New York Amsterdam News Issue April 3-9. 2025

NY FIGHTS BACK

AGAINST ATTACKS ON VOTING RIGHTS & IMMIGRANTS

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No more SNAP, Medicaid, or Social Security? Dems warn about Republican push to cut essential programs

social programs in the near future.

“We are standing together in defense of the American people,” said Jeffries at a press gaggle on the Capitol steps on April 1.

“Democrats are focused on driving down the high cost of living. Republicans are crashing the economy in real time and driving us toward a recession,” he continued. “House and Senate Democrats are united in defending Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, veterans benefits and nutritional assistance for our children and our families, while Republicans are trying to take these things away, stealing taxpayer dollars so they can jam a massive tax break for Elon Musk and their billionaire donors down the throats of the American people.”

Jobs Act (TCJA) law from President Donald Trump’s first that wasn’t permanent. When it was passed in 2017, no House Democrats supported the bill and 12 Republicans voted against it. Many of the law’s provisions expired this year.

“We’ve gathered here to address the partisan spending bill congressional Republicans passed that represents an extremely direct, extremely dangerous attack on veterans, families, seniors and everyday New Yorkers,” said Congressmember Yvette Clarke at a Medicaid Day of Action presser. “We can call this attack what it is with certainty because it is an assault on the health care of our neighbors that depend on it just to live.”

By ARIAMA C. LONG

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and his colleagues have been sounding the alarm for weeks about the Republican push to cut Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and other crucial

Jeffries referred to the budget resolution (H.Con.Res.14) House Republicans passed on February 25 as a “tax scheme” designed to benefit billionaires over everyday U.S. citizens. The resolution proposes at least $880 billion in cuts through 2034 in order to provide up to $4 trillion in tax cuts for the uber wealthy. These cuts would likely come from the national Medicaid program and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), said the Center for American Progress (CAP).

Colin Seeberger, senior adviser for Communications at CAP, explained that this would be an extension of provisions in the Tax Cuts and

An estimated 80 million low-income children and adults, pregnant women, older adults, and people with disabilities are covered by Medicaid or CHIP nationwide, said CAP. Medicaid in particular covers births, prenatal, and postpartum care, as well as long-term home health care and nursing homes. According to CAP numbers from 2023, states like California, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington, Louisiana, Kentucky, Illinois, Michigan, New York, and Massachusetts had high percentages of residents who are Medicaid/CHIP enrollees under age 65. Seeberger noted that several states that rely on federal reimbursements for Medicaid, like

Black and Brown New Yorkers should care about the 2030 Census count

By ARIAMA C. LONG Amsterdam News Staff

The upcoming 2030 Census count will be a pivotal point in deciding congressional seats for the state, as well as funding and resources for neighborhoods of color. New York State and City electeds are hoping people will start paying attention now.

The Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislative Task Force of the state legislature are serious about raising awareness about the Census in their communities. They’re also lobbying Gov. Kathy Hochul to support Bill A05864, which would establish a statewide office for the Census.

“Black communities in New York have been undercounted for far too long. The census is supposed to be about fairness and representation. Still, year after year, communities of color are the ones left out of the numbers and left behind when it comes to funding and political power,” said Assemblymember Michaelle C. Solages, the bill sponsor.

“The 2020 census was especially difficult. It occurred during a pandemic, under political pressure, and with deep mistrust in government systems. That environment discouraged participation, and the consequences were real. New York lost another seat in Congress by just 89 people. That’s not just a data point. It’s a direct hit to our voice

and our influence. We can’t let that happen again,” continued Solages.

New York lost one congressional seat in 2020 by 89 people, largely due to the rush to get people counted during the COVID-19 crisis. The state currently has 26 congressional districts. In 1950, it used to have 45. The count is used to determine the number of congressional seats each state has, in a process called apportionment, and electoral districts are redrawn based on where populations have increased or decreased. The government allocates or takes away hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding for communities based on that information. The U.S Census Bureau is currently in the research and testing phase of planning for 2030.

Assemblymember Landon Dais, who cosponsored the bill, is adamant about organizing for the Census early because government is hardly “efficient,” and it’s ultimately Black and Brown communities that have been historically undercounted and underfunded that suffer.

“In 2030, New York is scheduled to lose two congressional seats,” said Dais at his Census Advocacy Day conference on National Census Day this Tuesday, April 1. “If that happens, the ‘Democratic blue wall’ will no longer be good enough to win the presidential election.”

If trends hold steady, California will lose 4 congressional districts, Illinois two, and Pennsylvania one, according to projections from

Amsterdam News Staff

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette Clarke held a “Medicaid Day of Action” press conference at Interfaith Medical Center in Brooklyn. (Photo contributed by Jeffries office)

Assemblymember Landon Dais (at podium) hosted a Census Advocacy Day on National Census Day in Albany, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (Photo contributed by Dais’ office)

Major questions for city support for minority-owned media despite ECM advertising hitting 51%

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

In a letter to Mayor Eric Adams, NYC Comptroller Brad Lander accused the administration of failing “to comply with the spirit” of legislation ensuring ad spending by mayoral agencies is directed towards minority-owned media organizations.

Local Law 83 of 2021 directs for at least half of the money in city agency advertising to go towards ethnic and community media (ECM) outlets unless a legal mandate waiver or a full mandate waiver is granted (disclosure: The Amsterdam News is registered in the Citywide Media Database and receives advertising money from mayoral agencies).

On paper, the Adams administration is in compliance with 51% of allocated “in-scope” spending towards ECM outlets in fiscal year 2024 (from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024) in a recently released report.

The findings credit compliance gains to the Mayor’s Office of Ethnic

& Community Media (MOECM)

“working closely over the last three years with city agencies to demonstrate the effectiveness of diversified media placement.”

However, Lander accuses the Adams administration of achieving compliance by “sleight of hand,” pointing to the inclusion of larger commercial outlets like the NY1 within the MOECM Citywide Marketing Directory as an attempt to “bolster” the percentage of ECM

advertising to 51%.

Under Local Law 83 of 2021, ethnic and community media outlets qualified for directory placement if it “serves particular communities of people based on native language, race, color, gender, national origin, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, disability or immigrant status,” “targets a discrete neighborhood, geographic region, or population within the city rather than the city as a whole,” or “falls within a specif-

ically tailored subject matter, as determined by the Executive Director.”

“Each neighborhood across the five boroughs is defined by its own identity and rich traditions, and community media outlets deliver critical information on a local level and in the language they speak,” said Lander. “Unfortunately, City advertising budgets often overlook these outlets and by proxy, the neighborhood readership, viewership, and listenership they serve.

“By dramatically decreasing ad spends with ECM outlets and releasing their annual spending report more than 75 days late, City Hall undermines the trust these outlets have in City government and the City’s ability to reach all corners of our vast and diverse city.”

And the larger slice comes from a significantly smaller pie. Lander’s letter points out the “in-scope” spending has been slashed by half and ECM funding by even a bigger percentage point.

A drastic decline in advertising money stems from the conclusion of federal COVID-19 funding, which ballooned the city ad budget to $260 million in fiscal year 2022 or from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022. But when the pandemic outreach ended, the city’s total advertising budget cratered to $70 million. The NYC Comptroller’s Office said the $9.6 million decline in ad spending between fiscal year 2023 and fiscal year 2024 provides a more accurate picture as the COVID-19 funding

Justice delayed, but will justice be denied over Allan Feliz’s killing?

