so was abandoning the planned

purchase of the land. Not much has been heard of the issue since, but judging from remarks from one of her top advisors, the cabinet is about to have another reparations tiff with the Church of England’s United Society Partners in Gospel (USPG).

Apparently the USPG wants to partner with the Barbados-based Codrington Trust to improve living standards of tenants occupying estates linked to the church. The idea of the USPG is to invest $9 million in a joint venture project that will research the history of slavery in Barbados and improve living conditions of people who live on church land and housing. It is unclear what exactly is being hatched to improve these living conditions.

To avoid any misapprehensions or misinterpretations that the $9 million project is part of a reparations arrangement with authorities, the local reparations commission made it clear at the weekend that this is a social rather than reparations project that must be treated in this manner and in no other regard, said Ambassador David Comissiong, deputy head of the commission.

“The USPG is the successor body to the 18th and 19th century Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts (SPG) –the Church of England entity that owned and

operated the Codrington slave plantation in Barbados for some 126 years – and is therefore duty bound to engage in a reparations discourse and eventual settlement with the government and people of Barbados. And the entity with which that discourse is to be appropriately conducted is the Barbados National Task Force on Reparations,” the body stated. “The task force would like to put on record its admiration of the Christian spirit of justice that has been evinced by both the USPG and the church commissioners – the two entities of the Church of England that have thus far publicly acknowledged their implication in the crime of African enslavement and their determination to make some form of recompense,” it noted as it urged the church not to even think the current project is linked to the current regional governmental effort to pay European nations pay for slavery.

The latest slavery/reparations issues between Barbados and the British are certain to keep the issue in the limelight even as Keith Rowley, prime minister of neighboring Trinidad, vowed just last month that governments will “speak forcefully” to Britain when commonwealth leaders meet in Samoa next month.

Broken immigration system threatens America’s

The United States has long prided itself on being a global leader in innovation and research, a status built in large part by the contributions of immigrants — but a recent report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) highlights a sobering reality: The country’s outdated and restrictive immigration policies are undermining that leadership.

The NASEM report makes an urgent call to Congress and the White House, urging reforms that would allow more immigrants with advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to remain in the U.S. and continue contributing to the nation’s scientific advancements.

For years, the U.S. has depended heavily on foreign-born scientists to remain at the cutting edge of research in critical fields like artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and cybersecurity, but restrictive immigration laws are choking that talent pipeline, according to the report.

Mark Barteau, chair of chemical engineering at Texas A&M University and chair

of the NASEM committee, said in the report’s preface: “Congress’s failure to disentangle visa and immigration policies for students, STEM degree holders, and technology entrepreneurs from the broader challenges of comprehensive immigration reform represents a self-inflicted wound.”

Barteau’s words are a sobering reminder of how shortsighted policies are limiting America’s access to talent in fields crucial for national security and economic growth.

The report recommends several common-sense reforms to the U.S. immigration system that would help retain foreign-born talent. First, increasing the number of green cards available to highly skilled immigrants in STEM fields, especially those from countries like India and China, where backlogs have led to decades-long waits.

Another critical reform would remove country-specific caps on green cards, which exacerbate the delays, and offer green cards to anyone earning advanced degrees from U.S. universities who wishes to stay.

These reforms are in line with provisions in past immigration bills that have repeatedly failed to pass in Congress, largely due to partisan disagreements over border security. However, the NASEM panel is hopeful that reframing the issue as one of national security

“We here gathered are on that arc; we genuinely believe that it will bend to a point in a day when justice would be recognized by all and it will be handed to those who deserve it. When we meet in Samoa, the Caribbean leaders took a decision this week to very forcefully speak to the commonwealth as one voice. There is one particular country with a new King (the UK’s King Charles) and a Labor government with an outstanding mandate, and we look forward to the reaction in October,” PM Rowley said, speaking at a recent emancipation forum in Trinidad.

As he engaged the Church, Ambassador Comissiong noted that “we believe that the words and actions of these two Anglican religious bodies have the potential to help generate significant breakthroughs in Caricom’s reparations claims against both the Church of England and the national government of the UK and to help usher in a new era of reparatory justice, reconciliation and brotherhood. We now look forward to the USPG deepening and fortifying that potential by publicly undertaking to complement its Codrington College social justice project by commencing an appropriate reparations discussion with the Barbados National Task Force on Reparations,” the ambassador stated.

global leadership in research, says report

could help shift the conversation. After all, how can the U.S. maintain its competitive edge in science and technology if it can’t retain the top minds driving those fields forward?

The panel also points out the dangers of immigration policies rooted in fear and xenophobia. One glaring example is the China Initiative, a now-defunct effort by the Department of Justice aimed at preventing Chinese economic espionage. Although few prosecutions resulted, the initiative disproportionately targeted academics of Chinese descent, creating a culture of fear and suspicion, especially among Asian American scientists.

While the initiative was ended in 2022 by President Biden, its chilling effects remain.

Gisela Kusakawa, leader of the Asian American Scholar Forum, called the panel’s critique of the China Initiative a “milestone” for a NASEM report, emphasizing how damaging discriminatory policies can be to the U.S. scientific community.

As the report notes, protecting national security through immigration and visa restrictions might seem like a straightforward solution, but if these policies are viewed as discriminatory or ill-conceived, they will backfire. The U.S. cannot afford to alienate or lose the international talent that has fueled its scientific progress for decades.

At a time when global competition for scientific talent is fiercer than ever, especially from countries like China, which actively recruits U.S. scientists, America’s rigid immigration policies are not just outdated; they are self-sabotaging.

Barteau and the NASEM panel make it clear: If the U.S. wants to remain a global leader in research, it must address the immigration bottlenecks that stifle the flow of international talent. Failure to act now will have long-term consequences for the country’s scientific standing and ability to compete in critical industries.

The road to meaningful reform is not easy, especially in the current political climate, but as Barteau observes, “Every once in a while, the door cracks open and there’s an opportunity for legislation.” It’s time for lawmakers to seize that opportunity before the U.S. loses its competitive edge for good.

The message is clear: America’s future as a scientific powerhouse depends on its willingness to embrace — and retain — the international talent that has always been its strength.

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

International News

Xi offers African leaders more aid as China challenges U.S.-led global order

By KEN MORITSUGU and MONIKA PRONCZUK Associated Press

BEIJING—Dozens of African leaders gathered in Beijing on Thursday for a summit that signals China’s influence in a continent that it hopes will be a key ally in pushing back against a U.S.-led global order.

Chinese President Xi Jinping promised the leaders billions of dollars in loans and private investment over the next three years, and proposed that relations with all African countries that have diplomatic ties with China be elevated to the “strategic” level.

“We stand shoulder to shoulder with each other to firmly defend our legitimate rights and interests,” he said at the opening ceremony of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.

China has become a major player in Africa since the forum was founded in 2000. Its companies have invested heavily in mining for the resources Chinese industry needs, and its development banks have made loans

to build railways, roads, and other infrastructure under Xi’s Belt and Road program.

African leaders have welcomed China’s assistance but are pushing for a closer alignment of aid with the continent’s development goals. They are seeking to industrialize their economies and expand agricultural exports to reduce a trade deficit with China, which has become sub-Saharan Africa’s largest bilateral trading partner.

“In the context of our industrialization effort, the portfolio of private investments in Africa should be sufficiently diversified to extend beyond the traditional field of mining and energy resources,” said Moussa Faki Mahamat, chair of the African Union Commission, addressing the forum in French.

In a reflection of China’s broadening relationship with Africa, Xi outlined 10 “partnership actions” that included training for African politicians and future leaders, further opening of Chinese markets, agriculture demonstration areas, vocational and technical training, green energy projects, and 1 billion yuan ($140 million) in military assistance grants.

Xi said China would eliminate tariffs on products from most of the world’s poorest countries, including 33 in Africa, in an expansion of existing exemptions.

“While commending the overall progress so far achieved, we also appreciate the announcement of further areas of partnership

actions,” said Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan, speaking on behalf of eastern Africa. “We salute a new characterization of China-Africa relations.”

China is training more military professionals in Africa than anyone else, and its

See INTERNATIONAL on page 33

Senegal’s Foreign Minister Yassine Fall delivers a speech at the ministerial conference of the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing. (Tingshu Wang/ Pool Photo via AP)

Trauma recovery centers work for crime victims, but will they survive?

California began funding a promising model to provide support to violent crime survivors a decade ago. The model worked and spread across the country, so why is it now getting less funding?

By HELINA SELEMON

AmNews Science Reporter

This story was reported in partnership with the Springboard Project at Type Investigations.

Antonio Caballero Villa, 47, was an onion farmer in Mexico before he was shot. He looks haunted as he recalls the day he says he remembers vividly. He remembers being tailed by members of a cartel while in his car with his father, brother, and cousin. When they stopped to confront them, shots rang out.

His memories from this point remain fuzzy. He was told that EMTs revived him on the scene of the shooting. He was taken to the hospital, where he later learned that he was the only survivor.

In the days after the shooting that injured him and killed members of his family, he couldn’t sleep for almost a month. Two years have passed since his shooting, but he remembers waking up feeling like he was dreaming.

“I want to scream loudly, to free myself from this nightmare,” he said in Spanish. “But it’s not easy.”

He struggled with staying motivated in recovery, he said. He thought about giving up but kept pushing forward for his family, especially his wife and five kids, three of whom live with him in southern California. After relocating to California from Mexico, he got some physical therapy but not much more medical help. It was eventually his sister and circle of support who encouraged him to seek support last year at the Olive View Trauma Recovery Center.

“A lot of people won’t admit when they feel bad,” he said. “I’d never done therapy in my life before what happened to me and before we came here. Initially, I thought, ‘No, therapy isn’t good for anything,’ but I see I was wrong and that it helps a lot.”

More than half of American adults have experienced gun violence or cared for someone who has, and gun-related crimes leave many of these survivors forgotten, untreated, and left to pick up the pieces of their lives without the support they need. This often means navigating life with an additional trauma: a wound or disability or grief, depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress.

Recovery for many is difficult and costly. Going through public legal or criminal legal systems to obtain financial support and mental healthcare can mean jumping through challenging hoops when survivors are at their most vulnerable. In this landscape, trauma recovery centers serve as a rare, and underfunded, safety net of comprehensive case management and mental health services to survivors of violence for free.

Trauma recovery centers, or TRCs, offer a relatively new approach in care for survivors recovering from a violent crime, with 54 trauma recovery centers in 13 states and more on the way. TRCs are increasingly co-located in community centers and hospitals and family justice centers across the country.

Nearly half of these centers are in California, where the model was first created in 2001, thanks in large part to an amendment passed a decade ago that sought to use funds from prosecuting white collar crime to create development grants for these types of centers.

A decade later, 24 additional trauma recovery centers were created in the state and found relative success, with most located in the Bay area and Los Angeles County. Estimates are that nationally, therapy and case management at these providers help about 20,000 people every year who wouldn’t otherwise have the access to care after a violent trauma starts to heal, and they return to work and pick up the pieces of their lives.

As of this year, though, many trauma recovery centers in California are losing a significant amount of grant funding from the state — anywhere between 30% and 60% of their total budgets. That’s because these grants depend not on tax dollars but on a combination of the state’s savings from reduced incarceration, victim restitution funds, and money the state collects from the prosecution of white collar crimes. When these savings dip and fewer cases are being prosecuted and fined at the state and federal levels, the drop in available dollars disrupts crucial care for victims of violent crime for the foreseeable future.

“This is care delivery,” said Breena Taira, administrative director of the Olive View Trauma Recovery Center in Sylmar, Calif. “There are so many people who have been victims of crime [who] can benefit from TRC services, both the mental health aspect and the wraparound case management, that it can be very disruptive to not have a stable budget and to not know how the funding might be sustained into the future.”

See TRC on page 17

Antonio Caballero Villa in his home in North Hollywood, Calif. After surviving a shooting that altered his life and put him in a wheelchair, Caballero Villa eventually sought out support from a trauma recovery center (Photo by Martín Macias Jr.)

How trauma recovery centers help

Survivors of violent crime are often not reached by victim service providers, according to the Alliance for Safety and Justice, and too many still don’t get the help that they need. Most adults coming to TRCs are economically stressed, but the centers allow them to receive a variety of free therapeutic treatments and case management to help them heal.

Gena Castro Rodriguez, executive director of the National Alliance for Trauma Recovery Centers (NATRC), said the trauma recovery center model takes a more sympathetic, trauma-informed approach, helping people from the start of their journey to recovery.

People usually find out about TRCs from their doctors, local community organizations, family members, or police departments, but unlike some victims services, clients do not have to engage with the criminal or legal system to get assistance from TRCs.

Services begin with an “intake” where a case manager or counselor checks in with a new client about how they’re doing in the moment and identifies where the client needs support based on their situation. They then help clients with their most immediate needs, like relocating to a new

home or applying for disability benefits or victim’s compensation. The Olive View TRC even offers legal services for clients to handle issues such as normalizing immigration status.

Then counselors identify a therapeutic treatment plan for clients. Participants receive up to 16 weeks of free therapy with a counselor, with sessions held at the TRC or wherever is safest for a client to meet. It’s at this stage that clients begin the work of recovering mentally from their traumatic experiences.

This model has shown promise over the years. The handful of research on TRCs reports reductions in PTSD symptoms, improved mental health, decreased alcohol use, decreased homelessness, and increased filing of victim compensation claims for clients who complete the program.There are a few studies on the impact of these programs, and what they tend to find is that this model is a cost-saving measure: Its approach costs about a third less than comparable therapeutic services. More importantly, it’s been found that many crime survivors had better access to housing and food, and were able to return to work.

When clients enter the office of Felicia Cantu, a trauma therapist for 10 years, they see a couch, blankets, stuffed animals, and textured pillows; side tables with stress balls, PlayDo, and kinetic blocks. Even fidget toys.

“I love a bunch of fidget toys,” Cantu said. “Nobody is too old for fidget toys! Or stuffed animals.”

For the last two years, Cantu has worked at the University of California, San Francisco General Hospital’s Trauma Recovery Center (SF TRC), where the TRC model was born. Like other TRCs, SF TRC supports and advocates for the needs of clients coming in — sometimes in a crisis — with physical and, more often, emotional wounds to heal. This could be for a variety of causes: domestic violence, sexual assault, physical assault, and gun violence.

“Essentially, we are [for] anyone [who] has been a victim of a violent crime,” said Cantu. “That could look like treating people [who] have experienced traumatic loss… [like] a homicide, meaning someone was killed or murdered. That actually extends to any family member, so a parent, sibling,” or, she added, others.

The UCSF TRC is connected to the Level 1 trauma center at UCSF, and Cantu is part of a program that sends her to victims’ bedsides to explain how they support victims of trauma and connect them with the center’s mental health services.

According to Cantu, combining case management — coordinating services needed — with therapy helps clients feel stable by meeting urgent and important life needs before beginning therapy. One of her past clients had experienced a gunshot wound and was living on the streets. His primary goal was to get bowel surgery to remove the ostomy bag doctors

See TRC on page 18

Motivational sign at Olive View Trauma Recovery Center, where Caballero Villa came for four months for therapy (Photo by Damaso Reyes)

Stress balls and Silly Putty in basket at trauma therapist’s office in Columbus, Ohio; among usual items found in a trauma recovery center (Photo by Helina Selemon)

attached during surgery for his gunshot wound. Cantu said that even though he had PTSD and other severe symptoms to grapple with, the injury was a major source of trauma, depression, and shame for the client, and getting the surgery was his top priority in treatment. Cantu supported this goal, recognizing that improving the client’s physical health and quality of life was likely to have a significant impact on their mental health and ability to engage in further trauma processing.

Case management is just as important as traditional therapy, Cantu said: “If people can’t get their basic needs met, how are they going to manage any of their symptomatology?”

Trauma is complicated. We need systems that get that.

Memory loss, depression, sleepless nights. These are just some of the signs of a traumatic experience. According to Iris Cruet Rubio, director of the Miracles Counseling Center in the South Bay region of Los Angeles, trauma can live in the most unexpected places. Sights, sounds, and even smells can take clients back to the moment of the trauma and

trigger their symptoms.

“When we experience a trauma, all of our senses turn on, so it’s not only what they see, it’s what they hear,” she explained. “Were there any particular sounds? Was there a song playing? They’ll say, ‘I could hear a radio far away.’

And there was this song, this particular song playing, so now, when they’re going about into the world and they hear this song, and it’s the same exact song, it’s going to trigger. And they don’t even know what’s triggering them.”

Trauma makes it difficult for many people to navigate the requirements of criminal and legal systems to get assis -

tance. Being able to access TRC services without having to jump through legal hoops removes a huge obstacle to getting help.

Cruet-Rubio said that by the end of 16 weeks of sessions, their clients are in a better position to continue what she calls their “healing journey.”

Antonio Caballero Villa applied for disability benefits and enrolled in Medi-Cal California’s Medicaid program, but he had a lot of doubts when asked about starting therapy. It would be his first experience with therapy and he said he wasn’t sure it would be good for anything. But he said he was glad he tried it.

“There are moments where I really struggle, when I’m remembering what happened to me, but I remember what the therapist said — that there’s no other way through it aside from processing what happened, to not give up. To give it your best,” he said.

He said the four months of therapy helped him manage the painful memories of his shooting and the shooting of his father, brother, and cousin. He said his treatment has also had a positive impact on his family: His healing helped reduce the weight on his family.

While there’s no definitive measure of how much it costs individuals or families to get the help they need to navigate life after a violent event, trauma therapy costs are already out of reach for many families. Nationally, it’s estimated that gun violence alone costs about $7.79 million every day in the U.S. to cover healthcare costs, including immediate and long-term medical and mental health care. This doesn’t include an estimated $147.32 million paid daily for work missed due to injury or death.

The U.S. Department of Justice estimated that the country had about 3.5 million victims of violent crime in 2022. The Alliance for Safety and Justice estimates that a trauma recovery center would have to be available per 100,000 people to adequately meet the needs of victims of crime in the United States. Trauma recovery is a public safety issue, said Sandy Felkey Mullins, a senior researcher at the NYU Marron Institute of Urban Management.

Public safety commands much more tax money: a proposed $26 billion in California for 2024–25. If the roughly $20 million spent annually on TRCs came out of public funds, it would be a drop in the bucket — less than 0.1% of spending.

“Just the focus on trauma and healing … is not something you see much in the criminal justice system,” said Mullins. However, this is seen now through TRCs, she said. “I think it really has become very central to communities as a place of safety, where you can go and get what you need .… I think they really are a shining example of the direction we should be moving.”

An uncertain future for TRCs See TRC on page 19

Dulande Louis, director of trauma recovery center at Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island, in Coney Island, Brooklyn, which overwhelmingly works with people victimized by gun violence.

An uncertain future for TRCs

If everyone agrees that the model works, then why is the funding dwindling?

One reason goes back to how TRCs, and victim services more broadly, are funded. Federal victim’s services funds depend not on public health dollars but on fines collected from prosecuted crimes. This is also how funds work federally via the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA). In California, Prop. 47’s passage a decade ago takes a fraction of dollars from cost savings from reduced incarceration and applies them to the development of TRCs.

“It’s not very consistent dollars, one because that fund goes up and down, depending on the savings from that year, and two, it’s a competitive process every two years,” said Castro Rodriguez. Grants for trauma recovery centers in California run on a biannual cycle, and how much TRCs receive in allocated funds depends on how their grant applications are graded, which is not necessarily a measure of whether they have provided services effectively or met community needs. The grant applications are reviewed and administered by the California Victim’s Compensation Board (CalVCB), which uses a point system to tier the applications that come in for TRC funding. Each applicant is placed in a tier — first, second, or third — and the board decides how much of the requested funds each applicant gets. With a smaller state pot of money available, getting into a high-enough tier can make the difference between another survivable two years and a struggle to stay open for victims.

“The whole concept of having this funded on a grant basis fundamentally doesn’t make a lot of sense,” said Olive View’s Taira. “Just like medical services or mental health services in general, [TRCs] need to be available on a long term and sustained basis because we don’t anticipate that the need is going to go away.”

Most TRCs around the country surveyed by the NYU Marron Institute of Urban Management run on shoestring budgets for the services they offer: The median was just $1.1 million annually, and 93% reported concern that financial constraints might mean a reduction in future services, longer waitlists, and service delays for clients and their families.

“I didn’t expect that the funding lines would be as slim as they were, and that they were cobbling together,” said Angela Hawken, a researcher at the Marron Institute who surveyed TRCs across the country. Her survey found that only 14% of TRC respondents are confident they can maintain their current level of service over the next five years. “They’re just surviving year to year,” she said.

Despite the increase in the number of TRCs in the state, the number of grants given has remained the same, creating

unwanted competition between TRCs.

Taira said that CalVCB suggested seeking out other funding sources and donors, but for most TRCs that don’t have the fundraising infrastructure to seek out grants, that’s just not feasible.

“We’re just trying to hold it together,” she said. “With how short-staffed we are, survival of the center is more at the forefront.”

The future of funding for victim care should include supporting the existing trauma recovery centers that are doing the work, but the priority has been to fund new TRCs, Taira said. While she and other TRC directors agree that more centers are needed, their issue stems from existing ones needing to compete for their survival with more new centers for the same limited pool of money.

