New York Amsterdam News E-edtion Oct. 5-11, 2023

Poverty Tracker report points to financial stability for families

IN THE RED

TARGET’S WITHDRAWAL FROM EAST HARLEM CITING THEFT MET WITH DOUBT, DISAPPOINTMENT

(See story on page 3)

East Harlem Target closes

(Photo by Anthony Behar/Sipa

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INDEX

Arts & Entertainment Page 17

» Astro Page 20

» Jazz Page 24

» Theater .........................................Page 19

Caribbean Update Page 14

Classified Page 30

Editorial/Opinion Pages 12,13

Education Page 28

Go with the Flo Page 8

Health Page 16

In the Classroom Page 26

Community Page 9

Religion & Spirituality Page 15

Sports Page 39

Union Matters

.................................. Page 10

KENYAN

TROOPS SIGN PACT TO FIGHT

Kenya,” Austin said after the meeting.

On Monday, Duale said his country was ready to deploy to Haiti and cited Kenya’s “very long history of global peacekeeping” in Kosovo, neighboring Somalia, and Congo.

to provide money,’” he said.

GANG VIOLENCE IN

HAITI

WITH U.S. FUNDS (GIN)—After months of fruitless efforts to control spiraling gang violence in Haiti, a framework for defense cooperation has been signed by the United States and Kenya aimed at creating a multinational force to quash the violence that has taken so many lives.

Such a deployment had been stalled for months because no country would agree to lead such a perilous mission.

This week, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Kenya’s Defense Minister Aden Duale signed

the accord, authored by the U.S. and Ecuador, at a meeting in Nairobi that will guide the countries’ defense relations for the next five years. They are expected to be working behind the scenes to build support for the plan among the U.N. Security Council’s 15 members and in the wider international community.

Washington will supply “robust financial and logistical assistance” in the amount of $100 million to the proposed deployment.

“Signing the framework for defense cooperation between our two countries today reinforces the importance of our strategic partnership with

For now, Kenya is expected to be the largest contributor of personnel at 1,000 police officers and troops. At least a dozen nations have now come forward to help tackle the gang violence engulfing the country.

Besides the Bahamas, Jamaica, Antigua, and Barbuda, at least a dozen nations are offering to join the effort to fight gang violence. Other countries stepping up are Italy, Spain, Mongolia, Senegal, Belize, Suriname, Guatemala, and Peru.

Assistant Secretary of State Brian Nichols was surprised at the numerous offers of support coming from Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. “People were saying, ‘Hey, we’re in, we’re going to support; we are going to provide troops, we’re going to provide police, we’re going

Haitian Americans and Haitians at home, however, are split about whether a Kenya-led intervention is a good idea, said Macollvie Neel, executive editor of Brooklyn-based Haitian Times, speaking with the online publication Semafor. Many in the diaspora remember the sexual abuse and devastating cholera outbreak that accompanied foreign forces in past decades, but they also said ongoing bloodshed in their country leaves them with few other options.

Also, perhaps worrying, the international force would not be a U.N. force, so if deployed, Kenyan police would be in charge rather than answer to a U.N. force commander as they would be required to do in a U.N. peacekeeping mission.

Still, cellphone repairman Jerthro Antoine, speaking to Al Jazeera news, said Kenya’s police can’t come soon enough. He said

See INTERNATIONAL on page 29

DRC prez reflects on his nation’s prospects

By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff

During a luncheon with the international media on September 19, Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, president of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), gave a speech describing the political relationships his nation has had with Europeans, the United States, and now China.

Tshisekedi had been invited by Djibril Diallo, president and CEO of the African Renaissance and Diaspora Network (ARDN), to deliver his talk at Manhattan’s 5th Avenue Peninsula Hotel.

The theme of the talk was “Strengthening of the Relationship between the Democratic Republic of Congo and the United States.”

But initially, Tshisekedi looked back at how, when the Congo Free State was created in 1885, it had been gifted to King Leopold II of Belgium: Instead of being carved out during the infamous 1884 Berlin Conference that partitioned Africa among European nations, Congo was given to a single person, Belgium’s King Leopold.

The Belgian king enriched himself by enslaving the Congolese and forcing them to mine natural resources, like rubber and ivory. “There were atrocities committed under

the oversight of King Leopold,” Tshisekedi said through an interpreter, “There was literally a genocide. A genocide that historians have calculated led to 10 million deaths.”

In the 20th century, even more deaths could be connected to the DRC’s resources: The uranium that was used to create the U.S.’s atomic bomb also came from the DRC. “It’s sad to say, but the Second World War ended through the bombing of two Japanese cities––of Hiroshima and Nagasaki…The uranium that was used to make the bomb…

came from the Democratic Republic of Congo,” Tshisekedi noted.

“Therefore, the United States of America and the DRC are both, together, at the birth of the onset of the atomic age.”

But Tshisekedi said that while the DRC acknowledges its past, it’s now in a new phase, one that he sees as beginning with the elections that took place in 2018. These were the elections that brought him and the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (the party his father, opposition leader Étienne Tshisekedi,

helped to create) to power. “For the first time in the history of the Democratic Republic of Congo, there was a peaceful and democratic change of power, without bloodshed,” Tshisekedi said. And the United States of America was the first country to recognize those elections as being valid. By doing so, the U.S. helped tamper any suggestions that there had been voting fraud or that there would be a post-election controversy. The U.S. basically gave the elections a stamp of approval.

(GIN photo)

Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, president of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) shaking hands with Djibril Diallo, president and CEO of the African Renaissance and Diaspora Network (ARDN). (Bill Moore photo)

Target’s withdrawal from East Harlem citing theft met with doubt and disappointment

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

Expect more, stay less? Mega-retailer

Target announced the imminent shuttering of nine city locations, including the East Harlem store, last Tuesday, Sept. 26, over “team member and guest safety.” The company specifically cites theft and organized retail crime as the source of those safety concerns and “unsustainable business performance.”

Doors officially close in East Harlem on Oct. 21. Back in 2010, the location opened with the fanfare of being Manhattan’s first Target. Now it’s the company’s only store

on the East Coast shutting down due to shoplifting; 96 other Targets remain in the New York City market.

The East Harlem store currently has another 17.5 years on its lease, according to the Blumenfeld Development Group. The co-developer of East River Plaza—the shopping center housing the Target location—called the store closure a “business decision” and argued against painting East Harlem as “unsafe to justify a different business model or vindicate an overly aggressive expansion plan.”

“Target’s suggestion that crime is the reason for its decision to leave the East River Plaza is a sweeping and unfair characterization of our center and the entire

East Harlem community, and to suggest that the safety of their employees and customers is threatened in East Harlem is an insult to everyone who is committed to this community,” the Blumenfeld Development Group added. East Harlem’s Community Board 11 chair Xavier Santiago felt the announcement disingenuously presented the community as unsafe, especially given the neighborhood’s large Spanish-speaking population.

“Although I doubt race was within their worldview, the optics are poor, because you’re doing this to [a] predominantly Hispanic community during Hispanic Heritage Month at the marquee store right before the holidays,” he said.

Both Santiago and the Blumenfeld Development Group point to police data on petit larceny, which tallies most misdemeanor shoplifting crimes, as a counter-narrative to Target’s claim, although the actual store’s theft numbers are not publicly available.

The NYPD’s stats, as of this week’s start, report 948 petit larceny complaints in East Harlem’s 25th Precinct, a small decrease from last year. The numbers are nearly identical to Central Harlem’s 28th Precinct, which reports 967 petit larceny complaints this year and will cover the upcoming location. Another 620 complaints were reported by the 10th Precinct, where an upcoming Chelsea store is planned, a 10%

See TARGET on page 25

CM Nantasha Williams, City Council reparations, and antiracism legislation meet resistance

By ARIAMA C. LONG Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member

The City Council heard a package of eight bills last month highlighting antiracism, education, Black history, diversity, racial equity, and reparations. Some are being met with resistance.

“I feel very passionately about this bill and the other bills that get us to reconcile with the truth, because we sort of forget if we don’t tell our stories,” said Councilmember Nantasha Williams, who heads the Committee on Civil and Human Rights. “That’s how I feel being in this position: that I have an obligation to try to right some of the harms that have been done to Black

and indigenous people in New York City.” Bills Int 1101-2023 from Councilmember Amanda Farías and Int 1118-2023 from Councilmember Williams,both mandate anti-racism training for human services contractors and anti-racial discrimination training for city employees. The trainings are likely to include updated policies and practices designed to combat racism and advance racial equity, and be required at least once a year. According to the city, an “Everybody Matters” diversity training is currently available, but it is optional.

“We’ve learned through the years, even with legislation aimed at outlawing discrimination…that doesn’t change attitudes, beliefs, behaviors. When you have people who are in positions of power, the

power differential is significant,” testified Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies (FPWA) Chief Executive Officer Jennifer Jones Austin, who was in full support of the two bills. “And whether they show up intentionally or intentionally, because racism and bias pervade every pillar of society, they often show up with those in place.”

There is also legislation that calls for the “creation of a truth, healing, and reconciliation process in connection with the city’s historic involvement in slavery” and a task force to consider the impact of that role in past injustices against Black people in New York City.

This aligns with the state’s reparations remedies package passed by the legislature this June. It also examines the impact

of slavery throughout the state and subsequent systemic racism against Black people, said Assemblymember Michaelle C. Solages. Before the American Revolution, enslaved Africans accounted for 20% of the population in New York City. New York technically abolished slavery in 1827, but in no way, shape, or form did that end discriminatory and racist practices.

Black Americans in New York, and nationwide, suffered decades of violent “voter suppression, redlining and housing discrimination, biased policing, food apartheid, and disproportionate rates of incarceration” because of these past practices and views, said the state.

Public Advocate (PA) Jumaane Williams

See LEGISLATION on page 27

Six active NYPD officers named more than 20 times in civil lawsuits each since 2013, finds Legal Aid Society

By TANDY LAU

Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member

New York Police Department (NYPD)

Sgt. David Grieco has been named as a defendant in 48 filed civil lawsuits totalling more than a million dollars in payouts since 2013. Yet there’s no record of department disciplinary action against the police veteran on the NYPD’s website. Recently released findings by the Legal Aid Society point to Grieco, who currently works in chief crime control strategies, as by far the most-named member of the department in civil lawsuits currently active in the NYPD.

Five other service members employed by the NYPD—all currently detectives—

were also named in more than 20 lawsuits each, according to the findings. Another list delineated the highest named lawsuit total payout per active officer, totalling $68,757,251 between the 10 names listed.

All the findings stem from data between 2013 and this past July 28.

Jennvine Wong, a staff attorney with the Cop Accountability Project at the Legal Aid Society, said such lawsuits and payouts are meant to deter police misconduct and encourage accountability. At least, that’s the idea.

“The vast majority of them are settled, so there’s no finding of wrongdoing or liability against the officers themselves,” said Wong. “In New York, these funds don’t come out of the NYPD budget, and the individual officers are usually indemnified—

that means that the city taxpayers are the ones who are actually paying the judgments against them. It doesn’t come out of the NYPD budget, it doesn’t come out of the individual officer’s pocket.”

She added that many of these cases are what attorneys call “straight damages claims”—while they’re largely about wrongdoing, they don’t necessarily mandate departmental action. But settlement agreements can spring from such litigation, including the city’s recent overhaul of protest responses after recent settlements over police misconduct in the 2020 Black Lives Matter demonstrations.

The Legal Aid Society said the sums are a conservative total for the payouts because the data used only accounts for formal lit-

igation and not settlements made before legal proceedings. The NYC Comptroller’s Office, which handles such payments, told the AmNews an accurate assessment was not readily available on hand by press time. But there’s reason to believe the total payouts are significantly higher than the known amount.

Such a report is bookended by the Legal Aid Society’s previous report of around $50 million in police misconduct payouts made in this year’s first half and the public defense organization’s “Your Rights, Your Power” campaign pushing back against the growing number of police stops.

The NYPD responded by pointing to settlements for age-old wrongful conviction

See NYPD LAWSUIT on page 25

Trump slams AG James as a racist

By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews

Donald Trump arrived in court Monday morning as bellicose as ever, accusing Attorney General Letitia James of being a racist, and of being biased and corrupt. “We have a racist attorney general who is a horror show, who ran on the basis that she’s going to get Trump before she knew anything about me,” he raged.

This was just part of his vituperative comments outside the courtroom to the press, although his words echoed across the chamber where Judge Arthur Engoron waited to adjudicate the fraud case against him. Engoron was not immune

to Trump’s charges: Trump called him a “rogue” adjudicator.

“It’s a scam,” Trump bellowed. “It’s a sham. Just so you know, my financial statements are phenomenal. There is no crime, the crime was against me.”

Given this overture, the case portends to be a highly volatile affair, although for the most part, it’s a done deal and merely a matter of how much he will have to pay for his years of fraudulent reports about overvaluing his property. In short, it’s a bench trial to determine the extent of the damages.

It was not clear what Trump said at the end of his appearance at this civil trial when he passed near James, who was

sitting in the front row of the court. According to one reporter, he just glanced down at her. Trump’s son Eric, however, reached out to shake her hand, and they exchanged words.

In effect, this is the first shot across the bow. Trump faces 40 felony charges in the classified documents case, and the most serious charge carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.

There was good news and bad news for Trump from the Supreme Court this week. On Monday, the court turned down a case that challenged his eligibility to run for the White House in 2024. The case was brought by presidential candidate John Anthony Castro, a tax consultant, who argued the

14th Amendment disqualified Trump from seeking the presidency because of his alleged role in the January 6 insurrection, but Trump was not indicted on charges related to that uprising.

On the other hand, the court rejected an appeal by John Eastman, a conservative lawyer, who attempted to shield his emails from congressional investigators pertaining to the results of the 2020 election, not the riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Eastman is one of the 19 indicted, along with Trump, for allegedly interfering in Georgia’s election to overturn the results in Trump’s favor. Justice Clarence Thomas recused himself from the ruling because Eastman was his former law clerk.

Jeffries, Dem leadership on narrowly avoided gov shutdown

By ARIAMA C. LONG Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member

Down to the wire yet again, the country’s top Democrats and Republicans have stopped bickering long enough to avoid another government shutdown. House Democratic Leader and Congressmember Hakeem Jeffries called it a “victory” over “extreme rightwing policies” at a convening this weekend.

“The American people have won. The extreme MAGA Republicans have lost. It was a victory for the American people and a complete and total surrender by right-wing extremists who throughout the year have tried to hijack the Congress,” said Jeffries.

Congress and the U.S. Senate have to pass 12 annual appropriation bills to fund and run the government. When the bills aren’t passed, shutdowns essentially close businesses, stop Medicare and SNAP benefits, and furlough

federal employees, among other more chaotic actions. This past weekend, they passed a short–term government funding bill to keep the federal government open for the next 45 days (until November 17) at mere hours before a critical deadline.

The bill includes natural disaster aid but not additional funding for Ukraine or border security, two issues that had caused weeks of major infighting among House Republicans, reported CNN. Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was described as “defiant” to Republican hardliners for working with Dems to keep things running, according to CNN.

During the commotion on Saturday, Congressmember Jamaal Bowman is rumored to have pulled a fire alarm to delay a vote. Bowman is currently under investigation, although he maintains that it was simply an accident.

Jeffries said “extreme MAGA Republicans” broke their agreement with Presi-

dent Biden and tried to put forth a bill with cuts to essential programs. “We went from devastating cuts that would have impacted the health, the safety, and the economic well-being of the American people in 24 hours to a spending agreement that meets the needs of the American people across the board,” said Jeffries. “[It is] entirely consistent with what Democrats have said from the very beginning is the only path forward: a bipartisan spending agreement that keeps the government open, avoids a catastrophic government shutdown, and meets the needs of the American people in every possible way.”

He promised to prioritize the needs of the American people and put people over politics.

Congressmember Kweisi Mfume said in a statement that he was proud to vote in favor of the short-term government funding bill.

“The legislation we passed out of the U.S. House today gives Congress 45 days to fur-

ther beat back these dangerous attempts by the extreme members of the Republican Party to cause our nation to implode,” said Mfume. “This is not a permanent nor perfect solution, but it was a necessary step to protect the innocent American lives that would have been adversely affected without the critical services of the federal government.”

Biden has signed the bill into law.

On Monday, October 2, Congressmember Matt Gaetz of Florida moved to oust McCarthy because of his cooperation with the Democrats. His challenge forced a vote to remove McCarthy.

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

Poverty Tracker report points to financial stability for families in 3-K for All

By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Special to the AmNews

A new report has determined that New York City’s 3-K for All program has generally had a positive economic impact on lowincome households.

3-K for All is designed to provide access to free early childhood education in a city where, according to the Day Care Council of New York, the average cost for schoolage child care is over $1000 a month.

The Early Childhood Poverty Tracker (ECPT) report, a collaborative effort between Columbia University’s Center on Poverty and Social Policy and the poverty-fighting Robin Hood Foundation, determined that 3-K for All not only brought wider access to early childhood education, it also made it easier for low-income parents to find employment and to financially buttress their growing families.

The ECPT is based on a poverty tracker first launched back in 2012. Sarah Oltmans from Robin Hood explained that the official poverty measures that looked at fluctuations in food costs as the main way to gage poverty had proved to be inadequate and outdated. “As any New Yorker knows, housing is probably a much bigger expense for people and childcare is, I think, the No. 2 expense for most households,” she said.

“We wanted to create a better picture of poverty in New York and go beyond just looking at a simple measure of income. So, the poverty tracker also takes into account what we call material hardships that look at things like is a family running out of food by the end of the month? Are they living in unstable housing? Is their electricity being shut off because they can’t pay their bills? And we also look at health as well, so it allows us to have a much more robust picture of what

3-K for All not only brought wider access to early childhood education, it also made it easier for low-income parents to find employment and to financially buttress their growing families. (Images courtesy of Robin Hood Foundation)

Amir Diop promotes an animated new children’s book

by KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff

Amir Diop’s first children’s book, “Lionel the lying lion,” is the kind of book he always wanted to read when he was a kid. Written and illustrated by the author, the book also features an augmented reality (AR) component, which means young readers can either read the book themselves or scan the book’s code and, as they turn the book’s pages, the book will be read to them as its illustrations come to life.

Diop was diagnosed with dyslexia as a child and remembers having to get private tutoring at school and at home to help him deal with the learning disability. His mother was adamant about helping him get his work done; she would make him sit down and have him constantly go over his work until he got it right. “That repetition, it taught me how to do things repetitively, including with this book in general. I had to repaint the book several times and recreate and recreate the imagery. I recreated words and recreated everything more than three or four times because I wanted it to be right.”

The interactive book, “Lionel the lying lion,” allows young readers to both read and experience the story of Lionel, a mischievous lion cub who tells what he thinks are harmless fibs until he realizes that lying can lead to dire consequences.

“So, why I thought of this book was to actually just try to help children be able to see a visual of what’s going on while they read, as well as hearing the audio in their ears. I remember, growing up, that the way that I was able to comprehend and really get to learn with words was by listening to audiobooks and sometimes watching the movies that were maybe tied to a book. When I did that, that would help me comprehend. But I was always like, why don’t all books just come with that. That was one of the things that, you know, never existed when I was a kid.

“So, when I found out about AR, that was like a no-brainer that it would be a good animating tool to help kids read.”

Born and raised in New York City, Amir Diop moved with his family to Long Island by the age of 12. He started attending the Waldorf School of Garden City and though there weren’t a lot of

Black kids in the school, he says he did not really encounter much

racism. Instead, he was bullied and teased about his artwork and

reading abilities.

But Diop says he used any attempts by his classmates to belittle him as challenges: “I made myself use those things to actually build me up as a person and follow the path that I wanted to go towards. It’s actually what inspired me to paint my illustrations,” he says.

The book’s illustrations are made with unique artwork and Diop hand drew every page. They were constructed with the patterning and layering of paint, backwards lettering, squiggly lines, and small, minute dots of what he calls dyslexic text. He says he’s perfected a style which he calls “Neo Savage.”

Diop has been to 25 different schools to read “Lionel the lying lion” to children since the book’s publication this past July. The book presentations include a reading and an art class for children. After his presentations, Diop says he encourages the school to get copies of the book for each child so that they can take the book home and experience it for themselves.

To contact Amir Diop about his book, email DiopstudiosLLC@gmail.com

Amir Diop with his children’s book ‘Lionel the lying lion,’ published in July 2023

AmNews’ ‘Beyond the Barrel’ goes ‘Beyond the Headlines’ at in-person convening

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

Conversations about gun violence prevention continued this past Thursday at “Beyond the Headlines,” the AmNews’ most recent “Beyond the Barrel” convening, held at the 1199 SEIU Manhattan headquarters. The trio of panels, moderated by NY1’s Errol Louis and AmNews’ own Helina Selemon and Karen Juanita Carrillo, explored gaps in shooting coverage.

Selemon led discussions about the impact of gun violence on Black and brown Americans in the healthcare field. Panelists were Harlem Mothers S.A.V.E’s Jackie Rowe-Adams, 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East secretary-treasurer Milly Silva, and Columbia Mailman School of Public Health assistant professor Dr. Heather Butts.

“We’re trying to start from the very beginning,” said Butts. “Before ABC-XYZ has happened, we’re trying to deal with social determinants and intervention.”

Louis was joined by Teamsters 237’s Shavell Knox, Frederick Douglass Houses Tenant Association president Carmen Quinones, and

Living Redemption credible messenger Dedric “Be-Loved” Hammond to talk about gun violence’s impact on Black and brown public housing residents.

“Be-Loved,” the Amsterdam News documentary about Hammond’s journey from gun violence perpetrator to interrupter, was shown during the convening. The film was directed by Emmy-nominated filmmaker Andre Lambertson, pro-

duced in-house by AmNews investigative editor Damaso Reyes, and released this past summer.

“They [have] so many programs for people to kill themselves, but for those who don’t want to die, and we’re getting gunned down on the street every day, they don’t want to make billion-dollar programs for us,” said Hammond.

Carrillo oversaw discussions about educational impacts for

Black and brown communities due to gun violence. Her panelists were Department of Education security director Mark Rampersant, American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten, and NYC senior advisor to the deputy mayor Lemuria Alawode-El.