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

Police reform advocates are waiting restlessly as NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch mulls over her first big test on the issue of officer accountability.

In February, an NYPD disciplinary trial found Lt. Jonathan Rivera guilty of first-degree assault for the killing of Allan Feliz in 2019, an offense that should lead to termination based on the department’s rulebook. Like with all police misconduct cases, the final call goes to the NYPD commissioner. While there is no official deadline for Tisch to make her decision, Feliz’s family called for a decision by March 31. They have not received a response. So a day later — this past Tuesday on April 1— 50 organizations signed a letter calling for Tisch to fire Rivera.

fellow officers.

“The CCRB is pleased with Trial Commissioner Maldonado’s recommendation of termination of Lt. Rivera and trusts that Commissioner Tisch will uphold this decision,” said CCRB interim chair Dr. Mohammad Khalid. “The CCRB is hopeful that this outcome will provide the family of Allan Feliz with a sense of justice and closure.”

Maldonado’s ruling makes Rivera the first and only other officer facing termination after an NYPD trial stemming from a CCRB prosecution since Daniel Pantaleo over the highprofile killing of Eric Garner. Thencommissioner James P. O’Neill greenlit Pantaleo’s firing roughly two weeks after the verdict.

“The deadline of the 31st was given simply to set an expectation for police commissioner Tisch to understand that this isn’t something that we’re just going to sit back and allow it to just keep accruing more and more time,” said Samy Feliz, Allan Feliz’s brother . “It has been already five years and this officer has still been patrolling the streets of New York, which is not providing any New Yorker any sense of safety nor accountability towards the NYPD.”

Rivera, at the time an NYPD sergeant, pulled over the unarmed Feliz with two other officers over an alleged seatbelt violation. Despite the dubious stop which the letter said “reek[ed] of racial profiling” — particularly since Feliz was wearing a seatbelt when pulled over — police

ran his license and found outstanding warrants for failing to pay fines over minor offenses like spitting and littering. The encounter escalated when Feliz reached for the gearshift to allegedly drive away, leading to Rivera initially tasing, and then, fatally shooting Feliz in the chest.

While the State Attorney General opted not to bring criminal charges, the office found “serious concerns about the NYPD’s handling

of the incident.” The Civilian Complaint Review Board, the independent city agency for police oversight, investigated and substantiated misconduct allegations against Rivera over the shooting, which led to the NYPD trial last November. Deputy Commissioner of Trials Rosemarie Maldonado, who ostensibly serves as the “judge” for NYPD trials, rejected Rivera’s claim justifying the killing due to safety concerns of his

Samy Feliz called the coalescence of 50 organizations a “blessing.” Andrew Case, the supervising attorney for LatinoJustice PRLDEF, says his civil rights group has stood with the family for years.

“We’re there for support to lend some credence to the idea that what you see with your own eyes is, in fact, true,” said Case. “You can do legal dances here and there about various things but you can’t do legal dances when this guy climbed into a

Mayor Eric Adams hosts an ethnic media roundtable. City Hall. Friday, December 22, 2023. (Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office)

Rally for Allan Feliz. (Justice Committee photo)

Amid military DEI backlash, Black veterans slam the Department of Defense’s erasure of identity months

By COURTNEY GRIFFIN Special to the AmNews

It felt like just another Friday. The TV murmured in the background as military veteran Joy Carillo-White moved through her house and into the living room. While she carried out her daily organization routine, the news droned on, mentioning Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s controversial declaration: “Identity Months Dead at DoD.”

Carillo-White laughed, unfazed at first. She muttered, “typical white man mentality.”

Eight years in the military had taught her to embrace discomfort, but the more she reflected on Hegseth’s words, the more her disgust grew.

“Our government is discriminating against us. It’s crazy,” said Carillo-White, a former Virginia Army National Guard staff sergeant and 51-year-old Maryland resident. “Who will want to serve in the military and support this country right now, with everything going on?”

For more than a century, Black soldiers like Carillo-White have fought for recognition, often serving a country that did not fully acknowledge their contributions. Black History Month highlights their achievements, providing a time to honor their sacrifices and preserve their stories. Despite its significance, Hegseth recently announced that the Department of Defense will no longer observe cultural awareness months, including Black History Month. This decision angered Black veterans, who believe it undermines their history and the progress they have fought tirelessly to achieve.

This announcement comes after years of the Trump administration actively working to rewrite the history of marginalized groups. From opposing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives to the aggressive actions of ICE targeting not only undocumented immigrants, but also U.S. citizens, including military veterans, the current administration has made its stance clear on the welfare and rights of Black and Brown communities.

Since then, Hegseth has continuously made efforts to change the face of the military. Last month, he addressed Pentagon staff with his concerns.

“I think the single dumbest phrase in military history is our diversity is our strength,” said Hegseth.

This followed with President Donald Trump firing the nation’s highest-ranking military officer, General Charles Brown Jr., as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. With over 40 years of military experience, he has received numerous accolades highlighting his devotion to his country — including the Defense Distinguished Service Medal with multiple oak leaf clusters, the Distinguished Service Medal and the Legion of Merit.

This abrupt decision aligns with Hegseth’s plan to rid the military of so-called “woke” generals who promote diversity. He seems to believe their influence compromises the strength and purpose of the military.

The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans and NYC Department of Veterans’ Services did not respond to a request for comment. An anonymous source from another reputable organization voiced concerns about the fear military institutions

Raise your voice for racial justice at Reparations Commission meeting in the Bronx

By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff

After meetings held in Buffalo, Albany, Rochester, and Southeast Queens, the Bronx is set to host the next New York State Community Commission on Reparations Remedies (CCRR) hearing.

The public event, scheduled for April 10 from 5 to 9 p.m. at Co-op City’s Dreiser Community Center (177 Dreiser Loop, Bronx), will provide Bronx and other New York City residents the opportunity to give testimony about the lasting impacts of African enslavement and current systemic discrimination affecting Black people in New York State.

Momentum for reparations for slavery has been gaining across the country among local and state governments. In 2023, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill that established the CCRR; its mandate is to examine the legacy of slavery in New York, which was one of the last states in the North to abol-

ish African enslavement. The enslavement of Black people was legal in New York state from the mid-1620s until July 4, 1827.

The CCRR is tasked with documenting the discrimination people of African descent have faced since slavery, and looking at the ongoing impact of race-based injustices today.

Community hearings and the testimony submitted to the CCRR will be included as part of a final report to be submitted to the state legislature.

The Bronx April 10th evening event will begin with a public hearing from 5 to 8 p.m. and end with a commissioner’s business meeting from 8 to 9 p.m. Those who want to speak at the public hearing don’t have to show up with documentation or other evidence of the race-based discrimination they have experienced. “People can talk about what they’ve learned from their ancestors, about the impact of slavery,” CCRR Commission Chair Seanelle Hawkins told the AmNews.

World War II veteran Johnnie Jones, Sr. poses for a portrait holding his Croix de Guerre medal at his home in Baton Rouge, La. Veterans of color are afraid President Trump’s attacks on DEI will limit opportunities for people of color (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert).