Supporting new TRCs “obviously needs to happen,” she said, “but it shouldn’t be at the expense of the other TRCs that are already in existence.”

Some funds focused on victim services are earmarked for research, or other areas that don’t help centers provide services, Taira said. Only a few grants exist to help, like a separate three-year grant that Olive View has to assist people in a crisis with emergency services. She said that as long as TRCs are funded without regard for the ongoing needs that exist, they are going to continue to struggle.

“It’s a reflection of their experience of grant writing,” she said of the funding process. “I think we’re really lucky we have a UCLA affiliation … but that shouldn’t be what’s necessary to provide trauma recovery services.

“In the optimal setting, it would be ‘let’s fund all the TRCs that already exist based on the needs in their communities’ and ‘let’s also look at the communities that don’t have them and see if we can fill that need as well. That’s a lot of money, but it is the next step that needs to be done if this model is to be sustained.”

All applications are reviewed and scored using the same criteria, said the California Victim’s Compensation Board in a statement to the Amsterdam News . “TRCs can provide data in their grant application responses that is considered in the scoring. A final recommendation for grant funding goes to the three-member Board for approval.”

Caballero Villa completed therapy more than a year ago, and while he says he could use more, his sessions equipped him with tools that he uses every day to manage. He makes and sells small bracelets in his neighborhood. Aside from sales, he said he enjoys getting to interact with people.

“I like to sell these bracelets that I learned how to make so that I can bring in extra income,” he said. “It’s not much I bring back, but it’s something.”

Solving the funding dilemma

Despite the constraints, more trauma recovery centers are being founded

across the country. Castro Rodriguez from the National Alliance for Trauma Recovery Centers said federal dollars are being used to start new centers in states like Arizona and Michigan, although they are likely to face similar long-term funding issues as California-based TRCs.

“It’s great because they’re gonna get dollars to start them, but it’s only shortterm funding, like three years, two years,” she said. Without a dedicated federal funding stream, they’re going to have to figure out how to keep these centers funded after the initial grants run out, she added.

Trauma recovery centers have recently made their way to the East Coast. New York State has five that were created in 2023, with four in New York City. Late last year, the New York City Council approved between $600,000 and $800,000 each for four centers. Including TRCs in the city budget could provide funding that is less subject to change than in California, assuming the council maintains it as a priority.

“Trauma recovery centers should be a pillar of our public safety infrastructure to support underserved crime victims and communities harmed by the trauma of violence inflicted in our neighborhoods,” said City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams in a statement. “The Council is proud to have funded the creation of New York State’s first TRCs, which will provide comprehensive services for sur-

vivors of violence in our city who fall through the cracks of traditional victim services.”

A new Brooklyn TRC recently signed a lease in East Flatbush. Lead counselor Stephanie Menyhay is excited about finally having a place for future clients to come in the door. In Coney Island, the Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island (JCCGCI) TRC is also one of the latest to open its doors. Director Dulande Louis said that most of their caseload already involves clients with gun violence trauma.

“This is a community that has been plagued by gun violence for far too long and I think bringing this work and so this community is really, really, really timely, and it’s quite needed,” she said. Louis said trauma-informed care isn’t easy for participants but plays a crucial role in improving safety and wellness.

“If you’re not engaging in the healing process, you will meet violence with violence. I tell people, I get it, but it’s honoring you as a being to engage in that work. And once we start collectively to do all [that’s needed] to engage in the work, we are creating a safer community for the next generation, and they deserve it.”

[FORM: Were you a victim of a violent crime? Have you been through the TRC experience? We’d like to hear from you.]

Noy Thrupkaew and Martin Macias Jr. also contributed to reporting this story.

10th Labor Awards Breakfast

It takes a village: discussing solutions to the historic issue of gun violence surrounding the West Indian Day parade

By ARIAMA C. LONG Amsterdam News Staff

Additional reporting by TANDY LAU Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member

The West Indian American Day J’Ouvert and Carnival parade in New York City has been a fixture on New Yorkers’ social calendar going all the way back to the 1920s, honoring the vibrant culture of the Caribbean and its omnipresence across the boroughs. The city has thrived on what has become the “biggest festival in North America,” attracting millions of people and generating hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue.

According to West Indian American Day Carnival Association (WIADCA) Board Chairman Andrew Maloney, a lot of “thought, energy, enthusiasm” goes into the parade, but the planning starts with discussing safety.

Among the small army of community members, volunteers, organizers, electeds, police, and precinct council members, as well as local artisans, dancers, musicians, costume makers, choreographers, bands, and youth bands, this central theme of how to keep one another and parade goers safe is crucial. However, since the 1990s and

throughout the 2000s, the Brooklyn parade has come to be associated with instances of shootings, violence, and unfortunate

deaths, an issue that’s overshadowed the jubilation of the event.

Countless lives have been lost over the years.

SECRETARY OF EDUCATION OF THE STATE OF SÃO

REPUBLICATION

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION No. 02/2024

The Secretariat of Education - SEDUC hereby announces the amendments to the documents of the International Competition No. 02/2024 for the administrative concession of construction, maintenance, conservation, management, and operation of the non-educational services of 16 (sixteen) new Education Units in the State of São Paulo – East Lot.

The updated bidding documents (notice, contract, and annexes) are now available for consultation on the website https://www.parceriaseminvestimentos.sp.gov.br/projeto-qualificado/ppp-educacao-novas-escolas/, as well as in the concession's Data Room. Interested parties may submit requests for clarification until October 17, 2024. Clarification requests should be sent to the email address construcaodeescolas@educacao.sp.gov.br, with the subject "Administrative Concession of New Education Units – EAST LOT | Clarification Requests."

The public session for the submission of envelopes will take place on October 29, 2024, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., at the headquarters of B3 (275, XV de Novembro Street, Centro), in São Paulo.

Among them, 22-year-old Tiarah Poyau, who was shot after denying a man a dance at a J’Ouvert event in 2016; 17-year-old Tyreke Borel, who was shot in the chest in 2016; and 43-year-old Carey Gabay, a first deputy counsel for the Empire State Development Corporation and a former assistant counsel to former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Gabay was walking on Bedford Avenue with his brother and a couple of friends after attending J’Ouvert when he was shot in the head reportedly after being caught in the crossfire between two rival gangs in 2015.

As a result, dedicated organizers and police leadership implemented increasing levels of security every year, including putting up towering flood lights; shortening J’Ouvert hours and adding barricades and police checks at J’Ouvert; organizing proactive gun removals; implementing the use of drones, helicopters; and flooding the streets with police officers on foot, crisis management teams (CMS), and local clergy leaders. All of which has certainly helped to make people feel safe, but has failed to completely eliminate gun violence and gang-related shootings from occurring during the festivities off Eastern Parkway and in nearby neighborhoods.

was later identified as Denzel A. Chan, a 25-year-old man who was visiting from Spring, Texas. The NYPD suspected the shooting was gang-related, although it was later confirmed that Chan was not the intended target and was unaffiliated.

Mayor Eric Adams, who’s staked his reputation as a former NYPD officer on making the city safer while in office, expressed frustration towards the shooting that marred the otherwise “peaceful” event. He maintained that the city had been “proactive” with a “well-executed” safety plan that removed 25 guns off the streets prior to J’Ouvert.

“Let’s be clear. One nut shot five people — one,” Adams said at the press conference on Sept. 3. “And so when you look at that one person who we’re going to find that shot five people, you remove [him] from the equation, you got hundreds of thousands of people that were out this weekend and really heard the call of a peaceful J’Ouvert and a peaceful West Indian Day parade.”

Days after the parade, another shooting occurred that injured two more people in the neighborhood, according to the NYPD.

This year’s Labor Day weekend marked the 57th year for the West Indian Day parade, not including the cancellations of the parade events in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A shooting occurred during the parade that injured four people and left one dead. The victim

A department spokesperson pointed to a recent crime stats press conference where the event’s safety was discussed. Deputy Commissioner of Public Information Tarik Sheppard maintained that “one shooting did not mar this parade.”

“We had hundreds of thousands of people out there,” said Sheppard. “It’s our job to keep them safe, and for the most part that was done. For those who know the history, tremendous effort by the cops out

PAULO Government of the State of São Paulo Coordination of Infrastructure and Educational Services See GUN VIOLENCE on page 42

Councilmember Crystal Hudson (center with microphone) joins Save Our Streets (S.O.S) gun violence interrupters on Sept. 6. (Ariama C. Long photo)

Black theater community remembers James Earl Jones

BY LINDA ARMSTRONG Special to the AmNews

James Earl Jones passed away September 9, 2024 at the age of 93. I was devastated when I saw the announcement online. I immediately remembered interviewing Mr. Jones in 2011, when he was starring as Hoke Colburn in “Driving Miss Daisy” at the John Golden Theater on Broadway. He was soft spoken, charming, and full of wisdom — the man was a living legend. I remember asking him about how he prepared for each performance. He responded that for every performance, he looks for something different in the character, something new he can bring to the role. I asked: At what point in the production do you stop honing the character? He said that you never stop honing the character, just as you never stop honing your craft. I recall thinking, “Wow. If James Earl Jones does this, it must be right!” I also recalled how funny he was in the Broadway production of “You Can’t Take It With You” in 2014. This was a man who was very serious about his craft. was full of kindness, and who has left behind an amazing legacy for generations to learn from.

Members of the Black theater community shared their feelings about the passing of this fantastic thespian. Woodie King Jr. — founder, producing director, and now member of the board of directors of the New Federal Theatre (NFT), one of the oldest theaters in America — said, “My finest memory of him is [when] I appeared on Broadway with him in ‘The Great White Hope.’ He played a world heavyweight champion named Jack Jefferson, but that was Jack Johnson and it was one of the great performances of our time, and I think he won a Tony Award [Editor’s Note: Mr. Jones did indeed win the 1969 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his performance in “The Great White Hope.”]. When I heard the news yesterday, it was devastating. I had talked to him two or three times when he was living in Pawling, New York.” Regarding the vast legacy Mr. Jones left behind, King said, “He was one of the finest five actors in the world along with Sidney Poitier, Marlon Brando, Denzel Washington and George C. Scott.” Actor, playwright, and director Ruben Santiago-Hudson shared his thoughts on the passing of Mr. Jones: “Once I broke through the devastating sadness of losing the great James Earl Jones, I found a moment of joy to have lived in the time of such a giant. The first Broadway play I ever saw was ‘Paul Robeson’ by Philip Hayes Dean. I sat in the first row, in revelatory awe, being baptized by the gentle shower that flowed from every resounding word he spoke.”

Stephen Byrd, lead producer of “Cat On A Hot Tin Roof,” through his company Front Row Productions, shared, “I was devastated, shocked, and saddened to hear of James’s passing. James was hands down, bar none, the best actor I ever had the opportunity to work with in 17 years of producing. He was kind, gentle, and generous. He never failed to do anything that we asked with regards to promoting the show. He was always available and accessible. I don’t see anyone in that mode ever filling his shoes. We were together both on Broadway and in London for almost a year and a half together. The show started on Broadway and ran for five months and then six months in London, [where] we won the Olivier Award.” Describing his legacy: “He was one of the greatest actors in my lifetime. He was always warm, gentle and open to other actors. He was a mentor to the other actors until it was time for him to go on. He was one of the few people who never closed [his] dressing room door.”

Carl Clay, founder of the Black Spectrum Theatre in Queens shared, “One of the

things that I remember most about him, although I’ve never met him personally, was when I was in the Third World Cinema training program that Ossie Davis started. The first movie that was done by Third World Cinema was “Claudine,” with Diahann Carroll and James Earl Jones. This idea that he was at the forefront at the beginning of a Black Film company, that is my memory of him. ‘Fences’ rings strong to have that Black man on stage, it felt as if he was talking to me.”

Count Stovall, theater actor, director, producer and a personal friend of Mr. Jones for decades, said, “I was dismayed to hear about his passing. Riveted to the lifetime of friendship and admiration for the tremendous artistry and genius that was my friend and colleague in several productions on Broadway. One of the things that shocks you is a person who means that much to you as a role model and a friend, you just can’t imagine the world without them. But, I’m also very appreciative of the time I knew him and the joyful things we did together. He was one of the most generous and cre-

ative spirits that I ever encountered. James Earl Jones and Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, these were the mavens that greeted us and bought us along. In “Cat On A Hot Tin Roof” on Broadway, I was his standby. I also played Dr. Baugh in the production.”

On his legacy, Stovall said, “....one of the finest artists to ever walk the boards or stand in front of the camera. Not only does everyone remember James as the voice of God, he was one of the greatest voices of the American theater. He was in the same league as Paul Robeson. James leaves a legacy that can never be touched. He’s an EGOT [Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony]. Stephen Byrd securing James Earl Jones as Big Daddy is what helped Stephen Byrd to secure the rights to do the play from the Tennessee Williams estate. He was the name that made a production happen. He couldn’t ask for a more versatile artist to do as many kinds of work. When he put his voice in Darth Vader it made the character iconic for ‘Star Wars’ and he and he brought it decade after decade. He was everybody’s best friend and everybody’s greatest example of how to do it.”

Photo of James Earl Jones with Count Stovall and family, backstage at “Cat On A Hot Tin Roof” in 2008. (L-R): Barbara Pytel, Arianna Stovall, James Earl Jones, Count Stovall, Savannah and Cianna Stovall. The photo was taken by James Earl Jones’s son Flynn Jones. (Photo courtesy of Count Stovall)

Natasha Rothwell, hilarious co-star of ‘Insecure,’

helms new Hulu comedy ‘How to Die Alone’

By MAGRIRA Special to AmNews

The title of Natasha Rothwell’s new Hulu original series, “How to Die Alone” (premiering Friday, Sept. 13), is jarring, to say the least. But, once you get past it, this is bingeworthy material for sure. Kudos to Rothwell, who serves as star, co-showrunner, executive producer, and writer of this eight-episode series, created under the banner of her company, Big Hattie Productions. That’s big-girl energy. But her road to success wasn’t easy. It took grit and determination for Rothwell, starting in 2016, pulling, pushing, and guiding the show through two development deals before it finally landed at Hulu. In recent interviews, Rothwell shared that there were countless opportunities for her to walk away, but something inside told her this story had to be born. I’m so glad she didn’t let Hollywood diminish her shine—and after watching, you will be too. “How to Die Alone” gives you space to ask the big, necessary questions about life, with answers designed to help you contrast and compare. She’s so “every person” that her struggles translate seamlessly.

The series is ultimately a story about growth and what “doing the work” really looks like—as well as the mistakes, the lessons, and how they ripple through every re-

lationship in your life when you finally let go of what no longer serves you. While the most central relationship is between Mel and herself, every character in her life evolves throughout the season as they navigate their friendships, romantic entanglements, and professional lives.

It’s worth noting that all of season one was directed by women of color. Though the series is set in New York, it was filmed in Toronto.

Mel, played by Rothwell, works at an airport and is a single woman who desperately wants to be seen but, like so many of us, is terrified of putting herself out there. She calls herself “fat, not phat” and struggles with self-confidence, an issue tied to her deep fear of flying. Ironic, considering she works at JFK Airport and has never set foot on a plane.

Then something terrible happens. Mel has a near-death experience and is clinically dead for three minutes. When she wakes up, she’s in a hospital emergency room, separated by a curtain from another woman. They strike up one of those deep conversations where profound life truths are exchanged—the beginning of what could be a long-term friendship. But then the woman, Mrs. Robinson, dies, with no next of kin to claim her. Her parting words linger, sending Mel spiraling down the rabbit hole of her own messy, complicated life. That brush with death pushes Mel to finally con-

front the life she’s only half-dared to dream about.

“There are three kinds of death,” Mrs. Robinson tells Mel. “Physical death, when people stop caring about you, and the worst—when you stop caring about yourself.”

The series is wonderfully messy on purpose—not in its story structure or writing, which are spot-on, but in its characters, who make you love them, one and all. Each one is perfectly crafted, reflecting archetypes we know all too well. I promise, you’ll see yourself in them, and that’s where Rothwell’s brilliance truly shines.

Special mention goes to Saagar Shaikh, Melissa DuPrey, Elle Lorraine, Chris Powell and Asia Ali, whose performances add depth and heart to this stellar cast.

“How to Die Alone” deserves a long, long life with many, many seasons.

I hope we get to see more of these characters in a second season and beyond. Setting much of the story in an airport is genius for so many reasons. It’s a constant reminder to keep moving, searching, and traveling—physically and emotionally. Every connection, no matter how fleeting, can crack open mountains of emotion, reminding us that in life, outcomes are deeply uncertain, even when we think we know the answers.

Natasha Rothwell in a scene from “How to Die Alone” (Photo courtesy of Hulu)

Natasha Rothwell (William Ukoh photo)

By CHARMAINE PATRICIA WARREN Special to the AmNews

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

September 2024 Dance Calendar Tyrese Gibson in hot water; Remembering James Earl Jones; Soul Jam celebrated

This month’s calendar features Step Afrika! complete with a tradition of percussive dance, call-and-response, and polyrhythmic symphony at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center. The one-night-only performance for the entire family happens on Sept. 20. On the program is “Tribute” which pays tribute to African American step shows; “Ndlamu” a traditional dance of the Zulu people; “Isicathulo” or the “gumboot dance,” a traditional dance created by South African workers, and much more. For more information, visit www.lincolncenter.org.

Sept. 17–19: The “Black Black Black” week, curated by Beyond the Black Box, returns to the Trisk with a three-day gathering of dancers, choreographers, and multidisciplinary artists.

For more information, visit www.triskelionarts.org.

Sept. 18–29: The annual 10-day event Fall for Dance Festival returns to City Center with five programs. Slated for this season is the National Ballet of Ukraine, collective kNoname Artist– Roderick George, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, GALLIM, M.A.D.D. Rhythms, A.I.M. by Kyle Abraham, Italy’s CCN/Aterballeto, Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet with choreography by Alexei Ratmansky, Tiler

Step Afrika! Performs at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall Sept. 20. (Keith Major photo)

THIS MONTH

Sept. 4–25: Every Wednesday in September at Manhattan West, “Gather Round,” a free outdoor dance and music series, in partnership with Works & Process and inspired by the competitions of the summer Olympics in Paris, will feature a celebration of street and club dance battles.

For more information, visit www.manhattanwestnyc.com.

Sept. 12: A.I.M. by Kyle Abraham returns to PEAK Performances with the North American premiere of Cassette Vol. 1, which pays tribute to the music of the 1980s and early ’90s, “… when pop music became omnipresent in public life…,” according to the release.

For more information, visit https://www.peakperfs.org/ events/#cassette.

Sept. 13–14: Miro Magloire’s New Chamber Ballet celebrates its 20th anniversary with works from 2007 to 2024, at the Mark Morris Dance Center.

For more information, visit www.newchamberballet. com/performances.

Peck, Herman Cornejo, and much more. For more information, visit www.nycitycenter.org/ pdps/FallforDance/.

Sept. 20: Step Afrika! brings their step tradition of percussive dance, call-and-response, and polyrhythmic symphony to Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center. For more information, visit www.lincolncenter.org.

Sept. 21–23: Erasing Borders, the festival of East Indian dance, presented by the Indo-American Arts Council, will be at the Ailey Citigroup Theater, with programs of all styles of Indian dance and music; live and livestreamed. For more information, visit www.eventbrite.com.

Sept. 28: Alethea Pace’s “between wave and water,” “… a performance walk rooted in remembering and reclaiming the history of an African burial ground in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx [that] combines dance, storytelling, and song …,” will be presented at Joseph Rodman Drake Park/ Enslaved African Burial Ground. Part of Pace’s Civic Practice Partnership Residency at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. For more information, visit www.eventbrite.com.

FLO

ANTHONY

Crooner-turned-actor Tyrese Gibson was arrested on Sept. 9 for failing to pay exwife Samantha Lee child support. According to TMZ, the “Fast & Furious” actor — who shares 5-year-old daughter Soraya with Lee — appeared before Judge Kevin Farmer in a Fulton County, Georgia, courtroom for his ongoing child support battle with his ex. The judge was reportedly fed up with Tyrese’s refusal to pay the $10,000 a month he ordered him to begin paying in April 2024. Gibson was placed in handcuffs and taken out of the courtroom. Judge Farmer said Gibson could avoid jail if he paid $73,000, which included $7,500 for Lee’s attorney fees. Sources say Gibson is making arrangements to pay the debt…

Our condolences go out to the family of James Earl Jones. The beloved EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony) award-winning actor died at his home in Dutchess County, New York, on Monday at the age of 93. The legend was known for his deep, commanding voice that brought many a beloved character to life, from “Star Wars” villain Darth Vader to Mufasa in “The Lion King.” The first time Yours Truly saw Jones in person was when I traveled to New York City from Ann Arbor, Michigan, in high

school during spring break and saw him portray the great heavyweight champion Jack Johnson in “The Great White Hope,” which was the first time I went to a Broadway play… Jay-Z may not be hiring any native New Orleans rappers to perform at the upcoming Super Bowl, but Tommy Hilfiger made sure his New York Fashion Week show, which took place on the retired Staten Island Ferry, the John F. Kennedy, on Sept. 8, was filled with local performers. According to ABC7, a live musical performance during the fashion extravaganza included Method Man, Raekwon, and Ghostface Killah of Staten Island’s own Wu-Tang Clan. Not to be left out was another Staten Island native, Colin Jost of “Saturday Night Live,” who along with Pete Davidson, now owns the ferry… Also on Sept. 8, Spirit in Sunset Productions presented Soul Jam Spreadin’ Sweet — Are & Be Ready for a Brand New Beat! — a multimedia marathon celebration of 1960s and 1970s soul music, which combined poetry, prose, and performances by artists of color and the creative community. The event was held at Denny Farrell Riverbank State Park in Harlem, and was conceived and produced by author and artist Nikki Williams…

HOROSCOPES BY KNOWYOURNUMB3RS

By SUPREME GODDESS KYA

WWW.KYAFRENCH.COM | CONSULTATIONS 866-331-5088

This week provides you with the resources, network, and energy to do what needs to be done. Apply your best foot forward and freely trust the process. The universe has much in store for you. Ask, seek, and you will find. This is a new experience and a new chapter for you this week. Write down your dreams, as they are very active and may hold information, healing, and certain details about your path this week. Cancellations, separations, endings, and accomplishments will occur for this new quest ahead. Stay focused on your mission.