“We talk about the choices young people make, but what choices are we giving them?” said Weingarten. “We need to take a

hard look at the young person in the village, and not inviting them to the village and providing them with what they need to function in the village—and then we wonder why the village gets burned down.”

Thursday’s convening stemmed from the “Beyond the Barrel of the Gun: Reducing Gun Violence in Black and Brown Communities by Empowering Solutions” initiative announced last year to rethink how gun violence is covered (for the sake of brevity, it’s frequently known as Beyond the Barrel). The idea is to highlight solutions on a platform known as New York City’s largest and oldest Black newspaper.

The AmNews also held “From Sorrow to Solutions,” another virtual convening, earlier this year, which also featured Rowe-Adams as a panelist.

Tandy Lau is a Report for America corps member and 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

Adams’ ‘City of Yes’ proposal for city zoning reform to build more housing in every neighborhood

By ARIAMA C. LONG Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member

Mayor Eric Adams proposed zoning changes and other housing initiatives to tackle the city’s severe housing shortage and affordability crisis. He aims to produce an additional 100,000 homes over the next 15 years.

The proposal is the third of three citywide zoning changes that will be presented to all five borough presidents, all 59 community boards, and the New York City Council in spring 2024, said the Mayor’s office.

Adams maintains that in order to properly address the crisis housing must be built equitably in every neighborhood citywide.

“So many of the challenges we face as a city are rooted in an ongoing housing shortage that is forcing too many people to leave New York City and making life increasingly difficult for those who stay,” said Adams. “For more than 60 years, we have added layers upon layers of regulations, effectively outlawing the kinds of housing that our city has long relied on. Today, we are proposing the most pro-housing changes in the history of New York City’s modern zoning code—changes that will remove long-standing barriers to opportunity, finally end exclusionary zoning, cut red tape, and transform our city from the

ground up.”

The proposal also includes measures to eliminate mandates that parking spaces be constructed with new homes, create additional affordable housing, construct low-rise buildings near transit, convert empty office buildings into homes, institute “shared living” spaces where residents share some common areas like kitchens and bathrooms, and legalize accessory dwelling units.

The city said that new housing production has slowed to a crawl—from an average of nearly 37,000 new homes approved every year in the 1960s to barely 8,000 annually in the 1990s and, most recently, approximately 20,000 homes approved each

year in the 2010s.

Community Housing Improvement Program (CHIP) Executive Director Jay Martin noted that under former Mayor Michael Bloomberg there was a citywide “downzoning” that stunted housing production.

“It was [for] political reasons, I would chop it up to. There were certainly single family homeowners in some of the outer boroughs, I think Queens, Brooklyn, some parts of the Bronx, Staten Island—they just don’t want more housing,” said Martin. “There was a movement to protect those neighborhoods and protect [against] development and control the commercial corridors to try and force all of the development to Manhattan.”

For the most part, Adams does have support for his housing production vision. City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams said that she welcomes thoughtful proposals like the Mayor’s as a starting point.

“Housing and zoning policies have historically furthered economic and racial segregation, deepened inequities, and locked communities out of opportunities,” said Speaker Adams. “That’s why it is imperative that our city’s policies and zoning align to achieve housing growth through the lens of equity and access, accompanied by investments in economic opportunity, schools, transit, healthcare, and other institutions that help stabilize communities.”

There’s the obvious concern and fear about gentrification and overpriced rents in marginalized communities, but without new housing the current population ages, said Martin. He theorizes that if newcomers have new housing to move into, instead of encroaching on affordable and low-income neighborhoods, then rent spikes could be avoided. He added that phenomena like warehousing, when landlords intentionally keep their apartments vacant, is definitely a problem but not big enough to make a dent in the overall housing crisis.

“A plan is great but it has to be executed. Allowing zoning is just step one, there’s so many more steps and it will take years before we get to the place where things are actually being built,” Martin said about the downsides of the Mayor’s plan. He said that the long process is unfortunate because the crisis is urgent and happening now.

Grassroots housing advocates, like Taquana Raymond of the Upper Manhattan Tenants Union, said they find it hard to trust any initiatives from Mayor Adams.

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

The Manhattan and Bronx skyline as seen from North Central Bronx Hospital on Monday, January 28, 2019. (Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office photo)

Amsterdam News’ publisher Elinor Tatum (back right) talks “Beyond the Barrel” (Bill Moore photo)

Go With The Flo

According to Patch, the Brooklyn Museum’s new Spike Lee exhibit offers a look inside the Oscar-winning Brooklyn native’s brain with hundreds of items from his personal collection. The exhibit, which opens to the public on October 7, offers a tour through Spike’s biggest influences ranging from Black liberation leaders to Brooklyn sports icons. Different rooms lead museumgoers through Black history and culture, film, sports, music, Lee’s family, photography, and the iconic filmmaker’s Brooklyn experience......

The Broadway elite came out to see Tony Award-winner LaChanze for the inaugural concert series at the newly-opened Perelman Performing Arts Center in Tribeca. Brian Stokes Mitchell, Norm Lewis, Brenda Braxton and famed choreographer George Faison were in attendance, in addition to “Law & Order:SVU” actress Tamara Tunie, host and voiceover star Rolonda Watts and comedian Mario Cantone. LaChanze, who had a recurring role on the recently canceled CBS drama “East New York,” has also become a Broadway producer. Both of her shows, “Topdog/ Underdog” and “Kimberly Akimbo,” were winners at the 2023 Tony Awards.....

Bounce TV announced its latest initiative as part of a partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA), the preeminent one-to-one youth mentoring organization in the United States. The partnership will integrate BBBSA into an upcoming episode of “Johnson,” Bounce’s popular dramedy focusing on four lifelong best friends. The initiative will center around the importance of Black men becoming mentors, in alignment with BBBSA’s bold new campaign “It Takes Little to be Big,” aimed at challenging myths and shifting perceptions around mentoring. The storyline, which will be introduced in the season three finale, will see Greg (portrayed by series creator Deji LaRay) signing up to mentor a teen and in the process learning more about the organization. The episode premieres Saturday, October 7 at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT on Bounce. To celebrate the occasion, Bounce will host BBBS mentors (“Big”) and mentees (“Littles”) for a “Bigs and Littles” episode watch party on October 7 at BBBS of Metro Atlanta, the shooting location for the season finale.....

We Hear:

Emmy-winning actress Sheryl Lee Ralph, Oscar-winning actress Ariana DeBose, Anne Hathaway, supermodel Cindy Crawford and Spice Girl Geri Halliwell-Horner (who is out and about in the Big Apple promoting her new book, “Rosie Frost and the Falcon Queen”) were among the “It” ladies who attended the Versace Icons Dinner on September 27, which Hathaway hosted along with Donatella Versace. Other guests included Teyana Taylor......

Harlem Network News hosts annual awards ceremony

at the Dwyer

Harlem Network News (HNN) recently hosted their annual awards ceremony and fundraiser, acknowledging community members of note and making a call for continued support of the news

ers of Forces of Nature Dance Theatre; and Jackie Rowe-Adams of Harlem Mothers S.A.V.E., among others. The ceremony and event were held at Harlem’s Dwyer Center.

HNN founder Terri Wisdom with the Hon. Inez Dickens

Dyane Harvey and Abdel R. Salaam (Bill Moore photos)

(L-R) Terri Wisdom, Baba Don Babatunda Eaton, Abiodun Oyenole

Annual WARM march marshalls support for survivors

We All Really Matter (WARM), an organization that supports those affected by domestic violence, hosted the 23rd Annual Memorial Brides’ March against Domestic Violence Victims recently.

and attendees, who included NYS Senator Cordell Cleare, NYS Assemblymember Al Taylor, and a representative sent by Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg. The marchers proceeded from the Bronx, rallied at the Adam Powell State Building. and moved on to East Harlem.

WARM CEO Stephanie McGraw addressing marchers and supporters. (Bill Moore photos)

WARM marchers rallying at Adam Clayton Powell State Office Building in Harlem.

Union Matters

NewYorkAmsterdam News honors diversity and inclusion at its 9th annual Labor Awards Breakfast

By ARIAMA C. LONG Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member

The Amsterdam News (AmNews) team gathered with labor elites at the newspaper’s 9th Labor Awards Breakfast last Thursday at the 1199SEIU Headquarters in midtown Manhattan. This year’s theme was “Vision to Reality,” celebrating four union leaders who have fought for Black and minority inclusion in the skilled trades.

The AmNews has been publicly unionized since 1936.

Tables were covered in the newspaper’s signature red as union leaders enjoyed a buffetstyle breakfast spread. The caterer, Norma Jean Darden, 83, who runs Miss Mamie’s Spoonbread Too on West 110th Street in

Harlem, served attendees cajun shrimp and grits with eggs, croissants, and fresh fruit. The former model beamed as people gobbled down the food.

“We at the Amsterdam News relentlessly report each week on why union matters,” said AmNews’ publisher Elinor Tatum.

U.S. Sen Kirsten GilIibrand kicked off the breakfast with a video message, followed by the awards presentations and speeches from the honorees.

This year’s honorees were Gary LaBarbera, president of the New York State and New York City Building and Construction Trades Councils; Lavon Chambers, recently retired executive director of Pathways to Apprenticeship; William Wallace IV, senior acquisitions officer at the Continuum Company; and Pris-

cilla Sims Brown, CEO of Amalgamated Bank.

LaBarbera spoke about how career union jobs are one of the strongest pathways for people in marginalized communities across the city to pull themselves out of poverty and into the middle class. “It is my belief that poverty is at the root of so many of our problems and frankly, the root of our social problems. Poverty leads to despair. Poverty leads to substance abuse,” said LaBarbera.

A Harlem native, Chambers told the story of how he first got into labor organizing with the Harlem Fight Back organization because union construction sites at the time wouldn’t hire Blacks or women. “Once I was taught to have the courage to fight, they taught me to have the wisdom

to understand that a labor movement is a class movement, where Blacks, whites, Latinos, Asians, men, and women fight side by side,” said Chambers.

Wallace, who is third-generation Harlem, said he was a little disappointed that he’s been working on the same issue of diversity and inclusion since 1993, but graciously accepted the award regardless. He advocated for more residential construction with union jobs, affordable workforce housing, and expanding union ranks.

Brown said that almost everything begins with access to capital and as the head of a labor bank, she is committed to workers’ rights and closing the Black wealth gap. “There was a group of clothing and textile workers who almost exactly 100 years ago got

together and very wisely formed a union,” said Brown. “That union quickly realized, not long after these people came together, that income equality was incredibly important but also access to capital could make a difference.”

To close out the festivities, president of the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW) Elise Bryant delivered a powerful and harmonious speech, and led a sing-along among the unions present.

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

AmNews presents honoree Gary LaBarbera, president of the New York State and New York City Building and Construction Trades Councils, an award at its 9th Labor Awards Breakfast. (Bill Moore photos)

Photo of (left) honoree William Wallace IV, senior acquisitions officer at the Continuum Company and friend.

Group photo of Labor Breakfast awards attendees on September 29, 2023. The caterer, Norma Jean Darden, 83, who runs Miss Mamie's Spoonbread Too, served

Research indicates Black women homebuyers outpace Black men— experts speculate education disparities are driving factor

By ARIAMA C. LONG Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member

New research suggests that Black women and millennials are key drivers of current Black homeownership rates— and that they are outpacing Black men.

According to a 2023 Pew Research study, single women in the U.S. overall own more homes than single men do. In 2022, “single women owned 58% of the nearly 35.2 million homes owned by unmarried Americans, while single men owned 42%.” This is most likely due to the 65+ age group being predominantly women, who tend to live longer than men in the U.S., said the study. It still holds even though women who were “employed single household heads” in most other age groups earned an estimated $20,000 less than their male counterparts.

In keeping with national trends, Realtor.com research found that among Black homebuyers, Black women and Black millennials (born between 1981 and 1997) are the fastest-growing groups.

“[B]etween 1990 and 2019, Black women increased their homeownership rate by 5.6% while Black men’s homeownership rates declined by 8%,” according to the research. Although the pandemic slowed growth rates among both genders, said the researchers, Black women fared better in 2020. Black women also recovered from the pandemic slump faster and continued buying properties more than their male counterparts.

Experts in higher education and real estate hypothesize that these trends are rooted in gender education disparities in the Black community.

According to Joshua Brown, founder of the Brooklyn-based real estate company Pushing Forward Realty, there is more activity with more Black women buying homes in New York City because he finds that they have more education and more disposable income. Black women are statistically among the most educated groups in the country and more likely to achieve advanced degrees than men.

“Black women are amazing, dope for sure. Men are not at the same level as Black women in terms of education and financial literacy,” said Brown about why he thinks as many Black men as women don’t own homes. “Black men face a unique amount of hurdles, systemically as well as societally, in terms of being a Black man. There’s a denial of opportunity for certain Black men and lack of representation in schools.”

Brown said that real estate values over-

whelmingly determine the overall quality of education children receive in low-income neighborhoods.

New York City Schools Chancellor David Banks founded the Eagle Academy for Young Men, which in 2004 was the first single-sex boys public school to open in New York City in nearly 30 years. He speaks often about how young Black men and boys in the city’s public school system don’t graduate at the same rate as Black girls and are criminalized, stereotyped, overly punished, and misdiagnosed when it comes to learning ability and behavior.

Satra D. Taylor, 28, director of higher education and workforce policy & advocacy, thinks that millennials were brought up believing homeownership is a marker of wealth and the “American Dream.” She said Black women who acquire higher education are working toward upper social mobility and generating wealth. She didn’t want to speculate without data and context about Black men homebuyers lest she perpetuate the stereotype that Black men are not present in homes.

“Many folks like myself, who come from low-income backgrounds or communities with low-income backgrounds, didn’t have access to wealth [or] capital,” said Taylor. “It’s a marker of financial stability and sustainability, but it’s unfortunate that for many with the current housing market, it is hard.”

In her experience, buying a home is hard. Taylor is looking into purchasing a home for herself and her mother. Many of her friends who own homes are Black women with doctorate degrees. Taylor is in her third year as a doctoral student at the University of Maryland. There’s an unfair burden of education and salary placed on Black women to qualify to buy homes, something she didn’t think about until she got into the process, she said.

She also doesn’t particularly want to buy a home on her own without a partner or second income to help.

While some of the data for Black homeownership is encouraging, the research is clear that the gap between Black homeowners and “non-Black homebuyers” has not been substantially narrowed. In New York City, a crippling affordability and housing shortage has widened the already-existing racial wealth gap for Black homeowners.

Both Taylor and Brown pointed to continued discrimination and biases that hinder Black families, men, and women from buying homes. Taylor added that student debt and repayments compound barriers to see HOMEBUYERS on page 29

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Child Daycare Centers: Dangerous and Endangered

What in the world is going on in our child daycare centers? Within two weeks we have alarming reports about irregularities that endanger the lives of the children, and in two incidents there were three child fatalities. It was most disheartening to learn about the daycare center in the Bronx where 1-year-old Nicholas Dominici died as a result of coming into contact with fentanyl. Three other children were hospitalized after being exposed to the poisonous substance. In a follow-up investigation of the center, the police discovered a trap door in the floor of the facility where a large quantity of fentanyl and other narcotics, as well as drug paraphernalia, was concealed. The operator of the center deleted more than 20,000 text messages.

At yet another childcare center in East Harlem, police recovered several 3D-printed firearms, along with the tools for producing the homemade weapons, known as “ghost guns.” The son of the center’s owner was apparently unaware of the illegal activity.

No less disconcerting but apparently a case of negligence, two children drowned and another was hospitalized after falling into a pool at a daycare center in San Jose, California. And if daycare centers and their owners aren’t facing a number of day-to-day problems, many are on the brink of closing, according to the Century Foundation, a progressive think tank based here in New York. In short, more than 70,000 childcare centers could close because of lost funding. And those that remain open and functioning need additional funds, particularly to safeguard children.

There appears to be a crying need for more oversight at the facilities, and the potential loss of funding makes the existing conditions all the more perilous.

If this problem continues to spread unchecked, then our children will be dropped off into veritable dens of danger and possible death.

Our progress today strengthens future of American Latinos

perately need additional aid. However, more remains to be done, and I am calling on the Biden-Harris administration to strongly consider the following slate of executive actions.

Member

Elinor R. Tatum: Publisher and Editor in Chief

Kristin Fayne-Mulroy: Managing Editor

Cyril Josh Barker: Digital Editor

Damaso Reyes: Investigative Editor

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

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

By Rep. ADRIANO ESPAILLAT

Cities all over the country are welcoming migrants in unprecedented numbers. New York City has welcomed more than any other: almost 120,000 as of late September. These migrants are driven by violence, political instability, and economic desperation, much of which has its roots in a long history of U.S. interventionism in their regions.

I believe strongly that the federal government should do more to support New York and all other cities that are welcoming these migrants, including additional funding and policy reforms. To help generate broad support for these proposals, I was proud to recently co-lead a congressional delegation of my colleagues from Texas, Illinois, California, and New Jersey to New York City to witness firsthand our city’s vast interagency response to supporting new migrant arrivals.

Our congressional delegation was impressed by the comprehensive services provided to migrants by the city and other local providers. These services included children being immediately enrolled in public schools, families given vaccines, experienced immigration attorneys assisting with paperwork, and English language and OSHA classes being made available.

Of course, the city can’t continue to offer this dignified standard of care without federal support. The Biden administration has heard our call on this. Just two weeks ago, they expanded access to Temporary Protective Status (TPS) for Venezuelans, which will make it easier for those migrants to get work permits and get out of the shelters. The administration has also ensured support for Ukrainians in the U.S., who des-

Cities need funding and as much federal reimbursement assistance as possible to continue providing essential services to migrants, and I am urging the use of Title 32 of the U.S. Code, or another funding mechanism, to reimburse cities for the costs associated with the deployment of the National Guard to assist with providing humanitarian non-enforcement aid to immigrant arrivals. The administration should leave no stone unturned when it comes to issuing additional funding.

Swiftly rescind the current 150-day regulatory waiting period for asylum applicants between the time they submit their applications for asylum and apply for work authorization in the U.S. Rather than forcing asylum seekers to wait 150 days, asylum seekers should have the option to submit their applications for both asylum and work authorization at the same time.

Waive the current $410 work authorization application fee for parolees. By automatically waiving this fee for eligible parolees, the Biden administration would eliminate an important hurdle to work authorization for those who deserve it most.

Redesignate recently arrived immigrants from beleaguered nations like El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Nepal, Cameroon, Somalia, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, Mauritania, South Sudan, and others for TPS. The administration recently reauthorized hundreds of thousands of recently arrived Venezuelan nationals in the U.S. for TPS, yet hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants in the United States from countries that are still experiencing unprecedented political instability, violence, and economiccollapse, remain in limbo.

Establish an interagency task force aimed at expeditiously processing asylum and work authorization requests, supporting service organizations responding to the migrant crisis, and transitioning individuals to permanent affordable housing. I strongly encourage the administration to convene an interagency task force consisting of USCIS, FEMA, and HUD to identify ways to expedite work authorization, clear the current asylum processing backlog, and move migrants out of city- and staterun shelters and into affordable housing to reduce the current strain on municipalities. Allow families stuck in provisional waiver backlogs to apply for work permits. The administration should, first,

“parole-in-place” the 135,000 on humanitarian grounds who are already harmed by the backlog through no fault of their own to allow applicants to apply for work authorization and to complete their green card applications without leaving the United States. Second, the administration should update the employment authorization regulations to allow provisional waiver applicants to apply for work permits just like the way those seeking to adjust status within the United States are able to do so.

Continue to ensure that current Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) adjudications run smoothly. The Biden-Harris administration must continue to reduce all applicable DACA-related employment authorization backlogs, keep DACA application fees affordable, and address all emerging barriers to current DACA holders’ ability to renew their status before a likely SCOTUS decision.

Every day, we bear witness to the positive impacts that immigrant families, and especially asylum seekers, have brought to our cities. They have brought their culture, skills, and resilience to our communities, enriching our nation’s diversity and democracy. They have also directly assisted with our nation’s post-pandemic economic recovery by filling a number of jobs in key industries that continue to experience work shortages. Immigrants contribute more than $492 billion in taxes and account for over 18% of our workforce. Immigrants make our country stronger. Yet, they continue to face many challenges and hardships.

Despite what Republicans want you to believe, migrants are not criminals. Studies show that undocumented immigrants remain two and a half times less likely to be arrested for violent felonies than U.S. citizens. In particular, a 2022 study by the CATO Institute revealed that immigrants are 10 times less likely than U.S. citizens to smuggle fentanyl and other illicit drugs across the U.S. border.

We must not allow xenophobic sentiments to continue to fan the flames of division on immigration issues in our nation. Instead, both Congress and the administration must be united in our efforts to address this crisis. While Congress works to finally pass long-awaited immigration reform and provide solace to immigrant communities and the cities that are welcoming them, these recommendations for executive action represent real, tangible solutions that the administration can take today to address the ongoing migration crisis.

Immigrant families come to this nation to work to support their families and grow our economy—it is time for us to let them.

Guardians or Gangsters? The dark side of civil asset forfeiture

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

ARMSTRONG WILLIAMS

There are fundamental laws, deeply entrenched not just in culture and society but also in religious tenets, that are universally repudiated. Crimes such as murder, adultery, and theft top this list. Yet, as countless unsuspecting citizens have discovered, there’s a sinister form of theft lurking in the shadows, sanctified by the very government that’s supposed to protect us—civil asset forfeiture.

Strip this term of art, and the grim reality stands exposed: law enforcement, when corrupted, becomes a band of robbers in uniform. If you naively believe and say “This won’t happen to me. After all, I’ve done no wrong,” brace yourself. More often than not, it’s the innocent who find themselves trapped, with no trial or conviction —just barefaced, brazen theft.

To give a semblance of fairness to this discussion, yes, there might be scenarios where confiscating assets without trial is warranted, say to prevent criminals from using their ill-gotten gains. Such actions would be somewhat palatable if the assets were returned once innocence was proven, or if the prosecutors didn’t indict. But alas, that’s rarely the case.