Maurice Anderson, a standout student leader, awarded at Harlem YMCA gala

New Yorker

Maurice Anderson, 17-year-old student at Thurgood Marshall Academy was awarded the Carrie Terrell Award during the Harlem YMCA bai Achievers in Industry gala in the Marriott Marquis. March, 13, 2025. (Harlem YMCA)

By JASON PONTEROTTO Special to the AmNews

During the 53rd annual Harlem YMCA Black Achievers in Industry (bai) Gala, recently held at the Marriott Marquis hotel in Midtown, 17-year-old student

Maurice Anderson received the Carrie Terrell Award for his leadership in the program and beyond. Founded by Dr. Leo B. Marsh in 1971, the Harlem YMCA’s bai initiative serves as a student enrichment program aimed at supporting high school students toward their path to college.

Anderson, born and raised in Harlem, is a senior at Thurgood Marshall Academy, which he has attended since kindergarten. His aspirations include mechanical engineering, rooted in his love of building things such as Legos, and eventually joining the robotics team at school. But, he said it was the support from the YMCA/ bai program leaders that inspired him to excel, prompting “Black excellence.”

Anderson first joined the YMCA at age 14. In addition to the support of his family

Here’s How You Can Get Ready for Tax Season this Year

Sponsored content by JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Filing taxes is an exercise almost all Americans go through in the first part of each year, but those tax filings can differ based on a number of factors, including our income levels, where we live and our employment status.

Some tax tips are universal to all filers, while other advice may be specific to those who operate small businesses or work for themselves. Self-employed filers have certain distinct tax considerations, and general advice may not always apply to those who work for themselves or employ others. Changes to the tax code, especially with a shift in presidential administrations, could also have an effect on tax obligations, and may have a different impact on self-employed filers.

If you’re a small business owner or otherwise self-employed, here are some things you should keep in mind to help you get through this tax season.

Gather your documents

Have a detailed log on hand of the money coming in and out of your business. Even if you have an electronic system in place, items like sales slips, bills, invoices, receipts and canceled checks are generally key supporting documents for calculating and validating your tax filings. Organize these records and keep them in a safe place. If your business employs others, keep track of your payroll records, including documents showing wages, benefits and withholding.

If you’re a business owner…tailor taxes to your business structure

Your tax filing obligations depend on the type of business you’re running. If you’re self-employed, you might be considered a sole proprietorship, meaning you own and operate your unincorporated business as an individual or married couple. Sole proprietors generally report business income and losses on their personal U.S. federal income tax return (using Schedule C), but you could have other taxes and filing requirements, such as those related to self-employment earnings.

at home, it was the mentorship and tools provided by leaders in the program that benefited him in his journey.

After school during the week, Anderson goes to the YMCA like others in the teen program, where he has access to different resources like STEM activities, tutoring, basketball, and college readiness courses. At Thurgood, he excels both academically and athletically as a member of the Squash team. In 2023, he and his team recently made history as the first all-Black team to make the U.S. Squash High School Team Nationals.

Chris Foster, executive director for the Harlem YMCA, has been one of Anderson’s mentors in the program. They first met on 135th Street and Lenox, down the block from the building, when Anderson, who was with his other classmates, introduced himself to Foster and demonstrated “such character and leadership.”

“I see Maurice as being someone who is willing to learn and someone who is willing to adapt and step up to a challenge,” Foster said See BNY on page 31

Other business structures include Limited Liability Companies (LLC), Limited partnerships (LP), C Corporations and S Corporations. Get familiar with the specific tax requirements for your business structure.

Don’t forget state taxes

If you reside in a state that imposes income tax, calculate your state tax liability using the process applicable to that state. Tax rules may vary by state and some states have their own tax credits and deductions for businesses.

Meet your deadlines

The deadline for filing federal individual income tax returns in 2025 is Tuesday, April 15. If you need more time, you can generally file for an extension, pushing the deadline to Oct. 15. This extension applies only to the filing of the return – you still must pay any taxes owed by April 15. State income tax deadlines can vary – many are the same as the federal deadline but check with your state’s tax agency for your specific due date.

Ask the experts

Speaking with a tax professional who can help you determine good strategies for your business can help you remain compliant and successful. Consult a tax professional before making decisions about how to structure and strategize for your business.

Keep up with tax changes

As we’ve entered a new presidential administration in 2025, any tax code changes enacted this year would likely go into effect next tax season at the earliest. Of note: Many of the provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, passed in 2017, are currently set to expire at the end of 2025. That expiration or any potential new changes may impact your 2026 taxes when you file in 2027.

The bottom line

Staying on top of your taxes can be among the most time-consuming tasks for a business owner. Consider working with an accountant or tax professional who can guide you through the specific requirements for your business and help you respond to any changes in tax laws, rules or regulations.

Now might be the perfect time to grab those IRS forms, organize your invoices and receipts, and consult with an expert so you can tackle tax day like a pro.

For informational/educational purposes only: Views and strategies described in this article or provided via links may not be appropriate for everyone and are not intended as

New Yorkers are fired up over Trump’s executive order targeting voting rights and citizenship

By ARIAMA C. LONG Amsterdam News Staff

One of President Donald Trump’s latest executive orders is targeting voting rights and mail-in ballots. A move that New York State officials and advocates are slamming as an attack on voters of color, immigrants, and low-income communities.

The order, which was made public on March 25, requires people to show documents, like a passport, proving their citizenship in order to register to vote ––mimicking the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE Act). It also bans states from counting mail ballots that arrive after Election Day.

Members of the New Yorkers for Inclusive Democracy (NYID) coalition warned that “hard-won freedoms” like voting rights needed to be protected by the state’s legislature in an op-ed on March 19. In their demands they called for the state to invest at least $10.8 million in the upcoming budget towards voter education and outreach, as well as the passage of the Democracy During Detention Act (S440/A2121) to facilitate voting for eligible detainees, and the Enhanced Automatic Voter Registration bill (S88) to automatically register eligible voters through agencies like the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

“The executive order signed by President Trump is a blatant attempt at voter suppression that could disenfranchise millions of eligible voters. The order would create unnecessary barriers to the free exercise of the very cornerstone of our democracy ––the right to vote. It would have the greatest impact on communities of color and naturalized citizens,” said Assemblymember Latrice Walker, chair of the Assembly’s election law committee and a member of NYID, in a statement.

Walker denounced the order as “unconstitutional” because the power to determine the rules for federal elections lies with the states. “So, the president has no authority to require documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote,” said Walker.

She noted that mail-in ballots received by or after Election Day is standard practice in 18 states, including New York, as long as they are postmarked by Election Day.

Trump claims that the order “strengthens voter citizenship verification” and “bans foreign nationals from interfering in U.S. elections.” To be clear, said the Brennan Center for Justice, noncitizens already can’t vote in state and federal elections under penalty of criminal prosecution and that instances of in-person voter fraud are extremely low. The “myth of noncitizen voting” gained traction with “election deniers” in the last five years to undermine trust in the electoral system, said the Brennan Center.

New York City Council did once float the idea of allowing “tax paying” noncitizens to vote in local elections and managed to pass Bill Intro 1867 (Local Law 11) in 2021. This would have allowed more than 800,000 immigrant New Yorkers who held green cards, work authorizations, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status, or Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to vote. It was immediately struck down by a state judge in 2022 and again in 2025 by the state’s Court of Appeals.