Where do you think you are going? Pluto has given you two delicious tastes of what will occur once Pluto fully transits into Aquarius for about 20 years. Right now, Pluto transits back into Capricorn until November 19, 2024. Reflect on what occurred in your life from March 23 to June 11, 2023, and from January 20 to September 1, 2024. This month marks the best time for self-discovery and reflection to advance even further. Up your ante.

September is a month to remember, and to forge ahead on any projects, ideas, spiritual journeys, spiritual awakenings, and even a spiritual or metaphysical business. Do what your heart is yearning for and guiding you to do. Watch how the air blows on the water this week: Is it calm, rough, or is it flowing smoothly? This week you may feel like that, either in your personal or business affairs, and they may need an adjustment to flow smoothly. The sudden and odd feeling will inform you later once you go through what you need to experience to inner-stand.

September brings advancement, recognition, opportunities, and investments that are bearing fruit. With big changes come more responsibilities that the universe knows you can carry. There is an old version and a new version occurring at the same time to ensure your progress for the future. You put in a lot of effort, time, sweat, and sleepless nights attending meetings, fulfilling your mission and — little do you know — a date with destiny was prepared during the first week of September. It’s time to go even stronger than you did before. Allow yourself to see what creativity is inside of you to manifest. Keep moving forward.

Communication from all angles is reaching out to you. September requires you to assist people whether you like it or not, but the universe has mysterious ways of rewarding you. You will find yourself doing short term errands, scheduling meetings, checking voicemails, doing folks a favor, and assisting in helping your elders. Allow some wiggle room with flexibility to schedule “me time,” even if it’s just for 15 minutes. You are in an opportunity month with new developments in your business and personal affairs. Trust that the work you do this month will lead you in the right direction. Keep your eyes and ears open.

September has you going against the grain, but you will find loopholes with which to get by. This week, the going gets tough and you have the strength to pull through. Remember, your ancestors walk with you and that’s an advantage. Keep the faith as you build your foundation and pull others with you. Keep your emotions intact. What’s for you is for you. Jupiter’s transit in Gemini is helping you achieve and get where you need to be. It will require you to assist someone along the way. That’s just a Gemini thing, as you are always rewarded when you do.

On September 17, 2024, a lunar eclipse at 26 degrees Pisces conjunct Neptune’s transit in Pisces will ask you to dive deep into your soul and do the shadow work to create your own reality. Get out of your own way. This year is a time of groundbreaking, with a new paradigm shift coming to help create a new healthy cycle for generations to come. What new cycles and patterns are you willing to create for yourself to give birth to the new version of you? “We must allow the Word of God to confront us, to disturb our security, to undermine our complacency and to overthrow our patterns of thought and behavior.” — John Stott

Say it proudly, do it proudly, be proud in any endeavors you begin this cycle week. Show off and tell a friend what you gain from learning something new that benefited you and that can benefit others. When you help someone, either with resources, information, or even inspiration for them to follow their passion, you bring joy to their heart and inspire them to believe again. Get uncomfortable into something new that will make you want more out of life. Life is about living.

September indicates changes, adjustments, opportunities, and doing things in the public light. The universe has ways of testing our faith to see if what we are working towards is truly what we have a passion and purpose for. Relationships can end for the better to set you on a new direction in life. Utter your words this week and follow up with action and written words to ensure what you ask for will be delivered to you at the appointed time. Allow the changes to occur. It’s a story playing out with hints and clues for confirmation. Do your best and the rest will follow.

This cycle week is like a seesaw: one minute you’re up, next you feel down, then pulled in different directions. That's only to get you to experience something you need to see, hear, and feel for that moment in time. Once you inner-stand the “why,” you will simply smile and thank the universe. A change in the home, workplace, or appearance is indicated, or you might be thinking about enrolling in a course for advancement.

Decisions and opportunities are waiting for you to choose a path. In life, you must first go and do things alone, then the partnership or help will show up. Do your best and allow the rest to follow. Do your research and apply the necessary footwork first, then decide. Planning is vital this week and having faith the universe will guide you and send the right people on your path. Once you do your part, you will see it was all worth it. Changes come with you not knowing all the details or how things will work. You must make a way and continue to execute for the vision to manifest.

Looking out for number one is always important, as is doing what’s in your best interest. Otherwise, someone will do the thinking for you and that may not be in your best interest. You have come this far in life by doing things that benefit you, and by not listening to what people think you should do. “Should’ve, would’ve, could’ve” doesn’t get you far in life. It’s what you do that allows more things to come to you naturally. Continue to put in the work as you build on top of your existing foundation. No time for slacking.

You can be anywhere in the world and be in sync with people who have you on their mind, then suddenly you hear or see them. This cycle week, be like water and air: one flows north/south, the other east/west. It’s your duty to be in between, standing in stillness to allow things to just flow and connect and show you how things are tied together. When you are building, the details are imperative. Acknowledge your intuition. Follow up on why you began what you started or are deciding to do.

New Black books on Africa: ‘Justice for Marcus Garvey,’ ‘An African History of Africa’

By JORDANNAH ELIZABETH Special to the AmNews

The truth is a concept, a lens, and an experiential world view that differs greatly between Black, Indigenous, non-Black, and white citizens of America, the Western world, and the whole of our global collective web. One of the most glaring differences in history and revisionist history is the story, invaluable contributions, and positives of the African past and present. We would not be who we are — we would not look the way we do, speak the way we do, and eat the cuisines that we do — without the African diasporic foundation.

The exciting emergence of two new books — “Justice for Marcus Garvey,” edited by the Jamaican thinker’s son, Julius; and “An African History of Africa” by British journalist, Zeinab Badawi — will bring knowledge, solace, and uplift from some of the most intelligent Black scholars and intellectuals of our time.

“Justice for Marcus Garvey: Look for Me in the Whirlwind” by Julius Garvey

In the world of Black history and activism, few names resonate with the power and influence of Marcus Garvey. Born in Jamaica in 1887, he became a charismatic orator, a fearless advocate for Black rights, and a visionary entre -

preneur. Through the UNIA and ACCL, Garvey built a global network of followers who rallied behind his message of Black pride and unity. His philosophy and work laid the foundation for future Civil Rights Movements, and his legacy continues to influence contemporary social justice efforts. He was a pioneering leader who founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) and the African Communities League (ACCL).

Garvey’s vision of Black self-determination and global unity inspired millions around the world. Despite his contributions to the struggle for racial justice and empowerment, Garvey’s legacy has been marred by a wrongful conviction and imprisonment. Now, a new movement led by his son, Julius Garvey, is reigniting the call for a posthumous pardon, highlighted in the compelling new book, “Justice for Marcus Garvey: Look for Me in the Whirlwind.”

Edited by Julius Garvey, this is more than just a book; it is a profound rallying cry for justice and acknowledgment. The volume assembles a diverse group of contributors, including Paul Coates, founder/director of Black Classic Press; Goulda Downer, president of the Caribbean-American Political Action Committee (C-PAC); Justin Hansford, professor at the Howard

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 AT 2:00 AND 7:00 PM |

AmNews FOOD

Talking SCHOP! Cento Anni di Pasta

By KYSHA HARRIS Food Editor, @SCHOPnyc

Last week I celebrated pasta — though not just any pasta. Together with a select group of guests, we celebrated 100 years since the first production of Rustichella d’Abruzzo pasta. Italian American food has not been my choice for a while, but after this night, this food, this wine, and this pasta, my 25% Italian DNA has come back to life!

My good friend and outstanding writer, Adam Reiner, and I set out for an evening that began with a quick steak dinner. Quick?! Yes, that can now be a thing in NYC with the opening of the DMV original Medium Rare, where they serve only steak frites using one cut of beef, coulotte (top sirloin). Just tell them your temperature preference, and your meal will ensue.

Adam and I briskly walked across town as a means to digest our first dinner in preparation of our second at chef and restaurateur Andrew Carmelini’s (Locanda Verde, The Dutch, Joe’s Pub, Lafayette) Bar Primi, across the street from Moynihan Train Hall. The entrance to the space gave me all the vibes I didn’t know existed in midtown, with outdoor seating and a bar set back from the street. The retro modern interior led us back to the private dining area, which was the perfect place to celebrate the Italian brand.

We began with some absolutely gorgeous Italian wines. From the full, dry, dark rosé piquing my palette and a pecorino white wine serving unoaked chardonnay realness to a stunning Montepulciano drinking like

fresh fruit, I swore we were on a veranda overlooking a vineyard.

Wine in hand, Adam and I had the great opportunity to speak with members of the Peduzzi family about their history and how they’ve continued to evolve over the years. What started simply with durum wheat and Apennine mountain water has evolved to myriad pastas using heritage wheat flours, whole wheat, farro, high-percentage egg based, and tons of gluten-free pasta using (separately) legumes, rice, and corn. Today, Rusticella d’Abruzzo has more than 100 types of pasta that are still crafted sustainably in small batches, extrud-

ed through traditional bronze dies, and slowly dried at low temperatures for up to 56 hours to preserve their nutritional value. Fourth-generation family member and owner Piero Peduzzi said, “I am filled with pride for the legacy we’ve built, rooted in our family’s passion for artisanal pasta making. Our journey began with a simple yet profound belief in quality, and that belief continues to guide us today. We are excited to continue sharing the true taste of Abruzzo with the world.”

After some heartfelt words from Gianluigi Peduzzi, the patriarch of the family, we feasted. Good thing Bar Primi’s execu-

tive chef Luciano Duco did not let the restaurant’s name down with the first course, primi. Hot knots with Italian chili crisp, red beet salad with pistachio and horseradish yogurt, Brussels sprouts with crispy pepperoni and young pecorino cheese, and Sicilian Caesar salad with tahini and toasted sesame were my standouts. The star of the night, Rustichella d’Abruzzo pasta, shined bright in whole wheat penne rigate (ridges) with garlic, olive oil, and peperoncino; spaghettoni (large spaghetti) in tomato sauce with parmigiano-reggiano; trenne (triangular tube pasta) with spicy red shrimp and “some other stuff”; and egg pappardelle with ragu bolognese.

I could barely fit desserts of “the strawberry fantasy” and pistachio gelato in my mouth before grabbing my doggie bag and the generous gift bag filled with a year’s supply — or, for me, a month — of Rustichella d’Abruzzo pastas and swag. Congratulazioni per i cento anni e grazie mille per la serata!

Happy eating, and thanks for reading!

Kysha Harris is a chef, food writer and editor, culinary producer, consultant and owner of SCHOP!, a personalized food service in NYC for over 22 years. Follow her on Instagram, @SCHOPnyc and on Facebook, @ SCHOPnyc.

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

Rustichella d’Abruzzo pasta swag (Kysha Harris photos)

Private dining space at Bar Primi

Bar Primi Penn Station

Some of the primi at Bar Primi and rosé wine

With Adam Reiner

RAISEfashion network expands during NYFW’s Spring 2025 preview

By BRENIKA BANKS Special to the AmNews

New York Fashion Week (NYFW) vibrantly displayed Spring 2025 previews, proving fashion’s importance ranks high. Black brands showcased their collections at House of Sound for RAISEfashion on Wednesday, Sept. 4. The organization’s founder, Felita Harris, led this network and community of designers, stylists, and fashion enthusiasts. She and her team hosted an exclusive preview of collections from emerging designers as well as the latest trends and innovative styles. The location’s structure encouraged guests to visit every floor with the opportunity to be up close and personal with designers. The event was very intentional, placing designers on specific floors, with swimwear on the rooftop level.

Vontélle Eyewear, a Blackowned luxury eyewear brand, was conveniently on the house’s third floor, amid all the networking at-

tendees. Vontélle owner Tracy Green applauded the positive energy and dedicated space for Black people to be fashionable, connected, and enjoy themselves.

“With RAISEfashion, Felita Harris’ main goal is to highlight Black designers from different parts,” said Green. “It’s really a collective and she’s highlighting us, and she invites those department retailers [telling them], ‘these are the hot new designers, you need these people in your stores.’”

Designers specialized in bags, clothing, eyewear, shoes, and jewelry. Vontélle is available in upscale stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and America’s Best.

“We’re the first Black-owned and woman brand there,” said Green. “We are trailblazing!”

Vontélle displayed their 50th year hip-hop capsule collection and their Kadeem Hardison flip up glasses. Green emphasized that consumers could put any prescription in any desired pair of frames.

“We want the Amsterdam News readers to know there’s another option out here for you,” she said. Harris was active the entire day, moving from floor to floor, communicating with her designers.

“I am so proud of the designers, their creativity, their innovation, and for showcasing that exceptional talent exists with BIPOC emerging designers,” said Harris. She multitasked by talking with everyone while taking professional photos and videos. Her team assisted with making sure things ran smoothly.

“This has exceeded our expectations and the number of brands that we can support through our New York Fashion Week Preview,” Harris said. “It has exceeded our expectations in the partnerships that we’ve fostered and understanding that there are companies still committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.”

“Felita puts on a fantastic showing, she’s a star,” said Bobby Joseph. As a designer, his epony-

brand teamed up with Pupil Apparel, owned by Tim Gray. The two, who have worked together on projects since the mid-1990s, relished their first time at NYFW.

“This is all full circle for me,” said Joseph. “The first NBA collection that I designed was actually for FUBU.” He proudly reflected on this stage in his career where he designs NBA products with no restrictions.

“This fits the bill with the contribution of the Bobby Joseph assortment,” said Gray. “[Bobby’s] stuff is always filled with colors, patterns and print, with inspiration from African prints — that’s what he brought to this venture.”

Both Gray and Joseph used their showcasing at RAISEfashion to tease their varsity jackets.

Other designers cherishing their first time at RAISEfashion during NYFW were a trio from Abercrombie & Fitch: Janae Harmon, TyAnn Amos, and Alanta Slone were thrilled by the creative freedom that allowed them to pro-

duce their Spring 2025 collection. Harmon described Slone’s ‘90s inspired imagery as “modern, luxury Black girl vibes.”

Harmon, meanwhile, was inspired by TLC’s CrazySexyCool era. She liked the dynamics of the group and emphasized that all three elements can be embodied simultaneously, not one per person.

“In 2024, you can be all of those things in one day,” said Harmon. “That’s the basis of this collection that helped us get here — we wanted pieces that could literally do all of those [TLC] things.” The trio were very thoughtful with their approach to this Spring 2025 collection. Though 90s inspired, the ladies strategically modernized the looks for the RAISEfashion event.

Amos said collaborating with RAISEfashion as well as Abercrombie & Fitch was amazing.

“I feel like honestly just being

mous

RAISEfashion visitor trying on Burkindy jewelry.

Burkindy jewelry display at RAISEfashion event during NYFW.

Vontélle Eyewear display at RAISEfashion event during NYFW. (Brenika Banks photos)

JazzFest White Plains, Big Chief, Sista’s Place, Nyack Jazz, Funmi

White Plains might not come to mind as the most obvious cultural destination, but it’s really just a few stops on Metro-North or a short drive away. The trek will be worth it for the JazzFest White Plains from September 11–15, with 18 live performances sprinkled throughout downtown White Plains, N.Y. Several performances are free, including all the noon and Sunday shows.

The 13th annual JazzFest White Plains will brew up a cauldron of early autumn ingredients from the genres of jazz, poetry, blues, and other hipness. Some musicians will include pianist and singer Nicole Zuraitis, whose latest album, “How Love Begins,” was co-produced by Christian McBride in 2023 and won the 2024 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album.

The following evening, September 14, will present an astounding musical expedition with the Vijay Iyer Trio, featuring drummer Tyshawn Sorey and bassist Linda May Han Oh. Blues is on the menu with Floridan guitarist and singer Selwyn Birchwood (performance and dinner, $70 per person).

Two young comets whose performances are required viewing are pianist Julius Rodriguez, who grew up in White Plains, and D.C.-born of Cameroonian-American descent vocalist Ekep Nkwelle. Both of these spirited artists are making waves by playing on the outside of the sun, having hurdled genre descriptions. Rodriguez has played with the likes of A$AP Rocky, Kassa Overall, and Meshell Ndegeocello, and made his solo debut for Verve Records with “Let Sound Tell All” (2022). Nkwelle has performed with Russell Malone, Cyrus Chestnut, and classical pianist Lang Lang.

For full lineup and ticket info, visit www. artswestchester.org.

An invigorating musical experience that holds the Crescent City of New Orleans in a perpetual state of second-line motion and all that swings mandates music pursuers to be anointed at the Quantum Leap Music Festival, curated by Big Chief and NEA Jazz Master, saxophonist, and composer Donald Harrison Jr. The three-day outdoor festival (September 13–15) will be held at Long Island’s Castello di Borghese Vineyard & Winery in Cutchogue, N.Y.

Some of Harrison’s musical family sharing the spectrum of their New Orleans roots will include percussionist and vocalist Cyril Neville, a funk innovator of New Orleans (the Meters and the Neville Brothers), with members of the Headhunters, featuring percussionist Bill Summers (founding member of the fusion jazz group led by Herbie Han-

cock), pianist Kyle Roussel, bassist Chris Severin, and Harrison. Surprise guests will include Louisiana-raised singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Tonya BoydCannon; Big Chief Brian, who blends New Orleans Bounce and hip hop; and producer & DJ BlaqNmilD, who are bringing the city’s Bounce music to Long Island. Also to be featured are the Preservation Hall Legacy Band with trumpeter and bandleader Wendell Brunious, and the Joe Dyson Trio. Drummer Dyson is a former student of Harrison and longtime member of his band before he began leading his own groups and joining with Pat Metheny.

Harrison, the festival artistic director, will also perform with his Omniverse ensemble with Fred Wesley. “Before Fred, there was no soul and jazz on trombone,” said Harrison during a phone interview. “He was a great influence on me.”

After performing and recording with masters from Art Blakey to Latin master Eddie Palmieri, Harrison conceived Omniverse, a creative musical journey that travels effortlessly through nine genres, playing just one song, which gives listeners an inside perspective on various sounds, melodies, rhythms, and how they come together in each genre. This concept is an extension of his “Nouveau Swing,” which dances in the corridors of hip hop, soul, and blues.

“Both of these concepts or playing techniques broaden listeners’ musical palettes,”

said Harrison. “When you listen to Charlie Parker, you can still hear soul, blues, and traditional jazz.”

The festival will conclude on September 15 (3 p.m.–10 p.m.) with a celebration of zydeco and Cajun music, featuring acts like C.J. Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band and Sonny Landreth. “This festival, which is a microcosm of the New Orleans Jazz Festival and Essence Fest, will bring together some of the top New Orleans artists in their respective sounds to Long Island,” said Harrison. “We will be playing traditional jazz with roots in the blues, jazz elements, the tradition of Africa, and dance music — everything is in there and hopefully it offers people something they never encountered before.”

For more info and tickets, visit http://bit. ly/NOLA2NOFO2024TIX.

Sista’s Place, where “jazz is a music of the spirit with culture as our weapon,” will commence its season on September 14 with the Festival of New Trumpet Music in association with Melchizedek Music Productions, with two sets (8 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.).

The trumpeters whose names may not be household words but who are established musicians with critical acclaim throughout the country will include Sharif Kales, Nabaté Isles, James Zollar, and Satish Robertson. These musicians, whose primary base is New York City, have all released re-

cordings under their names as well as leading their own bands. They will be joined by a rhythm section featuring pianist Luis Perdomo, bassist Mimi Jones, and multi-instrumentalist Will Terrill.

“These four trumpeters have played at Sista’s Place but not leading their own bands,” said Ahmed Abdullah, the inventive trumpeter/composer and co-producer of this event. “This is a chance for them to be presented on their own with a great rhythm section.” This trumpet happening intersects with the centennial of trumpeter and composer Kenny Durham (born August 30, 1924).

Abdullah and Monique Ngozi Nri will give the introductions for the evening. This fundraising jazz affair for Sista’s Place will include Abdullah being presented with the Jazz Journalists Association’s 2024 Heroes Award. Reservations are a must. For guaranteed seating, call 718-398-1766 to reserve $35 tickets.