Between 2000 and 2019, a staggering $68.8 billion was taken away through civil forfeiture. Civil forfeiture might be tolerable with stringent checks and balances. However, in its current grotesque form, it indiscriminately swallows the assets of both the innocent and the guilty. A horrifying 80% of these forfeitures are executed against individuals never even charged with crimes. The Washington Post’s 2014 investigation laid bare nearly 62,000 forfeitures executed without indictments. State law enforcement brazenly

Welcome to October

set up veritable cash-grab traps disguised as legitimate checkpoints, to raid and pillage people’s assets within their vehicles with impunity. The rationale is to discover criminal activity by looking for various “indicators,” which, as that Washington Post article, may be as trivial as trash found on the floor of a car, or a nervous driver.

Take the recent case of an FBI raid on a safety deposit box facility. Under the pretense of investigating the laundering of drug money, they ransacked boxes, one of which belonged to a 79-year-old retiree who had thousands of dollars of cash saved and $110,000 worth of gold coins. Despite being neither charged with nor accused of a crime, this man became yet another victim of the FBI’s legal piracy. He got his cash back, but he had to sue the FBI—ultimately spending $40,000 on attorney’s fees to do so. And his gold coins? Vanished into thin air. The FBI had no idea where they went.

Consider the heart-wrenching saga of a Colorado couple whose only crime was owning a home that happened to be broken into by an armed shoplifting suspect. Their home became collateral damage after the police destroyed the interior with armored vehicles, explosives, and bullets. The couple then were slapped in the face by a judicial system that denied them compensation.

These aren’t aberrations but a recurring nightmare. A cursory online search paints a harrowing picture of law-abiding citizens robbed of their homes, businesses, cash, assets and vehicles by those sworn to protect them.

Thieves are thieves no matter whether they wear a badge or uniform. The job of law enforcement is to protect the public, not rob them blind and use them as

piggy banks to fill the coffers of their departments and agencies. How can you legitimately say that you are protecting the public when you take their assets, refuse to charge them with a crime, and then make them go through a painful, expensive process to get their assets back? I urge any government official who takes a person’s money with no intent of charging them with a crime to rip their badge off their chest and seek employment elsewhere; you are not needed, you are worthless and should be ashamed to wear your badge.

I am a staunch defender of law-enforcement, but I will never defend any officer who abuses the privilege of their badge and shields themselves behind unjust civil forfeiture laws. Theft is theft, regardless of the legal jargon or post-9/11 policy contortions used to justify the laws that make it legal. People’s very livelihoods and their life’s work are being ransacked and stolen. The fundamental principle of “innocent until proven guilty” is trampled on by unjust laws. In the twisted world of these law enforcement officers, your assets are fair game even if you’re never formally accused. We need accountability and oversight, and more certainty that innocent civilians who are never accused of crimes can get their assets back without having to ask. Innocent people shouldn’t be dragged through hell to reclaim what’s rightfully theirs.

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

There are so many important items to think about during the month of October. During this long month we can set new goals for the last quarter of the year. We can reflect on the bulk of 2023 and think of what we’d like to accomplish these next three months. We can also enjoy the coming of fall. With the exception of New England, there’s nothing better than autumn in New York, just like Ella Fitzgerald said.

The month of October has several important foci. There is Breast Cancer Awareness Month; Celebrating the Bilingual Child Month; Emotional Wellness Month; Family History Month; Long-Term Care Planning Month; National Dental Hygiene Month; and National Depression Education and Awareness Month.

My grandmother died of breast cancer and I have had several friends who have recently been diagnosed with breast cancer at varying levels of severity. It is important we schedule mammograms to ensure our overall health, especially since Black women seem to be disproportionately affected by aggressive forms of breast cancer.

Celebrating the bilingual child is important for us to think about, especially since we have so many bilingual New Yorkers and an influx of children entering the New York City public school system as asylum seekers.

Emotional wellness is important to act on every month. There is so much going on in our lives, at work, with our country, the pandemic, and so much more. All of these things can really take a toll on our emotional wellbeing and it is im -

perative we check in with ourselves on a regular basis.

October is also Family History Month and Long-Term Care Planning Month and a great time to interview your elders, organize family pictures, clarify family stories, and do a little estate planning to be sure you’ve had discussions with family members about their wishes for when they pass. This can also be a time to have difficult conversations you may have been putting off for a spell.

National Dental Hygiene Month makes me think of my friend Dr. Catrise Austin who is not just a celebrity dentist but someone who educates the masses about proper dental care and hygiene on Youtube and her social media pages (@drcatriseaustin on Instagram). Proper dental care is so important for children and families and having a dentist who demystifies the process is a great way to get people excited about their dental care.

Finally, National Depression Education and Awareness Month is an essential time to check in with yourself and with others. It is definitely difficult finding the right therapist but New York City has resources for those who need to check in immediately or just need a referral. Go to https://nycwell. cityofnewyork.us/ for more information.

Let’s make this a productive and reflective October!

Christina Greer, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Fordham University; author of “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream”; and co-host of the podcast FAQ-NYC and host of The Blackest Questions podcast at TheGrio. She is a 202324 Moynihan Public Scholars Fellow at CCNY.

CHRISTINA GREER, PH.D.

Caribbean Update

Grenada wants to drill for oil but no documents, data can be found

BY BERT WILKINSON Special to the AmNews

As the world slowly attempts to turn to alternative energy sources, nations in the Caribbean Community in a rich offshore basin near oil- and gas-rich Guyana and Venezuela are moving to exploit large deposits before it is no longer fashionable to do so.

Back in 2015, Guyana—South America’s only English-speaking country but still the headquarters of the 15-nation Caricom grouping—discovered a humongous amount of oil and gas offshore and by the end of this decade, could be on track to become one of the world’s largest daily producers of oil since commencing production in late 2019.

Neighboring Suriname to the east, meanwhile, has also found a tremendous amount of oil and gas just down from its maritime border with Guyana. It is getting ready to begin actual production in about five years.

Encouraged by the Guyana-Suriname finds, several other regional bloc member nations, including Barbados and Jamaica, have been ramping up efforts to attract companies to explore offshore acreages. The most determined of them seems to be Grenada, which is just north of oil and gas producers Trinidad and Venezuela.

Officials there say they are preparing to put out bids to attract some of the world’s largest exploration companies, but the 14-month

new administration has said the previous government secreted away all the documents and data obtained from a 2018 exploration campaign by a little-known Russian firm, the Global Petroleum Group (GPG).

The group had told the previous administration that it had found commercial quantities of oil and gas in a well labeled Nutmeg 2, in about 400 feet of water, and that there were other promising prospects right nearby. But as the current Dickon Mitchell government gets ready to assess the island’s prospects, it has said there is nothing to work with.

“We have written transition reports from every ministry. Oil and gas was not mentioned in a single report,” the prime minister

told reporters last week.

The issue of missing oil data was mentioned in last week’s throne speech by Governor General Dame Cecile La Grenade, reading from documents prepared by the government. “As of today, we are yet to solve the mystery of Grenada’s offshore oil and gas reserves,” she said. “Very little records can be found anywhere within the government, and our technocrats within the ministries and departments have very little information on this matter. My government was not provided with any transition report or any files on Grenada’s legal or contractual obligations or Grenada’s progress in relation to its oil and gas reserves. This situation is untenable and

completely unacceptable, and my government is committed to doing all within its power to unearth the mystery of Grenada’s oil and gas status.”

Most of Guyana’s neighbors have not attempted to hide the fact that they are encouraged by that country’s roaring economic success and development opportunities ever since oil and gas trumped traditional economic pillars sugar, bauxite, gold, and timber in the last eight years. The country is also the fastest-growing economy in the world and remains on track to maintain its number one position in the next few years.

For Grenada, which depends much on tourism and agriculture, an oil boom would be transformative, but it is unclear whether the last government wants to deny the current government the glory of having oil millions to spend in the near future. Opposition leader Keith Mitchell said authorities are being disingenuous about the whole situation because many of its high officials ought to know what to do.

“This government is being characterized by telling lies about oil and gas, and that they have no documentation,” Mitchell said. “They have enough documentation. Don’t forget there were other National Democratic Congress governments that came into office before this one and would have followed up on a number of activities, so it’s very strange, and I am saying it’s a blatant lie.”

Guess how many migrants have entered the U.S. via the southwest border this year?

FELICIA PERSAUD IMMIGRATION KORNER

Want to take a wild guess about how many migrants have entered the U.S. at the southwestern border so far this fiscal year? If you guessed over 2 million, you won the jackpot: 2.3 million, to be exact, at least up to September 20.

It is, surprisingly, about the same number as last fiscal year, even if it seems like a lot more. However, 2022 and 2023 have seen a record number of migrants coming over the southern border, overwhelming cities and resources.

Border Patrol agents apprehended roughly 140,000 migrants who crossed the U.S.Mexico border without authorization during the first 20 days of September; an average of about 6,900 each day, according to the internal agency data reported by CBS News. That represents a 60% increase from the daily average of 4,300 in July.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is on track to record more

than 210,000 migrant apprehensions this month, according to CBS. In August, the total reported was 232,972, a spike from June and July, when the numbers had dropped somewhat to more than 144,000 and 183,000, respectively.

The number of migrants coming in has not been in the 200,000 range since April and May, when it hit more than 211,000 and 206,000, respectively. But last week, Border Patrol reportedly processed nearly 9,000 migrants in one day, a daily apprehension level not seen since 10,000 migrants crossed into the U.S. illegally per day during several days in May, before discontinuation of the Trump-era Title 42 rule.

NBC News reported that Border Patrol apprehended more than 7,500 migrants on September 17 while the New York Times reported more than 8,000 migrants on September 18.

The busiest sectors were the Rio Grande Valley in south Texas, where more than 1,800 migrant apprehensions were made on September 17; Del Rio in mid-Texas, more than 1,600, also on September 17; and Tucson, which makes up most of Ar-

izona, more than 1,500 also reported on September 17.

Most migrants entering are single adults or families with children, most of whom are from Cuba, Venezuela, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and El Salvador.

The rights organization WOLA said that “the numbers indicate that the post-Title 42 ‘wait and see’ period is over, and asylum seekers are again opting to turn themselves in to Border Patrol in areas between the official ports of entry.”

Many migrants are tired of waiting for an appointment at a port of entry or through a humanitarian parole program and have decided to take their chances and cross the border illegally, while an increasing number of migrants aren’t even aware that legal pathways, like humanitarian parole or appointments via the CBP One smartphone app, exist.

The crisis is also affecting Mexico: Mexican Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena told reporters last week that more migrants have reached the border in recent weeks, leading to increased security checks at the frontier that have caused trade delays.

Barcena said Mexican officials were

looking to carry out “assisted returns” of migrants to Ecuador, Venezuela, and Colombia, in addition to current deportation flights to the trio of Central American nations: Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. Mexican shelters are also overcrowded. So far this year, more than 400,000 migrants have crossed the perilous Darien Gap linking Colombia with Panama, already marking an all-time high and nearly double the figure over all of last year.

Expulsion from the U.S. is no longer as fast as in the Title 42 era, when decisions could be made in minutes or hours. The majority of migrants who apply through the CPB One app are allowed to remain in the U.S. temporarily as they pursue their asylum claims—even though most of them will ultimately lose their cases. That fact is driving most migrants to venture into the U.S. Until the asylum applications are capped for the year and people can apply only at U.S. consulates in a country they are passing through, the numbers will keep on rising.

“Encouraged by the Guyana-Suriname finds, several other regional bloc member nations, including Barbados and Jamaica, have been ramping up efforts to attract companies to explore offshore acreages.”

Religion & Spirituality

Dr. Chandra Llewellyn, 1960-2023

In the spirit of profound humility and with hearts filled with gratitude, we gather to celebrate the life of Chandra Danita Llewellyn, a beloved soul who graced this world with her presence. Born on June 11, 1960, in New York, Chandra was called to her eternal resting place on September 4, 2023, in the place she called home—Harlem—at the tender age of 63.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Gilbert and Jenny Llewellyn of New York, NY; brothers Harold Llewellyn and Robert Llewellyn; sister Deborah Llewellyn; and niece Jasmine Llewellyn.

She leaves to mourn: her daughter, Sojourner Travis; two sisters, Rashidah Abdul Haqq and Cynthia Kincherlow; three brothers, Gilbert Llewellyn, Vincent Llewellyn, and Anthony Llewellyn; eight nieces, LaKisha Kincherlow Warren, Jaime Kincherlow, Dawn Kincherlow, Candace Llewellyn, Sharonda Llewellyn, Destinay Llewellyn, Victoria Llewellyn, and Kyla Sellers Llewellyn; and six great nieces and nephews, Tatyana and Aminah Kincherlow, Sarah KincherlowWarren, Madison Kincherlow-Rivers, Seth Kincherlow-Warren and Alex Llewellyn. Chandra, known and cherished as a mother, sister, cousin, aunt, friend, educator,

advisor, mentor, and esteemed community leader embodied a deep reverence for all of creation. Her compassionate spirit touched the lives of countless individuals, leaving an indelible mark on their hearts and souls. As we reflect upon the life of Chandra, we are reminded of the virtues she exemplified. From her early years at P.S. 46 and Intermediate School 10, to her triumphant graduation from the esteemed Bronx High School of Science, Chandra’s educational journey was a testament to her thirst for knowledge and unwavering commitment to excellence. Her pursuit of wisdom led her to higher education at CUNY, where she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. She further expanded her horizons, earning a master’s degree from Norwich University and receiving a certificate from the esteemed Oxford University. She would chuckle at explaining how science was “very much directly tied to salvation, that it could not help to be.”

Chandra’s dedication and passion shone brightly in her remarkable career. With profound gratitude for the opportunities bestowed upon her, she humbly served as a professional coach, touching lives with her insights and guidance. Chandra was a cher-

ished member of the American Psychological Association, the Association for Talent Development, the International Association of Coaching, and the International Coaching Federation. She brought her remarkable talents and compassionate wisdom to bear as the CMO of Advancing Potential, LLC, where she led the way in fostering transformative leadership through facilitation and coaching services. Her strategic consultancy brought strength and empowerment to faith-based and non-profit organizations. From 1991 to 1994, Chandra served as director of youth services for the National Urban League, kindling hope in countless young hearts. Her role as the director of intercultural outreach for the Korea Society from 1995 to 1997 allowed her to bridge differences, fostering unity and understanding. In her advisory capacity, she dedicated herself to serving Mpanzi, an organization supporting the education of girls in rural Kenya and sponsoring young students in Uganda. Chandra’s unwavering dedication was evident as a community advocate for both the Ensemble Studio Theater and Moving Rasa from 2022 to 2023.

Beyond her remarkable professional achievements, Chandra found solace and joy

in the pursuit of artistic expression. Through the art of photography, the power of playwriting, and the beauty of poetry and song, she captured fleeting moments that revealed the profound depths of the human experience. Her creations remain as a testament to her immense talent and creative spirit.

Guided by her deep-rooted faith, Chandra found solace and strength in her chosen places of worship, including Advent Lutheran Church, Riverside Baptist Church, and

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Chandra Llewellyn

Updated COVID-19 vaccine now available Health

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

Now that the latest COVID-19 vaccination has been approved, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) is working to make it available, recently updating their website with details about the vaccine.

Individuals are being directed to https:// vaccinefinder.nyc.gov and https://www.vaccines.gov/. While the New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) has said that the website will be updated on a rolling basis, the latter website takes people directly to details about vaccination sites by using their zip codes.

On September 11, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) amended the emergency use authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID19 vaccine and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to include the 2023–24 formula. The CDC released specific guidance saying the “CDC recommends everyone 6 months and older get an updated COVID-19 vaccine to protect against the potentially serious outcomes of COVID-19 illness this fall and winter.”

According to the DOHMH, Medicaid, Medicare, and most commercial health plans will

fully cover the cost of vaccination.Those who are uninsured can get vaccinated through New York City Health Department locations, which can be found in the vaccine finder above.

The Biden Administration has also made a commitment to provide free vaccinations for uninsured individuals under the HHS Bridge Access Program. The first few weeks of the roll-out have found challenges, including cancellations of appointments for individuals, billing issues, and difficulties obtaining the vaccine.

Dr. Denis Nash, distinguished professor at the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and executive director, CUNY Institute for Implementation Science in Population Health, said in an interview that “as we head into respiratory virus season, if you're medically vulnerable or older than…60 or 65, you should be up to date on your vaccines. Other people who maybe aren’t yet eligible for another vaccine can wait until this monovalent booster comes around…probably September or early October ,and definitely get that.”

Nash spoke specifically about other illnesses, including the flu and RSV, and said that getting both vaccines is important and recommended doing so for those who are eligible. Those unfortunate enough to get COVID,

Nash suggested, should “try to get access to antivirals from your healthcare provider or one of the hotlines in New York City.”

Time is of the essence in such situations. “You have to get it soon after you test positive for it to really work, but it does reduce the risk of hospitalization and death by quite a bit and it’s one of the best tools we have to prevent more deaths from COVID.”

Nash’s advice is shared by the CDC. In a recent press release, the CDC said “[v]accination also reduces your chance of suffering the effects of Long COVID, which can develop during or following acute infection and last for an extended duration. If you have not received a COVID-19 vaccine in the past 2 months, get an updated COVID-19 vaccine to protect yourself this fall and winter.”

According to the DOHMH, those who should prioritize getting the vaccine include:

• People with underlying health conditions that put them at higher risk for severe outcomes

• Those who are 65 or older

• Those who are pregnant

• People with certain disabilities that may increase their risk for having underlyi chronic conditions or immunodeficiency

Free COVID tests are also available from the website https://www.covid.gov/tests.

Vasan, in a DOHMH statement on the 2023–24 COVID-19 vaccines said, “I’ll be pairing my COVID-19 vaccine with a flu shot, as I did last year, and recommend you do the same. And I’m especially excited that this is the first fall virus season when vaccines for COVID-19, RSV, and flu are available, which are the conditions that typically keep our emergency rooms busy in the fall and winter.”

Updates about the booster can be found at the CDC’s website page, “Stay Up to Date with COVID-19 Vaccines Including Boosters”: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019ncov/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html.

To find a vaccine site near you, go to: https://vaccinefinder.nyc.gov or https:// www.nyc.gov/site/doh/covid/covid19-vaccines.page. Free COVID-19 tests are also available from the website https:// www.covid.gov/tests.

For more information about vaccines and boosters in New York City, please go to www1. nyc.gov/site/doh/covid/covid-19-vaccines. page. These and other resources can also be accessed on the AmNews COVID-19 page: https://amsterdamnews.com/covid/.

Vaccine update: Vaccination remains best protection against COVID-19-related hospitalization and death (Adobe Stock image)

Barkley L. Hendricks portraits on view at the Frick

By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff

The Frick Madison’s new show, “Barkley L. Hendricks: Portraits at the Frick,” is an inspiring showcase of the late artist’s work.

Hendricks, who died in 2017, is known for his naturalistic paintings of African Americans. A painter who also used photography to capture realistic images of people, Hendricks studied and used the styles of Old-World European artists to create contemporary portraits of Black people.

Antwaun Sargent and Aimee Ng, the Frick’s curators, noted in the show’s accompanying audio tour that “The Frick was one of his favorite museums, and he visited again and again to study paintings by Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Bronzino, and many others.”

The Frick has placed 14 of Hendricks’ portraits thoughtfully throughout the museum’s fourth-floor exhibition space in a way that allows them to show off their grandeur, but also puts them within the context of the portraiture the Frick Museum is known for.

The entrance to the exhibit features Hendricks’s “Lawdy Mama” (1969, oil and gold leaf on canvas), a portrait of his cousin, Kathy Williams; the piece is part of the Studio Museum in Harlem’s permanent collection. She stands front and center, assertive yet not aggressive, with a large afro and demonstrating resoluteness.

Hendricks outlines his cousin in basic black clothing and then portrays her in a style reminiscent of Italian Renaissance religious paintings, Ng said during the exhibition’s audio tour. “In the historic gold-ground paintings, which are sacred paintings in the Christian faith, the gold signifies the divine,” Ng said. “Hendricks challenged himself to learn the centuriesold and very difficult technique of applying gold leaf. The sitter’s afro echoes the form of a halo, and the rounded top, which he crafted himself, evokes the geometry that was so important to Renaissance painters.”

“Lawdy Mama” is positioned at the entrance to the exhibit, between two marble busts by the French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon. The placement helps viewers understand the artistic challenges Hendricks took on when he decided to, as Sargent suggested, “embrace historic European art” while depicting individuals in the Black community.

The exhibition shows Hendricks’s skill as he maneuvers through ways of depicting full-length portrayals of Black bodies. We see his understanding and appreciation of

modern fashion styles, and his attention to the gradations in Black skin tones.

Sargent wrote in the exhibition’s catalog that, “Hendricks…set out to paint something the Black and white art worlds had not seen: ordinary people at scale. The lifesize portraits he produced were of friends, students, lovers, musicians, classmates, the local weed man, himself, his wife, fashionable family members, and complete strangers…Many of his photorealist portraits have the shine or superficiality of pop art, the color play of abstraction, and the selective palette of minimalism. Moreover, in deploying fashion, his images conferred allure and status on often underrepresented figures, while at the same time drawing connections to contemporary culture.”

“Barkley L. Hendricks: Portraits at the Frick,” embraces the artist’s long-term goal of positioning Black bodies as praiseworthy and deserving of reflection. The exhibition allows viewers to stand back, observe, and honor everyday Black people.

“Barkley L. Hendricks: Portraits at the Frick,” is on view through January 7, 2024, at Frick Madison (945 Madison Avenue at 75th Street, Manhattan, NY 10021). Tickets can be purchased at frick.org/tickets. For more information, call 212-288-0700 or email info@frick.org.

“Lawdy Mama” sits at entrance to Barkley L. Hendricks exhibit, between marble busts by French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon (Frick Museum photos)

Hendricks’ “Miss T” (1969) and “Ma Petite Kumquat” (1983) hang outside the Frick’s collection of portraits by James McNeill Whistler.

Hendricks’s “Bahsir (Robert Gowens)” (1975), “Sisters (Susan and Toni)” (1977), “Woody (1973), and “APB’s (Afro-Parisian Brothers)” (1978)

‘Young Love’ a heartwarming family saga on Max

By MAGRIRA Special to the AmNews

Matthew A. Cherry stands as a beacon of inspiration, a testament to unwavering determination. While history may remember his Oscar win, I recall the humble beginnings of the Kickstarter campaigns and raw passion that fueled his dreams.