“We’ve seen this same effort play out with the recent decision to strike down Local Law 11—an initiative that would have enfranchised nearly one million immigrant New Yorkers,” said President &

CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) Murad Awawdeh in a statement. “This ruling wasn’t just a setback for immigrant communities; it’s part of the broader national trend of chipping away at voting rights.”

A similar issue occurs with voter identity document (ID) laws in the U.S, which indeed are necessary to prevent voter fraud but have historically and disproportionately impacted Black, Latino, Native American, elderly, and student voters, reported the League of Women Voters (LWV). During the Jim Crow era, white supremacists in government and law enforcement began to use restrictive and ridiculous tactics to prevent Black people from voting.

This included literacy tests and poll taxes, along with unwarranted arrests and outright violence. Most of these were banned in 1965 under the Voting Rights Act (VRA), but voter ID laws persisted.

“For me—as a Black woman, a person of faith, and someone deeply rooted in community—voting is sacred, it is the foundation of our civic and spiritual commitment to justice,” said Crystal Walthall, executive director of Faith in New York. “But the promise of the federal Voting Rights Act has never been fully realized for too many of our communities. From purges to suppression, and now to coordinated attacks from the highest levels of government, the right to vote is under threat.”

Many U.S citizens also just don’t have an ID or access to a valid ID since the most common form is a driver’s license. Other forms, like a US passport or enhanced REAL ID, require time and resources to get. In New York State, a Non-Driver ID can be applied for regardless of citizenship or legal status.

Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) Chair and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) Chair Suzan DelBene, and Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Ken Martin said in a joint statement that Trump’s executive order “is reckless, dangerous and illegal. It is a brazen attempt by Trump to throw out legal votes cast by millions of American citizens and disenfranchise voters so he can ignore election outcomes he does not like.”

A coalition of voting rights organizations, like the LWV and National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), quickly filed a lawsuit to challenge Trump’s executive order.

“Our Constitution makes clear that the President does not have the power to regulate federal elections – that responsibility is explicitly delegated to Congress and the states. This Order is an illegal and dangerous power grab, a direct attack on American democracy, and an affront to the rule of law,” they said in a joint statement.

New York State Attorney General Letitia James, along with a coalition of 17 other attorneys general, also sent a letter on March 31 vehemently opposing the SAVE Act.

“The right to vote is the very foundation of our democracy, but with this bill, Congress is threatening that right for millions of eligible voters,” said Attorney General James. “The so-called SAVE Act would disproportionately impact communities of color, low-income individuals, and other vulnerable populations to create a dangerous precedent. It is nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to suppress voter participation and I urge Congress to reject this bill and protect every American’s fundamental right to vote.”

Photo of a ballot box at P.S. 81 poll site in Brooklyn during the 2024 general election on Tuesday, November 5, 2024.

Black and Brown voters in Brooklyn lined up at an early voting poll site during 2024’s presidential election on Tuesday, November 5. (Ariama C. Long photos)

Home sweet yours

Think tank utilizes public policy for community healing

By SAGE SWABY Speical for AmNews

A community building event for those passionate about public policy, community development, and the future of urban neighborhoods was recently held by The New Hood think tank at The New School’s Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts.

Attendees gathered in Wollman Hall to hear from The New Hood’s founder, Talib Hudson, Ph.D. The night focused on community-based public policy to support Black and Brown urban neighborhoods and ways individuals can get involved.

Founded in 2021, The New Hood is a think tank developing community-based public policy to help urban Black and Brown neighborhoods. The organization is a project of The New School’s Center for New York City Affairs, an applied policy research institute that drives innovation in social policy.

“Our goal is to use the resources and the platform and the skills and the networks that we have here at the university and to connect all those to community leadership and to do work in policy that drives meaningful change in people’s lives,” said Kristin Morse, executive director of Center for New York City Affairs.

“Talib has done that in so many ways with us over the last decade and in this next decade we’re really excited to see this vision come to fruition.” Hudson received a master’s in urban policy analysis and management and a master’s and doctorate in public and urban policy from The New School. Morse supported Hudson at the very beginnings of the think tank in 2016.

The New Hood’s Giving Day campaign, The New School’s first, currently accepts donations to support the continuation of their work. “You’re investing in the future of the hood,” said Hudson, reminding attendees that donating any amount will help the communities he serves.

Kanielle Hernandez works alongside Hudson to build this future as a 2024 Community Healing Policy Fellow with The New Hood. Fellows are supported in developing a policy paper and executing a distribution plan to present their ideas to policy makers. As the founder and president of her organization, the Loisaida Foundry, Hernandez dedicates herself to organizing community events that foster engagement, empowerment, and healing for the Lower East Side.

“I’m not an educator but I do want to inform people on ways that they can help themselves and not wait on a system which is botched. That is not really there for us like it needs to be. That’s part of the effort that we want to change,” said Hernandez. “That’s how me and Talib got together. My community healing initiative and his community healing policy where we create, as leaders, policies that are going to directly impact things that we have been dealing with generation after generation. Now’s the time.”

Hudson’s policy work helped Keyonn

“That’s how me and Talib got together. My community healing initiative and his community healing policy where we create, as leaders, policies that are going to directly impact things that we have been dealing with generation after generation. Now’s the time.”

—Kanielle Hernandez, 2024 Community Healing Policy Fellow and founder and president the Loisaida Foundry

Sheppard within his position as education coordinator at the Institute for Transformative Mentoring, a training program focusing on the development of formerly incarcerated people working in the social services fields throughout New York City.

During Sheppard’s start as an instructor, he did not understand how the work the institute did related back to public policy. Hudson helped bridge that gap.

When Sheppard solves a problem for a group he works with, that does not mean the work is complete. “What about the group’s younger brothers and sisters that are still in

the same community facing the same problems? What do we do in order to address the problems?” he asked. “That’s where Dr. Hudson comes in.”

Hudson helps Sheppard address the policy and figure out who’s the right politician to go to. “You don’t know whether to go to the city council person or the assembly person. I’m saying Dr. Hudson is making these things clear and going, ‘This is an issue that goes to this person whereas this is an issue that goes to that person,’” said Sheppard.

Closing the event, Hudson presented his mentors Mindy Thompson Fullilove, MD,

and Iesha Sekou with Community Healing Legend awards. Fullilove, a writer and social psychiatrist, inspired Hudson with her book “Root Shock: How Tearing Up City Neighborhoods Hurts America, and What We Can Do About It,” which examines three U.S. cities to uncover results of disinvestment and urban renewal practices that affected communities of color. Hudson identifies it as an essential read.

Hudson’s work with Sekou encouraged his path to founding The New Hood. “Her work is so instrumental to The New Hood and us being here today,” he said. When accepting her award, Sekou recounted times she and Hudson did community outreach on the street with her organization, Street Corner Resources. “He himself is the evidence of the work,” Sekou said, expressing her appreciation for The New Hood.

“I’m so proud of [Talib]. We were really, for real, on the streets,” Sekou said. “Some people do this where they get on the telephone. We’re right outside.”

Talib Hudson, Ph.D., founder of think tank The New Hood, addresses a room full of attendees at the organization’s community building reception. (Photos courtesy of Jamily La’Shwaun Gray, Media Director, FYEO Media.)