The Nyack Jazz Festival breaks loose on September 15 (1 p.m.–6 p.m.) with an array of experienced jazz musicians exploring new paths, such as saxophonist and composer Ravi Coltrane; Swedish multi-instrumentalist Gunhild Carling, who favors her trusty trombone; vocalist Idun Carling; drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts, who is expanding the drumming tradition of Elvin Jones and Philly Joe Jones; bassist Neil Caine; pianist David Budway; drummer Daniel Glass, and Josh Kaye & Baklava Express. Kaye, the composer, oud player, and frontman, fuses Arabic sound and gypsy jazz into an absorbing journey.

Nyack Jazz is a free all-day event of music and dancing taking place in front of Maureen’s Jazz Cellar (2 North Broadway). Bring your chair and enjoy the music blast; no coolers. Rain date is September 22.

For more info, visit visitnyack.org.

Funmi Ononaiye, the omnipresent music connoisseur, who was an inspiring ray of light to all who crossed his path, will be celebrated on September 17, set at 7 p.m., with an evening of vibrant music, song, dance, and drum. His legacy celebration will take place at Dizzy’s Club (10 Columbus Circle), where he served as programming manager (bringing in an assortment of varied artists). Featured will be his good friends DJ and drummer Joe Clausell, pianists William Delisfort and Emmet Cohen, saxophonist TK Blue, drummer Joe Dyson, bassist Dezron Douglas, the Drum Circle, and vocalists Joy Brown and Tammy McCann. As you enter Dizzy’s, be sure to acknowledge the spirit of Funmi in his usual spot — on your right near the last four stools. And during the show, make sure to order the club’s most spirited drink on the menu, “The Funmi,” which combines his favorite drink: ginger beer with lemon juice, honey, and Tabasco.

For reservations and tickets, visit jazz.org.

Vocalist Ekep Nkwelle (James Asante photo)

Trounced

Continued from page 12

favor and what you think is a friendship with what is known to be a dictator who would eat you for lunch,” she asserted. Kamala was well prepared and ready to deliver a barrage of counterpunches, which in the end were not necessary since Trump hardly landed a blow or sustained any sort of plan or attack. She summoned her prosecutorial memories and hammered away at the convicted felon, and millions watched as he squirmed and tried to ward off the fusillade of truths, and none resonating with such precision as her recounting Trump’s racist past, his father’s discriminatory denials of African American renters, Trump’s full page ads calling for the death penalty for the Cen-

tral Park Five all of whom were exonerated after serving long prison sentences. No apology has ever been uttered by Trump for this.

Millions and millions were Trump’s operative words and Kamala had own litany of numbers, impaling him with the fact that 81 million Americans had fired him, in the same way he claimed to have fired the former employees and associates, including military personnel, many of whom Kamala noted now view him as a disgrace.

Kamala lambasted him with facts and her plans as president, and she brilliantly recounted her meetings with Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, and what could be done to offset or counter the Russian attack. It was a splendid recitation of chapter and verse on that on-

Fashion

Continued from page 27

in a space with people that look like you, that are supporting you, encouraging you, pouring into you, sharing advice with each other — it’s such a great space to be in,” said Amos.

Slone added how delighted the three

ladies were with orchestrating how the photoshoot for the collection went, with Black models and a Black photographer. They were grateful for being able to “take the reins” and have full creative control.

“It’s amazing to be with a company that supports people that look like you,” said Slone. “We hope this is the first of many.”

For more information, visit www.raisefashionnow.org/ and www.vontelle.com.

going conflict. She was equally adept in her response to the war in Israel, smartly finding a way to keep her allegiance to the Biden doctrine and at the same time address the countless number of Palestians killed in the pursuit of Hamas terrorists. She told Linsey Davis, who along with David Muir were ABC’s moderators, that the solution in Israel “must be security for the Israeli people and Israel and in equal measure for the Palestinians. But the one thing I will assure you always, I will always give Israel the ability to defend itself, in particular as it relates to Iran and any threat that Iran and its proxies pose to Israel. But we must have a two-state solution where we can rebuild Gaza, where the Palestinians have security, self-determination and the dignity they so rightly deserve.”

Most rewardingly in the so-called debate, which was, in effect, a one-sided slam dunk, was to hear Kamala’s plans for middle Americans on jobs, housing, medical care, and what the Biden administration has already accomplished. Among the concerns voiced by many Americans via the polls, was that some 30% wanted to know more about Kamala. Well, we think if they were paying attention, especially those sitting on the fence and still undecided about their vote, they got a full dose of where she stands. To paraphrase Gamble and Huff’s song recorded by Harold Melvin and Blue Notes, “If You Don’t Know Me By Now,” if they don’t know who she is by now they never, never will know who she is. We certainly know who she is and who she will be come Nov. 5—the president of the United States!

Burkindy jewelry owner with RAISEfashion’s founder Felita Harris.

Abercrombie & Fitch designers (from left to right) Alanta Slone, Janae Harmon, and TyAnn Amos in front of their display.

RAISEfashion visitor trying on Vontélle Eyewear frames. (Brenika Banks photos)

CLASSROOM IN THE

Arthur James Gregg, the first Black Lt. General in U.S. Army

By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews

As we often declare, it isn’t necessary to plumb the depths of Black history to find someone who, for any number of reasons, needs profiling. When Arthur James Gregg died last month, we sat him aside as a potential subject, but honoring him became all the more important after Trump’s desecration at the Arlington National Cemetery. Gregg, the first African American to achieve the rank of lieutenant general in the U.S. Army, will now be included among our honored dead when he interred there September 19, 2024.

Born Arthur James Gregg on May 11, 1928 in Florence, South Carolina, he was the youngest of nine children of Robert and Ethel Gregg. He enlisted in the U.S. Army almost immediately after graduating from Huntington High School in Newport News, Virginia in 1946, after World War II ended.

In the military, he served as a supply sergeant before Officer Candidate School (OCS) at Fort Riley, Kansas. By 1950, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Quartermaster Corps. For the next 35 years, the military would be his home and occupation until retirement in 1981.

The same year, he became a second lieutenant and married Charlene S. McDaniel, a public health nurse. They shared 56 years of marriage until her death in 2006. Three years later, his first daughter, Sandra, preceded him in death.

Gregg’s rise through ranks included various commands and assignments in the U.S., South Korea, Germany, and Japan. In 1966, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel and given command of the 96th Supply and Service Battalion. He led this unit, which he helped to transform into one of the largest battalions in the Army in Vietnam. Upon return, Gregg attended the Army War College and was later assigned to the European Headquarters in Germany.

During the 1970s, he held several important roles, most notably as director of logistics within the Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Army’s Deputy Chief of Staff of Logistics at the Pentagon. In 1976, he was promoted to major general and a year later he advanced to lieuten-

ant general, the first of his race to achieve this position.

After retirement from the military, he made an easy transition to civilian life and the private sector. He held leadership positions in various companies, beginning with Cox Cable and American Coastal Industries. Such endeavors would occupy his later years as he contributed to the corporate world, particularly serving on corporate boards. It should be noted that he earned a B.S. degree in business administration from Saint Benedict College in Atchison, Kansas, graduating

summa cum laude. He was also on the executive program in national security at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Among his many military decorations were the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with two Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Meritorious Unit Citation. He was 94 in 2023 when he was honored with the renaming of Fort Lee to Fort Gregg-Adams, which he shared with Lt. Col Charity Adams, the first Black woman officer in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps. Gregg, at the time,

was the only living person to have a U.S. military installation named in their honor.

Lt. Gen. Gregg died on August 22, 2024 and is survived by his daughters, Margy Steinmetz (Arno Steinmetz) of Einhausen, Germany and Alicia G. Collier of Richmond, Va. and four grandchildren. He was 15 when he converted to the Catholic faith, after being raised a Methodist. In 2023, he told The Leaven, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Kansas City, Kansas, that Catholicism “helped me to live my life better.”

ACTIVITIES

FIND OUT MORE

One valuable resource for us was the obituary provided by the Scotts Funeral Home in Richmond, Va.

DISCUSSION

Given his success, you wonder what racial encounters he experienced during military days.

PLACE IN CONTEXT

He lived almost a full century and clearly lived a full and successful life.

THIS WEEK IN BLACK HISTORY

Sept. 8, 1975: Actor Larenz Tate was born in Chicago, Ill.

Sept. 9, 1934: Poet Sonia Sanchez was born in Birmingham, Ala.

Sept. 12, 1913: Olympic immortal Jesse Owens was born in Lawrence County, Ala. He died in 1980.

Lt. Gen. Arthur Gregg courtesy of Scotts Funeral Home in Richmond, Va.

Retired Lt. Gen. Arthur J. Gregg poses for a photograph in the ballroom of Lee Club at Fort Lee. Behind him on the right above the fireplace mantle once hung a painting of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. The club hosted Gregg’s retirement ceremony in 1981 but could not admit him when he became an officer in 1950. (T. Anthony Bell/U.S. Army photo)

Shelter eviction policy

Continued from page 2

Public Advocate

Jumaane Williams joined September 4 rally against shelter evictions. (Gerardo Romo/NYC Council Media Unit)

Bridge School, where 16 families reportedly received 60-day notices.

“A day before the school year begins, students are still being shuffled around the city,” Williams said in a statement. “This shelter eviction policy means that we are rescinding the right to shelter every 30 and 60 days, displacing and uprooting children in dire need of stability. This makes it impossible to build community or a life. Students need as much stability and support as our city can provide.”

The expansion of this policy as the school year begins will force more students to move between schools and shelters multiple times in an academic year, leading to severe disruptions to the education of newly arrived students, said advocates.

Brewer said her office has triaged dozens of cases of families being moved from the West Side to Queens or Brooklyn despite being enrolled in District 3 schools in Manhattan. She added that families were not given MetroCards and school buses don’t show up.

“The shelter stay limits unnecessarily implemented by the Adams administration cause undue stress on our education system, agencies, and families seeking stability in our city,” De La Rosa said. “It is unrealistic to evict families every two months when finding stable housing and employment in a complicated system is challenging. Stories of immigrant families following the American dream to provide a better life for their children are common in communities like mine in Washington Heights.”

De La Rosa added that, “In a city and country with abundance, we cannot close the door to those seeking to do the same

today. Migrant families need relief, not housing instability and additional trauma, as the new school year begins.”

In an attempt to legislate against Adams’s shelter eviction policies, Hanif introduced Bill 210, which prohibits the city’s Department of Social Services (DSS) or any city agency from mandating “length of shelter stay” restrictions.

Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Assemblymember Catalina Cruz introduced Bills S.8493 / A9129, which similarly bans Adams from implementing caps on shelter stays in homeless shelters and emergency congregate housing for asylum seekers.

“Mayor Adams’s decision to extend the 60-day shelter stay limit to families with children in DHS shelters is exacerbating an already untenable situation,” Hanif said. “This policy will force students to move between schools and shelters up to five times in a single academic year. Our children should be concentrating on their studies, not on where they will sleep each night or whether they can stay in their current school. I urge the administration to put an end to shelter evictions once and for all.”

According to AQE Co Executive Director Zakiyah Shaakir-Ansari in a statement,

“Mayor Adams’s policy of uprooting families every 30–60 days not only disrupts the lives of children and communities but undermines the very foundation of their education. Blaming others while continually displacing families is not leadership; it’s a failure to protect our most vulnerable. As the new school year begins, the Mayor must stop playing politics with children’s lives and provide the housing stability that every child, student, and New Yorker needs to thrive.”

Say

“I do” to Your Financial Future Together

Sponsored content by JPMorgan Chase

If you’re planning to get down on one knee, pop the question or make your relationship official in some other way, use this time to begin thinking about your finances. While talking about money can feel anything but romantic, the financial foundation you set before tying the knot can help you and your partner build together for a lifetime.

dent third party or financial advisor serve as a sounding board in your conversations.

1

“Being in a committed relationship can change how you spend, save, invest and plan for the future. But financial compatibility between two partners is rarely achieved without discussing what money means to each of you, including the “money messages” you received growing up,” said Erika Shaw, matrimonial advisor at J.P. Morgan Private Bank. “Communication and transparency around money is critical to the health of any partnership, especially as life evolves.”

Here are some considerations as you plan your financial future together:

• Determine how you’ll share expenses. Couples have different methods for managing daily finances. None are right or wrong – it all depends on each couple’s preference. Consider how much each partner earns and discuss how each of you will contribute to these expenses. Will you combine all your money in a joint account to pay expenses, or keep separate accounts and delegate responsibility for bills? Maybe you’ll consider a mix of both.

• Be honest about any financial baggage. Any debts coming into the relationship -student loans, credit card debt or other financial liabilities – should be discussed, as they may impede your ability to buy a home, start a family or make certain career and life choices. Consider having an indepen-

• Set your financial goals. Agreeing on your top financial goals and aligning your saving and investment strategies accordingly can get your marriage off to a strong financial start. What does your current lifestyle look like, and how might that change in the future? Do you want to save for a down payment on a home? Are there other large expenses on the horizon, such as a vacation or a car? Be specific about the timing, cost and priority of each of your financial goals.

• Consider how future life changes might impact goals. Are either of you going back to school or changing careers? If you are considering children or already have children, how would you approach childcare and educational decisions? Do you expect to care for aging family in the future? All these choices will impact your finances.

• Have open discussions about past experiences. Making your personal finances— past, present and future—an ongoing part of your life together can help you weather disagreements about money. Explore how your views on money were shaped by your upbringing and your family’s approach to spending, saving and investing. Don’t shy away from talking through financial disagreements, as they often represent deeper divisions that can affect your entire relationship.

Countless money decisions await every couple. The sooner you begin talking about your finances—and financial expectations— the better equipped you both will be to plan your future together.

Health

Health-related misinformation is everywhere; this is how to build a healthy news diet

By LIBBY MCDYER, MA Special to the AmNews

The easy access to information on the internet opens the doors not just to knowledge, but also to misleading information, now often referred to as “misinformation.” Distinguishing between accurate, fact-based information and inaccurate misinformation has become more and more difficult, especially in the midst of a worldwide pandemic when people were primarily able to access updates and other critical health information through virtual sources. It has become more important than ever to discern reliable information in all our sources of information.

According to the American Psychology Association, misinformation refers to information that is simply incorrect or mistaken. Disinformation, however, is intentionally wrong information that is spread deliberately to mislead readers. Both are dangerous forms of inaccuracy that can lead to a large-scale game of “Telephone” with scarier consequences.

A recent example of the healthrelated effects of misinformation is the rise in disinfectant and bleach poisonings reported to the CDC in 2020 after former President Trump’s comments that disinfectant injections could help protect from and cure COVID-19, despite there being no evidence to support such a statement (and common sense indicating such “treatments” would be dangerous). Now more than ever, it is critical for us to have the tools necessary to fact-check health-related information you come across to prevent the spread of misinformation and stay news-healthy, as well as physically healthy.

According to Dr. Sharath Guntuku, a computer science researcher and assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania currently working on a study to examine social media consumption patterns in different populations, specifically related to content about COVID-19, many people will share information just based on a “catchy” or “click-bait-y” title of a link, without “spending enough time to check or doublecheck” these sources or even what they say. He noted this trend as a

potential tool for spreading misinformation unintentionally, especially as “social media usage overall has increased” since the emergence of COVID-19.

Guntuku recommended that people rely more on their doctors and medical professionals for information about health-related topics, because they “spent a lot of time actually preparing for answering these sorts of questions.”

Asking such questions can signal to medical professionals that “these are the kinds of things that my [clinicians’] patients are thinking about; these are potential concerns that I [clinicians] should potentially address proactively.”

Shortly after the development of the first COVID-19 vaccines, anti-vaccine activists tried to falsely connect the vaccination efforts with the infamous Tuskegee syphilis in an attempt to discourage Black communities from receiving critical, life-saving vaccinations. As we noted in a previous AmNews fact-check, such misinformation can have dire health consequences and create disparities in rates of infection. Lower

rates of vaccination among Black communities contribute to the disproportionately high rates of COVID-19 infection in those communities, illustrating the danger of sharing conspiracy theories.

Dr. Cynthia Vinney, a media psychology and mental health expert, emphasized the importance of readers understanding the ways in which they’re consuming media and information. Whether it be by Facebook, X, the local news channel, or any other source of information, she said readers should remember that “they’re not neutral,” meaning that many of the sources we get information from might have their own goals in mind. “That doesn’t mean that you enjoy it less or have less fun with it or anything. . .; it just means that you can spot those little moments of manipulation,” she added. Vinney recommended that readers use her mentor Dr. Karen Dill-Shackleford’s four-pronged approach to examine any source of your choosing. This approach encourages readers to look at four elements of every media message: cognitive, emotional, es-

thetic, and moral. When reading, listening, or watching something, review it with these four elements by asking questions related to each topic, such as:

Cognitive — What is the source endorsing? Does it make sense for them to be endorsing it this way?

Emotional — How do I feel when reading this? How do the creators want me to feel?

Esthetic — How is this source being presented? What might the presentation mean for the information it is conveying?

Moral — Are the creators sending a moral lesson through the article or media? Are they making one option sound better than another?

Another media literacy expert, Dr. Cyndy Scheibe, co-founder of Project Look Sharp, a nonprofit organization that works to educate children and parents about the importance of media literacy, highlighted how important it is for us to practice critical thinking when reviewing online sources. Even when receiving information from sources we trust and have used for a long time, it’s im-

portant to evaluate the information they provide and “ask those hard questions” before taking it at face value.

Similar to Vinney’s point that this evaluation doesn’t automatically mean we can’t enjoy our usual media sources, Scheibe says this is not a “moral issue.” We don’t have to label certain sources as wholly good or bad; sources should be evaluated every time we use them to ensure we’re always getting the most accurate and upto-date information.

With the way technology continues to develop through Artificial Intelligence, machinelearning, and more, it will always be important to evaluate our sources of information before believing what we read automatically. When it comes to our health, it is especially important to think critically about the information we consume to protect ourselves and those we love.

From your leisurely Instagram scroll to your regular morning news consumption, remember to think before believing what you read and before sharing it.

(Charlotte May photo)

widespread leadership and governance training gives the country an extra layer of influence by putting it in touch with consecutive generations of politicians, said Paul Nantulya, who specializes in relations with China at the African Center for Strategic Studies in Washington.

The relationship has moved beyond trade and investment to take on political overtones.

“Modernization is an inalienable right of all countries, but the Western approach to it has inflicted immense sufferings on developing countries,” Xi said. “Since the end of World War II, third world nations, represented by China and African countries, have achieved independence…and have been endeavoring to redress the historical injustices of the modernization process.”

China has tried to position itself as a leader of the Global South, a catchphrase for the developing world. While others don’t necessarily see China as the leader, its message of rewriting the international order resonates with African nations that feel frustrated and abandoned by their traditional Western partners.

Many African nations have been openly critical of the U.S. role in the war in Ukraine and refused to condemn Russia’s invasion, taking a non-aligned stance that has led to political frictions with the U.S.

“As our history demands, South Africa will continue to pursue progressive internation-

alism,” South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa said during talks with Xi earlier this week. “Building on the firm foundation of solidarity, we continue to provide support in promoting our interests, those of the African continent, and the Global South.”

China’s development loans to Africa have fallen sharply from a 2016 peak, although they bounced back from COVID-era lows to $4.6 billion last year, according to the Global Development Policy Center at Boston University.

The drop-off came partly in response to government budget crises in several recipient countries that are unable to repay their loans from multiple lenders.

Many heavily indebted African countries cannot meet the basic needs of their populations, U.N. Secretary General António Guterres told the forum.

“This situation is unsustainable and a recipe for social unrest,” he said, highlighting the need for deep reform to what he called an “outdated, ineffective and unfair international financial system.”

Kenya is seeking financing to finish a partially built rail project that was meant to connect the port city of Mombasa to neighboring Uganda, but it is unclear whether China would agree.

Pronczuk reported from Dakar, Senegal. Associated Press writers Mogomotsi Magome in Johannesburg and Evelyne Musambi in Nairobi, Kenya, and video producers Olivia Zhang and Caroline Chen in Beijing contributed.

Green energy

Continued from page 2

“We are expecting to receive a total of $37.4 million to deploy between now and September 30 of 2031, and both of these grants have funds that are dedicated to low-income households,” said NYSERDA Chief Program Officer Anthony J. Fiore. “I am thrilled to report that New York is the first state in the nation to get this money into the market.”

Existing state programs like EmPower+ will continue to offer low- to moderate-income homeowners substantial funding and help with installing heat pumps, heat pump water heaters and clothes dryers, electronic cooking appliances, updated insulation and ventilation systems, air sealing, and electrical wiring upgrades, said Fiore.

“New York is an old state — we look good, but we’re an old state with old buildings [that] really need to be retrofitted,” said Senator Kevin Parker, who chairs the energy and telecommunications committee. “Weatherization, changing windows, insulating buildings is going to be a big part of keeping cool air in in the summer and warm air in in the winter. The second part is demand response, [which] talks about knowing the best times and the best ways to use electricity and power generally.”

Assemblywoman Latrice Walker, who grew up in Brooklyn’s Brownsville neighborhood, attested to “demand response” or power usage as an environmental justice

Head and Neck Cancer Screenings in Harlem

Friday, September 27th 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

issue that takes a toll on low-income communities of color.

“Brownsville and other parts of central Brooklyn were in sort of brownout stages and the [power] load, based on the lifestyles of so many people in central Brooklyn pulling so heavily on the Brownsville substation that Con Edison would have to turn down the power in many of our communities,” Walker said. “[That] prevented the elevators from working. It had gotten so bad once that at Brookdale Hospital, they had to almost evacuate the hospital because when the load was reduced so low, the chillers no longer worked in the building.”