Cherry’s transformative journey has taken his Oscar-winning, dialogue-minimal 6-minute animated short, “Hair Love,” and evolved it into a mesmerizing animated television series, “Young Love,” now available for streaming on MAX.

The exquisite artwork by Vashti Harrison served as an additional source of motivation, breathing life into Cherry’s vision. The roots of this narrative were grounded in everyday scenes captured from videos and social media, showcasing African American fathers tenderly caring for their children’s hair. Cherry, with boundless creativity, expanded this foundation, weaving a heartfelt tale around a tight-knit, contemporary family. At present, the series boasts 12 episodes, each a testament to Cherry’s dedication and artistic brilliance.

In “Young Love,” viewers are welcomed into the world of Angela (portrayed by Issa Rae), a dedicated hair stylist embarking on a courageous journey to rebuild her life after a challenging illness. Alongside her stands Stephen, an unyielding music producer (embodied by Scott Mescudi, also known as the rapper Kid Cudi), acting as the bedrock of support throughout their family’s tribulations. Their home, nestled in the scenic West Garfield Park area of Chicago, becomes the backdrop for their story.

In a multi-family residence, they share their lives with their vibrant six-year-old daughter, Zuri (Brooke Conaway). Downstairs, the presence of Zuri’s grandparents (Loretta Devine and Harry Lennix) enriches this familial portrait, infusing it with depth and warmth.

Cherry’s ability to translate the subtleties of life into captivating narratives shines brightly in “Young Love,” a series where love, resilience, and the enduring spirit of family take center stage. Through every frame, Cherry’s vision comes to life, reminding us of the power of storytelling and the beauty found in the ordinary moments of life.

“Young Love” beautifully captures the nuances of family life, delving into relatable struggles such as balancing work and family commitments, navigating bedtime rituals, and cherishing the stolen moments between parents and their child.

This series, unlike Disney’s humorpacked “The Proud Family,” adopts a more cerebral approach to comedy. Zuri, the young protagonist, is portrayed as intelligent and self-assured, much to the discomfort of her somewhat narrow-minded teacher. Her sharp wit shines through when, while critiquing a children’s storybook about a turtle athlete named Tisha,

she astutely remarks, “Who cares if Tisha can run fast? Instead, she should be teaching kids how to be healthy and well-rounded adults.”

While it might seem unusual for a six-yearold to articulate such thoughts, the reality is that it’s nearly 2024, and this generation simply sees the world in a different light.

“Young Love” unfolds against the backdrop of West Garfield Park, a place Cherry holds dear. His love for the city is palpable in the series, adding an authentic layer to the storytelling.

Despite having a young child at the center of its narrative, the streaming show’s 12-episode first season is not for kids. Yet, it’s not quite adult animation, either.

This series has nuances. That’s something that sets it apart. And I admit that my expectations are high. I want the series to be a success. I hope that everyone reading this takes the time to check it out on MAX and spread the word. It’s a heartfelt story and it deserves to be seen.

Images from “Young Love” (Photos courtesy of Max)

Petrona de la Cruz to be honored at Lehman College

By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff

Indigenous writer and playwright Petrona de la Cruz will be honored by the League of Professional Theatre Women (LPTW) on Tuesday, Oct. 10, at Lehman College (250 Bedford Park Blvd. West, the Bronx) from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

De la Cruz has won the 2023 Gilder/ Coigney International Theatre Award (GCITA), a prize that celebrates the work of important female playwrights from around the world. It’s one of many honors de la Cruz has received over the years for her work.

De la Cruz writes plays and stories that portray the lives of people in Mexico’s Indigenous communities—and specifically zeroes in on the lives of women and children. In 1992, she became the first Indigenous person to win Mexico’s Rosario Castellanos Prize for literature.

In 1994, she formed the FOMMA (Fortaleza de la Mujer Maya/Mayan Women’s Fortress) collective to educate and build strength among the local Mayan community.

“Without theater,” de la Cruz has been

quoted as saying, “we could not understand why we must continue dreaming despite the pain, sorrow, corruption, and other beasts that are eating away at our civilization; we must bet on art to break these stigmas.”

In talking with the Amsterdam News, Joan D. Firestone, co-director of the GCITA program and a past president of the LPTW, called de la Cruz an “extraordinary Mexican artist who is both a playwright and an educator, and––interestingly enough––she also sits [as a local congresswoman] in Chiapas, Mexico.”

The GCITA program, which started in 2011 and was named in honor of legendary theater women Rosamond Gilder and Martha Coigney, names a new honoree every three years. GCITA specifically focuses on women theater artists who are also social activists or change agents. De la Cruz fits the bill: “She started a program called Damas, which addresses the gender disparity that she grew up with and that exists in Mexico as in many other places of the world,” Firestone said. “And she works very, very closely with women and children, educating them and freeing them through her work.”

De la Cruz will be celebrated during a ceremony sponsored by the Mexican Studies Institute at CUNY (CUNY MSI). Attendees will also learn about the work of the 18 other female playwrights from 16 different countries who were up for the award: The event is designed to celebrate the work of these theater professionals who are also, essentially, social activists.

In addition to the October 10 celebration for de la Cruz, the LPTW will sponsor “Women on Stage and in the Streets,” a free week of in-person and virtual panel discussions about women and theater. The series of four panel discussions is co-hosted by the La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club and takes place from Monday, Oct. 9–Friday, Oct. 13, at La MaMa Community Arts Space (74 East 4th Street, Manhattan). The schedule for the panel discussions can be seen at https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/ pr/1179781.

Free tickets for the celebration for Petrona de la Cruz can be reserved at https:// theatre-women.ticketleap.com/2023-gildercoigney/. For more information about the GCITA program, email internationalaward@theatrewomen.org.

‘Jaja’s African Hair Braiding’ shines a long-overdue light on B’way

By LINDA ARMSTRONG Special to the AmNews

If there was ever a play that tells an African American story that hasn’t yet been given the theatrical time of day, it is “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding,” playing at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre on West 47th Street.

“Jaja’s African Hair Braiding” shines a light never before seen on Broadway and demonstrates that it DOES indeed belong here! This touching Manhattan Theatre Club play tells the story of the hair braiders who come to work at Jaja’s African Hair Braiding shop in Harlem. They hail from various African countries and have come to the states to make money by using their hands and skills to create marvelous hairstyles. It is a play by Jocelyn Bioh, and a tribute to the hard work that these craftswomen accomplish with their braiding skills. Each woman who works at Jaja’s shop has their own story to share—speaking to how individualized we all are. They also demonstrate that people should not be underestimated or judged by their outside demeanor. This play shows the bonds that women can share, but also the conflicts that can occur between us as we compete to survive. No matter what, however, in the end we are Sistas and we will look out for each other.

Bioh gives us characters that we can all relate to and enjoy on so many levels. There is Bea, a veteran of the hair shop and a woman who speaks her mind and calls people out when she feels they have done her wrong. She is someone who is also

wise and can be kind. Shop owner Jaja, also a maid, is getting ready to get married to become a U.S. citizen. Her daughter Marie runs the hair shop for her, but has dreams of her own. Hair braider Miriam seems quiet and reserved, but turns out to be the exact opposite. Another hair braider Aminata is friends with Bea, but they have a love/hate relationship as Bea tries to tell her about issues with Aminata’s husband. Aminata is very hard working, has high blood pressure, and just can’t see what is right in front of her. Ndidi is a hair braider who is

fast and flowing. She is the young competition for Bea and she is not apologizing for Bea feeling threatened. Everyone is doing what they need to do to survive. Customers come into the shop with their own attitudes and emotional baggage, while some simply come to get their hair done and look like Beyonce.

This play delivers a lot of laughs, a lot of zaniness, and feels a lot like watching a Nollywood film on YouTube, complete with great humor and African music. This ensemble cast hits the ground running for the

90 minutes that you share in their world. From the workers to the customers, you will have a thoroughly good time. This cast features Zenzi Williams as Bea; Nana Mensah as Aminata; Dominique Thorne as Marie, Brittany Adebumola as Miriam; Maechi Aharanwa as Ndidi; Rachel Christopher as Jennifer, a customer; Somi Kakoma as Jaja; and Kalyne Coleman playing multiple customer roles, and Lakisha May also playing multiple customer roles. Michael Oloyede plays several roles including Aminata’s husband and the male merchants who frequent these shops, selling everything from socks to jewelry. Now that is something that we have all experienced in our neighborhood beauty parlor, right, ladies?

Seeing this play is such a joy, but it does have an ending that will leave you pondering the plight of the ladies that we see every day. What are their stories? What does it mean to them to be in this country and what risks do they endure to remain here? Also, what disrespect do they have to endure in order to make their dreams of success a reality? It was wonderful to be in the theater and notice so many beautiful Black women with their hair just flowing throughout the audience. Go on my Sistas! This production is written by a Black woman, stars Black women and is terrifically directed by a Black woman—Whitney White! It is also produced by Tony Award winner LaChanze and actress Taraji P. Henson. Please, everyone, go and see this show. You will be entertained, enlightened, and moved. For more info, visit www.manhattantheatreclub.com.

Writer and playwright Petrona de la Cruz

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

HOROSCOPES BY KNOWYOURNUMB3RS

By SUPREME GODDESS KYA

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

OCTOBER 5, 2023—OCTOBER 11, 2023

Rebirth of A New Nation: Mentally, stay in check. If you get bored, do something about it like exercising, sunbathing, reading a book, going for a walk, etc. October is ushering in the trailer sneak peak of what’s to occur in 2024. Take notes and pay attention to your conversations, signs, symbols, songs and messages, as this world seems to get real every day, thanks to the recent transit of the north node Taurus/south node Scorpio shedding light in the dark. Now the current transit of the north node in Aries and South node in Libra indicates it’s time for a new lease and no more sweeping dirt under the rug. The light is here to shine through that mess. Why run when you can face your fears or whatever is bothering you and get it off your chest? “Communicate even when it’s uncomfortable or uneasy. One of the best ways to heal is simply getting everything out and if you live bitterly, you live a lonely existence”. MYLKNHONEY

Trust what you are sensing, feeling, seeing, and smelling and focus on your agenda. Allow what is coming in for you to show up in the physical realm. Get in water, drink plenty of water, surround yourself with water this month to assist with your daily affairs. You have resources within your environment to aid you in your plan. Resources are not always monetary, but can be simple as a conversation, a meeting with someone, a song, a word, a picture on a building, a movie etc. From October 10 at 8:02 a.m. until October 12 around 8:00 p.m., what you need to know will reach out to you.

That song by LL Cool J, “Mama Said Knock You Out,” is becoming stronger because you must take the lead on something and your head is all in the clouds. Come down from the clouds and smell the flower essence of mother nature to put you in rare form. Listen more than you speak so you can ask questions that pertain to your business or personal affairs. You are in perfect alignment to meet the people you need to meet. From October 5 around 8:32 a.m. until October 7 around 7:00 p.m., when you work on yourself the old sheds away and sometimes surfaces to the light for a reality check.

Drastic changes cause discomfort; if you get uncomfortable, try to change up your routine or lifestyle. There’s a shift happening emotionally and mentally preparing you for the journey ahead. When you feel the need to change, do not drag yourself but stay prompt. Acknowledge what you are feeling, as the universe has put something on your mind and heart to follow suit. It will be a benefit to you to proceed instead of playing the wait-and-see game. It is what it is. In the days leading up to October 12, just make it happen.

You have a streak of big and bodacious green thumb energy hovering over you this week. Everything you touch is gold and lights up like fireworks. It’s a date with destiny accompanied by a spiritual guide to show you the way. They can only travel so far with you, then the rest is up to you to journey. No need to worry, you have all the tools inside of you when you follow your intuition, utilizing your spider senses for navigation. From October 7 around 7:24 a.m. until October 10 around 8 a.m., the 411 will hit you loud and clear like a siren on a police car or the school bells ringing.

You want things to go one way, yet the universe has another way laid out for you. Take your time in October before you jump to conclusions until you have facts, figures, experiences and the aaaahhhh conversation. As you are in the waiting process for a deeper inner-standing, build your foundation where you presently are in life. When you change your mindset, everything else will change within your environment. From October 5 around 8:32 a.m. until October 7 around 7:00 p.m., at the oddest moment things are revealed.

It’s time to advance and live life on purpose. Do what’s in your heart without any validation nor confirmation. For the moment, you may feel you are by yourself which is an indication of your growth. Old and new affairs will pop up to visit you to gain information and closure to see what you didn’t see before. Meet with the higher ups to ask for what you need or simply partake in major decisions. From October 7 around 7:24 a.m. until October 10 around 8 a.m. keep your mind sharp and get your body in motion for mental support.

Gone with the wind is what the old folks say. You are on a roll, sharing your knowledge and wisdom with humanity. Partnership is changing, expanding for financial and professional opportunities upcoming this month. This week, something has been on your mind for a while and is urging you to make the change in your life to act. No more sitting on ideas of what could occur. You already have the plan and vision, and now it’s time to get started. From October 10 at 8:02 a.m. until October 12 around 8:00 p.m., Alice Walker wrote a book called “We Are The Ones We Have Been Waiting For.”

This cycle week feels like the saying “What in the world is going on?” A pinch here, a tug there, and a pull here and there—that’s a lot of back and forth. All that pull is an indication of your higher self sending you a message to grab your attention. When it occurs, ask yourself, what are you doing? Who or what is on your mind? Where are you when this tug/pull is taking place? In the days leading up to October 12, an elderly woman/ man will appear to advise you, and others will show some form of appreciation.

When the damage is done, you either fix it or move on. This cycle week is cautiously slow, no need to stagnate. In grandma/grandad’s old-fashioned way, some form of family history or family secrets are noticeable. In the midst of this, matters of rearranging the home and health issues can occur. Finances will appear out of the blue. If you have been investing in your project, it’s harvest time to recoup and also keep producing. From October 10 at 8:02 a.m. until October 12 around 8:00 p.m., you are the only person you need to show and prove to your higher self.

This week there is a lot on your mind. Keep your temperature cool so you won’t overheat and cause a headache. Do things in small increments and for a short time-frame to conserve your energy. This cycle week, be like a Duracell battery rather than the Energizer Bunny on the go. Sit down and allow the people and things to come to you. Someone will bring/give you something to assist them when they need it. In the days leading up to October 12, have patience—it’s a spiritual connection happening behind the scenes.

There’s a song called “Going in Circles” by The Friends of Distinction, and this week you are spinning in circles and pondering on ideas as relationships are up in the air—along with other professional and personal matters. Give yourself a break to take time in nature or by a body of water for clarity. After receiving clarity, you are back in boss mode delegating and handling your business. Put yourself first then assist others. From October 5 around 8:32 a.m. until October 7 around 7:00 p.m., do what makes you happy and get what you need.

What is it going to be? Do not leave things up in the air. Decide within 2 days. Where you are about to journey, some folks can’t go down that path. Bizarre opportunities land in your lap this week. If it’s something you are interested in, take a chance on investing in you. You have the skills, qualifications, experience, and proven history of your work. From October 7 around 7:24 a.m. until October 10 around 8 a.m., sometimes people show up and things show up as guides to get us where the universe needs us to be. Once we are there, the magic takes place.

Food

Create a beautiful meal: Creole Shrimp with Polenta

By KELLY TORRES Special to the AmNews

Polenta makes a great vehicle for saucy dishes like this Creole Shrimp. The yellow cornmeal porridge is a lateral substitute for grits. Both are delicious options, but the polenta carries a corn flavor that is more compatible with the sofrito and tomato cooking base.

This sauce will make a delicious accompaniment to seared shrimp, sauteed diced chicken breast, or crispy roasted tofu. Here we are serving it with seared shrimp with a cajun seasoning blend. The blend that you choose can be as hot or as mild as you like it. A half teaspoon will help underscore miles of flavor coming from the sofrito and the manzanilla olives.

The beauty of this meal is that you can make more of the sauce than you need

and freeze the leftovers into pre portioned batches. Keeping a few servings of the creole sauce in your freezer will make perfect weekday dinners; simply double the recipe to achieve this. Similarly, leftover polenta can magically turn into crispy polenta cakes because it naturally forms into the shape of the container it’s transferred to. In which case, I’d opt for a cylindrical container so it’s easy to slice the polenta into medallions.

Simply shallow-fry the leftover polenta cakes in a bit of oil until crisp or choose the lazier approach of brushing the medallions with oil and roasting them in a hot oven until golden.

When preparing polenta for a particular meal, always consider the following days because it’s ideally suited for make-ahead kitchen snacks. Dinners like this create a sense of ease for busy

Creole Shrimp with Polenta

Yields: 4

Ingredients for the creole shrimp:

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

20 pieces of shrimp, deshelled and deveined

½ tsp Cajun seasoning blend

½ yellow onion, sliced

3 cloves of garlic, pounded in a mortar

Instructions for the creole shrimp:

In a nonstick skillet, heat up the olive oil on medium high heat. Sear the seasoned shrimp for 45 seconds to 1 minute each side. Do not fully cook the shrimp. Remove the shrimp and set aside.

Add the onions, garlic, and olives to the skillet. Sauté for 2 minutes or until aromatic.

Add the sofrito and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and thoroughly combine all of the ingredients. Sauté

Ingredients for the polenta:

3 cups chicken stock

1 cup yellow corn polenta

1 tbsp unsalted butter

Instructions for the polenta:: Heat 3 cups of chicken stock.

and pestle

½ cup manzanilla olives, halved cup sofrito, store-bought

1 cup tomato sauce

2 cups chicken stock, as needed Salt and pepper, to taste Microgreens, as garnish

until the tomato sauce starts to bubble. Add the chicken stock and raise the heat to high. Stir gently to combine thoroughly. Allow the sauce to reduce and become slightly thickened—approximately 5 minutes. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary. Transfer the shrimp and any of the juices back into the sauce. Reduce heat to medium low and allow the shrimp to fully cook. Turn off heat. Serve immediately

Slowly stir in the yellow corn polenta on medium heat and whisk gently. Continue to whisk until the polenta creates bubbles and begins to thicken. Remove from heat, stir in butter, and let sit covered until ready to serve.

Assembly: Add two large spoonfuls of polenta to a serving plate, creating an indent in the center. Using tongs, add 5 pieces of shrimp to the indent. Top the shrimp with the Creole sauce. Garnish with microgreens. Enjoy!

(Kelly Torres photos)

“Purlie Victorious” opening night was a celebration!

By LINDA ARMSTRONG Special to the AmNews

Wednesday, September 27, 2023 is an evening that will forever be in my mind, because that is the day that history was made on Broadway as Ossie Davis’ classic comedy “Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through The Cotton Patch” had its official opening night at The Music Box Theatre on West 45th Street. The play, which had not been seen on Broadway since the early 1960s at the Cort Theatre and originally starred Ossie Davis and his wife Ruby Dee, was finally back on Broadway with a revival that does them both proud.

So many people came out to celebrate, and it was made very much possible by Jeffrey Richards, who is not only one of the lead producers on the production, but who has been working towards mounting it on Broadway for over 20 years. It was Richards who approached the Dee Davis adult children Hasna Muhammad, Nora Davis Day and Guy Davis, and asked for their permission to produce their father’s work. Richards saw the original work and knows passages by heart.

The red carpet was filled with a great buzz of excitement and anticipation. Sharing what it meant to them for their father’s play to be performed after all these many years on Broadway, Nora Davis said, “What a tribute it is to him and to his artistry. We feel him all around us. It means everything to us as a family, and that the show is timeless and so well received just means a lot, especially in this climate. We’re just excited as a family to be together and honor him and honor our mom this way and also just the genius of the play and we miss him… This was a cosmic moment, so many people coming to us to do this play, the producers and of course Leslie, who really wanted to do this. There was a coming together of people who felt that this was the

time for the play, so we said yes.”

Hasna Muhammad said, “It means the world because everyone is honoring dad. They are listening to the words that are so relevant today and it makes us proud that the words that he wrote, the message that he gave us, is being listened to and revered all over again…. so it just means a lot because people are paying attention.”

“It feels wonderful,” said Guy Davis. Pointing to the hat he was wearing he shared that he wore it because it was his Dad’s hat and he was glad that everyone was there to celebrate his father spiritually through this uplifting play.

The Dee Davis family discussed the poetry of the words in their father’s writing, and Muhammad pointed out that Guy created the music that is played between scenes, which definitely contributes to the seamless flow of the production. Day said,

“This evening is a full-circle moment for us and wherever their sweet spirits are, I know they are happy tonight.”

Sade Lythcott, CEO of National Black

Theatre is one of the producers behind the production, which is their second to be produced on Broadway after “Fat Ham.” Lythcott says she was delighted to be there. “Ossie Davis is the foundation for Black theater. He and Ruby birthed what it means to be in service of art and activism and that’s the intersection that National Black Theatre always wants to represent. Also, Ossie was such good friends with my mom, Dr. Barbara Ann Teer, founder of National Black Theatre, so I grew up with this story [and] with the family, and it felt right for our sophomore Broadway show to be the revival and the first revival of ‘Purlie.’”

Director Kenny Leon, who is also a producer on the play, took a moment to explain the question of why Broadway and why now? “I think that America is in dire need of this production. Number one, we forgot how to sit next to each other and laugh, even amongst our differences, and so it’s just a play about basic humanity. So it reminds us of that and also reminds

us,‘what kind of world do we want to leave to our grandkids?’ And thirdly, it’s just the greatness of Ossie Davis. He was a great poet, a great activist, a great artist, and not enough folks have witnessed his greatness, so the fact that this play hasn’t been done in 63 years says a lot. I’m really proud to be that person to bring Ossie Davis to now. He wrote this play in ‘61, but he wrote it clearly about now, and every generation has to fight for freedom and democracy and our time to fight for that and leave a better world for our grandkids is now. I couldn’t think of a better play to do. It invites white and Black, yellow and brown to see it. It invites all of our differences—gay, trans, whatever. It invites all of our differences to meet us halfway, to remind us of what makes a more beautiful world.” Describing the language of the play, Leon said, “It is fiercely poetic, the play lives somewhere between rage and hope and the music of the play is in Ossie’s portrait.