Divine Nine News

AKA holds Atlantic Regional Conference and Public Meeting at Mohegan Sun

KAYLYN KENDALL DINES, MBA

Last week, approximately 4,000 members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority (AKA), Incorporated® gathered at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut for a Public Meeting, which officially kicked off the sorority’s 94th North Atlantic Regional Conference.

The theme, “Soaring to Service through Advocacy,” set the tone for the four-day conference that was all about sisterhood, service, and inspiration. Sorority members in attendance represented 11 eastern states and the District of Columbia.

Sunny Hostin, Esq., who is an Emmy-Award winning legal journalist, co-host of ABC’s “The View,” bestselling author, and member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, was the mistress of ceremonies for the Public Meeting. Rev. Dr. Frederick D. Hayes, III, senior pastor of Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, was the keynote speaker.

While hosting the meeting, Elicia Pegues Spearman, Esq., AKA’s North Atlantic Regional Director, said, “Let us remember. Advocacy is not just a word. It is a calling. It is about using our collective voice, our education, and our passion to create real and sustainable change. Together we are soaring, not just flying, but rising with purpose, with dignity and with an unshakable commitment to our communities.”

Members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council offered greetings on behalf of their respective sororities and fraternities, and congratulated the following honorees: The Empower Our Families Award recipient Dr. Melony Samuels, CEO and founder of The Campaign Against Hunger; the Build Our Economic Wealth Award recipient Mark Mason, Chief Financial Officer, Citi; and the Uplift Our Local Community Award honoree the Honorable Adrienne Adams, Speaker of the New

York City Council (District 28).

Danette Anthony Reed, International President and CEO of AKA, extended her appreciation to local chapters of AKA and partner organizations as well as members of the Divine Nine organization. She shared, “Your presence during our regional conference signals a willingness to partner with and support our collaborative efforts. I know all of us are needed now more than ever because we’re witnessing unprecedented social, political and economic uncertainties. So, we’re glad you’re here.”

The North Atlantic Region is the birthplace of AKA, an international service organization founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C. in 1908. It is the oldest Greek-letter organization established by African American college-

educated women and comprises more than 365,000 initiated members in graduate and undergraduate chapters in 11 countries. The region encompasses 155 chapters throughout Eastern New York, Connecticut, Washington, D.C., Maryland, Delaware, Eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire. In the spirit of service, donations were collected for the 94th North Atlantic Regional Conference Service

See DIVINE NEWS on page 27

A member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. poses with products that were donated to CAMBA, Inc. (Photos courtesy of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. North Atlantic Region)

From left to right: Tennille Miller, Deneen Hendrick, Rev. Adriane Blair Wise, Regional Director Elicia Pegues Spearman, Dr. Elaine Flake, Sheila Giddings, Nicole A. Davis.

Union Matters

Montefiore Hospital interns and residents ratify historic new contract

By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff

Following nearly two years of protest rallies, marches, and challenging negotiations, resident physicians and fellows at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx have unanimously ratified a new union contract during a vote held from March 20 to 26.

The agreement marks an important new chapter in the history of labor organizing at Montefiore, members of the Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR/SEIU) said. It showcases the persistent efforts of some 1,200 medical residents who fought to secure fair and equitable working conditions.

Psychiatry resident Dr. Aubrey Vinh told the AmNews that turnout for the vote was really positive – union members were excited to be able to access in-person and online polls and vote. Montefiore residents organized their first union in 1976 and went public with their re-unionizing efforts in 2022, but it has taken this long for the hospital to agree on terms with representatives.

When asked about the delay in reaching an agreement between Montefiore and the union, and whether the hospital believes the new contract will benefit the medical center’s system, representatives from Montefiore did not provide any comments. By press time, Montefiore leadership had nothing to say regarding its contract agreement with CIR/SEIU.

Dr. Vinh said she was pretty satisfied with this, her first effort taking part in working on a bargaining committee and negotiating a first contract.

“I think we’ve been really pleased with the results that we’ve been able to have with our organizing and our concerted efforts to make sure we have raises and due process and stipends that are becoming more and more standard across other training programs.”

Under the new contract, CIR/ SEIU members will receive an 18% salary increase, a $2,500 annual childcare allowance, a

$3,000 housing stipend, improved healthcare benefits, and critical due process protections. Prior to this agreement, Montefiore’s residents worked 80+ hours a week and were the lowest paid residents throughout the five boroughs.

The new agreement does not, however, include a key point union members wanted: the creation of a patient care fund.

“One of the platforms that we had initially brought to the bargaining table was a resident- and fellow-driven ‘patient care fund’ which is inspired by other hospital systems in the Bronx,” Vinh explained. CIR/SEIU literature describes “Patient care funds [as being] used to: Purchase equipment, purchase educational materials, and cover patient safety

quality improvement projects.”

The patient care fund set aside has helped support medication safety conferences, research fairs, skateboard helmets for youth, pharmacy vouchers for indigent patients, the purchase of microscopes, and other as-needed equipment. “Unfortunately, that won’t be part of our current contract,” Vinh said. “But I think, you

know, kind of seeing the energy that we’ve been able to mobilize around this current contract and thinking about how to continue holding Montefiore accountable and how to continue organizing for the Bronx. I think that that’s still going to be something that we set our eyes on. But yeah, it will not be part of our current contract that we’re ratifying.”

Members of the Committee of Interns and Residents pushed for nearly two years for a contract with Montefiore. (CIR/SEIU photo)

may 9 – 11

Sat, Apr 12 @ 7 & 9:30PM Sun, Apr 13 @ 7PM

You know him, you love him — it’s comedian and rising social media star Mojo Brookzz (Wild ’n Out, We Them Ones).  brookzz

with special guest Jon B Sun, Apr 27 @ 7PM

Six-time GRAMMY®-nominated R&B singer Tyrese (“Shame,” “Sweet Lady”) melts hearts with that incomparable voice.

Sun, May 11 @ 3 & 6PM

Celebrate mom — and all the special ladies in your life — with comedy legend George Wallace’s Mother’s Day Celebration. mother’s day celebration

Sat, May 31 @ 8PM

It’s an all-star 70’s Soul Jam with The Stylistics, The Delfonics, Blue Magic, The Blue Notes and Heatwave 70’s soul jam

Love You Too, The Tour  Sun, Jun 1 @ 7PM

A night of R&B, soul and jazz with GRAMMY®-winning singer Ledisi (“High,” “Alright”) and Marsha Ambrosius (“Far Away”). ledisi

master p & the no limit soldiers

Fri, Jun 6 @ 8PM

Join Master P and the No Limit Solders for a ’90s Juneteenth celebration featuring The Lox, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and more.

Is this 2025 or 1984?

With the fog of war; the wholesale attack on DEI, including USAID, the Department of Education and other federal agencies; the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) until just recently had escaped the attention of Trump’s baleful net. But it was only a matter of time before it too would be assailed and feel the threat of obliteration.

On Friday, Brendan Carr, chairman of FCC, announced an investigation into Disney’s programs of diversity, equity and inclusion with an aim toward halting them. In a letter to Robert A. Iger, the CEO of Disney, Carr said that Disney’s promotion of race-based affinity groups seemed to violate equal employment opportunity programs, the very thing it was devised to do. “I want to ensure that Disney ends any and all discriminator initiatives in substance, not just name,” Carr declared in the letter. “For another, I want to determine whether Disney’s actions — whether ongoing or recently ended — complied at all times with applicable F.C.C. regulations.”