Part of the IRA dedicates $57 billion to help address these issues in historically disadvantaged communities. Walker said one of the more important tax credits available in her district has been the solar initiative, which helps families and low-income communities to put solar panels on the roofs of their homes and reduce their energy bills long-term.

“I always remember the excitement of a homeowner who came in with an energy bill with zero dollars, and there was also a church that had that, and they couldn’t believe it,” Walker said. “They thought it was an error.”

For more information about tax rebates and energy grants, check out the cost-savings calculator to determine eligibility. New Yorkers can find EmPower+ applications and information about state tax and energy rebate programs at www.nyserda.ny.gov or energyadvisor.ny.gov/.

No appointment or health insurance required. Language and translation services available (se habla español).

Botched college financial aid form snarls enrollment plans for students

By ANNIE MA AP Education Writer

WASHINGTON — After a long summer of technical glitches, most of America’s prospective college students were finally able to apply for federal financial aid — an annual process upended this year by a redesign-gone-bad.

The number of high school seniors who have completed their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSAs) is down 9% compared with this time last year, according to the National College Attainment Network. That number was as high as 40% in the spring, when students usually must submit their forms to give schools enough time to assemble aid packages.

How much the FAFSA problems will affect the number of students attending college remains to be seen, counselors and advisers say, but the delays certainly have changed where students enrolled, with many students forced to pick a college with limited information about their financial picture.

As one of the few Black girls at her suburban Chicago high school, Adjovi Golo looked forward to college as a time when it would not be so hard to be seen and heard. She was hoping to attend Spelman College, a historically Black women’s college in Atlanta.

The federal financial aid calculators told her she would probably be eligible for $15,000 in loans, grants, and work-study, but her FAFSA had not been processed before a May 1 deadline to commit to a college. She called the FAFSA hotline 11 times to resolve a glitch, getting a different suggestion each time.

DePaul University in Chicago, meantime, offered her the most support in merit scholarships. Without a complete financial aid package from either school as her FAFSA remained in limbo, she chose to enroll at DePaul, rather than risk taking on more debt.

In August, Golo moved into a DePaul’s dorm. She loves her roommate, the campus, and her professors — but she wonders what might have been different.

“I felt like I was just backed into a corner,” she said. “A part of me, like 75% of me, doesn’t regret it. I love it here, but another part of me wishes I [had] waited.”

The plunge in FAFSA completion rates was especially sharp for students who already face hurdles to enrolling in postsecondary education, including low-income students and students of color. Advocates worry the delays — on top of a Supreme

PUBLIC NOTICE

Pursuant to Section 104 Public Notice of the Open Meetings Law, this notice is to inform the public that the board of trustees of Democracy Prep New York School will hold a board meeting on September 17th, 2024 at 8:00 am., local time. The address is: 1767 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10035 4th Floor. Some board members may choose to participate remotely via video conferencing, but as of this notice it is not clear what their location will be. Please contact Cecil Frazier at cecil.frazier@democracyprep.org for

Court ruling that struck down affirmative action in higher education — will affect where and whether many go to college.

Theoretically, said Katharine Meyer, a fellow at the Brookings Institution think tank, “We’re going to see a less racially diverse college enrollment cohort, a less socioeconomically diverse college enrollment cohort.”

Areas with a high percentage of people living in poverty and places with a larger share of Black and Latino residents saw a 20% larger decline in FAFSA completions compared with higher-income areas, according to the Century Foundation, a progressive think tank. Its analysis also found students in those areas were twice as likely to have submitted an incomplete FAFSA.

“It’s too soon to know how bad college enrollment declines will be, but it’s not too early to recognize the risks,” said Peter Granville, a fellow at the Century Foundation.

For students who cannot pay for their entire tuition and fees out of pocket, nearly all forms of financial support — institutional, state, and federal, including eligibility for federal loans — require completion of the FAFSA.

A 2020 law directed the Education Department to simplify the FAFSA form, which had been criticized for being tedious and difficult, especially for families without college experience. But the launch of the simplified form in 2023 ran into error upon error: It launched in December, months overdue, and students encountered glitches and hours-long waits for helpline assistance.

Emmily Almaraz, a junior at Texas Christian University, said she breezed through the form in under 20 minutes this year, but the students she helped as an intern with a college access organization did not all have the same luck.

Despite spending hours on the phone, one student could not get past the verification process for parents who lack a Social Security number, which is the case for some immigrants. Ultimately, the student decided to delay enrolling until the spring, Almaraz said.

“It’s just really discouraging for certain kids that end up finding out that just because they’re missing one piece of information, it may delay them,” Almaraz said. “It may cause them to pay for an education that they can’t fully pay for.”

College housing became an additional hurdle for students whose families were unwilling to put down deposits without knowing more about financial aid, said Jesse Hendrix, executive director of College Possible Texas. Many were stuck with expensive, off-campus options or could not secure housing at all.

Some students admitted to four-year colleges are choosing more affordable twoyear colleges closer to home, counselors say. Chandra Scott, executive director of the nonprofit Alabama Possible, said she reached out to the state’s community colleges to urge them to prepare for a lastminute influx of students.

“They’re going to hold out as long as they can, because they may really want to go to that four-year institution, but if they don’t have the financial aid resources that they need to go in a timely manner, they’re going to have to begin to make hard decisions on whether to sit out a year, which we hope they don’t do,” Scott said.

Students who don’t continue directly from high school to college tend to face more barriers to pursuing higher education, counselors and advocates said. While some states have programs to help students return to school, only four in 10 students who do not immediately begin college after high school do so in the next decade, Granville said. “After you decide to wait a year, that becomes more of a lonely journey. That can hinder someone’s likelihood of ultimately completing a degree.”

Some students are still working through FAFSA issues even after enrolling. In Chicago, Golo filed a paper FAFSA in June to try to get a finalized aid package from DePaul, but was told that the agency had a backlog of paper filings. Golo said the school has not required her to start paying until the paperwork is processed.

“I’m kind of just scared to take out money, knowing that I might be able to lower that in a few weeks or so, because I don’t know when [the aid is] going to come,” Golo said of her financial aid package. “It can come tomorrow. It can come in a few weeks. It may not come for a few more months. But my future right now is just very unknown.”

The Associated Press education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters, and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

FAFSA website is seen on Adjovi Golo’s laptop at DePaul University in Chicago, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Don’t expect new COVID policy for NYC schools, even as virus surges

THE EPIC

10 UNITS AT 125 West 31 Street GARMENT DISTRICT, NEW YORK, NEW YORK

Application Due: NOVEMBER 8, 2024

Amenities: 24-hour attended lobby. Open kitchen designs, on-site laundry, outdoor terrace, state-of-thefitness center and resident lounge (fees apply)

Income Restrictions Apply – No Application Fee – No Broker’s Fee Applicants will not be automatically rejected based on credit or most background check info

By JULIAN SHEN-BERRO

The

City

This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters.

More than 900,000 students returned to New York City schools on Thursday, after a summer that saw COVID cases surge across the nation and the five boroughs, but don’t expect any changes to COVID guidance for the start of the 2024–25 school year.

Students will not be mandated to quarantine at home after testing positive for the virus, under a policy adopted by city agencies in the spring that eliminated a prior five-day isolation requirement. Instead, officials ask individuals to remain at home until their symptoms improve, per the latest guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“There is no real new guidance, because this is going to be our new normal,” said Anne Williams-Isom, deputy mayor for Health and Human Services, during a Tuesday press conference.

She urged New Yorkers to get their updated COVID vaccine and stay home if feeling ill.

“If you’re not feeling well, if you have sniffles, you should stay at home so we’re not spreading it,” she said. “We just have to make sure that we’re taking those precautions, and it’s the same thing for kids as they’re going back to school.”

It may be difficult to track the city’s COVID rates because fewer people are testing for the virus. (The federal government discontinued its free at-home test program in March, but plans to bring it back at the “end

of September,” according to the CDC’s website.) A “very high” level of the virus was still being detected in New York state’s wastewater as of late August, according to CDC data. Since March 1, the CDC has instructed people to stay home until their symptoms improve and they remain fever-free for at least 24 hours without using fever-reducing medication. The federal agency still advises people to take precautions over the following five days, including wearing a mask, social distancing, and testing. It’s part of a shift in health policy toward treating COVID like other common illnesses, including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and the flu.

Under current New York City Education Department policy, those who are experiencing COVID symptoms should isolate themselves from others and get tested. Like the CDC, the city advises students and staff to remain at home until symptoms have improved and they’re fever-free for 24 hours without medication. The department also urges students and staff to wear a mask and take other precautions for five days after returning to school.

Those who test positive for COVID but do not exhibit symptoms do not have to stay home from school, according to the city’s policies, but on returning to school, they should take precautions to avoid getting others sick, such as wearing a mask and practicing good hygiene by covering coughs and sneezes, washing hands often, and using hand sanitizer.

The city’s Education Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Julian Shen-Berro is a reporter covering New York City. Contact him at jshen-berro@ chalkbeat.org.

Application Due Date: NOVEMBER 8, 2024

Must be postmarked or submitted online by NOVEMBER 8, 2024. Sending more than 1 application may disqualify you.

How to Apply:

Online: WWW.FETNERAFFORDABLE.COM

Request Application By Phone or Email: 212-257-6857 OR AH@FETNER.COM By Mail or In-Person: Epic Affordable Operator, LLC FDR Station P. O. Box 96 New York, NY 10150

background check will be individually reviewed: https://on.ny.gov/3uLNLw4

• 0 units are adapted for mobility impairment

• 0 units are adapted for hearing/vision impairment

• All units are adaptable to be wheelchair accessible

• Reasonable accommodation and modifications may be requested

Include your address & the name and address of the building where you want to apply. Lottery Date & Location: APPLICATIONS WILL BE PROCESSED ON A FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED BASIS

YOU HAVE RIGHTS!

• If you have experienced housing discrimination: https://dhr.ny.gov/journey-fair-housing or call 844-862-8703

• Learn about how your credit and background check will be individually reviewed: https://on.ny.gov/3uLNLw4

ACCESSIBILITY INFORMATION

• 0 units are adapted for mobility impairment

• 0 units are

• All

As more than 900,000 students prepare to return to New York City schools this week, city officials said Tuesday that COVID policies remain unchanged (Gabby Jones photo for Chalkbeat)

Religion & Spirituality

Civil rights activist Sybil Morial, wife of New Orleans’ first Black mayor, dead at 91

By REBECCA SANTANA

Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS — Sybil Haydel Morial, a civil rights activist, widow of New Orleans’ first Black mayor, Ernest “Dutch” Morial, and mother to former Mayor Marc Morial, has died at age 91.

Her family announced her death Wednesday in a statement issued by the National Urban League, of which Marc Morial serves as president and CEO. Details on the time and cause of death were not released.

“She confronted the hard realities of Jim Crow with unwavering courage and faith, which she instilled not only in her own children but in every life she touched,” the statement said.

Morial was born Nov. 26, 1932, and raised by her physician father and schoolteacher mother in a deeply segregated New Orleans. She later met the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in Boston and returned home inspired to do her part in the Civil Rights Movement.

In her 2015 memoir, “Witness to Change: From Jim Crow to Empowerment,” Morial described how she and her friends, including the future mayor of Atlanta, Andrew Young, were chased out of New Orleans’ City Park by a police officer because of their skin color.

She attended Xavier University, one of the city’s historically Black higher learning institutions, before transferring to Boston University, where King was pursuing a divinity degree and guest-preaching at churches.

Later, while traveling home, she and other Black passengers had to move to the baggage car when the train crossed the MasonDixon line.

“The barricade that kept us out of schools, jobs, restaurants, hotels, and even restrooms would have to be dismantled brick by brick, law by law,” she wrote.

She was in Boston in 1954, the year the Supreme Court issued a landmark decision overturning racial segregation in schools.

“Those of us from the South ... We wanted to go back home because we wanted to be a part of change. We knew change was coming,” she said during a 2018 interview with Louisiana Public Broadcasting.

That summer, she tried to integrate New Orleans’ other leading universities — Tulane and Loyola. She signed up for summer sessions at both, and attended classes for nearly a week at Tulane while

they waited for her transcript to arrive from Boston, but was eventually told that she could not enroll because of her race.

At Loyola, she was told that “according to state law, Negroes cannot attend the same school as whites.”

Her return home in 1954 also brought her face-to-face with the man she would marry: Ernest Nathan “Dutch” Morial. The two fell into an intense discussion about the court’s recent desegregation decision during a summer vacation book club.

They wed the next year and she supported her husband thereafter, raising five children and teaching school while he ran for the state legislature in 1968 and for mayor in 1978.

She was often the one who had to shield their children from the resulting racist threats, racing for the phone to answer it first.

During Morial’s first mayoral term, National Guard troops were stationed at their house to protect the family during the

1979 police strike that led to the cancellation of Mardi Gras parades.

Sybil Morial also became a city power player in her own right.

She founded the Louisiana League of Good Government, which helped Black people register to vote at a time when they still had to pass tests such as memorizing the Preamble to the Constitution. She also was a plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging a Louisiana law that barred public school teachers from being involved in groups fighting segregation, according to the LSU Women’s Center.

She held various administrative positions over 28 years at Xavier and served on numerous boards and advisory committees across the city.

“Few women have played such an outsized role in the recent history of New Orleans,” former Mayor Mitch Landrieu said in a social media post. Current Mayor LaToya Cantrell called Morial “a

New Orleans treasure and trailblazer” and said the city’s flag would fly at halfstaff in her honor.

As part of the 1984 World’s Fair in New Orleans, she championed the building of a pavilion dedicated to African American contributions and experiences in American history, and in 1987 she was the executive producer of “A House Divided,” a documentary about desegregation in New Orleans.

After her husband died unexpectedly in 1989 at age 60, Morial wrote that she briefly flirted with the idea of running for mayor in 1994. Instead, her son Marc, then 35, ran and won, launching a second generation of Morial mayors.

Funeral plans have not been announced. Sybil Morial is survived by her five children, seven grandchildren and a greatgranddaughter.

Associated Press Writer Kevin McGill contributed to this story.

Sybil Morial, left, looks on after her husband Ernest won an outright victory in his race for a House seat in the Louisiana Legislature, in New Orleans, Nov. 5, 1967. (AP Photo/Jack Thornell)

Dr. Thelma C. Davidson-Adair (1920–2024): Religious leader, social activist, educator, matriarch,

Contributed Obituary

On November 1, 2020, Dr. Thelma C. Davidson-Adair, then 100 years old, arrived in person to her polling site at the Jackie Robinson Complex on 106th Street in Harlem.

Shepherded in by her nephew Milton and son Robert, Davidson-Adair refused to let mobility, age, or even COVID stop her from speaking her truth, saying that voting in person “filled her with power” and provided a blueprint for younger generations to follow.

Many saw that Tuesday as an amazing display of courage and resiliency from a proud centenarian, but those who knew Davidson-Adair knew that this simply par for the course with her — she was a woman who had spent most of her life rising to meet injustice and leading by example. Davidson-Adair died peacefully on

August 21, 2024, just shy of her 104th birthday.

She was born on August 29, 1920, in Iron Station, N.C., to Robert J. Sylvester Davidson and Frances V. Wilson Davidson, both educators and leaders in their community. That love for educating by example stuck with her from an early age. She devoted herself to helping those coming after her.

Davidson-Adair graduated from Lincoln Academy and attended Barber-Scotia Junior College (1934–36), and Bennett College (1936–38), where she earned a degree in education.

She met and married Rev. Dr. Arthur Eugene Adair, and in 1942, the couple moved to Harlem, where they established the Mount Morris Presbyterian Church. The devastation of Harlem during World War II only fueled Davidson-Adair’s passion for community outreach and education. As she explained, “I came to New York … during

and Harlemite

the war years, and we saw in a very dramatic way the need for early care and over the years, it continued and expanded.”

Thus, the Arthur Eugene and Thelma Adair Community Life Center Head Start in 1944 was born, serving more than 250 children throughout Harlem and becoming a pillar of the community.

After obtaining her master’s (1945) and doctorate (1956) in education from Columbia’s Teacher College, Davidson-Adair shared her knowledge throughout New York City as a tenured professor at Queen’s College for more than 31 years and a lecturer at Columbia University and NYU. In addition to her teaching experience, she organized and directed numerous daycare and Head Start centers throughout the city, and became a key figure in the spiritual and social landscape of Harlem during the Civil Rights Movement.

During the 1960s, Davidson-Adair served as a leader in Crossroads Africa, the precursor to the Peace Corps, and later made significant contributions to the Peace Corps by establishing and coordinating training programs for volunteers preparing for service.

In 1976, Davidson-Adair became the first Black woman to be elected moderator of the 188th General Assembly of the United

Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. As part of her charge, she traveled the world, meeting and working with national leaders and dignitaries, as an ambassador for the Presbyterian Church.

Several years later, in 1980, DavidsonAdair became president of Church Women’s United, which included women from more than 125 countries. She served in that role through 1984.

In her later years, Davidson-Adair continued to serve her church, community, and family. Her commitment to others never wavered as she remained a lifelong advocate for education, the Presbyterian Church, and equality.

In the months leading up to her final moments, Davidson-Adair would remark to her many grandchildren and relatives the importance of continuity — continuity of conversation, continuity of education, and continuity of family — and her belief that that was what truly gave the next generation its power.

Even after more than a century of leading by example, this true jewel of Harlem continued to look back, use her voice, and inspire the next generation not to let anything — from COVID to social injustice, to a wheelchair — stop them from speaking their truth.

Monsignor Mullaney Apartments

St. Brendan Senior 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

*Writtenapplicationrequestsmustbe receivedby2/7/24

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.

Dr. Thelma C. Davidson-Adair (Contributed photo)

Frankie Beverly, quintessential soul man and voice of the cookout, dies at 77

By AARON FOLEY AmNews News Editor

Frankie Beverly, a soul balladeer who lovingly — and relentlessly — delivered messages of peace and understanding while fronting a multi-piece band with ubiquitous presence in all facets of Black culture, died on Sept. 10, 2024. He was 77.

“Grieving the loss of a loved one is a deeply personal and emotional experience,” the family of Beverly wrote in a statement released to fans and media.

“During this time, as we are navigating feelings of sorrow, reflection, and remembrance we kindly ask for privacy and understanding, allowing us the space to grieve in our own way.”

A cause of death was not confirmed at press time.

A Philadelphia-bred crooner whose voice had just enough ache for distress, but enough restraint to not reek of desperation, a tone that was yearning but not too cloying, Beverly led the band Maze to permanent stature in the world of R&B with songs like “Before I Let Go,” “Happy Feelin’s,” “Golden Time of Day” and “Can’t Get Over You.” With Maze, Beverly amassed a number of singles that became staples on Black radio — and over time at cookouts, family reunions, and other Black gatherings — and in set lists across nearly 50 years of touring, where he and the band were usually decked out in allwhite linen.

Renewed appreciation of Maze’s music by way of covers and samples came in recent years, as well as broadened understanding to reward a generation of living Black legends while they still stand, further entrenching Beverly into the general consciousness. The band’s middling record sales over the years did not speak to their stature among Black listeners, earning the band comparisons to outfits like The Grateful Dead, who built near cult-like appreciation despite not having walls full of platinum plaques to match.

Maze and Beverly came together in the latter’s hometown of Philadelphia and recorded some early singles that found little audience. They jetted to San Francisco and found ground there, lining up gigs at local venues there. Then known as Raw Soul, the band caught the ear of an associate of Marvin Gaye in the early 1970s; Gaye took the band on the road throughout the decade, set them up with record executives, and recommended the band change its name to Maze.

The band’s sun-drenched, laid-back California soul — not as hard-driving as Sly & the Family Stone, but perhaps a halfstep quicker than War — found audienc-

es on the West Coast, but did not catch on with East Coast audiences right away. As the AmNews reported in August 1985, Beverly noted during a Beacon Theater show (opened by Angela Bofill, who also passed this year) that New York was “one of the slowest places receiving our music.”

No better tune exemplifies the slow-yetsteady rise of Maze than “Before I Let Go.” Originally released in 1981 as a studio cut on a live album, the song peaked at No. 13 on Billboard’s R&B chart. In the 30-plus years since, the song grew to be played at the end of parties, the beginning of receptions, and everywhere in between. Two songs sampling the cut — a cover by Beyoncé and the song “Get Right Back to My Baby” by Vivian Green — brought the original tune to new generations of celebrants.

Even before “Let Go” became a certified family-reunion classic, Maze kept a place on Black America’s playlist with adult contemporary classics like “Joy and Pain” and “Silky Soul,” the latter serving as a tribute to Gaye, whom Beverly idolized. With an iconic back catalog — Maze has not recorded new material since 1993 — Beverly and his band became fixtures on the summer festival circuit, with his twilight years being revered at the evergrowing Essence Festival in New Orleans.

Born Howard Stanley Beverly on December 6, 1946, his interest in music was sparked in the church. Frankie recalls that, “You know, it was like anyone that could sing was featured in a Sunday program. So I did my share of solos in church...a lot of singing,” he wrote on the band’s fan site.