“This play embraces vaudeville and other types of theater. I hope people laugh all the way through to the last scene, and then the last scene is what I’m getting to. My job is to keep people laughing until that last church scene and then … Leslie is able to then deliver the truth. It’s unapologetically Black, but at the same time, it’s respecting [everybody] else’s culture,” Leon added. Regarding the cast, which features Leslie Odom Jr., Kara Young, Jay O. Sanders, Billy Eugene Jones, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Heather Alicia Simms, Noah Robbins, Noah Pyzik and Bill Timoney, Leon shared that he pushed and challenged all of them. “I told them this is the hill we have to climb. Over time we gained trust in each other. This is the best cast I’ve ever worked with.”

Actor Russell Hornsby came to support the show and shared, “I think it’s time to resurrect shows from yesterday, peer at them with a different lens and see where the time is now versus then, in terms of our form of

Members of the Vanessa Calloway family on Opening Night for “Purlie Victorious…”.

Hasna Muhammad, Nora Davis Day, and Guy Davis were thrilled to attend the opening night of their late father Ossie Davis’ classic comedy. (Linda Armstrong photos)

The Dee Davis Family came out in full number as the adult children and grandchildren came out to see this marvelous legacy their father and grandfather created.

expression [and] our artistry. You want to look at how things have evolved from then until now. How are we looking at a work from the ‘60s and putting a 2023 lens on it and how are we able to elevate the story that is being told in that time. When we’re dealing with aspects of racism, segregation and the ability to shapeshift how does that take form today versus yesteryear? How much of that has changed and how much hasn’t? What games are we continuing to play that gives us the win or where we have to take the loss possibly? I think it’s just a constant challenge for us creatively to take stock of where we’re going and where we’ve been.”

Tony Award winning actress Melba Moore shared what “Purlie Victorious” being on Broadway now meant to her. “It’s timely and it withstood the test of time. It played a role

in Black people breaking into Broadway theater and we’ve not only lasted, we’ve grown. We’ve become foundational, we’ve expanded. The Great White Way is still here, but it’s not just white anymore, it means a lot. Considering that starring as Lutiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins in the musical version of this play “Purlie” launched her career and won her a Tony Award, Moore had these words for Ossie Davis. “God bless you. You were way ahead of her time.”

“It’s very apparent that the story is timeless and certainly it means that we know who to keep saluting, to keep honoring as they honor us with their work. Of course, with Leslie at the helm and working with Ossie and Ruby’s family, it’s very exciting how they are working to bring this to Broadway,” shared actress Kim Fields, also in attendance.

Tony Award winner Chuck Cooper was on hand with his son Eddie Cooper. Talking about the importance of the production coming to Broadway over six decades later Cooper said, “Oh my gosh, it’s just amazing!

I just wish Ossie and Ruby could be here for this because it’s just so wonderful. And Guy Davis did the music for it. I have a soft spot in my heart for this play, because it was the first big role that I did in college. I played Purlie, all those many years ago. I’m thrilled that it’s here and we get to celebrate and check it out tonight.”

Justin Guarini, recently seen in “Once Upon a One More Time” on Broadway, was also on hand. “I think a society that doesn’t

pay attention to its history is doomed to repeat the same mistakes. I had the great fortune when I was younger to hang out with Ossie Davis and he was always this warm, wonderful, kind person. Many people know him as an actor. But I think this is an opportunity to not only showcase him as a writer, but to take a look back into our history to see a fictionalized version of the things that were happening. It’s just so important for us to look back at our history

so that we don’t make the same mistakes.”

Daniel Beaty, playwright and actor, who was discovered by Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis, attended the Opening Night with high spirits. “Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis were my biggest mentors when they were alive. I really credit my career to them and their belief and their support. Early when Ms. Dee first saw me in Times Square. She saw me with a very small audience and she said this should be done in stadiums. She and Mr. Davis presented my work all over the country starting with the National Black Theatre Festival. This play being on Broadway after all this time is deeply moving to me because of their legacy, [and] also because Mr. Davis’ work is still so prevalent. The issues of race that the play talks about we’re obviously still dealing with in our country today.”

Going into the theater, the energy in the room was filled with excitement and a great Black theater family vibe! It was a who’s who moment as so many phenomenal people were there including producers LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Samuel L. Jackson, Irene Gandy, Jeffrey Richards, and Nicolette Robinson. As you looked around, celebrities were everywhere including Rev. Al Sharpton, Spike Lee, Laurence Fishburne and so many others.

“Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through The Cotton Patch” is one of the funniest and most charming plays you will get to see this season. Opening night was a memory I will always cherish. This play, a comedic reminder of our shared humanity. should be shared by families of every race. “Being colored can be a lot of fun when ain’t nobody looking,” so says Missy Judson. This is a play that you definitely want to look at and experience with the ones you love, so that all of you can share the blessing of laughter and being uplifted.

Actor Russell Hornsby was proud to lend his support.

National Black Theatre, one of the production producers, was represented by Executive Artistic Director Jonathan McCrory and CEO Sade Lythcott

Tony Award winner Chuck Cooper and his son, actor Eddie Cooper were excited to attend.

Actress Kim Fields was on hand to show her admiration for Ossie Davis.

Actor Justin Guarini was there to support “Purlie Victorious” on its opening night.

Director Kenny Leon walks the red carpet with pride. (Linda Armstrong photos)

Melba Moore, who won a Tony for “Purlie,” the musical version of “Purlie Victorious” was thrilled to be there.

Actor, playwright Daniel Beaty was glad to support the work of his mentors.

Tuba Trio, Burrage review, Higgins exhibit

The free Second Annual John Coltrane Festival: Miles Ahead that was rained out on September 23 (Coltrane’s birthday) has been rescheduled for October 6 (5 p.m.–9 p.m.) at the Richard Rodgers Amphitheater in Marcus Garvey Park. Once again, the stellar line-up will include NEA Jazz Master bassist Reggie Workman and his band; saxophonist T.K. Blue; trumpeters James Zollar and Wallace Roney, Jr.; saxophonists Alvin Flythe and Patience Higgins; pianist Bertha Hope; saxophonist Bill Saxton; drummer Winard Harper; and special guests. Festival hosts are Lezlie Harrison of WBGO 88.3 FM and Lamon Fenner of WHCR 90.3 FM.

The innovative force of musicians Joe Daley, Warren Smith, and Scott Robinson has unified as a collective to revisit the “Tuba Trio” and celebrate the centennial of the visionary multi-instrumentalist Sam Rivers. Their “Tuba Trio Tour” will include a brief but definitive northeast tour playing in Philadelphia, Baltimore, and stops in upstate New York with finales in Erie, Penn., on October 5, and a big celebration on October 7 in Teaneck, N.J., at the newly opened jazz and dinner club Brvsh Cul7ur3 Jazz Club (pronounced Brush Culture; 482 Cedar Lane on New Jersey’s side of the George Washington Bridge).

This trio is the epitome of Rivers’s musical concepts as a performer and composer. Daley, Smith, and Robinson are also multi-instrumentalists whose music runs the spectrum from German classical composer Joachim Raff to Anthony Braxton, Janis Joplin, Gil Evans, Nat King Cole, and Muhal Richard Abrams. Both Daley and Smith played and collaborated with Rivers regularly. During the outspoken loft scene, when jazz danced on the edge of sane impossibilities in the 1970s and onward, Rivers was in the forefront with his Studio RivBea. His friend and band member Smith had a loft called Studio Wis, which also acted as a performing and recording space for young jazz musicians who included Wadada Leo Smith and Oliver Lake.

The Tuba Trio originally consisted of Rivers on soprano and tenor saxophones, with Daley on tuba or euphonium, and Smith on mallets and percussion. For this Tuba Trio celebration, multi-reed instrumentalist Robinson will take on Rivers’s parts. “I am thrilled to play a part in this special celebration,” said Robinson.

Some may ask why the Tuba Trio is playing in Teaneck and not the Big Apple? Well, they did play the “city” earlier in the week, on the Lower Eastside, where the loft scene was formerly in full bloom. The October 7 performance takes place at the new jazz club owned by drummer and composer

Rodney Green. “I felt there needed to be a place on the west side of the George Washington Bridge where established jazz artists can mingle with up-and-coming musicians to create that on-the-spot classroom so essential to the music’s improvisational character,” stated Green.

Brvsh Cul7ur3 is the new jazz club on the scene. For reservations for Tuba Trio, visit the website brvshcul7ur3.com.

For some reason, we don’t see enough of drummer and composer Ronnie Burrage, whose sound represents his early days with R&B singer Fontella Bass and as a founding member of the funk/rock/jazz ensemble Defunkt, led by trombonist and vocalist Joseph Bowie. His hard bop attributes are derived from his associations with Sonny Fortune; a three-year stint with McCoy Tyner; and time with Sonny Rollins, Pat Metheny, Jackie McLean, and Arthur Blythe. While many are aware that brothers Branford and Wynton Marsalis were members of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, some didn’t know they were also members of the Burrage Ensemble, one of the drummer’s earlier groups upon arriving in New York City.

Burrage and Holographic Principle combined all of his musical experiences during his recent one-night-only appearance at Dizzy’s. The only question after his standing ovation performance was why he hasn’t appeared at the noted jazz club before. He has appeared at Dizzy’s on various occasions as a sideman, but this was his debut leading his own group, and it was most memorable!

The ensemble included bassist Nimrod Speaks, tenor saxophonist; multi-instrumentalist Alain Bradette; and pianist/keyboardist Alex Collins. Their repertoire was an array of compositions from band mem-

bers that was a combustion of fusion, funk, and straight-ahead jazz, plus favorites from Burrage’s Grammy-nominated 2019 CD Holographic Principle: Dance of the Great Spirit (Truth Revolution Records). Burrage, a longtime sci-fi enthusiast, said, “My music takes you on journeys, but you always come back whole.”

The tune “Chanda,” named after his wife, was a bluesy mid-tempo swing with electronic accents (keyboards and bass) and soulful harmonies. Band members extended the conversation in solos and varied melodies. When the audience shouted for “One more,” he followed up with “Ubiquitous,” a tune he noted he had played with Bobby Hutchinson. This tune allowed Burrage to bring an unyielding intensity to the forefront with an infusion of hard-hittin’ jazz flurries and African melodies. The keyboards swung in the spirit of a romping vibraphone.

The tune was from his album Spirit Guides: Truth and Love Music (2011).

After his standing ovation, Burrage closed the set with a rousing version of “Short Subject,” a Harold Land tune. The ensemble was all in with swinging sax, deep bass, and the Burrage drums blazing but yet subdued, never overpowering the conversation.

Let’s hope this is not Burrage’s last swing at Dizzy’s. His debut as a leader definitely warrants many more appearances.

Chester Higgins, Jr. is one of the most renowned photographers in the world. During his four decades as a staff photographer for the New York Times, he made their pages pop with excitement. His memorable photos have also appeared in such publications as Look, Life, Time, Fortune, Ebony, Essence, and Black Enterprise He is carrying on the tradition of Gordon

Parks, James Van Der Zee, Roy DeCarava, and the Smith Brothers (Marvin and Morgan), featuring the life and culture of people of African descent.

Like his predecessors, Higgins has developed a keen intuitiveness that encompasses an emotional reality to his photos—a third dimension that speaks to its viewers.

Higgins’s interest in the African continent has prompted him to visit more than 50 times since first going to Senegal in 1971. His many photos of Africa are a way of sharing the history and culture of our ancestors that is linked to America and the Black experience.

Higgins’s current exhibit, “Portraits of Those Who Speak the Language of Resistance and Solidarity,” is running now through October 28 at the Bruce Silverstein Gallery (529 West 20th Street, 3rd floor).

The distinctive black-and-white telling portraits capture iconic figures from all realms: Max Roach, Melvin Van Peebles (wearing his signature cap), Nelson Mandela, John Henrik Clarke, Sidney Poitier, Sun Ra, Miles Davis, Carmen de Lavallade (in motion), Angela Davis, and Shirley Chisholm, among others.

The exhibit doesn’t feature clinched fists or revolutionary garments but revolutionary activists who continue the struggle in a variety of ways through their own voices in art, music, sports, and politics. Higgins has most dramatically captured their language of resistance in their eyes. Look in their eyes to see the truth, the commitment to solidarity.

“I make my images to bear witness to our presence, to the real and widespread accomplishments of people of African descent—to reclaim the history and glory of Black people that has been so long denied in the public sphere,” said Higgins.

For exhibit times, visit the website Brucesilverstein.com.

Chester Higgins, Jr. (Ron Scott photo)

Tuba Trio members (L-R) Joe Daley, Warren Smith, Scott Robinson (Wanda Daley photo)

East Harlem Target closes later this month.

(Tandy Lau photo)

Continued from page 3

increase from 2022, and 1,660 complaints were tallied in the 13th Precinct, which covers Union Square, where another Target is planned to open. That area is a central retail hub and saw a near 8% decrease in reported petit larcenies.

To be clear, citywide retail thefts are by far the highest in upper-income Manhattan neighborhoods, according to the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice data. The most complaints last year were reported by the 1st Precinct, which covers SoHo, Tribeca and Wall Street, followed by Upper East Side’s 19th and the pair of Midtown Manhattan precincts. East Harlem’s 25th Precinct ranks just outside the top 20.

Then there’s the matter of store size. The East Harlem location, which spans a reported 174,000 square feet, boasts a larger footage area than the three upcoming Manhattan locations combined.

Local resident and advocate Dr. Sharon Gonzalez said she doesn’t see the bigbox model succeeding in Manhattan, citing paid parking and lighter foot traffic as issues. She prefers shopping at the Mt. Vernon Target and said she doesn’t think the store’s absence will significantly affect her and other Black New Yorkers in East Harlem.

A Manhattan District Attorney’s Office

NYPD lawsuit

Continued from page 3

cases as a “substantial portion of the payouts in 2023.” It also argued the lawsuits do not reflect current practices and policies.

“The NYPD carefully analyzes allegations in civil lawsuits against individual officers as well as trends in litigation against the Department,” added the police spokesperson by email.

While there are no data points directly examining the impact for Black and brown communities, Wong pointed to officers like Grieco, who formerly served in East New York’s 75th Precinct and continues to remain with the department, as a concern.

“A principle [of] ‘broken windows policing’ [is] that low-level offenses are indicators of a person’s criminality down the line, but they’re not applying it to their own bad actors themselves who keep racking up ci-

New York City police officer at Times Square checkpoint during New Year’s Eve celebrations (AP Photo/ Julio Cortez, File 2015)

spokesperson said shoplifting complaints borough-wide are down 14% this year and called the East Harlem Target “a boon for the community, providing local jobs for employees in the area.” City Council deputy speaker Diana Ayala, who represents East Harlem, also saw the closing store as a local resource.

“I’m disappointed to hear the news about the closure of the East Harlem Target,” said Ayala. “This store has been a lifeline for many East Harlem residents, providing jobs and stability for their families. The thought of the hardship this closure will bring to those who relied on these jobs is disheartening.”

vilian complaints again and again,” said Wong. “What we have to think about here is when we talk about impacted communities—if you are someone who comes from one of these precincts that a lot of these officers are in and have bad [or] troublesome interactions with them [and] you… see they’re not only staying on the force but they’re getting promoted, what kind of confidence does that instill about the disciplinary system and how it’s working?

“The idea [of settlements] is supposed to deter police misconduct, but unless the city is actually doing something about disciplining these officers, the message that they’re sending is that it’s the cost of doing business.”

Tandy Lau is a Report for America corps member and 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.

A petition by local residents to keep Target in East Harlem currently sits at around 1,500 signatures. The author not only pointed to the store’s affordable offering of essential goods like toiletries and stationary but also expressed anxieties for a potential domino effect for nearby retailers.

Target did not respond to multiple attempts to reach the company. The retailer is also putting the “depart” in department stores for a trio of locations in both San Francisco and Portland, along with two other shops in Seattle. Unlike in New York City, there are no announced upcoming stores in those three cities.

Such a decision comes at a time when shoplifting is a key policy concern. In May, Target participated in a citywide retail theft summit hosted by Mayor Eric Adams that delineated plans to create diversion programs and reduce the internet pipelines for resold stolen goods. District attorneys may opt to qualify verifiable first-time offenders during pre-arraignment in the Second Chance Initiative, which enrolls shoplifters in non-carceral supportive services.

John Jay College of Criminal Justice assistant professor Keith Taylor said programs addressing underlying causes of petit larceny and offering alternatives to prosecution are crucial. But he also said they cannot take on organized retail crime, which often spring up on prominent online fences listed on less regulated social media resale marketplaces. Such efforts could be crucial in keeping businesses in Target within the fold.

“You have those who are actually working as a coordinating crew or ring to steal specific retail,” said Taylor. “And then you have those who take advantage of [the] opportunity that are individually looking to take what they can…it can really cause more unintended consequences as a result because as stores shut down and main streets—in districts all over the country—start to go dark, you then have other things like employment problems.”

In 2022, just 327 people were responsible for a significant minority of retail theft, according to Adams. The National Retail Federation (NRF) reports average shrink—lost retail inventory—is trending upward and last year’s losses ballooned up to $112.1 billion from 2021’s $93.9 billion. This number does include other costs but is “driven by theft,” both external and internal.

Overall, the NRF reports a 60% rise in organized retail theft since 2015. Federally, the Integrity, Notification, and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces for Consumers (INFORM) Act went into effect this June, mandating online marketplace platforms to regulate and verify the legitimacy of prolific third-party resellers.

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

The fabulous Mills Brothers

By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews

If you remember the Mills Brothers, you are much older than we thought you were, or you are one who has swallowed an enormous amount of the American songbook no matter your age. For those of you puzzled by the impact of the brothers on our music history, there was a time when they, whether as a quartet or trio, made a countless number of recordings and sold more than 50 million copies and embossed their legacy with some three dozen gold records.

Our usual practice is to devote this column to a single, and sometimes a couple, of personalities under the radar of public recognition. Once you get a notion of the Mills Brothers’ historic importance, however, only the passing of time and changing tastes in music can diminish their popularity—and even that is no guarantee of erasing their name.

To begin with, the four Mills Brothers were made up of Donald, the lead singer, and tenor (1915-1999); Herbert, second tenor (1912-1989); Harry, baritone (1913-1982); and John, Jr., tenor, guitar and double bass (19101936). They were members of a family of nine, a nonet that had their beginning in Piqua, Ohio. John Hutchinson Mills, their father was a barber with his own barbershop, and perhaps inevitably, a harmonizing quartet. The brothers began singing in the choir of the Cyrene African Methodist Episcopal Church and the Park Avenue Baptist Church in their hometown.

However, the quartet’s most prominent venue was right in front of their father’s barbershop, after lessons from the Spring Street Grammar School, at May’s Opera House. Here they gained recognition after Harry lost his kazoo, and he mimicked the sound of a trumpet by cupping his hands over his mouth. It was such an effective improvisation that they decided to include it in their act with John imitating the tuba; Harry, the trumpet; Herbert, the second trumpet, and Donald, the trombone. John accompanied the created instrumentation with an actual ukulele and guitar performance. The idea was to capture the sound of the current bands and orchestras.

The group really began to garner attention after a 1928 appearance at May’s between Rin Tin Tin features, where they accompanied the Harold

Greenameyer Big Band to Cincinnati for an audition with radio station WLW. For the most part, it was a successful venture, and the Brothers were hired, but not the band. Soon they received an even bigger break and exposure when Duke Ellington and his orchestra came to town and the maestro heard a performance. Ellington arranged an audition for them with Okeh Records where they signed and set for a date in New York City.

Two years later, William S. Paley, the executive of CBS Radio, was asked to listen to a broadcast of the brothers. He immediately went down and put them on the air. The next day they were no longer “The Steamboat Four,” but the Mills Brothers and signed to a three-year contract— making them the first African Americans to have a network show on radio.

Along with the radio exposure, the brothers recorded their first release for Brunswick Records, “Tiger Rag,” and it became a number-one hit, sold over a million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA. A string of topselling records followed including “Ole

Rockin’ Chair,” and “Lazy River.” After four years with Brunswick, they signed with Decca where they remained until the 1950s. The only instrument used on the recordings at these two companies was the guitar. Meanwhile, they continued to be popular on radio where in the 1930s they were sponsored by Standard Oil, Procter & Gamble, Crisco, and Crosley Radio.

The Mills Brothers received additional recognition when they began appearing in films, none more significant than their first, “The Big Broadcast” with such luminaries as Bing Crosby, Cab Calloway, and the Boswell Sisters. They also performed in cartoon shorts for the Fleischer Brothers. But it was their regular CBS show that kept them in public view, along with such recordings as “Sleepy Head,” “Lazy Bones,” “Sweet Sue,” and “Shoe Shine Boy.”

So extensive was their renown that they were invited to give a command performance before British royalty in 1934—another first for African Americans. It was during this time that John, Jr. became ill and died. Their father,

ACTIVITIES

FIND OUT MORE

Accounts of the Mills Brothers and their achievements are found in nearly any book on the history of American music, including encyclopedias on the entertainment industry.

DISCUSSION

Not much on the brothers coming of age, though they seemed to have been fixated on harmonizing.

PLACE IN CONTEXT

The 1930s were the hallmark of the group’s odyssey and success, which continued across more than three generations in some shape or form.

John Sr., replaced him on tuba and singing bass. They were also joined by guitarist Bernard Addison.

CLASSROOM IN THE THIS WEEK IN BLACK HISTORY

Their recordings with Louis Armstrong gave them more fame and fortune. From 1939 through the war years, their recordings were bestsellers, and they truly hit the gold mine with the recording of “Paper Doll,” which became their signature song.

To offset the power and surge of rock and roll, they recorded Johnny Mercer’s “Glow Worm,” and that kept them on the hit parade. In 1976, at their 50th anniversary, Bing Crosby was the host, and the only sad note to the affair was diabetes that had robbed Harry of his sight. After Harry’s death in 1982, the group continued through the years with other members of the family filling in for the deceased and departed.

In 1998, when Donald was the last surviving member, the group was presented with a Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement. Donald died of pneumonia in 1999, and the group was left for John II. and his eldest brother to carry on the seemingly inexhaustible Mills Brothers tradition.

Oct. 1, 1955: Singer Howard Hewett was born in Akron, Ohio.

Oct. 2, 1800: Nat Turner, who led a rebellion for ffreedom, was born in Virginia. He was hanged in 1831.

Oct. 3, 1954: Activist and minister Al Sharpton was born in Brooklyn.