In response to the intention to halt their DEI efforts, a Disney spokesperson said the company was reviewing the F.C.C.’s letter. “We look forward to engaging with the commission to answer its questions.”

Central to these allegations for Carr is Disney’s Reimagine Tomorrow initiative that is accused of being a “mechanism for advancing its DEI mission.” What remains in question is the extent to which Disney has lived up to its promise of assuring that at least fifty percent of regular and recurring characters must be drawn from “underrepresented groups.”

Carr’s main point of contention, and this seems readily apparent, is that Disney hasn’t gone far enough in its capitulation to Trump’s agenda of kowtowing to Big Brother. Conceivably, that’s of no real concern to Carr and his minions, and their plan to totally make the private company bend to the demands promulgated by Trump.

What essentially is at play here is a weaponized government marching inexorably against companies they abhor, and the new power of FCC has less to do with legal discrimination than it is about chastising Disney for its attempts to balance hiring practices.

Similar to all the other measures whether in health, education, or international development, Americans must not be hoodwinked and bamboozled by Trump and his cohort’s propaganda of correcting past evils. Again, we remind our readers of war merchants talking about peace and balancing a budget while they stuff their pockets with the bounty from tariffs, tax cuts, and selling the public with a bill of goods. In short, no matter where we turn, an Orwellian universe confronts us. Trump and his band of misfits are doing all they can to impose a world on us in which ignorance is strength.

Rikers Island: a modern-day auction block in the heart of New York

By DARREN MACK and KEVIN BECKFORD

It affords me inexpressible pleasure, to be enabled to inform the friends of human rights, that the Hon. Richard Riker is no longer Recorder of the city of New York. His power to pollute the bench of justice, by sacrificing human liberty upon the altar of slavery, is no more.

— David Ruggles, abolitionist and emancipator, The Colored American, July 1838

In the early 1800s, Richard Riker, a descendant of the family who owned Rikers Island, participated in a kidnapping ring for decades that sent African Americans into slavery. Riker used his power as a judge and the pro-slavery Fugitive Slave clause of the Constitution to send countless souls to the south.

Riker’s methods were intentionally sloppy and cruel. He did not care whether the person in front of him was the person being sought; it did not matter whether the person was a child or an adult, or if they had proof of their freedom. However they came to be in New York, the essence of their crime was their Blackness.

More than 100 years after the Riker family sold the island to New York City, the Riker name remains linked to subjugation and brutality. Today, more than 5,900 legally innocent people are detained in conditions at Rikers Island so abhorrent that it is the source of multiple federal and class action lawsuits related to use of force, access to medical care, basic sanitation, and illegal use of solitary confinement.

to allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to open an office there, in defiance of New York City’s sanctuary laws. While many people associate mass deportations with people of Latin American heritage, one in five people facing deportation is Black. As with all Black people in the U.S., police stop, search, and arrest Black immigrants at disproportionately high rates; Black immigrants are nearly three times more likely as non-Black immigrants to be detained and deported as the result of a criminal offense.

It bears repeating again here that Rikers is primarily a pretrial facility. The vast majority of people (85%) locked up at Rikers have not been convicted of a crime.

Let us now take a moment to contrast these circumstances with those of the mayor, who controls the fate of so many people. He is a free man while his charges of conspiracy, wire fraud, and soliciting foreign campaign contributions are pending. He is able to work as mayor and live at home. He can hold media events where he proclaims his innocence and stands with his supporters. He has assembled a ferocious team of lawyers, paid for by his legal defense fund, which started with $1.7 million. Adams experiences the criminal legal system differently, because the baseline impulse of the system is to preserve power over the weak, and Adams is a powerful man. (To be clear, Adams’ case is in the federal system, while Rikers is part of the city’s criminal legal system.)

devil’s bargain between New York’s financial institutions and the cotton-growing South, people like Riker viewed Black lives as merely pawns. In this modern iteration, Adams is using his power to trade thousands of souls for his own preservation.

Riker and his ilk did not act unopposed, however. David Ruggles, a Black abolitionist, formed the New York Committee of Vigilance to stop the kidnappings, and carried out other acts of liberation, by acting as a visible “conductor” on the Underground Railroad and publishing abolitionist tracts. Our charge here is to act in similar opposition, to prevent Rikers from continuing its legacy in any way.

As individuals deeply affected by the inequities of the pretrial system, we recognize the urgent need to dismantle the enduring legacy of racial injustice exemplified by Rikers Island. We will continue our organizing to end this grim chapter, and invite all New Yorkers to join us as we fight for a future where we can all live safe and free.

Elinor R. Tatum: Publisher and Editor in Chief

Damaso

Reyes: Executive & Investigative Editor

Kristin Fayne-Mulroy:

Managing Editor

Cyril Josh Barker: Digital

Editor

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

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

Race and wealth (or lack of it) largely define who is granted the presumption of innocence. Black New Yorkers are admitted to Rikers at 11 times the rate of white New Yorkers, and judges continue to set bail at levels that amount to a ransom, in defiance of New York’s landmark 2019 pre-trial reforms. While some tragic stories like the experiences of the Exonerated Five and Kalief Browder should remind New Yorkers that police and courts can make grave mistakes, false allegations continue to disrupt lives.

Rikers Island may be entering yet another level of infamy, with Mayor Eric Adams’ announcement that he intends to issue an Executive Order

Even for a powerful man, though, Adams’ case is moving unusually. The current presidential administration has sought to have Adams’ charges dismissed — a move so controversial that attorneys in the U.S. Attorney’s office and four of Adams’ deputy mayors resigned in protest. The Trump administration’s request to drop the charges explicitly cited their belief that doing so would enable the mayor to participate more fully in his deportation agenda.

As he noted in his book, “The Kidnapping Club: Wall Street, Slavery and Resistance on the Eve of the Civil War,” Jonathan Daniel Wells noted that so many New Yorkers were not just complacent about slavery; like Riker, they were complicit in its perpetuation. Whether motivated by anti-Blackness, personal gain, or the

Darren Mack, the descendant of Black Southerners and co-director of Freedom Agenda, has personally endured the injustices of incarceration at Rikers. Kevin Beckford, a Black man of Jamaican heritage, is Senior Associate at the Pretrial Justice Institute and has witnessed firsthand the mistreatment of his Black immigrant family members in this flawed system. Both of their organizations are members of the Campaign to Close Rikers.

Darren Mack

Kevin Beckford

Can I get an Amen?

By HERB BOYD

Back in early March, Rep. Al Green of Texas was censured for interrupting Trump’s joint address to Congress. He was escorted from the chamber after repeatedly voicing his objection, shouting, “You have no mandate to cut Medicaid!”

On Monday, as a senatorial response to Green’s objections, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, began an all-night marathon speech in opposition to Trump’s executive orders. “These are not normal times in our nation,” Booker said at the start of his speech. “And they should not be treated as such in the United States Senate. The threats to the American people and American democracy are grave and urgent, and we all must do more to stand against them. In just 71

days, the president of the United States has inflicted so much harm on Americans’ safety, financial stability, the core foundations of our democracy and even our aspirations as a people for — from our highest offices — a sense of common decency,” the senator concluded.