Beverly attempted a number of doowop groups in his youth before developing a fascination with Sly & the Family Stone, and instead decided to pursue an instrument-driven approach to making music. “Before the Family Stone, Black groups did doo-wop or they were a band with a front man. Sly had this self-contained thing that you usually found with rock groups. Once I saw what he was doing with the Family Stone, we changed from what we had been doing to becoming a self-contained unit. And we became Raw Soul,” Beverly said.

Making the band worked, and showmanship through instrumentation — all carried by Beverly’s vocals — became key to their longevity on the road. “We took Anita Baker out as our opening act on her first national tour and did the same thing with Regina Belle and Toni Braxton,” Beverly remarked.

“I feel so blessed,” Beverly said. “People show that they really respect me and the band and I just want to keep giving

people what they want.”

Frankie Beverly performs at the Essence Music Festival in 2014. (Patrick Semansky/Associated Press)

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NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT – NEW YORK COUNTY – WEST 45TH RETAIL LLC, Plaintiff v. ALANDALOUS PROPERTIES CORP. f/k/a PEOPLES FOREIGN EXCHANGE CORPORATION, et al., Defendants. Pursuant to an Amended Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale and Decision and Order on Motion entered on September 29, 2023 (the “Judgment”), I will sell at public auction to the highest bidder in Room 130 of the New York County Supreme Court, 60 Centre Street, New York, New York, on October 9, 2024 at 2:15 p.m., the premises known as 24 West 45th Street, Unit C-1, New York, New York. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in New York County and State of New York: Block 1260, Lot 1001, as more particularly described in the Judgment. Approximate amount of Judgment is $1,632,632.61, plus additional interest and fees. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index #850207/2021. The foreclosure sale will be conducted in accordance with 1st Judicial District's Covid-19 Policies and foreclosure auction rules. Elaine Shay, Esq., Referee. Andriola Law, PLLC, 1385 Broadway, 22 nd Floor, New York, NY 10018, Attorneys for Plaintiff

Notice of Qualification of TH MSR HOLDINGS LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/25/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Arizona (AZ) on 06/30/24. Princ. office of LLC: 1601 Utica Ave. South, Ste. 900, St. Louis Park, MN 55416. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. Cert. of Form. filed with Executive Director, 1300 W. Washington, 1st Fl., Phoenix, AZ 58007-2929. Purpose: Owning and managing mortgage servicing rights.

Commons Software LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 07/12/2024. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 10 Hanover Square Apt 6S, New York, NY 10005. Purpose: Any lawful act.

Notice of Formation of MISCHIEF MERCANTILE LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/16/24. 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 Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

KETTELY LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 07/25/24. Office: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 470 W 165th Street, Apartment 24, New York, NY 10032. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK.

HNY CLUB SUITES OWNERS ASSOCIATION INC., BY AND THROUGH ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS, Plaintiff -againstGARY C. MORSE, VASSO G. MORSE, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated on March 1, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street New York, NY on September 25, 2024 at 2:15 p.m. premises being an undivided ownership interest as tenantin-common with other owners in the Timeshare Unit in the building located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY; known as The NYH Condominium. Together with an undivided 0.0381% interest in common Elements. This a foreclosure on ownership interest in a timeshare unit, a studio penthouse on a floating use basis every year, in accordance with and subject to declarations. Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions dated October 27, 2003 and November 3, 2003 as CFRN # 2003000442513 as recorded in the Office of the City Register, County, City and State of New York. The Timeshare Unit is also designated as Block 1006 and Lot 1302. Said premises known as 1335 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS, NEW YORK, NY 10019

Approximate amount of lien $22,122.59 plus interest & costs.

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

Index Number 850285/2023.

GEORGIA PAPAZIS, ESQ., Referee

DRUCKMAN LAW GROUP

PLLC

Attorney(s) for Plaintiff

242 Drexel Avenue, Westbury, NY 11590

DLG# 39078

This is to announce that the next meeting of the Harlem Children's Zone Promise Academy II Charter School Board of Trustees will occur in person on Thursday, September 19, 2024, at 4:30 pm. The meeting will be held at 245 West 129th St., NY, NY.

This is to announce that the next meeting of the Harlem Children's Zone Promise Academy I Charter School Board of Trustees will occur in person on Thursday, September 19, 2024, at 4:30 pm. The meeting will be held at 245 West 129th St., NY, NY.

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK.

HNY CLUB SUITES OWNERS ASSOCIATION INC., BY AND THROUGH ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS, Plaintiff -against- CHLOE A. CALLOW, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated on March 6, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street New York, NY on September 25, 2024 at 2:15 p.m. premises being an undivided ownership interest as tenant-in-common with other owners in the Timeshare Unit in the building located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY; known as The NYH Condominium. Together with an appurtenant undivided 0.0381% in common interest percentage. This a foreclosure on ownership interest in a timeshare unit, a studio penthouse on a floating use basis every year, in accordance with and subject to declarations. Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions dated October 27, 2003 and November 3, 2003 as CFRN # 2003000442512 as recorded in the Office of the City Register, County, City and State of New York. The Timeshare Unit is also designated as Block 1006 and Lot 1302.

Said premises known as 1335 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS, NEW YORK, NY 10019

Approximate amount of lien $12,452.09 plus interest & costs.

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

Index Number 850190/2023.

ROBERTA ASHKIN, ESQ., Referee

DRUCKMAN LAW GROUP PLLC

Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 242 Drexel Avenue, Westbury, NY 11590

DLG# 39359

Notice of Formation of MALHOTRA FAMILY 2024, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/26/24. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Vikram Malhotra, 168 E. 74th St., Apt. 4C, NY, NY 10021. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of 20 EXCHANGE PLACE OWNER, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/22/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 12/12/23. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Stephen Benjamin, 729 7th Ave., 15th Fl., NY, NY 10019. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., No. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK.

57TH ST. VACATION OWNERS

ASSOCIATION, INC., BY AND THROUGH ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS, Plaintiff -againstLYNN CAMPBELL, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated March 6, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street New York, NY on September 25, 2024 at 2:15 p.m. premises situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, County of New York, City and State of New York, being an undivided ownership interest as tenant-in-common with other owners in the Timeshare Unit in the building located at 102 West 57th Street, New York, NY. Together with an appurtenant undivided 0.00986400000% common interest percentage. This a foreclosure on ownership interest in a timeshare unit, a studio penthouse on a floating use basis every year, in accordance with and subject to declarations. Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions dated October 10, 2008 and October 31, 2008 as CFRN # 2008000426142 as recorded in the Office of the City Register, County, City and State of New York. The Timeshare Unit is also designated as Block 1009 and Lot 37.

Said premises known as 102 WEST 57TH STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10019

Approximate amount of lien $12,386.86 plus interest & costs.

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

Index Number 850233/2023.

ROBERTA E. ASHKIN, ESQ., Referee

DRUCKMAN LAW GROUP

PLLC

Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 242 Drexel Avenue, Westbury, NY 11590 DLG# 39324

Notice of Qualification of INVESTCORP US PRIVATE CREDIT FEEDER, LP Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/13/24. Office location: NY County. LP formed in Delaware (DE) on 06/08/22. Princ. office of LP: 280 Park Ave., 39th Fl., NY, NY 10017. NYS fictitious name: INVESTCORP US PRIVATE CREDIT FEEDER, L.P. Duration of LP is Perpetual. SSNY designated as agent of LP upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 122072543. Name and addr. of each general partner are available from SSNY. DE addr. of LP: c/o CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of LP filed with DE Secy. of State, John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK. 57TH ST. VACATION OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC., BY AND THROUGH ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS, Plaintiff -againstSHARAD BHAGU PATEL, NISHA SHARAD PATEL, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated March 1, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street New York, NY on September 25, 2024 at 2:15 p.m. premises situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, County of New York, City and State of New York, being an undivided ownership interest as tenantin-common with other owners in the Timeshare Unit in the building located at 102 West 57th Street, New York, NY. Together with an appurtenant undivided .019728% common interest percentage. This a foreclosure on ownership interest in a timeshare unit, a studio penthouse on a floating use basis every year, in accordance with and subject to declarations. Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions dated October 10, 2008 and October 31, 2008 as CFRN # 2008000426142 as recorded in the Office of the City Register, County, City and State of New York. The Timeshare Unit is also designated as Block 1009 and Lot 37. Said premises known as 102 WEST 57TH STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10019

Approximate amount of lien $23,707.35 plus interest & costs.

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

Index Number 850179/2023.

SOFIA BALILE, ESQ., Referee DRUCKMAN LAW GROUP PLLC

Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 242 Drexel Avenue, Westbury, NY 11590 DLG# 39301

SLAINTE ACUPUNCTURE PLLC. Art of Org. filed with the SSNY on 08/01/2024. 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. THE LLC 114 W 73RD ST. APT 4A, NEW YORK, NY, 10023. Any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of a NY Limited Liability Company. Name: FATHI ELGADDARI, DMD, PLLC. Articles of Organization filing date with the Secretary of State (SSNY) was 06/21/2024. Office location: NEW YORK County. SSNY has been designated as the agent of PLLC upon whom process against it may be served and SSNY shall mail a copy of the process to 35 EAST 85 STREET, 1N, NY, 10028, USA. The purpose is to engage in any and all business activities permitted under NYS laws.

NOTICE OF SALE

Supreme Court of the State of New York, New York County, Index No. 850087/2022

Six Gramercy LLC, Plaintiff, v. Westside Units 17th Street LLC, et. al., Defendants.

TAKE NOTICE that pursuant to the Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered May 17, 2024, the undersigned referee will sell at public auction on October 9, 2024, at 2:15pm in Room 130 at the Courthouse located at 60 Centre Street, NY, NY, the property located at 7 East 17th Street, Unit 6C, New York, NY 10003 (Block 846, Lot 1310).

The approximate amount of Plaintiff’s lien is $1,443,159.80 plus interest and costs. The premises will be sold in one parcel and subject to provisions of the judgment and terms of sale.

Georgia Papazis, Esq., Referee

Law Offices of Tae H. Whang, LLC, Attorneys for Plaintiff, 185 Bridge Plaza North, Suite 201, Fort Lee, NJ 07024, Tel. (201) 461-0300, 415 White Oak Road, Palisades, NY 10964 (By Appointment Only).

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- EDDIE Z. CHEN a/k/a EDDIE CHEN; CHEN@HOME LLC, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered herein on April 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 October 2, 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 440 Lot 1301 on the New York County Tax Assessment Map.

Said premises known as 427 EAST 12TH STREET, #1A, NEW YORK, NY 10009

Approximate amount of lien $598,893.24 plus interest & costs.

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

Index Number 158480/2022.

PAUL R. SKLAR, ESQ., Referee Phillips Lytle LLP

Attorney(s) for Plaintiffs

28 East Main Street, Suite 1400, Rochester, NY 14614

Fillet Edge LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 05/06/2024. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 435 W 31st St., Apt 8G, New York, NY, 10001. Purpose: Any lawful act.

CONSERVATIVERAP LLC

Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 07/15/2024. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: LEGALCORP SOLUTIONS, 11 BROADWAY SUITE 615, NEW YORK, NY 10004. Purpose: Any lawful act.

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF New York , NYCTL 2021A Trust, and the Bank of New York Mellon as Collateral Agent and Custodian for the NYCTL 2021-A Trust , Plaintiff, vs . 187 Street Mazal LLC , ET AL., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale and Decision + Order on Motion dated May 17, 2024 and duly entered on May 21, 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 October 16, 2024 at 2:15 p.m., premises known as 663 West 187th Street, New York, NY 10033. 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 02170 and Lot 0031. Approximate amount of judgment is $46,350.43 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #159354/2022. Scott H. Siller, Esq., Referee Bronster, LLP, 156 West 56th Street, Suite 703, New York, New York 10019, Attorneys for Plaintiff

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NEW YORK CITIMORTGAGE, INC., Plaintiff AGAINST ELVIRA P. CHRISTI, ET AL., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered May 23, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the New York County Courthouse in Room 130, located at 60 Centre Street, New York, NY on October 16, 2024 at 2:15PM, premises known as 520 West 112th Street Unit 4B, New York, NY 10025. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, City, County and State of New York, Block 1883, Lot 1104. Approximate amount of judgment $392,131.52 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #116866/2009. The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the NEW YORK County COVID-19 mitigation protocols and as such all persons must comply with social distancing, wearing masks and screening practices in effect at the time of this foreclosure sale. Allison M. Furman, Esq., Referee Gross Polowy, LLC 1775 Wehrle Drive Williamsville, NY 14221 18003305 81301

The Speech And Accent House LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 7/23/24. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: United States Corporation Agents Inc., 7014 13th Ave. Suite 202, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11228. Purpose: Any lawful act.

Arrakis Ventures LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 06/06/2024. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 7014 13TH AVENUE, SUITE 202 , BROOKLYN, NY, 11228, USA. Purpose: Any lawful act.

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

BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A. AS TRUSTEE FOR MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT SERIES I TRUST, -against-

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATOR OF NEW YORK AS ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ESTATE OF MARIAN S. O’HARA, ET AL.

NOTICE OF SALE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of New York on May 16, 2024, wherein BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A. AS TRUSTEE FOR MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT SERIES I TRUST is the Plaintiff and PUBLIC ADMINISTRATOR OF NEW YORK AS ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ESTATE OF MARIAN S. O’HARA, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the NEW YORK COUNTY CIVIL SUPREME COURTHOUSE, ROOM 130, 60 CENTRE STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10007, on October 9, 2024 at 2:15PM, premises known as 340 WEST 57TH STREET, UNIT 9-E, NEW YORK, NY 10019; and the following tax map identification: 1047-1096.

ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE, OR PARCEL OF REAL PROPERTY WITH THE IMPROVEMENTS THEREIN CONTAINED, SITUATE, AND BEING A PART OF A CONDOMINIUM IN THE BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN, COUNTY, CITY, AND STATE OF NEW YORK, KNOWN AND DESIGNATED AS APARTMENT UNIT NO. 9E AT 340 WEST 57TH STREET TOGETHER WITH A .1080 PERCENT UNDIVIDED INTEREST IN THE COMMON ELEMENTS OF THE CONDOMINIUM

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 850377/2015. Shari S. Laskowitz, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES.

SOUTH DAKOTA STATE BANKING COMMISSION Department of

Labor and Regulation DIVISION OF BANKING NOTICE OF APPLICATION

Notice is hereby given that the Director of the South Dakota Division of Banking (Director) has received an application from Kendris Trustees (USA) LLC, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to establish a trust service office located at 250 Park Avenue, 7th Floor, Office 7015, New York, New York 10177.

Notice is also given that, as provided in South Dakota Codified Law (SDCL) 51A-2-16, a fifteen-day period is provided to file a written objection or comment to this application. The comment period on this application opens on the date of this publication and will close on September 27, 2024. If you wish to submit a comment or objection to this application, please send your objection or comment in writing to the Director, no later than 5:00 PM CST on September 27, 2024, at the following address: SD Division of Banking, 1714 Lincoln Ave., Suite 2, Pierre, SD 57501; via email to banking@state.sd.us; or by facsimile at 1-866-326-7504.

At the conclusion of the fifteen-day comment period, the Director is provided fifteen days to consider any written objections and comments, and to make a decision on the application. When the Director’s decision is issued, written notice will be sent to the applicant and to any individual who submitted a comment or objection to the application within the fifteen-day comment period. The applicant will then have fifteen days to request a hearing before the South Dakota Banking Commission. Anyone who submitted a comment or objection to the application may apply with the Banking Commission to become a party as provided in SDCL 1-26-17.1, and request a hearing before the Commission, within the same fifteen-day period. Any application to become a party must be filed within the same fifteen-day period from the date of the Director’s decision, and must demonstrate how the individual’s interests are directly and immediately affected by the Director’s decision. Any hearing before the Banking Commission will be held in conformity with SDCL 1-26. If special accommodations are required for the disabled, please advise the Division of Banking 24 hours in advance at (605) 773-3421.

Dated this 12th day of September.

/s/ Bret Afdahl

BRET AFDAHL, Executive Officer to the South Dakota State Banking Commission- Director of Banking, Pierre, SD 57501

Published at the approximate cost of $1072.93.

Notice of Qualification of WSC OPCO LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/22/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 08/13/24. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, c/o Winter Properties LLC, 9 W. 57th St., 47th Fl., NY, NY 10019. DE addr. of LLC: c/o Corporation Service Co., 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Secy. of State, John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

LEGAL NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE, Supreme Court – New York County, WHITE WALKER HOLDINGS 1 LLC, Plaintiff v. 388 BROADWAY OWNERS LLC, et al. , Defendants, Index# 850264/2021. Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale docketed on June 28, 2024, I will sell at Public Auction to the highest bidder in Room 130 of New York County Supreme Court, 60 Center Street, New York, New York 10007, on October 9, 2024 at 2:15 PM of that day, the premises known as 388 Broadway , New York , New York 10013, Block 195 Lot 3. The approximate amount of Judgment is $26,503,146.50 plus interest, advances, and expenses accrued from February 29, 2024 to the date of sale of the Premises. Premises will be sold subject to: (a) provisions of Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale docketed on June 28, 2024; and (b) the terms of sale. IF YOU ARE BIDDING AT THE AUCTION, YOU MUST BRING A CERTIFIED CHECK MADE PAYABLE TO THE REFEREE ELAINE SHAY , ESQ . IN THE AMOUNT OF 10% OF YOUR BID. If you have any questions, contact Attorney for Plaintiff: ANNA GUILIANO, BORAH, GOLDSTEIN, ALTSCHULER, NAHINS & GOIDEL, P.C., 377 Broadway, New York, New York 10013, (212) 965-2628.

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF New York , Ready Capital Mortgage Financing 2019-FL3, LLC , Plaintiff, vs . PB 151 Grand LLC , ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Decision + Order + Judgment on Motion duly entered on May 14, 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 October 16, 2024 at 2:15 p.m., premises known as 158 Lafayette Street a/k/a 151 Grand Street, New York, NY 10013. 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 233 and Lot 17. Approximate amount of judgment is $35,289,017.65 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #850041/2022. Mark L. McKew, Esq., Referee Duane Morris, LLP, 1540 Broadway, New York, New York 10036, Attorneys for Plaintiff

BRUNSONCLINE LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 07/29/2024. Office location: NEW YORK County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: United States Corporation Agents Inc., 7014 13th Ave, Suite 202, Brooklyn, NY, 11228. Purpose: Any lawful act.

Safari Atelier NYC LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 10/20/2023. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 900 W 190 ST #15B, New York, NY 10040. Purpose: Any lawful act.

OPDEE HOLDINGS LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 07/28/2024. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 347 W 57TH ST, Suite 40A, New York NY 10019. Purpose: Any lawful act.

Blue Diamond Trading Company L.L.C. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 07/31/2024 Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 228 Park Ave S #742246, New York, NY 10003. Purpose: Any lawful act.

NOTICE OF SALE

Notice of Qualification of GRAMERCY E 22ND OWNER LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/02/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 06/17/24. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, Div. of Corps. - John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

STAU LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 8/21/2024 Office location: NEW YORK County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: SOHO WORKSPACES, INC., 447 Broadway, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10013, USA. The registered agent of the LLC is SOHO WORKSPACES, INC., 447 Broadway, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10013, USA Purpose: Any lawful act.

CEZI LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 02/07/2023 Office location: Bronx County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 557 Grand Concourse Suite 6005, Bronx, NY 10451 Purpose: Any lawful act.

In pursuance and by virtue of a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly granted and entered in an action entitled NYCTL 1998-2 Trust and The Bank of New York Mellon as Collateral Agent and Custodian for the NYCTL 1998-2 Trust v. Reginald Borgella, et al., bearing Index No. 156969/2018 on or about May 3, 2024 and Order entered on or about August 19, 2024, by the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York, I, the Referee, duly appointed in this action for such purpose, will expose for sale and sell at public auction to the highest bidder on October 16, 2024 at 2:15 p.m., at the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, Room 130, New York, New York 10007, the liened premises designated as Block 768, Lot 1217, in the City of New York, County of New York and Borough of Manhattan, State of New York and known as 134 Seventh Avenue, Garage Unit 6, New York, New York 10011 , directed in and by said judgment to be sold. The sale will be conducted pursuant to the Court’s Auction Rules and any COVID Restrictions. The approximate amount of the judgment is $10,374.32 plus interest and other charges, and the property is being sold subject to the terms and conditions stated in the judgment, any prior encumbrances and the terms of sale which shall be available at the time of sale.