L to R: Herbert, John, Donald, and Harry

Continued from page 3

sponsored the Int 0934-2023 bill, which requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to install a plaque near Wall and Pearl Streets in Manhattan to properly mark the site of the state’s first slave market. He initially introduced the bill when he was a councilmember in 2014. He explained at the hearing that under former Mayor Bill de Blasio, a sign was placed near but not at the original location of the slave market.

“It is necessary for our history to be captured accurately,” said PA Williams. “This plaque ensures that every New Yorker and visitor knows the city was built on the backs of the enslaved.” Enslaved African labor from the Trans-Atlantic slave trade was used to fuel the city’s economy, clear the lands to create Broadway, build the first city hall, build the Fraunces Tavern, and erect the wall that Wall Street was named after, he said.

“It is very clear—the connection between what is happening in these communities and why some people don’t want this history taught,” he said.

The Int 1150-2023 bill similarly calls for markers for historic sites around the city related to the freedom trail, abolitionist movement, and Underground Railroad, a network of secret routes and safe houses that helped free thousands of slaves. The bill convenes a task force of public officials and academic and historical scholars to create a walkable tour of these sites.

“It is important for New Yorkers to learn

3-K for All

Continued from page 4

people are actually experiencing… it allows us to have a much more dynamic picture and better understanding of how poverty and hardship plays out in people’s lives.”

The ECPT surveyed 1,576 parents who had children under the age of three as they began enrolling in New York City’s universal pre-kindergarten program for three-year-olds. When 3-K for All was initially rolled out in 2017 under Mayor Bill de Blasio, it highlighted the fact that it was offering free pre-kindergarten education to kids in the city’s highest-need districts. Families in the South Bronx, Brownsville, East New York, and Ocean Hill were some of the first to enroll in 3-K for All. By 2019, the program had expanded to areas like East and Central Harlem, Morningside

and know these stories and correct the wrongs that resulted from [them]. The only way to move forward with our future is to face the past,” said Councilmember Chi Osse, who chairs the committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries, and International Intergroup Relations.

Councilmember Williams said that the bill facing the biggest pushback deals with school names and public art, a hot button issue left over from 2020s racial reckoning incited by the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.

Heights, Inwood, Washington Heights, East New York, Bedford Stuyvesant, Weeksville, Cypress Hills, Mariners Harbor, Saint George, Bloomfield, and New Dorp, among many others.

Eunho Cha, a Columbia University doctoral student who was looking at the data, suggested the creation of a study to look at how the 3-K for All rollout was affecting the labor force participation of mothers and the demographics of who these mothers were. Cha told the AmNews, “We put together demographic information by the school districts and compared them with those 12 districts where earlier 3-K programs were rolled out in earlier phases.

[In] these districts, on average, the proportion of Hispanic and Black populations was higher compared to those districts who got the 3-K available in later phases. ….The average percentage of Hispanic groups was 37% whereas the percentage of non-3-K districts was 21%. For the Black population

The bill, sponsored by Sandy Nurse, would require the Public Design Commission (PDC) to eventually remove works of art on city property that depict a person who owned enslaved people, directly benefited economically from slavery, or participated in systemic crimes against indigenous peoples and slaves. It would also install educational plaques on sidewalks near schools that are named after a person who fits the criteria.

In 2018, a commission formed under de Blasio voted to remove a statue of Dr. J.

it was 35% for 3-K districts; whereas it was 25% for non-3-K districts.”

Columbia University Professor Jane Waldfogel noted that the ECPT report focused on interviewing the same families three or four times a year between 2017 and 2021. The ECPT report notes that “[W]hen children became age-eligible for 3-K, mothers’ labor force participation increased by 7 percentage points among those living in 3-K districts, compared with only 2 percentage points among those in non-3-K districts. This pattern suggests that the availability of 3-K helped mothers in 3-K districts to begin work or to enter the labor market and look for employment.

“Mothers’ labor force participation dropped after the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020. Nonetheless, through out 2020 and the first half of 2021, labor force participation remained higher among mothers in 3-K districts than in non-3-K

STAY UPDATED WITH WHAT IS HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITY

Marion Sims, from Central Park, who performed experimental surgery on enslaved Black women without their consent or anesthesia. Later in 2020, the American Museum of Natural History removed the famed statue of former President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt in Manhattan. The statue showed the former president on horseback while a Native American man and Black man walked on either side below him.

Councilmember Williams said there has been contention about monuments of people like Christopher Columbus. Columbus was an Italian explorer who viciously colonized indigenous islanders in the Caribbean and kicked off the chattel slavery of Africans in the Trans-Atlantic slave trade in the late 1400s, but he is still beloved by some Italian New Yorkers for his historical contributions.

“Right-wing media picked up on that and that actually seems to be the more controversial bill, which I’m shocked [by],” said Councilmember Williams. “No one’s really said anything about truth, reconciliation, reparations.”

The PDC testified that they are in support of the bill for removing monuments but would require “significantly” more staffing and public outreach to carry out its requirements.

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

districts, suggesting that the impact of the higher availability of 3-K for mothers continued after children aged out of 3-K eligibility.”

Freeing up the burden of childcare gave lower income families the opportunity to strengthen their financial resources. New York City’s 3-K for All helps with the academic and developmental preparation of young children and can serve to impact a family’s financial well-being.

And it’s something Prof. Waldfogel points out has not been a one-shot deal: “It’s not just the impact of 3-K while the children are in 3-K; it seems to last and persevere post 3-K. So, whether it’s that moms are able to get into work and then stay in, or whether they then have more work experience and so they are more successful with employers, it looks like it’s not just a temporary phenomenon––it’s lasting.

And, you know, we’ve been able to follow these families a couple years post 3-K and it looks like it’s persisting.”

Councilmember Nantasha Williams, who chairs the Civil and Human Rights committee, at a hearing on December 8, 2022. (John McCarten/NYC Council Media Unit photo)

City Council report indicates persisting pay disparities for NYC early childhood educators

By ARIAMA C. LONG Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member

According to a new report, produced jointly by the City Council and the Day Care Council of New York (DCCNY), community-based early childhood educators are paid less than teachers at school-based programs. It’s a concerning trend considering that the industry predominantly employs women of color to care for the city’s children.

“We stand united behind the majority-women of color who provide crucial care to our children during their formative years,” said Kevin Riley, councilmember and co-chair of the Black, Latino and Asian Caucus (BLAC). “To ensure continuity in care, community-based organization (CBO) childcare workers must receive equitable, competitive wages on par with their DOE counterparts. We expect all parties to engage in good-faith contract negotiations.”

Firstly, there’s a difference in funding between childcare centers, home-based programs, and the Department of Education (DOE’s) 3-K/pre-K childcare workers. Childcare centers tend to be much larger and homebased programs are smaller entities. Both are publicly funded and usually more affordable for working-class families. Wages for their staff are primarily funded and set by city contracts.

Gregory Brender, the chief policy and innovation officer for the Day Care Council of New York, worked on the pay parity report. The report found that a “certified teacher with a bachelor’s degree will lose more than $690,000 over the course of a 25-year career by working in a CBO instead of a public school.” The pay disparities often lead to high turnover and operational challenges for childcare centers, he said.

“A lot of what’s important in early childhood is the bond that young children have with caretakers and the adults in their lives, so having people change frequently really affects the quality of care,” said Brender.

He added that the low pay in this specific field is likely because of long-standing discrimination and caretaking being viewed as “women’s work.”

In 2019, the city agreed to raise the salary floor for certified teachers but it did not include increases for childcare education program staff. They also omitted teachers of preschool special education classes entirely—leav-

ing them paid even less than 3-K/ pre-K general education teachers, said Advocates for Children of New York. Once the pandemic hit in 2020, emergency childcare was in high demand. Another DCCNY report said the city opened emergency child care programs (ECCs) located in CBOs and were dedicated to solely serving children of essential workers that were under the age of 5. Since then, New York

Bronx native who used to run a home-based childcare program near the Grand Concourse for 16 years. She loved caring and working with kids but often found herself struggling to make ends meet until she got married and had an additional income helping her maintain the business. She was most dismayed that she had to scale back on educational programming and trips for the children often due to costs. She received about $4 to $6 an hour per child, depending on their age and attendance, from those who were qualified from the state to receive childcare subsidies.

“Family childcare is a small business,” said Bowen. “You start to see that one, two, three children, that’s not enough to pay the rent, not enough to feed the children, buy the crayons consistently, not enough to run the program.”

Many of her fellow childcare educators and assistants were also on Medicare, SNAP benefits, and/or public assistance because they couldn’t afford the cost of living with just their wages. Some providers can’t even afford payroll taxes for employees. She said that they didn’t really tell parents and families about these financial troubles. “We never made enough money,” said Bowen. “We don’t share that because we don’t want them to think that we’re the poor provider taking care of their children.”

To achieve pay parity for childcare centers, Brender said they are advocating for a new agreement with the city that factors longevity into pay structure, per diem rates for summer work, and $25 hourly minimum wage for all childcare support staff.

state and federal partners have given unprecedented attention and funding to childcare.

In July 2023, Mayor Eric Adams put forth a plan to support working families with allocations for child care in the city budget, which childcare providers said should have been used to address the pay gap as well.

Shanita Bowen, chief operating officer at ECE On The Move, is a

Bowen is for universal child care statewide and higher wages for early childcare educators and assistants.

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

Councilmember Kevin Riley and the city council’s Black, Latino and Asian Caucus (BLAC) held a press conference with the Daycare Council on pay parity on September 19, 2023. (Emil Cohen/NYC Council Media Unit photo)

International

Continued from page 2

he dreams of strolling along one of Haiti’s beaches, but the violence has gotten so bad that even walking on the street is a risk.

“I feel trapped in my home. Any foreign force in support of Haitian police is more than welcome,” Antoine said. “The Haitian people need it, we need a break and to have a life again.”

The mission is awaiting the U.N. Security Council’s formal approval to go forward, but has already received support from the U.N. and U.S.

SOUTH AFRICAN WRITERS ADDRESS ‘COLOUREDNESS’ IN NEW BOOK

devastating legacy of mining, and efforts to move away from coal.

Dooms is a sociologist, development practitioner, activist, and director at the Rivonia Circle, a knowledge hub for policy and political alternatives.

Their book is available at Barnes and Noble.

AS TENSION GROWS, U.S. IMPOSES VISA RESTRICTIONS ON LIBERIANS ‘UNDERMINING DEMOCRACY’

(GIN)—With the approach of national elections in Liberia, the U.S. has imposed visa restrictions, withholding travel in the U.S. for individuals “undermining democracy.”

The restrictions, announced by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, target people believed to be manipulating or rigging the electoral process, using violence, or doing any other activity designed to improperly influence the outcome of an election.

There are 20 candidates with their eyes on the executive mansion in Monrovia as Liberians go to the polls on Oct. 10. The posh residence is currently occupied by President George Weah, the former World Soccer Player of the Year who is seeking reelection for a second term as his six-year term comes to an end in January of next year.

DRC

Continued from page 2

Tshisekedi said he’s left behind any controversy about the elections and is ready to carry the mantle of presiding over a nation of 245,000 square kilometers (approximately 905,568 square miles). The DRC’s citizens have numerous basic needs and still suffer from extreme violence in the eastern part of the nation. Tshisekedi said he’s made it a point to pay personal visits to the DRC’s nine neighboring countries in East and Central Africa because he wants to try to create new modes of cooperation with his fellow nations.

Tshisekedi’s administration has also made a concerted effort to renegotiate the mining contracts it inherited with foreign nations. The DRC is the world’s largest producer of cobalt, the metal used to make rechargeable batteries and which is vital for electric

Homebuyers

Continued from page 11

(GIN)—South African history professor Mohamed Adhikari was one of the early writers to examine racial identity in the Coloured community. In 2005, identity was one of the hottest topics in popular and academic discourse when his book “Not White Enough, Not Black Enough: Racial Identity in the South African Coloured” appeared.

Now, a new book by journalists Lynsey Ebony Chutel and Tessa Dooms is again stimulating conversation and debate. “Coloured: How Classification Became Culture” delves into the history of Coloured people as descendants of indigenous Africans and a people whose identity was shaped by colonization, slavery, and the racial political hierarchy that these created.

Coloured as an ethnicity and racial demographic is intertwined in the creation of the South Africa of today, wrote Chutel. Yet often, Coloured communities are disdained as people with no clear heritage or culture — “not being Black enough or white enough.”

Dooms’s and Chutel’s book challenges this notion and presents a different angle to that narrative. It is about the culture that Coloured communities have created for themselves through food, music, and shared lived experiences.

The book launched to a full house and an enthusiastic audience at Love Books in Johannesburg this month.

The authors tell differing stories of how they and their families got there, and, moreover, to the apartheid classification “coloured.” Yet they also show how that classification became community, and how communities developed cultures.

Chutel writes for the New York Times from the Johannesburg bureau. She has written about the coronavirus pandemic in Africa, the death of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the

Only one of the presidential candidates is considered a serious challenger to the incumbent. Joseph Boakai is a former vice president of Liberia under Ellen JohnsonSirleaf, whom Weah defeated in a runoff after the 2017 election failed to produce a winner on the first ballot.

Boakai graciously conceded defeat six years ago. However, he appears to be poised for a fiercer fight this year.

Weah faces an uphill struggle. He must convince Liberians that he can perform better than he has so far. His administration has been blighted by high food prices and corruption scandals, and the coalition that prodded him into office has pulled apart.

Last year, three key members (the chief of staff, Liberia’s chief prosecutor, and the managing director of the National Port Authority) of Weah’s government were indicted by the U.S. for involvement in public corruption. Although Weah suspended the officials so they could be investigated, an opposition leader, Alexander Cummings, accused the president of culpability for their alleged misdeeds.

Weah also will not enjoy an alliance with his predecessor, Johnson-Sirleaf. That alliance has broken down.

Blinken clarified that the visa restriction policy is specifically targeted at certain individuals and not intended to affect the Liberian people or the government as a whole.

Boakai, former vice president and the UPstandard bearer, warned it would be the end of Liberia if the ruling CDC steals the election. “…that’s why you need to protect it. If they think they’ll steal this election, you will not allow it because if they do it, that’s the end of this country,” said the 78-year-old Boakai on his campaign trail.

In Transparency International’s 2022 corruption ranking, Liberia ranked 142 out of 180, six places worse than its 2021 ranking of 136.

homeownership. Student loans, child support, or medical debt are factored into the debt-to-income ratio and affect being able to qualify for mortgage loans, added Brown.

In 1968, Congress enacted the Fair Housing Act to ban race discrimination in the housing market, but Black homeowners still disproportionately experience lower appraisal values, higher mortgage rates, and

vehicle (EV) batteries. The nation also has gold, diamonds, bauxite, and oil reserves. The DRC’s excess of natural resources has led to violence in the nation for years.

“We have never been happy,” Tshisekedi confessed, or been able to enjoy the natural resources of the DRC. “On the contrary, some countries and some companies have benefited from the riches of the DRC, but the people of the DRC themselves have not benefited; they have been almost victims of this richness of the country.”

Of the future, Tshisekedi said: “It’s a big challenge, but the people are seeing what we are confronted with. And, at the same time, based on our background, based on what we learned from our leader Étienne Tshisekedi, we have the strength to carry forward.”

The next round of presidential elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is expected to take place on December 20, 2023.

redlining into underserved neighborhoods. “It is not an equal playground. There are the haves and have nots, right now. Sometimes it doesn’t matter the degrees you have,” said Taylor.

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

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Must be submitted online or hand-delivered by this time, or postmarked by this date if mailed. Sending more

(GIN photo)

Governor Kathy Hochul HCR Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas www.hcr.gov/lotteries

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NEW YORK STATE DRAFT 2024 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN

PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD

ANNOUNCEMENT

To participate in certain federal community development and housing programs, the State of New York an annual Action Plan and provide opportunities for citizens to participate in its development. As part of this process, New York State invites interested persons to review and comment on the Annual Action Plan for 2024 during an upcoming public comment period.

The Annual Action Plan focuses principally on five federal programs: the New York State Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG); the HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME); Housing Trust Fund (HTF); the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS Program (HOPWA); and the Emergency Shelter Grants Program (ESGP).

The Annual Action Plan will describe the State’s planned use of federal Fiscal Year 2024 CDBG, HOME, HTF, HOPWA and ESGP funds it administers to address the needs identified by its five- year Consolidated Plan and further the Consolidated Plan’s objectives and will also describe the State’s methods for distributing these funds.

The 30-day public comment period will begin on Monday, October 16, 2023, and extend through close of business Thursday, November 16, 2023. Beginning on October 16, 2023, New York State’s draft Annual Action Plan for 2024 may be viewed on and downloaded from the New York State Housing and Community Renewal (HCR) website at hcr.ny.gov/pressroom. In addition, copies can be requested by email (HCRConPln@hcr.ny.gov) or by calling 1-518486-3452.

Comments should be emailed to HCRConPln@hcr.ny.gov or mailed to New York State Homes and Community Renewal, Attn: Rachel Yerdon, 38-40 State Street, Albany NY, 12207. Comments must be received by close of business November 16, 2023.

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NEW YORK, WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE FOR MFRA TRUST 2014-2, Plaintiff, vs. ANTONIOS GABRIEL A/K/A ANTHONY GABRIEL, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale and Decision + Order on Motion duly entered on May 26, 2023 and a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale and Decision + Order on Motion duly entered on June 27, 2023, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the portico of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007 on October 25, 2023 at 2:15 p.m., premises known as 77 West 55th Street, Unit 15G, New York, NY 10019. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, County, City and State of New York, Block 1271 and Lot 1507 together with an undivided 0.5147 percent interest in the Common Elements. Approximate amount of judgment is $995,652.99 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #850250/2019. COVID-19 safety protocols will be followed at the foreclosure sale.

Joseph F. Buono, Esq., Referee Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff. Firm File No. 171138-3

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORKCOUNTY OF NEW YORK

HSBC BANK USA, V.

KAREN KENNEY A/K/A KAREN KENNY, ET. AL.

NOTICE OF SALE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure dated May 19, 2023, and entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of New York, wherein HSBC BANK USA is the Plaintiff and KAREN KENNEY A/K/A KAREN KENNY, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at at the PORTICO OF THE NEW YORK COUNTY COURTHOUSE, 60 CENTRE STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10007, on October 25, 2023 at 2:15PM, premises known as 144 WEST 123RD STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10027: Block 1907, Lot 53:

ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND SITUATE, LYING AND BEING IN THE BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN, COUNTY, CITY AND STATE OF N.Y.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index

# 810040/2012. Elaine Shay, 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.

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT NEW YORK COUNTY WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE OF CSMC 2019RPL11 TRUST, Plaintiff against UNKNOWN HEIRS AT LAW OF HYUNJEONG HAN, AND IF THEY BE DEAD, ANY AND ALL PERSONS UNKONOWN TO PLAINTIFF, CLAIMING, OR WHO MAY CLAIM TO HAVE AN INTEREST IN, OR GENERALLY OR SPECIFIC LIEN UPON THE REAL PROPERTY DESCRIBED IN THIS ACTION, et al Defendant(s) Attorney for Plaintiff(s) Knuckles, Komosinski & Manfro, LLP, 565 Taxter Road, Suite 590, Elmsford, NY 10523.

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered May 17, 2023, I will sell at public auction to the highest bidder at the Portico of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre St, New York, NY 10007 on November 1, 2023 at 2:15 PM.

Premises known as 70 Little West Street, Unit 22G, New York, NY 10004 aka 70 Battery Place, Unit 22G, New York, NY 10280. Block 16 Lot 1878. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being in Battery Park City South, in the Borough of Manhattan, City, County, and State of New York. Approximate Amount of Judgment is $665,379.10 plus interest, fees, and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 850044/2021. Cash will not be accepted at the sale. The foreclosure sale will be conducted in accordance with 1st Judicial District's Covid-19 Policies and foreclosure auction rules. The Referee shall enforce any rules in place regarding facial coverings and social distancing. Referee will only accept a certified bank check made payable to the referee.

Thomas R. Kleinberger, Esq., Referee 2267-003898

Brooklyn Bread Apparel, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 11/30/2022. Office: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 1740 Broadway Ave., Fl. 15, NY, NY 10019. Purpose: Any lawful act.

Sweetsandthings LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 10/30/2018. Office: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail a copy to: 135-30 127th St., South Ozone Park, NY, 11420. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

SUPREME COURT-NEW YORK COUNTY- HILTON RESORTS CORP., Pltf. v. ROCHELLE R. MITCHLEY and DAVID V. MITCHLEY, Deft.Index # 850086/2020. Pursuant to Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated October 1, 2021, I will sell at public auction Outside the Portico of the NY County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, NY, NY on Thursday, October 12, 2023, at 2:15 pm, an interest of an undivided 0.009864% tenant in common interest in the timeshare known as 57th STREET VACATION SUITES located at 102 West 57th Street, New York, New York. Approximate amount of judgment is $13,791.76 plus costs and interest as of May 7, 2020. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale which includes annual maintenance fees and charges. Referee will not accept cash as any portion of the deposit or purchase price. Bruce Lederman, Esq., Referee. Cruser, Mitchell, Novitz, Sanchez, Gaston, & Zimet LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 341 Conklin Street, Farmingdale, NY.

SUPREME COURT-NEW YORK COUNTY- HILTON RESORTS CORP., Pltf. v. ANITA D. HICKS, Defts. - Index # 850143/2020. Pursuant to Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated July 12, 2021, I will sell at public auction Outside the Portico of the NY County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, NY, NY on Thursday, October 12, 2023, at 2:15 pm, an interest of an undivided 0.0450946335738578% tenant in common interest in the timeshare known as Phase I of HNY CLUB SUITES located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York. Approximate amount of judgment is $44,849.40 plus costs and interest as of February 23, 2021. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale which includes annual maintenance fees and charges. Mark McKew, Esq., Referee. Cruser, Mitchell, Novitz, Sanchez, Gaston, & Zimet LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 341 Conklin Street, Farmingdale, NY.

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORKCOUNTY OF NEW YORK

HSBC BANK USA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR DEUTSCHE ALT-A SECURITIES INC. MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST, MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES SERIES 2005-3, V.

ROBERT A. DEL VENTO, ET. AL.