This outrage against the authoritarian policies sweeping the country join with those currently echoing from the tour by Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and this duo’s complaints lead a chorus of outrage gaining momentum in the nation.

Not only do we support the stances taken by these elected officials, but we applaud the growing number of judges who are stifling, if only temporarily, the executive orders issued by Trump. The most recent action by California-based U.S. District Judge Edward Chen applied

a pause to Trump’s plan to lift protections from deportation for more than half million Venezuelans, citing that the decision by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s decision “smacks of racism.”

In three words, Judge Chen has succinctly captured a motive at the base of many of Trump’s policies as they arise from his den of iniquity. His full-bore attack on DEI is perhaps the most glaring evidence of this erasure.

I know I’m beginning to sound like a one-trick pony on Trump’s actions (a neigh, so to speak, to his relentless drumbeat of negativity) and I am, to a large extent, emboldened by the brave efforts to thwart Trump by the judges and a few elected officials. And I know I’m not alone in standing fast to protect the fragility of freedom and our constitutional rights. Can I get an amen on that?

Why Adrienne Adams should campaign as the ‘Grandmother Mayor’ of NYC

By ROGER HOUSE

New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams wants to become mayor of the Big Apple. The challenge she faces is making herself known in a crowded field of high-profile primary candidates. As she begins to campaign outside her district, there are questions over how best to introduce herself: some have suggested highlighting notable themes like being a “qualified professional woman,” or “Adrienne from Queens,” or “a Black woman first” achiever. All of these themes should play a part in the campaign, of course. But Adams may want to also explore the appeal of her distinction as a grandmother as well. The role is one that symbolizes unconditional love, support, and wisdom across multiple cultures. Whether the figure is known as “grandma,” “nana,” “abuela,” or “nai nai,” the image can help to build bridges with other voting groups. Speaker Adams is the only candidate who can stake a claim to it while also being young enough to take on rough and tumble opponents in the primary. As well, the image would underscore the political maturity and resilience she would bring to governing. The strategy would be reminiscent of the 1987 campaign of Carrie Saxon Perry, the 56-year old fedora-wearing grandmother who became the first Black woman mayor of Hartford, Connecticut. It was difficult for opponents to counter the generational appeal or to attack her without drawing criticism.

The image may also help Adams win the support of Black men, a problem faced by the campaign of Kamala Harris, Stacey Abrams for Georgia governor in 2022, and Maya Wiley for NYC mayor in 2021. Each campaign ended up publicly scolding men as “misogynistic” for perceived low enthusiasm. While men eventually turned out, it was a dispiriting process of mobilization.

There is no need for the Adrienne Adams campaign to repeat this pattern. By promoting the status of grandmother, she may be able to tap into a revered role in Black culture as evidenced by tributes like the late-soul singer Bill Withers poignant recollection of his grandmother, “Grandma’s Hands.” And the theme can provide a platform to promote her abilities as a caretaker and accomplished politician ready to oversee a safe city.

Adams, 64, was elected to the City Council from the predominantly Black middle class district of southeastern Queens in 2017. She gained a reputation as a moderate legislator with an agenda that balanced the need for neighborhood services with downtown business development. She has worked on initiatives for affordable housing, mass transit fares, child care costs, public safety and victim’s rights, and job creation, among others. She has promoted increased funding for students at the City University of New York and expanded library services citywide. She was elected council speaker in 2022 and devised a collaborative style

of leadership with the cantankerous assembly of 51 members. When City Hall fell into disarray with the federal indictment of Mayor Eric Adams — who is unrelated to her — she was encouraged to run by some concerned city leaders. She announced her candidacy for the June 24 democratic mayoral primary, a rankedchoice election in a political climate of economic uncertainty and candidate controversy. Leading the field are former NY Governor Andrew Cuomo and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, along with about 10 other candidates. By campaigning as the grandmother candidate, among other themes, Adrienne Adams can build a coalition for the general election. She offers a history-making candidacy and a breath of fresh air from the politics of resentment and scandal. She has an opportunity to rally Black voters by connecting the political vision of the past to the aspirations of the young. Moreover, she can build a primary coalition by asking prospective voters to consider her for a high ranking. She should campaign as a public servant with the maturity to nurture a livable city for the next generation.

Roger House is professor emeritus of American Studies at Emerson College and the author of “Blue Smoke: The Recorded Journey of Big Bill Broonzy” and “South End Shout: Boston’s Forgotten Music Scene in the Jazz Age.” His forthcoming book is “Five Hundred Years of Black Self-Governance: A Call to Conscience.”

Black women for the Los Angeles win

CHRISTINA GREER, PH.D.

I recently visited Los Angeles, and although I’m an East Coast girl through and through, I couldn’t help but enjoy the sunshine and some of the amazing work being done on the left coast. I absolutely love visiting the West Coast because it always feels like spending time with long-lost cousins. Different accents, modes of being, and just an all-around different vibe, which is good for me to experience a few times each year. This past visit was filled with brilliant Black women in my orbit, and I am still riding high from the experience.

First, I spent time with Dr. Lorrie Frasure, director of the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies at UCLA. In addition to being a professor of political science and African American Studies, an accomplished author, and director of a growing center, she is helping to spearhead the project “LA Wildfires: Impacts on Altadena’s Black Community.” Frasure and her colleagues are working to make sure the Black families and communities are not forgotten in the rebuilding efforts. Their research details the economic losses for the Black residents in Altadena. However, much of the work also centers on the efforts to maintain the sense of Black community for those who have called Altadena home for generations.

I then spent time with my co-author and colleague Dr. Chaya Crowder to celebrate her new book “Intersectional Solidarity: Black Women and the Politics of Group Consciousness” (Oxford University Press, 2025). Her timely and important

work develops a theory of intersectional solidarity that explains why people come to support issues that affect Black women. She also examines public opinion surrounding policy issues that affect Black women, which do not appear on largescale national surveys. As folks continue to recite the mantras of “Trust Black Women” and “Black Women Lead,” Crowder’s work raises questions about who Black women can organize and build coalitions with over time.

One of the highlights of discussing Dr. Crowder’s new book was doing so at the Black woman-owned Reparations Club Bookstore. Rep. Club is the type of space that has books by Black authors ranging from sci-fi and cookbooks to the latest works by Black public intellectuals and children’s authors. With comfortable couches and amazing music, this is also a place to build community. From book clubs to event space, Rep. Club founder Jazzi has been intentional about creating a welcoming space. It is imperative we support the institutions we want to see not just survive but thrive ,and luckily for us, the Reparations Bookstore ships all over the U.S. So, I may not be a west coaster, but as Biggie said, “Great place to visit!”

Christina Greer, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Fordham University; author of book “How to Build a Democracy: From Fannie Lou Hamer and Barbara Jordan to Stacey Abrams” and “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream,” and is co-host of the podcast FAQ-NYC.

Caribbean Update

Jamaica wins pledge from Rubio to review damaging travel advisories

By BERT WILKINSON Special to the AmNews

For Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness and his cabinet, the visit by American Secretary of State Marco Rubio to the northern Caribbean island last week addressed several important issues, including the U.S. government habit of issuing damaging travel advisories to its citizens as a guide to which destinations they should frequent or avoid.