Dated: September 12, 2024 New York, New York

Roberta Ashkin, Esq. Referee

400 East 70 th Street, Apt. 2205 New York, New York 100215392 (646) 779-8520

David P. Stich, Esq. Attorney for Plaintiff 521 Fifth Avenue, 17th Floor New York, New York 10175 (646) 554-4421

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NEW YORK ROBERT A. GLESSMAN 1400 Fifth Avenue, #2L New York, NY 10026 New York County Plaintiff, - against- DURAHN TALLES ISAC (Address Unkown) Defendant. Index No. 365645/23 Date Summons Filed: 7/25/23 SUMMONS This action is brought in the County of New York because said County is the County where the Plaintiff resid es. ACTION FOR A DIVORCE YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer on the plaintiffs’ attorney within twenty (20) days after the service of this summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within 30 days after service is complete if this summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York); and in case of your failure to answer, judgment by default will be taken against you for the relief demanded in the complaint. Dated: July 19, 2023 David J. Aronstam DAVID J. ARONSTAM, ESQ. Attorney for Plaintiff 379 West Broadway, 2nd floor New York, New York 10012 (212) 949-6210 SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NEW YORK ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––X Index No.: 365645/2023 ROBERT A. GLESSMAN Plaintiff, -against- VERIFIED COMPLAINT DURAHN TALLES ISAC ACTION FOR DIVORCE Defendant –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––X FIRST: Plaintiff by his attorney, complaining of the Defendant, alleges that the parties are over the age of 18 years and; SECOND: The Plaintiff has resided in New York State for a continuous period in excess of two years immediately preceding the commencement of this action. THIRD: The Plaintiff and the Defendant were married on May 27, 2016 in the City of Las Vegas, County of Clark and State of Nevada. The marriage was not performed by a clergyman, minister or by a leader of the Society for Ethical Culture. Plaintiff will take prior to the entry of final judgment all steps solely within my power to the best of my knowledge to remove any barrier to the Defendant’s remarriage. FOURTH: There are no children of the marriage. The Plaintiff resides at 1400 Fifth Avenue, #2L, New York NY 10026. Upon information and belief, the defendant resides at Avenida Oneida Tavassos Dourado, 41 Nova Cidade, Matao-SP, Brazil, 15991-504. The plaintiff is covered by the following group health plan: Plaintiff Defendant Group Health Plan: Group Health Plan: Unknown Address: Identification Number: Plan Administrator: Douglas Elliman Type of Coverage: Major Medical FIFTH: The grounds for divorce that are alleged as follows: Irretrievable Breakdown in Relationship for at Least Six Months (DRL §170(6)): That the relationship between Plaintiff and Defendant has broken down irretrievably for a period of at least six moths. SIXTH: There is no judgment in any court for a divorce and no other matrimonial action between the parties pending in this court or in any other court of competent jurisdiction. WHEREFORE, Plaintiff demands judgment against the Defendant as follows: A judgment dissolving the marriage between the parties and any other relief the court deems fitting and proper. The nature of any ancillary or additional relief requested is: I waive distribution of Marital property; I am not seeking maintenance as payee as described in the Notice of Guideline Maintenance (the “Notice”) other than what was already agreed to in a written agreement/stipulation ; I am not requesting any ancillary relief; AND any other relief the court deems fit and proper. Dated: July 19 , 2023 David J. Aronstam David J. Aronstam, Esq. Attorney for Plaintiff 379 West Broadway, 2nd floor New York, NY 10012 Phone No.: (212) 949-621 VERIFICATION STATE OF NEW YORK, COUNTY OF NEW YORK, ss: I, ROBERT A. GLESSMAN, am the Plaintiff in the within action for divorce. I have read the foregoing complaint and know the content thereof. The contents are true to my own knowledge except as to matters therein stated to be alleged upon information and belief, and as to those matters I believe them to be true. Robert A. Glessman ROBERT A. GLESSMAN Subscribed and Sworn to before me on this 19th day of July, 2023 Benjamin Stoddard Notary Public

Dostar Marketing LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 05/09/2024. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 330 East 38th Street Apt. 38L, New York, NY, 10016. Purpose: Any lawful act.

SUPREME COURT-NEW YORK COUNTY- HILTON RESORTS CORP., Pltf. v. MICHAEL IACOVELLO and CARMELLA M. IACOVELLO, Defts. - Index # 850041/2019. Pursuant to Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated August 10, 2021, I will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse located at 60 Centre Street, New York, NY on Thursday, September 26, 2024, at 2:15 pm, an interest of an undivided 7,000/28,402,100 tenant in common interest in the timeshare known as Phase I HNY CLUB SUITES located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY. Approximate amount of judgment is $56,809.33 plus costs and interest as of January 23, 2020. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale which includes annual maintenance fees and charges. Clark Whitsett, Esq., Referee. Cruser, Mitchell, Novitz, Sanchez, Gaston, & Zimet LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 341 Conklin Street, Farmingdale, NY.

Notice of Qualification of LS RETAIL, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/02/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Georgia (GA) on 07/22/09. Princ. office of LLC and GA addr. of LLC: 11175 Cicero Dr., Ste. 650, Alpharetta, GA 30022. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, 214 State Capitol, Atlanta, GA 30334. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Autobahn Collision And Repairs LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on May 25, 2024. Office location: Richmond County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 1388 Richmond Rd, Staten Island, NY 10310 Purpose: Any lawful act.

FURDONNAS CUSTOM CREATIONS LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 07/08/2024 Office location: NEW YORK County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 2588 7TH AVE, BLDG 2, STE 6D, NEW YORK, NY 10039. Purpose: Any lawful act.

Dog Person Coffee LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 04/07/2024. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: UNITED STATES CORPORATION AGENTS, INC.: 7014 13TH AVENUE SUITE 202, BROOKLYN NY 11228. Purpose: Any lawful act.

Notice of Formation of OMNI NOSTRAND PARTNERS LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/02/24. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 122072543. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

NOAH 2004 REALTY, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 04/16/04. Latest date to dissolve: 12/31/2099. Office: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, c/o Antonino Settepani, 602 Lorimer Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

RT HORATIO PROPERTY LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 07/29/24. Office: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 167 Madison Avenue, Suite 205, #328, New York, NY 10016. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Sport Temp LLC filed w/ SSNY 2/17/21 Off. in NY Co. Process served to SSNY - desig. as agt. of LLC & mailed to Yehuda Brown, 1472 E. 8th St, Brooklyn, NY 11230. The reg. agt. is Yehuda Brown at same address. Any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of CARTOON PHYSICS LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/30/24. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 207 W. 25th St. - 6th Fl., NY, NY 10001. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the addr. of its princ. office. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of MRA IVC MANAGER I, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/30/24. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Metropolitan Realty Associates LLC, 555 Madison Ave. - 6th Fl., NY, NY 10022. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

MATAURO LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 12/22/10. Office: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, c/o Matthew Klein, 375 Willowemoc Rd, Livingston Manor, NY 12758. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

676 Broadway LLC filed Arts. of Org. with the Sect'y of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/10/2020. Office: New York County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: c/o Boddoohi & Friedlander LLP, 29 W. 125th St, 3rd Fl, NY, NY 10027. Purpose: any lawful act.

Notice of Qualification of CASCADE GROWTH LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/05/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 06/07/24. Princ. office of LLC: 330 Third Ave., Apt. 21E, NY, NY 10010. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 122072543. DE addr. of LLC: 1209 Orange St., Wilmington, DE 19801. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., #4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Independent financial sponsor.

Notice of Qualification of COMVEST GROUP HOLDINGS LP Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/17/24. Office location: NY County. LP formed in Delaware (DE) on 02/01/02. Princ. office of LP: 360 S. Rosemary Ave., Ste. 1700, W. Palm Beach, FL 33401. NYS fictitious name: COMVEST GROUP HOLDINGS L.P. Duration of LP is Perpetual. SSNY designated as agent of LP upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 122072543. Name and addr. of each general partner are available from SSNY. DE addr. of LP: CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of LP filed with DE Secy. of State, Div. of Corps., 401 Federal St., Ste. #101, Dover, DE 19904. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

NOTICE OF SALE

Supreme Court of the State of New York, New York County, Index No. 850084/2022

Six Gramercy LLC, Plaintiff, v. Westside Units 17th Street LLC, et. al., Defendants.

TAKE NOTICE that pursuant to the Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered May 14, 2024, the undersigned referee will sell at public auction on October 2, 2024, at 2:15pm in Room 130 at the Courthouse located at 60 Centre Street, NY, NY, the property located at 7 East 17th Street, Unit 3N, New York, NY 10003 (Block 846, Lot 1304).

The approximate amount of Plaintiff’s lien is $1,881,618.28 plus interest and costs. The premises will be sold in one parcel and subject to provisions of the judgment and terms of sale.

Paul Sklar, Esq., Referee

Law Offices of Tae H. Whang, LLC, Attorneys for Plaintiff, 185 Bridge Plaza North, Suite 201, Fort Lee, NJ 07024, Tel. (201) 461-0300, 415 White Oak Road, Palisades, NY 10964 (By Appointment Only).

Notice of Qualification of JFH BRAND HOLDINGS LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/15/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 01/19/24. Princ. office of LLC: 350 Fifth Ave., 6th Fl., NY, NY 10118. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 122072543. DE addr. of LLC: c/o CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

NOTICE is hereby given that a license, number NA-0340-23149525 for liquor, wine, beer & cider has been applied for by the undersigned to sell liquor, wine, beer & cider at retail in a restaurant under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law at 151 Dyckman St, New York, NY 10040, New York County for on premises consumption. Luis Restaurant Corp d/b/a Room 151

NOTICE is hereby given that a license, number NA-0240-24104042 for wine, beer & cider has been applied for by the undersigned to sell wine, beer & cider at retail in a restaurant under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law at 5057 Broadway, New York, NY 10034, New York County for on premises consumption. Patok by Rach LLC d/b/a Patok

Notice of Registration of Foreign Limited Liability Partnership Thompson, Coe, Cousins & Irons, LLP. Notice of Registration filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/27/2024. Office location: 575 Lexington Ave., Ste. 2310, New York, NY 10022, New York County. SSNY designated as agent of LLP upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to: 700 N. Pearl St., 25th Fl., Dallas, TX 75201. Registration as LLP originally filed on 8/27/2010 with Texas Secy. of State, P.O. Box 13697, Austin, TX 78711 Purpose: The practice of law.

Notice of Qualification of GREYSTONE MONTICELLO FUNDING SH-74 LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/23/24. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 07/17/24. Princ. office of LLC: 600 Third Ave., 21st Fl., NY, NY 10016. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Engaging in and exercising all powers permitted to a limited liability company formed under the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act.

CheKells Enterprise LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 6/7/2024. Office location: Kings County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 928 E 86th St, Brooklyn NY 11236 Purpose: Any lawful act.

Townsend & Bastien, LLP Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on July 19, 2024. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 1350 Ave Of The Americas, Flr 2, #1068, New York, New York, 10019. Purpose: Any lawful act. Notice of Formation of SUBIN, LLP Cert. of Reg. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/10/24. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLP: 515 Madison Ave., #8076, NY, NY 10022. SSNY designated as agent of LLP upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLP at the addr. of its princ. office. Purpose: Law.

Gun violence

there, not just on Monday [and] Sunday but Thursday all the way to Tuesday morning.”

Chief Jeffrey Maddrey says shutting down the parade crossed his mind after responding to the shooting. But he recounted attendees pleading with him not to.

A.T. Mitchell-Mann, New York City’s gunviolence prevention czar, told the AmNews there is little more that gun violence interrupters in the crisis management system can do outside of deploying larger numbers. Organizations like his Man Up! Inc. in Brownsville and East New York are credited for reducing gun violence in Brooklyn without police.

“This year was the best devised plan that I’ve ever seen in the year since the crisis management system has become a part of the J’Ouvert and West Indian Day festival,” Mitchell-Mann said. “We had literally [a] five day in advance deployment plan that led up to the day of J’ouvert and Labor Day which we call the ‘24 hours of peace.’ We deployed upward to about 200 community members that were trained in de-escalation and community engagement, and we had covered from Sunday midnight to Monday midnight.

“We covered as much of the hot spots as we [could] along the J’Ouvert route and the Labor Day parade route. And there’s nothing more I think that could be done outside of adding more troops to our plan to make it so that we can cover a lot more ground and maybe talk to more people.”

In response to the shootings, Save Our Streets (S.O.S.) gun violence interrupters and other peace officers gathered in Crown Heights to rally and call for peace on Franklin Avenue and Eastern Parkway on Friday, Sept. 6.

“This is again a somber occasion for us to gather together,” said Councilmember Crystal Hudson, who walked in the parade and attended the peace rally. The following week, she went to the funeral services held for Chan. “It’s always these types of occasions that we all find ourselves here together on these corners. There have been so many shootings, not just in this past week but in the past several months along this Franklin Avenue corridor. I know the NYPD is doing all that they can to investigate these incidents, but I will continue to advocate for and to talk about the investments in our communities that we need. The resources that we need. We know that safe communities are well-resourced communities.”

Public Advocate Jumaane Williams is of Grenadian descent, and like many city electeds and residents, is very proud of his Caribbean roots. He echoed Hudson’s sentiment at the peace rally, adding it’s important to not conflate the celebration of Caribbean heritage with the existing gun violence in surrounding Black and Brown communities. “As if that celebration hadn’t occurred, this community would not know gun violence,” said Williams, “We have to

be honest about that. It’s very likely and unfortunately that in this community there, a parade, celebration or not, someone would be shot.”

At the community precinct council meeting in Crown Heights, the week after the shootings, Deputy Inspector of the 77th Precinct Omar M. Birchwood gave a few updates and discussed ideas about security measures that could be implemented for next year’s parade with attendees.

Birchwood said that overall crime is down, but shootings have increased in the precinct area near Lincoln Place, Saint Marks playground, Brower Park, and P.S. 316 Elementary school over the summer. Since June there have been nine shooting incidents related to youth gangs, drug disputes, gambling, and domestic violence, he said. A shooter hasn’t been arrested in the Labor Day shooting as of this Monday, but at least two people involved were from local gangs — one from Crown Heights and the other from the East Flatbush area.

“This is historical. This is nothing new, if anybody grew up in the neighborhood, you know,” said Birchwood at the meeting.

“But we have the younger crew coming up, which is a problem for the police department. It’s hard to identify these kids at 13, 14 years old and unfortunately, they think that gun play is fun. They don’t know the seriousness that when you pull the trigger, that’s it.”

The police department is working with community groups; credible messengers

like S.O.S., Greater Direction, Elite Learners Inc, and Switching Lifestyles, and Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso to figure out how to proactively reach students while they’re in school. The 77th has school calls every Monday with principals in the district, he said. Last year, NYPD officers also preemptively went to at least 40 different known gang members to ask for a stop to the violence for the parade events as part of the NYC Ceasefire Initiative, which encourages community-based and collaborative policing.

“I would just advocate for things like mental health, more youth activities, more family planning, more family resources for single parents. That’s men and women. All those things feed into unstable families, and unstable families feed into youth who have all the energy and they’re the one going out there creating what we are calling mayhem,” said one attendee. “I’m really tired of this stuff.”

“It takes a village. Everyone in this room and everyone in this community. It takes all of us to make sure we are focusing on public safety,” said another attendee.

Other community members suggested that J’Ouvert parade goers shouldn’t be allowed to jump the barricades and they should be screened for weapons to get into the route. One suggested there be more cameras installed to monitor gang hot spots in the neighborhood.

The meeting briefly touched on the idea of moving the parade to 5th Avenue near downtown Brooklyn or canceling the

parade, but the celebration is so strongly tied to the community that many don’t see those as viable options.

During the 1920s in Harlem, Jesse Waddle, who was from Trinidad, began organizing carnival celebrations in February or March indoors at places like the Savoy, the Renaissance, and the Audubon Ballroom. In the 1940s, Waddle shifted the celebrations to a warmer time of year and applied for the first street parade permit, said WIADCA. The Harlem permit was revoked in 1964 due to a violent riot. Carlos Lezama revived the parade in 1969 and moved it to Brooklyn. The celebration has been held there ever since, beginning at Eastern Parkway and Utica Avenue and ending at Grand Army Plaza.

Brooklyn had become home to a large influx of immigrants from the Caribbean that settled in the Crown Heights, Canarsie, and Flatbush neighborhoods, mostly due to the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 that lifted “restrictive and discriminatory immigration policies that favored people from western Europe.” The law allowed for family reunification and employment opportunities for many Caribbean immigrants determined to maintain and protect their heritage while building lives in a new country.

“It’s freedom of expression,” said Director of Community Affairs for the New York State Assembly District 57 Justin Freeman. He said the parade is too culturally significant and shouldn’t be moved or canceled, but given resources to be made safer.

Crown Heights community members attend the 77th Precinct council meeting to discuss Labor Day shooting. (Ariama C. Long photo)

Deed

auctioned off for $1.7 million, with Zucker’s LLC named as the buyer, although the sale has not yet been finalized.

“The biggest issue is them being LLCs — they can file anything and then they just bury you in a mountain of paper, and it’s your job, then, as a homeowner if you want to get your house back, to prove that it’s yours –– or that they’re lying, or that they have committed fraud,” Doyle told the Amsterdam News.

“It’s just on you.”

Doyle’s attorney, Kanika Sloan Williams, is originally from Brooklyn and now lives down south, but has been helping her former neighbor fight to keep the Jefferson Avenue home for the last seven years. The case has been before five judges — one of whom was in the second circuit appeals appellate court.

“The challenge is that you’re facing an investment company,” said Sloan Williams.

“At one point, they had sued Aisha and her mom for $300,000 for ‘use and occupancy’ of a home that’s been in their family since the 1940s. Basically, they were saying that Aisha and her mom owed them money because they stayed there. They just come up with lawsuit after lawsuit … The vast majority of homeowners who’ve had their homes forever — they just don’t have tens of thousands of dollars to pay an attorney to fight back.”

Sloan Williams believes the case against the Doyles is fraudulent, but said she un-

derstands how frustrating it is for other homeowners who are having to deal with speculators. Unfortunately, it’s not illegal for a real estate investor to buy an interest in a home, and once they own an interest, it’s not illegal for them to ask the courts to force a sale.

“I will tell you, because I do estate law, I tell people all the time … if you’re leaving your house to more than one person, one person is going to want to sell, one person’s going to want to keep it every time, every single time,” she said. “It’s very rare that heirs agree unless the property is in such disrepair that nobody wants to repair it.”

Sloan Williams offered suggestions for protecting a home from deed theft: “It’s absolutely safer for the person who owns the property to determine what they want to have happen,” she said. “[You can] leave it in a trust and the trust basically directs if you want it to be sold and you split any proceeds. Or say you have rental income or something to that effect: That rental income gets split amongst the heirs. Then there’s less of an incentive for heirs to sell anything because the trust instrument is what governs how that property functions. But if you just leave something outright and let’s say you have three kids, they’ll fight over it … It’s a lot safer to, if you want to keep your house in the family, particularly in Black and Brown communities, to leave that house in a trust and have that trust instrument determine that perhaps the heirs get the income from the property, and the property itself does not get sold.”

AmNews archive story from 1938

Danny Glover

we spend our time. Add to that “otherisms” framed as the source of the problem for white workers. The most important needs for them and all people who work for fair wages — collective strength, dignity, and respect — don’t matter anymore.

GM: How would you like us to observe Labor Day?

DG: That observance should go beyond the first Monday in September to the importance of working people as a platform to challenge racism and inequality, emphasizing the critical nature of fighting for labor unions and collective bargaining as a solution. Not just for workers of color, but for all workers. We also need to move away from glorifying the past and question what labor looks like in the 21st century … and what is happening here and now. Lessons can be extracted from other struggles. The ILWU (International Longshore and Warehouse Union) refused to unload South African ships in 1971, sounding the bellwether of the U.S. anti-apartheid movement. The United Farmworkers, who boldly took on national and international growers, used many creative tactics to seed suc-

cess. Labor cannot afford insularity or approaching struggles around narrow interests. Take the environmental space — deforestation, fracking, clean energy, mining, climate change: Larger threats require new and imaginative approaches. The net gain (or loss) of jobs should not obscure the monumental demand to protect the planet.

Trump is just one of the manifestations of the national discontent. To his slogan “Make America Great Again,” my most appropriate response — as a tribute to labor and working people — draws from one of our truly great Americans, Langston Hughes, who proclaimed, “Let America be America Again! Let it be the dream it used to be. Let it be the pioneer on the plain, seeking a home where he himself is free. (America never was America to me.)”

Continued from page 25

president of the CaribbeanAmerican Political Action Committee (C-PAC); Justin Hansford, professor at the Howard University School of Law; Maulana Karenga, creator of the holiday Kwanzaa; and Troy Johnson, founder of the African American Literature Book Club. They provide a multi-faceted examination of Garvey’s enduring influence, each bringing their expertise and perspective to shed light on Garvey’s impact and the ongoing quest for his rightful vindication.

University School of Law; Maulana Karenga, creator of the holiday Kwanzaa; and Troy Johnson, founder of the African American Literature Book Club. They provide a multi-faceted examination of Garvey’s enduring influence, each bringing their expertise and perspective to shed light on Garvey’s impact and the ongoing quest for his rightful vindication.

The essays and narratives illustrate how Garvey’s ideals of Black empowerment and selfdetermination continue to resonate in today’s social justice movements.

his work and rectifying an injustice that has had ripple effects across generations.

This post was originally published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform.

This post was originally published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform.

Gwen McKinney is the creator of Unerased | Black Women Speak and the founder of McKinney & Associates, the first African American and woman-owned communications firm in the nation’s capital that expressly promotes social justice and public policy.

The essays and narratives illustrate how Garvey’s ideals of Black empowerment and self-determination continue to resonate in today’s social justice movements.

“An African History of Africa” by Zeinab Badawi In a world where narratives about Africa have often been shaped by non-African perspectives, Zeinab Badawi’s “An African History of Africa” stands as a reimagination of the continent’s intricate and storied past. Already a major international bestseller with the paperback version due out next year, this ambitious and globally respected work offers a sweeping and much-needed survey of African history from the very beginnings of humanity to the contemporary era, all through an authentically African lens.