NOTICE OF SALE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure dated May 09, 2023, and entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of New York, wherein HSBC BANK USA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR DEUTSCHE ALT-A SECURITIES INC. MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST, MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES SERIES 2005-3 is the Plaintiff and ROBERT A. DEL VENTO, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the PORTICO OF THE NEW YORK COUNTY COURTHOUSE, 60 CENTRE STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10007, on November 08, 2023 at 2:15PM, premises known as 335 EAST 51ST STREET, APARTMENT 9D, NEW YORK, NY 10022: Block 1344, Lot 1074:

THE CONDOMINIUM UNIT (HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AS THE "UNIT") KNOWN AS UNIT NO, 9D IN THE BUILDING (HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AS THE "BUILDING") KNOWN AS THE SENATE EAST CONDOMINIUM AND BY THE STREET NUMBER 335 EAST 51ST, BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN, CITY. COUNTY AND STATE OF NEW YORK

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 850055/2019. Mark McKew, 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.

Notice of Qualification of BRIDGETON 396 BROADWAY F&B MANAGEMENT LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 09/06/23. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 08/17/23. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: c/o CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, 820 N. French St., 4th Fl., Wilmington, DE 19801. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of KDS MANAGEMENT LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 09/06/23. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 03/21/23. Princ. office of LLC: Unit 15-138, 575 Fifth Ave., NY, NY 10017. NYS fictitious name: KEROGEN DIGITAL MANAGEMENT LLC. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: c/o CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Secy. of State, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St. - Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of 4160 MAIN STREET OWNER LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 09/06/23. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 09/05/23. Princ. office of LLC: 520 Madison Ave., Ste. 3501, NY, NY 10022. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 122072543, regd. agent upon whom and at which process may be served. DE addr. of LLC: 1209 Orange St., Wilmington, DE 19801. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Real estate investment.

Notice of Formation of DKH METS, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/19/20. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Cohen & Cohen, LLP, 767 Third Ave., 31st Fl., NY, NY 10017. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Read 108, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 09/01/2023. Office: NEW YORK County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy to: 86 Jane Street, New York, NY 10014. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Andrea Sullivan, LCSW PLLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 06/06/2023. Office: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 315 W 57th St., Ste. 203, NY, NY 10019. Purpose: Any lawful act.

CHART INDUSTRIES II, LLC.

Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 09/14/23. Office: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, c/o Hyman & Gilbert, Esqs., 1843 Palmer Avenue, Larchmont, NY 10538.

Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Trueveteran Consulting LLC

Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 05/19/2023. Office: Kings County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail copy to: 425 Williams Drive 1231, Marietta, GA 30066. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

The Paull Group LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 08/21/2023. Office: NY County.

SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail copy to: 301 E. 81st St., NY, NY 10028. R/A: U.S. Corp. Agents, Inc., 7014 13th Ave. #202, Bklyn, NY 11228. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Notice of Qualification of PLATINUM PLUS AUTO GLASS

LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 09/08/23. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 09/22/22. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: c/o CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808.

Cert. of Form. filed with Jeffrey W. Bullock, Secy. of State, Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., #4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of JANDS 1 LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 09/12/23. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 09/11/23.

Princ. office of LLC: 100 Mamaroneck Ave., Mamaroneck, NY 10543. 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. DE addr. of LLC: Corporation Service Co., 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of ZIMMER SPC LP Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/23/23. Office location: NY County. LP formed in Delaware (DE) on 06/12/23. Princ. office of LP: 9 W. 57th St., 33rd Fl., NY, NY 10019. NYS fictitious name: ZIMMER SPC 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 the L.P. at the princ. office of the LP. Name and addr. of each general partner are available from SSNY. DE addr. of LP: c/o Corporation Service Co., 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of LP filed with Secy. of State of DE, Dept. of State, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of HABYT PROPERTIES US LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 09/12/23. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 05/17/23. Princ. office of LLC: 335 Madison Ave., Ste. 6F-2, NY, NY 10017. 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: 850 New Burton Rd., Ste. 201, Dover, DE 19904. Cert. of Form. filed with Jeffrey W. Bullock, Secy. of State of the State of DE, Dover Office, 401 Federal St., Ste. 3, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of WILLIAMSBURG 161 WYTHE AVENUE, L.L.C. Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 09/05/23. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 08/24/23. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: c/o CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Secy. of State, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of WILLIAMSBURG 157-159 WYTHE AVENUE, L.L.C. Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/31/23. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 08/24/23. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: c/o CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Secy. of State, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of GRIFFITH SUTTON TOWER 38A LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/10/23. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Steven J. Sedereas, Esq., c/o Mandelbaum Barrett PC, 570 Lexington Ave., 21st Fl., NY, NY 10022. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of JAIN GLOBAL LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 09/11/23. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 07/03/23. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, 510 Madison Ave., NY, NY 10022. DE addr. of LLC: Corporation Service Co., 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, State of DE, Dept. of State, John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

ELEVATE CONSTRUCTION GROUP LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 10/02/23. Office: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, c/o Joel Kipnis, 137 Duane Street, #2E, New York, NY 10013. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Notice of Qualification of RELATED 418 11TH AVENUE OWNER LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/16/23. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 08/16/23. Princ. office of LLC: 30 Hudson Yards, 72nd Fl., NY, NY 10001. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: c/o CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State of DE, John G. Townsend Bldg., Federal and Duke of York St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of TILLMAN GLOBAL HOLDINGS, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/17/23. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 03/01/13. Princ. office of LLC: 152 W. 57th St., 27th Fl., NY, NY 10019. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., #4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of RP ZEREGA NY, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/23/23. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 06/20/23. Princ. office of LLC: 423 W. 55th St., 7th Fl., NY, NY 10019. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: c/o CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, 401 Federal State St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: All lawful activities related to renewable energy generation in the state of New York.

Rpbm LLC filed Arts. of Org. with the Sect'y of State of NY (SSNY) on 8/9/2023. 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 The LLC, 143 E 47th St, NY, NY 10017. Purpose: any lawful act.

Notice of formation of Rodney Cobcobo LLC. Art. of Org. filed w/Secy. Of State of NY (SSNY) on 8/3/23. Office location: New York County. SSNY designated as agent for service of process. SSNY shall mail process to 123 E.102nd St., Apt. 6E, New York, NY 10029. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of 142 LAWRENCE LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/21/23. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 73 Spring St., 6th Fl., NY, NY 10012. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o United American Land LLC at the princ. office of the LLC. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of ALCLEAR KYC, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/18/23. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 08/16/23. Princ. office of LLC: 85 10th Ave., 9th Fl, NY, NY 10011. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., #4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of 260 SS BROOME LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/18/23. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, 260 Fifth Ave., NY, NY 10001. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of ANORAK100 LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/21/23. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 08/16/23. 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. DE addr. of LLC: c/o CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Jeffrey W. Bullock, Secy. of State of the State of DE, 401 Federal St., #4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

CJDW Limited Liability Company Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 04/27/2023. Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail copy to 11559 Mexico Street, St. Albans, NY, 11412. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Glow Up Enterprises, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 08/04/2023. Office: NEW YORK County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail copy to: Northwest Registered Agent LLC, 418 Broadway, Suite N, Albany, NY, 12207. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

NY Trout Squad LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 05/26/2023. Office: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail copy to: 228 Park Ave S #258207, NY, NY, 10003. R/A: U.S. Corp Agents Inc., 7014 13th Ave. #202, Bklyn, NY 11228. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of 2 HORATIO STREET LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/29/23. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 55 Fifth Ave., 15th Fl., NY, NY 10003. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Time Equities Inc. at the princ. office of the LLC. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of BLUE REEF LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/25/23. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 138 Cucumber Creek Rd., Breckenridge, CO 80424. 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.

Notice of Formation: RADIANT LIFE RESOURCES LLC. Arts of Org filed with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/12/2023. Office location: NY COUNTY. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail a copy of process against the LLC to R/A at US Corp Agnt, Inc, 7014 13th Ave, #202, Bklyn, NY, 11228. Purpose: any lawful act.

Notice of Qualification of SOM IW HOLDINGS, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/23/23. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 03/17/22. Princ. office of LLC: 7 World Trade Center, 250 Greenwich St., NY, NY 10007. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: c/o CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Jeffrey W. Bullock, 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of SRU MANAGEMENT, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/23/23. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 06/28/10. Princ. office of LLC: c/o Blue Haven Initiative, One Mifflin Pl., Ste. 400, Cambridge, MA 02138. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., #4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of CHAPTER 33, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/14/23. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 08/10/23. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., #4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

PROBATE CITATION

FILE NO. 2023-2969 SURROGATE’S COURT –NEW YORK COUNTY - CITATION

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, By the Grace of God Free and Independent

TO: Jane Doe or John Doe, issue of John Eaton, Jr., if living and if dead, to their heirs at law, next of kin and distributes whose names and places of residence are unknown and if they died subsequent to the decedent herein, to their executors, administrators, legatees, devisees, assignees and successors in interest whose names and places of residence are unknown and to all other heirs at law, next of kin and distributees of Lulu Scott, the decedent herein, whose names and places of residence are unknown and cannot, after diligent inquiry, be ascertained. Janine Taylor, Kinyetta Nicole Rhone, Rashanna Ryder, Latasha Angela Rainey, Sharronda Rainey, Thomas Joseph Ryder, Harold Ryder, Anthony Ryder, George Eaton, Rhonda Eaton, Leon Eaton

An amended petition having been duly filed by Allyson Eaton, who is domiciled at 120-7 Aschloop, Bronx, NY 10475.

YOU ARE HEREBY CITED TO SHOW CAUSE before the Surrogate’s County, NEW YORK County, at 31 Chambers Street, New York, on October 30th, 2023, at 9:30 o’clock in the forenoon of that day, why a decree should not be made in the estate of Lulu Scott lately domiciled at 41 Convent Avenue, Apt. 5J, New York, NY 10027 admitting to probate a Will dated November 1, 2011, (Codicil(s) dated), a copy of which is attached, as Will of Lulu Scott, deceased, relating to real and personal property, and directing that [X] Letters Testamentary issue to: ALLYSON EATON [ ] Letters of Trusteeship issue to: [ ] Letters of Administration c.t.a. issue to: (State any further relief requested) *To all Parties: No in person appearances shall be made at the return date. If you wish to object to this matter, you may do so in writing in accordance with the annexed New York County Surrogate’s Court Notice to the Cited Parties. September 15th, 2023, Dated, Attested and Sealed. HON. Rita Mella, Surrogate, Diana Sanabria, Chief Clerk. Ira Kleiman, Esq., Attorney for Petitioner, 212-758-6160, Telephone Number, Brief Carmen & Kleiman, LLC, 488 Madison Avenue, NY, NY 10022, Address of Attorney, ik@ briefjustice.com, E-mail Address of Attorney. [NOTE: This citation is served upon you as required by law. You are not required to appear. If you fail to appear it will be assumed you do not object to the relief requested. You have a right to have an attorney appear for you.] P-5 (10/96)

SURROGATE'S COURT OF THE COUNTY OF NEW YORK, 31 CHAMBERS STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10007, (646) 386-5800. NO-

TICE TO CITED PARTIES You have been served with a citation for a matter that is scheduled to be heard at a New York County Surrogate's Court calendar. Please be advised that pursuant to Governor Andrew Cuomo's Executive Orders and Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence Marks' Administrative Orders now in effect in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, this court is serving the public and court users primarily through virtual or electronic appearances; in person appearances are limited at this time. The citation that you have received contains a return date. Please do not appear in the courthouse on that date. The following choices are available to you: - If you do not object to the relief requested, you do not need to contact the court or do anything else. - If you do object to the relief sought on the citation, you or your lawyer must send a document to the court signed by you or your lawyer indicating that: 1. You object to the relief or you are requesting discovery; OR 2. You are requesting the opportunity to appear in person or by using Skype for Business or by telephone conference; OR 3. You are requesting an adjournment to consult with or retain counsel. Your written response must be received by the court three (3) business days before the return date and must include either an email address or telephone number, or both, where you or your lawyer can be reached during business hours. Your communication to the court may be sent by email to: Probate_General@nycourts.gov or by mail addressed to the Probate Department of this court at the address listed above. The attorney for the petitioner must be copied in your communication. If your written communication to the court indicates that you would like to proceed as described in choice number I above, your case may be referred to a court attorney-referee for a conference. The case will be adjourned to a future date, if you request the opportunity to appear in person or by electronic means or to consult or retain counsel (choices number 2 and 3). If you do not contact the court by the date on the citation, the record will reflect that you do not object to the relief requested. If an attorney plans to appear on your behalf, he or she must file a Notice of Appearance. This Notice may be filed by mail addressed to the Probate Department of this court at the address listed above or through thee-filing system (NYSCEF), at www.nycourts.gov/efile. If you have questions about responding to the citation, you may contact the Probate Department at Probate_General@nycourts.gov. Please note that court staff are prohibited from giving legal advice but they are available to answer any question about procedure. The Probate Department of the New York County Surrogate's Court

Multiply USD LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 8/18/123. 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, 540 Manhattan Ave #4B New York, NY 10027. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Dream Concept Multiservices, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 05/30/2023. Office: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: The Limited Liability Company, 228 Park Ave. S #34823, NY, NY, 10003. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NEW YORK

U.S. Bank N A, successor trustee to Bank of America, NA, successor in interest to LaSalle Bank NA, as trustee, on behalf of the holders of WaMu Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2005-AR17, Plaintiff

AGAINST

Sonia Leventhal a/k/a Sonia M. Leventhal; et al., Defendant(s)

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered July 14, 2022, and amended August 10, 2022 I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Portico of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre St, New York, NY 10007 on November 1, 2023 at 2:15PM, premises known as 123 East 91st Street, New York, NY 10128. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, County, City and State of NY, Block 1520 Lot 10. Approximate amount of judgment $4,042,489.81 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 850235/2018. The auction will be conducted pursuant to the COVID-19 Policies Concerning Public Auctions of Foreclosed Property established by the 1st Judicial District.

Roberta Ashkin, Esq., Referee LOGS Legal Group LLP f/k/a Shapiro, DiCaro & Barak, LLC Attorney(s) for the Plaintiff 175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, New York 14624 (877) 430-4792

Dated: July 17, 2023

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF New York, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Trustee for the Benefit of the Holders of Benchmark 2019B10 Mortgage Trust Commercial Mortgage Pass, Plaintiff, vs. 116 Retail Owner, LLC, ET AL., Defendant(s).

SUPREME COURT-NEW YORK COUNTY- HILTON RESORTS CORP., Pltf. v. MARIA G. FIGUEROA and ANDRES FIGUEROA, Defts. - Index # 850146/2020. Pursuant to Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated October 21, 2021, I will sell at public auction Outside the Portico of the NY County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, NY, NY on Thursday, October 12, 2023, at 2:15 pm, an undivided 0.00493200000% common interest in the vacation ownership interest timeshare known as 57th STREET VACATION SUITES located at 102 West 57th Street, in the County of NY, State of NY. Approximate amount of judgment is $20,719.58 plus costs and interest as of February 23, 2021. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale which includes annual maintenance fees and charges. Elaine Shay, Esq., Referee. Cruser, Mitchell, Novitz, Sanchez, Gaston, & Zimet LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 341 Conklin Street, Farmingdale, NY.

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF New York, PS Funding, Inc., Plaintiff, vs. Harrison Developers, LLC, ET AL., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale and Decision + Order on Motion duly entered on May 31, 2023 , I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the portico of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007 on October 18, 2023 at 2:15 p.m., premises known as 521 West 150th Street, New York, NY 10031. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, County, City and State of New York, Block 2082 and Lot 120. Approximate amount of judgment is $2,987,382.00 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 850267/2021. COVID-19 safety protocols will be followed at the foreclosure sale.

Clark Whitsett, Esq., Referee Chartwell Law, One Battery Park Plaza, Suite 710, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff

Stone Way Trucking LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 05/10/2023. Office: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 30 Broad St., 14th Floor, New York, NY 10004. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice is hereby given that a license, serial # 1371110 for beer, wine & liquor has been applied for by the undersigned to sell beer, wine & liquor at retail in a Restaurant under the ABC Law at 2 W. 77th St., NYC 10024 for on-premises consumption; Paper Lane LLC & The NY Historical Society

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale and Decision + Order on Motion duly entered on January 27, 2023, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the portico of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007 on October 25, 2023 at 2:15 p.m., premises known as 116 University Place, Unit No. Commercial, New York, NY 10003. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, County, City and State of New York, Block 570 and Lot 1401 together with an undivided 20.00 percent interest in the Common Elements. Approximate amount of judgment is $11,361,148.47 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #850093/2022. COVID-19 safety protocols will be followed at the foreclosure sale.

Matthew D. Hunter III, Esq., Referee McCarter & English, LLP, Worldwide Plaza, 825 Eighth Avenue, 31st Floor, New York, New York 10019, Attorneys for Plaintiff

Notice of Qualification of VERIS GROUP, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/24/23. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Virginia (VA) on 01/27/05. 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. VA addr. of LLC: 13800 Coppermine Rd., Ste. 177, Herndon, VA 20171. Cert. of Form. filed with VA State Corp. Commission, 1300 E. Main St., Richmond, VA 23219. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice is hereby given that a license, serial #1370558 for beer, wine & liquor has been applied for by the undersigned to sell beer, wine & liquor at retail in a restaurant under the ABC Law at 317 W. 46th St., NYC 10036 for on-premises consumption; Food Affairs Inc.

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Green card processing change means U.S. could lose thousands of faith leaders from abroad

By GIOVANNA DELL’ORTO Associated Press

COLUMBIA HEIGHTS, Minn. (AP) — For more than two hours on a Sunday afternoon, the Rev. Gustavo Castillo led the Pentecostal congregation he’s been growing in this Minneapolis suburb through prayer, Scriptures, rousing music, and sometimes-tearful testimonials—but it all may end soon.

A sudden procedural change in how the federal government processes green cards for foreign-born religious workers, together with historic highs in numbers of illegal border crossers, means that thousands of clergy like him are losing the ability to remain in this country.

“We were right on the edge of becoming permanent residents, and boom, this changed,” Colombia-born Castillo said as his wife rocked their seven-month-old boy, a U.S. citizen by birth. “We have done everything correctly. From here onward we believe that God will work a miracle. We don’t have any other option.”

To become permanent U.S. residents, which can eventually lead to citizenship, immigrants apply for green cards, generally through U.S. family members or employers. A limited number of green cards are available annually, set by Congress and separated into categories depending on the closeness of the family relationship or the skills needed in a job.

Citizens of countries with disproportionately high numbers of migrants are put in separate, often longer green card queues. Currently, the most backlogged category is for the married Mexican children of U.S. citizens—only applications filed before March 1998 are being processed.

For faith leaders, the line historically has been short enough to get a green card before their temporary work visas expired, attorneys say.

That changed in March. The State Department announced that for nearly seven years, it had been placing tens of thousands of applications for neglected or abused minors from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador in the wrong line, and would now start adding them to the general queue with the clergy. Since the mid-2010s, a surging number of youth from these countries has sought humanitarian green cards or asylum after illegally crossing into the U.S. This change means that only applica-

Llewellyn

Continued from page 15

Canaan Baptist Church. It is through the sacred teachings of these communities that she cultivated a deep reverence for the divine and a steadfast commitment to the well-being of all.

A solemn memorial service will be held to honor the life and legacy of Chandra Danita

tions filed before January 2019 are currently being processed, moving the Central American minors forward by a few months but giving clergy with expiring visas, like Castillo, no option but to leave their U.S. congregations behind.

“They’re doing everything they’re supposed to be doing and all of a sudden, they’re totally steamrolled,” said Matthew Curtis, an immigration attorney in New York City whose clients, such as an Israeli rabbi and a South African music minister, are running out of time. “It’s like a bombshell on the system.”

Attorneys estimate that so many people are now in the queue that the wait is at least a decade long, because only 10,000 of these green cards can be granted annually.

Curtis’s firm advises potential clergy applicants that “there is no indication when you can receive a green card.”

That’s likely to dissuade religious organizations from hiring foreign workers precisely when they’re most needed because of the growing demand for leaders of immigrant congregations who can speak languages other than English and understand other cultures.

“There’s a comfort to practice your religion in your native tongue, in someone close to your culture celebrating Mass,” said Olga Rojas, the Archdiocese of Chicago’s senior counsel for immigration. The U.S. Catholic Church has also turned to foreign priests to ease a shortage of local vocations.

At one Chicago-area parish that’s been helping with this year’s surge of new arrivals from the border, two Mexican religious sisters have started ministries for women in the shelters, as well as English classes, Rojas said.

“These two sisters know they won’t get green cards,” she added, and they expect to lose other religious sisters and brothers who are teachers, principals, or serve in other key roles. “That’s catastrophic.”

Those from religious orders with vows of poverty, like Catholic nuns and Buddhist monks, are especially hard hit, because most other employment visa categories require employers to show they’re paying foreign workers prevailing wages. Those who are not getting wages don’t qualify.

Among all faith traditions, there are few options for these workers to continue their U.S.-based ministry, attorneys say. At a min-

imum, they would need to go abroad for a year before being eligible for another temporary religious worker visa, and repeat that process, paying thousands in fees, throughout the decade, or for however long their green card applications remain pending.

“A big concern is that leaving is not really viable. The church will replace the pastor or shut down—it’s too much instability,” said Calleigh McRaith, Castillo’s attorney in Minnesota.

Being in limbo is challenging for the affected religious workers such as Stephanie Reimer, a Canadian serving a nondenominational Christian youth missionary organization in Kansas City. Her visa expires in January.

“I’ve done a lot of praying,” she said. “There are days when it feels overwhelming.”

Martin Valko, an immigration attorney in Dallas whose clients include imams and Methodist pastors, said many rely on their faith to stay hopeful. But realistic options are so few that the American Immigration Lawyers Association and faith leaders, like Chicago’s Catholic cardinal and coalitions of evangelical pastors, have lobbied the Biden administration and Congress to fix the problem.

Administrative solutions could include allowing religious workers to at least file for their green cards, so they can get temporary work authorization like those in other queues awaiting permanent residence.

The most effective and immediate fix would be for Congress to remove the vulnerable minors’ applications from this category, attorneys say. Despite being humanitarian, they make up the vast majority of the queue they share with religious work-

ers, said Lance Conklin, a Maryland attorney who co-chairs the lawyer association’s religious workers group.