“An African History of Africa” by Zeinab Badawi In a world where narratives about Africa have often been shaped by non-African perspectives, Zeinab Badawi’s “An African History of Africa” stands as a reimagination of the continent’s intricate and storied past. Already a major international bestseller with the paperback version due out next year, this ambitious and globally respected work offers a sweeping and muchneeded survey of African history from the very beginnings of humanity to the contemporary era, all through an authentically African lens.

uncovering the continent’s immense contributions to global history. The book spans from the origins of Homo sapiens in Africa — often referred to as the “cradle of humankind” — to the complex tapestry of ancient civilizations such as Egypt, Mali, and Great Zimbabwe. It explores medieval empires marked by remarkable rulers and queens, including Mansa Musa of Mali and Queen Nzinga of Angola, whose legacies have been overshadowed by colonial narratives.

itizing African perspectives and uncovering the continent’s immense contributions to global history. The book spans from the origins of Homo sapiens in Africa — often referred to as the “cradle of humankind” — to the complex tapestry of ancient civilizations such as Egypt, Mali, and Great Zimbabwe. It explores medieval empires marked by remarkable rulers and queens, including Mansa Musa of Mali and Queen Nzinga of Angola, whose legacies have been overshadowed by colonial narratives.

Julius Garvey’s efforts to secure a posthumous pardon for his father reflect a broader movement to address the political atrocity that has lingered long past its time. The campaign for Garvey’s exoneration is not merely about clearing his name, but about acknowledging the impact of his work and rectifying an injustice that has had ripple effects across generations.

Julius Garvey’s efforts to secure a posthumous pardon for his father reflect a broader movement to address the political atrocity that has lingered long past its time. The campaign for Garvey’s exoneration is not merely about clearing his name, but about acknowledging the impact of

Badawi, a journalist and broadcaster, has meticulously crafted a narrative that seeks to correct historical — particularly Western and colonial — misconceptions and highlight the truth of Africa’s international influence and innovation. “An African History of Africa” disrupts these racist and misogynistic conventional accounts by prioritizing African perspectives and

Badawi, a journalist and broadcaster, has meticulously crafted a narrative that seeks to correct historical — particularly Western and colonial — misconceptions and highlight the truth of Africa’s international influence and innovation. “An African History of Africa” disrupts these racist and misogynistic conventional accounts by prior-

In bringing Africa’s history to the forefront, “An African History of Africa” challenges readers to reconsider long-held untruths and to appreciate the continent’s significant place in world history. As Badawi’s book reaches audiences around the globe, it serves as a crucial tool for fostering a more inclusive and accurate examination of Africa. Badawi’s work is a mustread for anyone interested in a more comprehensive and authentic view of African history.

In bringing Africa’s history to the forefront, “An African History of Africa” challenges readers to reconsider long-held untruths and to appreciate the continent’s significant place in world history. As Badawi’s book reaches audiences around the globe, it serves as a crucial tool for fostering a more inclusive and accurate examination of Africa. Badawi’s work is a must-read for anyone interested in a more comprehensive and authentic view of African history.

As the WNBA regular season winds down, the Liberty maintain the best record

By LOIS ELFMAN

Special to the AmNews

With four regular season games left to play, the New York Liberty sit atop the WNBA standings. While a spot in the playoffs and a high seed are guaranteed, the Liberty players continue to work on keeping the top spot to ensure home court advantage.

On Tuesday night, the Liberty scored a 105–91 win over the Dallas Wings, which have already been eliminated from playoff contention and are trying to finish off the 2024 WNBA season with their heads held high. Breanna Stewart led all scorers with 27 points. Sabrina Ionescu had 14 points and 11 assists and Jonquel Jones contributed 19 points and five rebounds. Of course, the ultimate goal is winning a championship.

“I think we’ve grown in our experience, but we have really experienced players,” said Liberty coach Sandy Brondello. “The ones who went through it last year, we know what we want and how hard it is to get there, so it’s a focus and a mentality. My job as the leader is to make sure we keep the eye on what our goal is.”

On Sunday, the Liberty defeated the two-time defending WNBA Champion Las Vegas Aces that were playing without star A’ja Wilson, who missed the game due to an ankle injury. That makes three wins over the Aces this season.

The teams nipping at the Liberty’s heels are Minnesota Lynx and the Connecticut Sun. On Tuesday, the Lynx defeated the Atlanta Dream 76–64 and the Sun played the Los Angeles Sparks. Seven of the eight playoff spots have been filled. The eighth spot likely won’t be determined for another week as the Chicago Sky, Atlanta Dream and Washington Mystics fight it out. The Sky’s chances are diminished by a wrist injury that has ended Angel Reese’s season.

Tonight, the Liberty have a rematch with the Wings in Dallas and then head back to Brooklyn to take on the Lynx on Sunday at Barclays Center, a key game to establish dominance heading into the playoffs. The Liberty split regular season games with the Lynx this year but lost to them in the Commissioner’s Cup championship game. Minnesota is looking to return its previous dominance of four WNBA titles in seven years (2011, ’13, ’15 and ’17), as New York seeks its first title in franchise history.

Former HBCU baseball standout Brandon Rembert eyes talent for the Pittsburgh Pirates

By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor

Last week, in Part 1 of the AmNews’ profile of former Alcorn State outfielder Brandon Rembert, we highlighted his journey from being a pro baseball prospect to a scout for the Pittsburgh Pirates covering the Midwest region of the country for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The lifeblood of an organization is scouting — identifying, securing and developing talent at all levels, from the lower minor leagues to the majors. It is an inexact science, but a specialized skill. Assessing players, some who are still teenagers, which may lead to committing millions of dollars and a half a decade of nurturing before they mature into MLB-ready young men, requires diligence and meticulousness.

Rigorously analyzing mental, physical and emotional characteristics of potential draft picks and signees is vital. The 25-year-old Rembert, who has a bachelor’s degree in general studies and a master’s degree in athletic administration, is often not much older than the athletes he’s evaluating.

“Beyond their obvious ability, I am carefully examining their makeup — their attitude, body language, perseverance, [and] how they react to failure,” said Rembert. “How does he interact with his teammates? How does he engage with his family before and after games? Is he supporting his team-

Brandon Rembert made the transition from being a professional baseball prospect playing the outfield for the Alcorn State Braves to being a scout for the Pittsburgh Pirates. (Brandon Rembert photo)

mates on the field? Is he vocal?

“I’m closely watching his pre-game routine. His preparation. Some players have incredible gifts. Their aptitude is evident. But do they have the mentality and work habits that will make them great? So many people like to call it the Kobe Bryant mentality. The mamba mentality. Work ethic is critical.”

A native of Pensacola, Florida, Rembert, who is not married, has no children but is in a steady relationship with his girlfriend, lives in Dallas, Texas, and spends many days and nights attending high school and college games and showcases spanning multiple states. His official title is area scout.

“Dallas is a good central base for the locations I have to cover,” he said. “Texas, Oklahoma, Iowa. Wisconsin, and other states. The busiest time of the year is January to July. There was the college and high school season in the winter and spring. The USA Collegiate National Team Trials in June in Cary, North Carolina, in June. The Perfect Game Nationals in Arizona in July. The Area Code Games in Long Beach, California, last month (August). It seems endless and scouting as many players as possible, roughly 150, requires focus and discipline and a system.” The system to which Rembert refers entails writing reports on each player.

“There is a learning curve in whatever you do,” he said. “What’s important is how fast you can learn and master information and apply it.”

Jonquel Jones and the New York Liberty continue to stay above the rest of the WNBA in the standings. (Brandon Todd/New York Liberty photo)

Sinner cements No.1 world ranking by capturing the

U.S. Open men’s title

By JUANNE HARRIS Special to the AmNews

On any given day, Serbia’s 37-year-old Novak Djokovic, who holds the record for the most men’s Grand Slam singles tennis titles at 24, and 21-year-old Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, who has already captured three majors, including this year’s French Open and Wimbledon, are the sport’s best men’s players.

But 23-year-old Jannik Sinner of Italy entered the US Open two weeks ago as the world’s No. 1 ranked male; defeated No. 12 seed Taylor Fritz of the United States in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5, in the finals of the tournament on Sunday at Arthur Ashe Stadium at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Queens; and cemented his standing.

Sinner and the 26-year-old Fritz were vying to win their first US Open title. Fritz was also trying to become the first American man to win a Grand Slam singles title in 21 years. Andy Roddick, the last American man to achieve this feat when he won the 2003 U.S. Open, was in the stands for the match. Sinner became the first Italian to win the men’s singles final at the U.S. Open in a match that lasted 2 1/2 hours.

Sinner’s movement from the baseline and

88% first-serve win percentage, versus Fritz’s 68%, were key to his victory. After dropping the first two sets, Sinner powered back with his relentless baseline game, extending the length of rallies against Fritz, who rarely serves and volleys. Fritz gave the crowd some hope for a rally in the third set, going up 5-4, but was unable to serve out of the set, with Sinner ultimately taking the set with a fourgame run to close out the match.

Sinner’s win, coming just weeks after he was exonerated in a doping case, bookended his breakthrough 2024 Grand Slam season with his second trophy of the year. In January, he overcame a two-set deficit to defeat Daniil Medvedev at the Australian Open and win the first major of his career. With his victory in Flushing Meadows, Sinner joined Jimmy Connors (1974) and Guillermo Vilas (1977) to become the third man to win his first two Grand Slam titles in the same season.

Sinner dedicated his win to his aunt, who he called “a very important person,” saying, “I would like to dedicate this title to my aunt, because she is really not feeling well, healthwise. I don’t know how much I still have her in my life. It’s so nice that I can share a positive moment still with her … If there would be the biggest wish, I would wish the best health to everyone, but unfortunately, it’s not possible.”

Coming up short last year, Sabalenka captures the 2024 U.S. Open

women’s championship

By B.L. OLIVER

Special to the AmNews

Aryna Sabalenka yearned to win the U.S. Open women’s singles championship. She came ever so close last year but was bested in the finals by a tour de force carried out by Coco Gauff. This year, she was determined not to be denied.

On Saturday at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, the women’s world No. 2 seed from Belarus outplayed the No. 3 seed, American Jessica Pegula, 7-5, 7-5 to attain her goal.

“Finally I got this beautiful trophy,” said Sabalenka, clutching the silver cup. “Oh my God, I’m speechless right now because as you said so many times I thought I was so close to getting the U.S. Open title. It was always a dream of mine…”

On her journey to the U.S. Open finals, Sabalenka dropped just one set, in the third round to Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova (2-6, 6-1, 6-2). The U.S. Open was the 26-year-old Sabalenka’s third Grand Slam singles title, adding it to her 2023 and 2024 Australian Open wins. As for the 30-year-old Pegula, this

year’s U.S. Open was the first time she made it past the quarter-finals in a Grand Slam.

In the quarter-finals, she defeated the world’s No. 1, Poland’s Iga Swiatek, 6-2 ,6-4 , and in the semifinals Pegula took down Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic, 1-6, 6-4, 6-2. In an interview on the court following her loss to Sabalenka, Pegula reflected on her path to finals.

“It has been an incredible month for me really, I had a rough start to the year but really able to turn it around,” she said. “I was able to fight back and give myself a chance, but it wasn’t enough. I’m glad I was able to say I gave myself opportunities.”

She then jokingly said of her opponent, “I wish she would have let me win one set.” Pegula, whose parents, Terry and Kim Pegula, are the principal owners of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills, thanked her family and the fans for supporting her. The Buffalo native, who now lives in Boca Raton, Florida, endeared herself to everyday New Yorkers by taking the subway to her matches, being recorded and photographed on trains and platforms carrying her large tennis bag over her shoulder.

Jannik Sinner kisses winner’s trophy after defeating Taylor Fritz for U.S. Open men’s singles title on Sunday at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Aryna Sabalenka (far right), with tennis legend Billie Jean King and opponent Jessica Pegula, holds the winner’s championship trophy after her victory in the U.S. Open Women’s singles final on Saturday. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Harvard tennis coach Traci Green named president of the Black Women in Sport Foundation

By LOIS ELFMAN Special to the AmNews

Before Harvard University women’s tennis kicks off its season this weekend with the Harvard Fall Classic, head coach Traci Green headed to her hometown of Philadelphia to officially become president of the Black Women in Sport Foundation (BWSF). The torch was passed on Sept. 9 at Citizens Bank Park during a Philadelphia Phillies game. Green’s mother, Tina Sloan Green, who will now have the title of president emerita, co-founded the BWSF in 1992 with Dr. Nikki Franke and Dr. Alpha Alexander.

“I grew up seeing the BWSF do amazing things,” said Green. “To take the reins and lead it in a solid direction for the next few years truly is an honor.”

The mission of the BWSF has included introducing Black girls to non-traditional sports. Sloan Green coached field hockey and lacrosse and Temple University while Franke coached fencing. Green is focused on fundraising

to make sure the foundation can continue its grassroots efforts. She will also work on developing new programming that exposes Black women and girls to a variety of sports.

“Visibility has always been a major focus of ours,” Green said. “Visibility will be at the forefront of my agenda. … The more visibility we can help promote for women of color in coaching roles and in all facets of sports careers, that is a goal of ours.”

Green credits her parents and the late tennis great Arthur Ashe with emphasizing the importance of education. That perspective has helped her thrive as a college coach. She is now in her 16th season at Harvard, where she has the title of Sheila Kelly Palandjian Head Coach for Harvard Women’s Tennis.

“Being a role model and developing other role models is super important,” Green said. “I feel so many people look up to me because there aren’t very many [women like] me in these types of roles that I am currently in. Whatever I can do to give back,

influence and uplift anyone who is trying to be on a similar career path, I want to do that.

I’m also open to reverse mentoring (students sharing knowledge with her).”

This fall, the NCAA is piloting a new program for Division I tennis. Fall play will culminate with a national championship

in singles and doubles. Spring play will be solely focused on the team and will end with the annual NCAA Championship for teams.

Skaters Nica Digerness and Mark Sadusky score top 10 finish at the Colorado Cup

By LOIS ELFMAN

Special to the AmNews

U.S. pairs skaters Nica Digerness and Mark Sadusky started the season with a win and a personal best score at Cup of Colorado and then headed to New York City for the John Nicks International Pairs Challenge, their first international competition as a team. The 15-team field at SkyRink at Chelsea Piers included pairs from the U.S., Canada, Uzbekistan, Italy, Finland, Japan, the Philippines, Sweden, and Austria. Digerness and Sadusky placed 10th.

“This is the biggest competition we’ve done, so a little bit more nervous,” said Digerness after last week’s competition. “We did pretty well for our first international. It was very exciting.”

“This competition was a little bit nerve-racking,” said Sadusky. “It was different than competing at domestic competitions. There was so much

high level skating going on. It was a step in the right direction for our international experience.”

It’s been a somewhat tumultuous year for Digerness, 24, and Sadusky, 26. After a seventh-place finish at the 2024 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, the duo changed coaches in the spring, moving their training base to Colorado Springs to work with Drew Meekins and Natalia Mishkutenok.

Although sightseeing came after the competition — including a trip to the U.S. Open — Sadusky appreciated walking around the city instead of driving. They even rode the subway, which felt familiar to Sadusky, who grew up in Oakland, California, with public transit.

“I love the culture of New York, I love the food especially,” he said.

The pair is now back to training. While both appreciate

Meekins’s high standards and attention to detail, the first month was a big adjustment. Now, Sadusky appreciates her coach’s guidance and focus on improvement as well as training among top pairs teams.

“We’re growing tremendously as a team,” said Sadusky. “He’s always striving to make us better, to make the elements stronger, improve the presentation side, everything is always push, push, push. There is always more work to be done. Having that type of coach is really important.”

Sadusky coaches in the early mornings before heading to training. Whenever he is on the ice, he hopes his presence leads to more diversity in the sport.

“Even on the international scene, I’m the only African American male,” he said. “I hope one day I get that chance to make Skate America (an annual Grand Prix event held in the U.S.) so that people can see this is a sport for everyone.”

Harvard University women’s tennis coach Traci Green (right) has been named the new president of the Black Women in Sport Foundation. (Harvard Athletics photo)

U.S. pairs skaters Nica Digerness (left) and Mark Sadusky have begun the season with a promising 10th place showing at the Colorado Cup. (Lois Elfman photo)

The Giants can’t let this season get away from them early

By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor

The Giants’ 28-6 defeat to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in their regular season opener may not be predictive. But it was ominous and alarming.

Having finished tied with the Tennessee Titans at 6-11 last season for the sixth worst record in the 32-team NFL, the Giants showed no discernible improvement in Week 1 and conversely demonstrated regression.

The eye-test and lopsided score support the latter assertion as the team was simply bad in getting thoroughly outplayed by the visiting Vikings. On a day that the franchise honored some of its all-time great players as one of many scheduled events this season to celebrate the team’s 100th anniversary, their poor performance as many of the legends watched from suites overlooking the field, was an affront to the four-time Super Bowl-winning legacy they were instrumental in establishing.

The Giants cannot lose their grip on this season as they did a year ago, when they began 1-5. Although the Giants mathematically remained in the playoff race until a 35-25 Christmas Day loss to the Philadelphia Eagles that put them at 5-10, for all intents and purposes they were done on November 5 in Week 9. That’s when they fell to 2-7 after a 30-6 spanking by the Las Vegas Raiders on the road in a game starting quarterback Daniel Jones suffered a season ending torn ACL in his right knee.

The 27-year-old Jones, who likely won’t be with the Giants beyond this season, as he has not yet proven to be a viable long-term starter six seasons into his NFL career, is in the second year of a four-year $160 million contract agreed upon in March 2023. The Giants and Jones restructured the deal six months later and the team would incur a $22 million dead money hit (a charge to a team’s salary cap for a player no longer on the roster) if they moved on from him after this season. A number that

is not excessively high.

But the visible problems in the opener were more than Jones, who labored from the outset and was only 22-42 for 186 yards and two interceptions — one a pick by Vikings linebacker Andrew Van Ginkle with 4:22 remaining in the third quarter which he returned for a touchdown to cap off the day’s scoring.

“Yeah, I’d just say for all of us, we can all do a better job,” said Giants head coach Brian Daboll on Monday when asked specifically about Jones.

“Based on how the game went, I think we can all do a better job,” he reiterated. “So, we’re all accountable to it. We make no excuses. And we’ll watch this one here in 10 minutes and correct the things we’ve got to get corrected and move on to Washington.”

It’s a collective organizational fix, from team owners John Mara and Steve Tisch, to general manager Joe Schoen and Daboll. Yes, the Giants have put the Vikings loss behind them and intensely locked in to the Commanders, which they face

this Sunday on the road. The past is irrevocable. The Giants have 16 more games ahead.

But the next one may tell an even deeper and more troubling story or be a guide map for betterment.

Jets look towards the Titans after season opening loss to the 49ers

By DERREL JOHNSON Special to the AmNews

Ardent supporters of the Jets optimistically and anxiously awaited their regular season opener versus the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night. Now they have turned their attention to the 0-1 Tennessee Titans, which the Jets will face on Sunday in Nashville, after the Jets had a disappointing 32-19 road loss to the 49ers.

Despite the 49ers’ All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey being a late scratch due to a calf strain, the Jets’ defense could not slow down San Francisco. In his first career start, McCaffrey’s fillin, third year running back Jordan Mason, who was undrafted out of Georgia Tech in 2022, had a career highs of 28 carries and 147 yards to power his team’s offense versus a New York unit expected to be one of the best in the NFL this season. Overall, the 49ers had 180-yards on the ground on 38 attempts.

“They’re very, very good upfront and from an efficiency standpoint they beat us up front, plain and simple,” said Jets head coach

“They are an elite football team and I know they’re missing Christian, but they still have (wide receivers) Deebo

(Samuel) and (Brandon) Aiyuk and (Jauan) Jennings and a really good O-line and a really good quarterback (Brock Purdy). So credit to them, they executed a heck of a lot better than we did.”

The game marked the return of Jets QB Aaron Rodgers, who suffered a season-ending torn left Achilles four snaps into the regular season opener 12 months ago. Rodgers looked fully capably mobile in going 13-21 for 167 yards with one touchdown and an interception. He didn’t have too many opportunities as the 49ers controlled time of possession—38 minutes and 40 seconds to the Jets’ 21 minutes and 20 seconds.

Rodgers’s best moment was leading the Jets on a 12-play, 70-yard scoring drive in the first quarter. “It felt great,” Rodgers said about taking the Jets down the field which resulted in a three-yard touchdown run by running back Breece Hall.

“We had some on-the-ball plays there where it had a menu to choose from. Luckily I chose the right ones in those situations and made the proper reads, but I felt like the protection on that drive was especially good. I mean, it was great all night, but with that drive I had a lot of time to throw… But we have to do a better job starting the second half there, get back in the game.”

The Jets struggled to run the ball, averaging 3.6 yards on 19 carries for 68 yards.

Linebacker Haason Reddick, who the Jets acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles this past April in a trade, did not play as he is holding out seeking a contract extension. .

Robert Saleh.

The Jets’ D.J Reed (No.4) tries to slow down San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan Mason in a 32-19 road loss in their regular season opener on Monday night. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Giants rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers elevates for one of his five catches in his NFL regular debut on Sunday in a 28-6 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)