“They shouldn’t be pitted against each other in competition for visas,” said Matthew Soerens, who leads the Evangelical Immigration Table, a national immigrant advocacy organization.

Back at the Iglesia Pentecostal Unida Latinoamericana, Castillo said he has ministered to a family with two young children who survived the Darien Gap, a jungle in Central America favored by smugglers that’s among the most dangerous parts of migrants’ journeys, and a mother and daughter who said they came “through the hole” in the border wall.

“Some of them are in a better migration situation” than himself and his wife Yarleny, Castillo said. But he added that his call to minister to them is undaunted. “I serve God. He will take charge of these affairs while I lead those he has entrusted to me.”

That’s why, even as they face having to leave the country when their visas expire in February, the Castillos are fundraising to buy the building where they now rent worship space. They also regularly drive 10 hours to South Dakota, where they’re establishing another church.

“In this work, one is constantly helping destroyed migrant families,” Yarleny Castillo said. “And they need a space like this.”

Associated Press (AP) religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with the Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Llewellyn on October 3, 2023, at The Riverside Church, a sacred space that holds profound significance for countless souls seeking solace and strength. The church is located at 490 Riverside Dr, New York, NY 10027. In loving memory of Chandra, contributions can be made at https://gofund. me/5b392333.

The compassionate team at Trumbo’s Fu-

neral Home in New York, NY, is humbled and honored to assist the family during this time of remembrance and reflection.

As we bid farewell to our dear Chandra, let us hold in our hearts the teachings she lived by—humility, gratitude, and respect for all of creation. May her spirit continue to inspire us to acts of kindness, compassion, and love.

In the words of Albert Schweitzer, “At times,

our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.” Chandra’s flame has touched us all, and although her presence may no longer grace our earthly realm, her light will forever shine in our hearts, guiding and inspiring us on our own journeys of faith and service.

Rev. Gustavo Castillo leads members of his congregation in song and praise at Iglesia Pentecostal Unida Latinoamericana in Columbia Heights, Minn. Even though a sudden change in how U.S. government processes some green cards is threatening Colombia-born pastor’s ability to stay in the country, his dedication to his mostly migrant flock is undaunted, Castillo said (AP Photo/Giovanna Dell’Orto photo)

NY native Nyla Allen playing a big role in Howard’s soccer success

By LOIS ELFMAN Special to the AmNews

Now in her senior season at Howard University, midfielder Nyla Allen is making every minute count. There are five games left in soccer’s regular season action, and she and her teammates are aiming for a spot in the Northeast Conference (NEC) tournament. The Elmont, N.Y., native said this season has fresh energy after a disappointing 2022 season. The Bison are currently 8–3–2 overall and 3–1–1 in NEC action. “This season, I see everyone working toward the same goal of trying to get a ring (with a conference championship) this year and also working for one another,” said Allen. “I feel like a lot of players are going out and trying to up their stats each and every game, so going out on the field with a purpose. Conference play has been good so far. We’re trying to end the season [at] top three in our conference.”

Soccer began for Allen at age 4 with PAL and the Elmont Soccer Club. Today, she trains and coaches kids for Elmont whenever she’s home. She knew she was pretty good at the sport, but her potential became clear around the seventh grade when she was invited to participate in monthly U.S. national training center sessions. At 17, she played in two matches with the Jamaican National Under 17 Team, which was a great experience.

Allen said Howard University provides her the perfect balance between athletics,

academics, and fun. She loves Washington, D.C. Academically, she finds the professors very supportive, and they keep her informed about internship opportunities and career possibilities.

Her major is political science and her minor is sports administration. While Allen is not planning on using her fifth year of

eligibility, she does want to stay close to sports. She has applied for the highly selective NFL Rotational Program, in which participants complete up to four rotations over a two-year period in a variety of departments and office locations, and she hopes to be accepted.

“My career aspirations are to become

an entertainment attorney and also a sports agent,” she said. “I also have interest in player relations in a league and also being a general counsel one day. Hopefully, I can get a job in the sports industry coming out of college to gain experience. I plan on applying to law school one or two years after.”

Seton Hall volleyball coming on strong in Big East play

By LOIS ELFMAN

Special to the AmNews

In her second season with Seton Hall University volleyball, senior Laila Wallace is channeling big city energy to bring the best results for the team. This is head coach Shannon Thompson’s second season with the Pirates, and things are coming together. The team is currently 8–7 overall and 2–2 in Big East Conference action.

“We’re trying to catch that stride, [getting] a new culture and history going on right now and breaking a lot of cool records,” said Wallace. “I love the coaching staff. They really push us to be our best selves, not only on the court, but off the court also. The volleyball here is super competitive. It’s a competitive conference. We’re playing a great team every weekend, which is super fun.”

Even in losses, Seton Hall volleyball is making a positive impression, winning sets against Hofstra and Penn State. “[Penn State] was the first time that we’ve taken a set off a ranked opponent since

2010,” said Wallace.

Wallace, a communications major, said it’s great to be part of a community of studentathletes. She especially appreciates the international student-athletes at Seton Hall volleyball, which has players from Turkey

and Italy, who bring diverse perspectives. She also says the athletics support staff cultivates a familial environment.“Having academic advisors, coaches and counselors improves the college experience,” she said.

“It’s really cool to have the people you’re sur-

rounded with care about you, your future and your success.”

Women’s volleyball is a fall sport. While there is year-round training and a mini spring season, the fall semester is definitely intense. Wallace opts for courses with more flexibility in the fall because of the travel to away games. In the spring, she takes the harder courses and those that meet more than once a week. Off-season also allows her to enjoy time in New York City, which she appreciates given that she grew up just outside of Chicago and loves a fast-paced city. “I like that there are so many different communities in New York City,” Wallace said.

Wallace plans to utilize her fifth year of eligibility (available to all student-athletes who played during the 2020–21 academic year), which will enable her to focus on future plans. She’s considering law school with an eye toward practicing sports law or working as an agent.

Seton Hall volleyball is next in action tomorrow with a road game at Butler and on Saturday versus Xavier.

Howard University soccer player Nyla Allen is working toward a successful senior season (Howard Athletics photos)

Seton Hall middle blocker Laila Wallace aims high during conference action (Seton Hall Athletics photo)

Black MLB umpire Malachi Moore holds free camps in Compton

By SENECA SUMNERS, MLBbro Special to the AmNews

“WE WANT MOORE!” That’s what the kids say about the Compton Youth Academy (CYA) umpire camp.

Malachi Moore, an alum of the CYA, is a Black MLB umpire doing his first fulltime season this year and will hold a youth umpire camp in Compton, Calif., from December 9–10, 2023.

The best part about the camp is that it is free. The 32-year-old Moore is the 10th professional Black umpire in MLB history. He grew up in Compton and wants to give kids an opportunity. The umpire camp is for youth at least 12 years old, but they try to accept all ages and have had participants as young as 9 years old.

No experience is required to attend the camp. Moore believes that no one should be left out and everyone should be given an opportunity. If you don’t think the camp is for you because you don’t have equipment, that won’t be an issue. There is a donation spot for turning in old gear, or not. Kids could walk in with nothing and walk out with brand-new equipment.

The camp has come a long way since it first started, mostly figuring out what works by trial

and error and with feedback from campers.

The program has evolved from four and a half hours to seven hours last year, and is now a two–day camp. Attendees learn the basics: safety, positioning of where to stand, a lot of on-field work, and a bunch of live reps from every position. The camp is staffed by Moore and other pro umpires from MiLB and MLB.

Moore chose Compton for the camp because it holds a special spot in his heart. It is where he grew up and played both high school and college baseball. It is also where, at a pretty young age, he dealt with the loss

of his grandparents and his older brother Nehemiah, who was shot and killed.

Despite all of this, Moore continued to grind and put in hard work, especially at the CYA.

If you want to attend one of Moore’s camps but don’t live in the Compton area, sit tight because you may have a chance in the near future: Moore said, “I will eventually take my camp on the road, possibly starting next year.”

For now, Moore is involved with other umpire camps if you can’t get to Compton, including a free one-day camp on

December 16th in Stockton, California. He will also be going to Puerto Rico with Roberto Ortiz who is another MLB umpire to hold a camp in his hometown.

One main reason Moore wants to have more camps is his desire to spread the game of baseball.

He believes “we all have an obligation to grow the game of baseball”.

Everyone knows it’s hard to become a professional baseball player but it’s hard out here for an up-and-coming ump too.

In addition to being one of the youngest umpires this season, Moore knows how special it is to be one of only five Black fulltime MLB umpires.

He wears number 44 in honor of the first Black crew chief, Kerwin Danley, who just recently retired.

So his hope is that more Black kids can try out umpiring to build on that legacy but also just wants to help baseball grow as much as he can, in all aspects of the game. Maybe you are shy to sign up or still don’t think this is for you. Just remember neither did Malachi Moore.

He started when he was 20 and had no interest at all but a CYA instructor showed him something new. So you never know what will end up choosing you!

Chisholm and Bell drive Miami soul train into playoffs

By KEVIN MOORE, MLBbro Special to the AmNews

The Miami Marlins were competing in one of the toughest divisions this season, but they found a way to make it to the postseason and two of our MLBbro’s played a key role in making that happen.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Josh Bell will be making their second postseason appearance and both will look to help the Marlins make a deep postseason run.

It came down to the end of the season for the Marlins to find out that they would be appearing in the postseason, and it wasn’t an easy task. The Marlins clinched a playoff berth for the fourth time in franchise history after defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-3.

Both Chisholm and Bell contributed to the team’s win. Chisholm hit his 19th home run of the season and Bell had a two-run double.

Chisholm’s 19 home run record is a new career high for the 25-year-old. The centerfielder loves playing in Miami and believes the team has a close bond on the field.

“I feel like we’re just the biggest family in the league,” Chisholm said in an article in the Times Union after the victory on Saturday. “I feel like nobody is as connected as us as a team. I feel like when someone gets going, everybody gets going. That’s the plan here and we’re just family and we’re coming in together.”

Having that team chemistry is very important and is a vital component for teams having success and winning titles. The Marlins went into that game against Pittsburgh with one thing on their mind.

“Before the game, we called it ‘Clinch Day’ and we weren’t expecting any other day to be Clinch Day except today,” Ch-

isholm said. "And that’s what we did, and we handled it today.”

Chisholm has developed into a leader on this Marlins team. He’s a player who provides a lot of energy on and off the field. And this brother is young, too, so he has time to continue to develop and be a dominant player in the league for years to come.

Through 97 games, Chisholm is hitting .252 with 52 RBI and 22 stolen bases to go along with his 19 home runs.

Bell joined the Marlins this season and has delivered at the plate time after time, a big reason why the Marlins sought to get him. And now he’ll get a chance to do that in the postseason.

When the Marlins clinched a playoff berth on Saturday, Bell got to experience that in a familiar place: From 2016 to 2020, Bell played in Pittsburgh and became a fan favorite there.

“Thought I’d celebrate here years and years ago,” Bell said on Saturday. “But just to be able to celebrate here now is icing on the cake.”

Bell brings that veteran leadership to the team. At any point during the game, he can change things with just one swing of the bat. Last season, Bell appeared in the postseason with the San Diego Padres and put together a solid stat line, hitting .250 with two home runs and five RBI through 10 games.

Chisholm has only appeared in one game in the postseason, which came in 2020. He went 1-for-3 that game with a double.

We’ll get a chance to see both players look to contribute in big ways during their Wild Card series against the Phillies, defending the National League pennant winners.

The Marlins and the impact of their Black stars are one team you want to keep an eye on during the postseason.

MLB umpire

Malachi Moore (MLBPA photo)

Miami Marlins center fielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. (Kevin Reece, MLBbro photo)

The Knicks and Nets look to elevate as the new season approaches

By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor

The Knicks and Nets held their annual and obligatory media day events this past Monday with preseason beginning next week and the regular season commencing in less than three weeks.

The Knicks host the Boston Celtics on Monday at Madison Square Garden in the first of their four preseason games and the Nets will open versus the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday in Las Vegas as they also have a four-game preseason slate.

The Knicks’ 2023 regular season debut will be against the Celtics at MSG on October 25 and the schedule makers have the Nets facing the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on the same night.

Last season, the Knicks finished 47–35 and were the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference. They made their first playoff appearance since the 2012–13 campaign and after defeating the Cleveland Cav-

aliers 4–1 in the opening round, advanced to the conference semifinals for the first time in the past 10 years. The Knicks lost 4–2 to the eventual Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat.

The Knicks made two significant roster moves this summer. They traded power forward Obi Toppin to the Indiana Pacers, where he is expected to receive more minutes on the floor than the 14.7 per game the 25-year-old Brooklyn native averaged in his three seasons with the franchise that drafted him No. 8 overall in 2020.

The other transaction of note was the signing of free-agent guard Donte DiVincenzo, who played for the Golden State Warriors last season, to a four-year, $50 million deal. The 26-year-old combo guard from Villanova is reunited with his college teammates, Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart.

The makeup of the Knicks will look nearly identical to last year’s squad. Head coach Tom Thibodeau doesn’t have designs to change his starting lineup

from a season ago of Mitchell Robinson, Julius Randle, RJ Barrett, Quentin Grimes and Jalen Brunson.

“It's hard to argue with a 37–22 record and a plus five net rating,” said Thibodeau on Monday, referencing the success of that group.

The second unit will be led by Josh Hart and Immanuel Quickley—runner up to former Celtic Malcolm Brogdon (traded by Boston to the Portland Trailblazers last week) for the 2022–23 NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award.

“It’s pretty much the same group, but we’ve got to continue to find ways to get better,” said Brunson at media day.

The Nets were the No. 6 seed in the East last season with a record of 45–37 amid constant turmoil and dysfunction for much of the season. They traded disgruntled superstars Kevin Durant (Phoenix Suns) and Kyrie Irving (Dallas Mavericks) in February and landed a young, emerging star from the Suns in 27-yearold forward Mikal Bridges, an -

other Villanova product. The Nets were swept 4–0 in the first round of the playoffs by the Philadelphia 76ers.

The pressing question for the Nets is if forward Ben Simmons can reclaim his all-star form. Injuries and mental health issues have

plagued Simmons since he was acquired by the Nets from the 76ers in September of 2022 in a trade that sent James Harden to Philly. The 27-year-old Simmons played in just 42 games last season averaging 6.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists.

Canelo Alvarez dominates Jermell Charlo in a battle of champions

By DERREL JOHNSON Special to the AmNews

In a battle between two undisputed champions, Canelo Alvarez retained his super middleweight titles with a lopsided victory over Jermell Charlo Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The three judges scored the fight 118–109, 118–109, 119–108.

Canelo (60–2–2, 39 KOs) dominated from the opening bell with his power and exceptional boxing skills, dropping the undisputed junior middleweight champion Charlo (35–1–1, 19 KOs), who did not have any answers for the Mexican superstar, in the seventh round.

“We worked on attacking the body,” said Canelo. “We know he’s a great fighter. He knows how to move in the ring. We worked on attacking the body for three months. For three months in the mountains without my family, without everything.”

Canelo indeed maintained a consistent body assault, causing Charlo to drop his hands to protect his midsection. The result was Canelo landing open shots to Charlo’s head. The 33-year-old veteran fighter, who turned pro-

fessional at the age of 15 and has held multiple championships in four weight classes, maintains the hunger to be great.

“I still love boxing,” he said.

“I love boxing so much. Boxing is my life. Boxing made me the person I am today. That’s why I love boxing so much. And I love boxing so much because of my fans, too…Cinco de Mayo I’ll face

whoever. I don’t care,” Canelo added, referring to a yet-to-bedetermined opponent for a bout next May to honor Mexico’s victory over France in the 1862 Battle of Puebla.

As for who Canelo may meet?

He has numerous options because of the money his fights command.

Charlo acknowledged he was

off of his game.

“I just felt like I wasn’t me in there,” he said. “I don’t make excuses for myself, so it is what it is. I take my punches and roll with it. It’s boxing. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.”

Charlo also discussed moving up two weight classes, from 154 lbs to 168 lbs, to fight Canelo who is arguably still in his prime.

“Truthfully, I could feel the difference in the weight,” said Charlo. “I picked up 14 pounds. I am undisputed in my weight division. You fall short sometimes, but you just have to keep on pushing. My roll don’t stop right here. I’m proud of myself. He hit me with some hard shots. I thought I got mine off. I’m the little Charlo and I represent that.”

Those who believe Canelo is past his prime will point to his inability to finish Charlo after dropping him in the seventh. Canelo, who has 39 career knockouts, has now failed to knock out an opponent in four straight fights, going 3–1 during that stretch.

On October 28, WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury will take on former UFC champion and current PFL competitor Francis Ngannou in an intriguing matchup in Saudi Arabia. Ngannou added none other than Mike Tyson to his training team. Fury was named after the Brooklynborn heavyweight legend.

The UFC returns to Madison Square Garden on Saturday, November 11, 2023, when Jon Jones, who won the UFCheavyweight title in March, takes on former two-time heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic.

Canelo Alvarez defeated Jermell Charlo by unanimous decision on Saturday night to remain the undisputed super middleweight champion (Esther Lin/Showtime photo)

The Knicks and head coach Tom Thibodeau open preseason Monday at Madison Square Garden versus the Boston Celtics (Bill Moore photo)

Injury-riddled Giants rapidly make their way to the abyss Sports

By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor

The Giants’ seemingly dire situation as they entered Monday night’s game at MetLife Stadium versus the Seattle Seahawks became tangibly worse when their evening on the field was over.

Optically and by quantitative measures, the Giants are arguably the worst team in football. They are 1–3 heading into their Week 5 match-up on the road against the Miami Dolphins, and Miami has the highest scoring and most prolific offense in the NFL.

The 3–1 Dolphins average 37.5 points per game, post 511 yards—334.3 passing and 176.8 rushing, and have amassed 2,044 total yards, the most by any team through the season’s first four games in NFL history. Conversely, the 1–3 Giants are averaging just 11.5 points per game, are No. 31 out of 32 teams in total yardage (1,008), and have the worst negative point differential (-76) in the league.

The impact of 2022 Second Team AllPro left tackle Andrew Thomas being out with a hamstring injury suffered in Week 1 and Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley sidelined with a high sprain of his right ankle sustained in the fourth quarter

versus the Arizona Cardinals in Week 2 has been considerable.

The Giants’ substandard offensive line has been overrun by opposing defenses. Without Barkley, the Giants are without a dynamic skill player who can help alleviate the onerous burden placed on quarterback Daniel Jones. The fifth-year QB has been under siege all season and has compounded the offensive lines’ weaknesses by committing mistakes mirroring those that plagued him in his first three seasons as a pro.

His past turnover problems, an area where he made admirable improvement last season under head coach Brian Daboll, have reemerged. Jones threw interceptions versus the voracious Seahawks defense and fumbled twice, losing one.

The spectacular Seahawks rookie cornerback Devon Witherspoon picked Jones with the Giants threatening to score from Seattle’s 3-yard line and at 1:03 of the third quarter, and returned the ball 97 yards the other way for a touchdown, with the Giants trailing 14–3. Instead of potentially tight-

The Liberty advance to WNBA Finals for the first time since 2002

By LOIS ELFMAN

Special to the AmNews

It’s been a long road for the New York Liberty, one of the WNBA’s original franchises. The team has struggled in recent years. There have been losing seasons, injuries, an ownership change and plenty of frustration. That ended on Sunday afternoon when the Liberty defeated the Connecticut Sun 87–84 to advance to the WNBA Finals for the first time in 21 years.

The Liberty’s identity changed this year when three of the WNBA’s brightest lights decided to shine their talents on the Empire State. Two WNBA MVPs, Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart (who earned MVP honors again this year), decided to make Brooklyn their home, joined by one of the league’s sharpest guards, Courtney Vandersloot. Their talents

combined with returning Liberty standouts Sabrina Ionescu and Betnijah Laney have brought the sweet smell of success.

“I’m so happy right now,” said Laney. “I’ve got a few days where I can just enjoy this moment, and then the work starts. We’re not satisfied.”

Coach Sandy Brondello, who is in her second season in New York, took a moment to reflect after the Liberty secured the trip to the Finals. “We work a lot on our culture, and I think you can see we’re connected,” she said. “When you have connection, you have commitment and these girls are committed to each other, this program, and how we want to play.”

The Liberty will face the defending WNBA Champion Las Vegas Aces in the Finals. These have been the top two teams in the league all year. Finals action begins on

Sunday in Las Vegas. Game three of the best-of-five series will be Oct. 15 at Barclays Center.

The Liberty’s last championship series ended with a devastating three-point shot by Nikki Teasley of the Los Angeles Sparks, who secured her team’s second championship. It’s been a long road back, but one that means so much to longtime fans and also to the players who took on the challenge to return this team to dominant form.

“I’ve processed it in the fact that we’re going to the Finals because we’re going after a championship,” said Stewart, who won WNBA titles with the Seattle Storm in 2018 and 2020. “But the fact that the Liberty hasn’t been to a Finals since 2002 is wild. To be able to have that and know that we have the entire city behind us is something that’s really, really special.”

ening the score to 14–10, the Giants fell behind 21–3. The No. 5 overall pick from last April’s NFL Draft, Witherspoon also added seven tackles and two sacks.

Daboll, who is in his second season as head coach with the Giants, said the Giants must continue to channel their attention to the here and now, and not harp on the negatives, of which there are many.

“When you’re in this position, you have to tell it like it is and you’ve got to move on and get ready for the next week again,” he said “Last week has nothing to do with this week. You can’t focus on stuff that happened in the past.

“You’ve got to learn from them and obviously do better. We’ve got to play better and coach better on game day. That’s what we need to do.”

It’s incumbent on Daboll and his coaching staff to make schematic changes, given the Giants’ evident personnel shortcomings. The coaches must be held equally accountable as the players for what has been a debacle of a season with less than a quarter of the schedule still completed.

The 1–3 Jets, who lost to the 3–1 Kansas City Chiefs last Sunday night at MetLife, will play the 1–3 Denver Broncos on the road this Sunday.

The Liberty’s Jonquel Jones was unrelenting in her team’s 87-84 win over the Connecticut Sun in Game 4 of their WNBA semifinals series (Brandon Todd/New York Liberty photo)