When the two shared a podium for a joint press conference after their bilateral meeting, Holness was quick to raise the issue with Rubio publicly and, in the end, won a vow from the State Department to review the contents of travel advisories to make them more accurate and reflective of the present reality.

His motivation to do so appears to have stemmed from what the PM said has been major success in reducing violent crime on an island nation where 1,400 murders per year could be the norm. The head of government, facing general elections with a determined opposition, said the situation has changed drastically for the better.

“Jamaica today is safer than at any time in the last two decades,” Hol-

ness said. “In fact, crime against visitors represents less than 0.01% of the more than 3 million visitors to Jamaica annually. We are committed to working collaboratively to ensure that travel advisories reflect the current realities and promote safe travel. For the first time in the history of the constabulary, we have met the establishment strength of 14,000 officers. More police offi-

cers, more vehicles, and greater intelligence capabilities mean a more rapid response to threats and citizens’ emergencies.”

Speaking in parliament as well, the prime minister was proud to point out that there are fewer than 100 gangs today, compared to about 350 nine years ago. He said efforts to dismantle them will continue.

Rubio, for his part, had also met

Can the courts save the U.S.?

On March 15, President Donald Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, issuing a sweeping proclamation to detain and deport Venezuelan immigrants allegedly linked to the criminal gang Tren de Aragua. Let that sink in: A centuries-old wartime law is now being dusted off and weaponized for immigration enforcement in peacetime.

Yes, Tren de Aragua is a real and dangerous gang. Yes, the U.S. president has authority under immigration law to deport gang members who pose a threat to communities.

But that’s not what’s at play here. According to Katherine Yon Ebright, counsel with the Liberty and National Security Program at NYU’s

Brennan Center for Justice, this move has far less to do with fighting crime and far more to do with bypassing due process altogether.

As Ebright puts it, this is a blatant attempt to dispense with the burden of evidence and sidestep the courts. The goal? Sweeping detentions and deportations of Venezuelans — based on ancestry, not proven gang affiliations.

Let’s call it what it is: a dangerous and potentially unconstitutional power grab.

The Alien Enemies Act, a relic from the 18th century, was crafted in a time of war and intended for use only during declared wars or armed attacks by foreign governments. It was last used in World War II, when the U.S. interned tens of thousands of Japanese, German, and Italian immigrants — many of whom were innocent, and some even U.S. citizens — based purely on ancestry and paranoia.

with the leaders of Haiti, Trinidad, and Barbados in Jamaica, and pledged to review the basis for travel advisories.

“We pledged that we’re going to go back and reevaluate the travel advisories as they currently stand to ensure that they do reflect the reality of the new numbers and what the numbers show,” Rubio announced, adding that the island has “made very impressive progress in your general numbers overall when it comes to the murder rate and so forth … Governments have two primary responsibilities: the safety and prosperity of their people. Your prime minister and his government [are] very focused on those two priorities.”

Rubio’s announcement has, as expected, met with an outpouring of gratitude and relief by the tourism and hospitality sector. They have suggested that negative advisories have had a devastating impact on the lifeline sector.

“Coming from America’s top diplomat, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, reinforces that all the hard work Jamaica has put into lowering crime rates is paying off. It’s wonderful to hear that our collective calls for a review of the U.S. travel advisory are being acknowledged and acted upon,” said Tour-

ism Minister Ed Bartlett.

Senior tourism executive John Byles described Rubio’s openminded approach to Jamaica’s plea as a blessing. “The travel advisory has been like an albatross around the neck of the tourism sector, affecting us in every possible way,” Byles told the Jamaica Information Service. “It is uplifting to hear that our efforts to reduce crime are being recognized at such a high level, especially by Secretary Rubio.”

Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) President Robin Russell also lauded Rubio. “What is most encouraging is the tone of the discussions with Secretary Rubio and his team,” Russell said. “It was one of mutual respect and recognition of the hard work Jamaica has been putting in to address our issues as a country. We hope the U.S. travel advisory review will be favorable and we can continue to do the work to make Jamaica the best country to vacation in the world.”

With elections expected by September, Holness has constantly pointed out the gains made against violent crime, noting that murders declined by nearly 20% last year compared to 7% in 2023, while the 47 killings in February were the lowest in 25 years.

Now, in 2025, we are watching history dangerously repeat itself.

The ACLU and Democracy Forward have already taken the Trump administration to court, citing the imminent risk of removal for five Venezuelan men detained in Texas. A federal judge quickly halted the deportations — but not before the administration doubled down, appealing the ruling and signaling its intent to push forward.

Meanwhile, in an unsettling parallel, the administration is applauding El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, for his mass incarceration — often without due process — of more than 84,000 suspected gang members and just cut a deal with his government. Let’s be honest: This isn’t about national security. The U.S. is not at war. There is no declared invasion. Trump is simply playing politics with immigration — again — and using the law as a tool to consolidate power and spread fear, particularly among

Latino and immigrant communities.

What’s more disturbing is how limited the legal system has become in protecting against such abuses. As Georgetown law professor Stephen Vladeck noted in a “New York Times” guest essay recently, even if courts rule this action unconstitutional, there’s often little recourse. Due to sovereign immunity, suing the federal government is nearly impossible unless Congress explicitly allows it — and those permissions are rare.

Even the 1971 precedent allowing victims to sue individual federal officers for constitutional violations has been systematically gutted by the Supreme Court over the past eight years.

Where does that leave us?

If the courts do not act swiftly and decisively, this administration may get away with mass removals, without evidence, hearings, or accountability. And if it happens to Venezuelans today,

who’s next tomorrow?

Yes, the federal courts have so far done a commendable job of reining in executive overreach, but the judiciary alone cannot save us. Real, lasting protection lies in legislative action. Congress must step up — not just with oversight, but with new laws that make it harder for any president to weaponize immigration policy and violate civil liberties with impunity.

We, the people, must step up, too. Through our voices, our votes, and our vigilance.

The rule of law in America must never bend to the will of a single man or administration. The Constitution begins with a powerful truth: It is “We the People” who hold the ultimate authority.

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

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (left) and Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness speak at end of joint news conference at office of prime minister in Kingston, Jamaica, Wednesday, Mar. 26, 2025. (Nathan Howard/Pool Photo via AP)

International News Electric tricycles are transforming lives of some women in parts of rural Zimbabwe

By FARAI MUTSAKA Associated Press

WEDZA, Zimbabwe — Anna Bhobho, a 31-year-old housewife from rural Zimbabwe, was once a silent observer in her home, excluded from financial and family decision-making in the deeply patriarchal society. Today, she is a driver of change in her village, thanks to an electric tricycle she now owns.

In many parts of rural sub-Saharan Africa, women have long been excluded from mainstream economic activities such as operating public transportation. However, three-wheelers powered by green energy are reversing that trend, offering financial opportunities and a newfound sense of importance.

“My husband now looks up to me to take care of a large chunk of expenses, including buying furniture and other assets,” Bhobho said at a market where she delivers crops for farmers in Wedza district, about 150 kilometers (nearly 100 miles) from Harare.

Called “Hamba,” meaning “go” in Ndebele, the tricycles are powered by solar-charged lithium-ion batteries. Mobility for Africa, a local startup, piloted the project in 2019 by leasing the vehicles to groups of women for $15 a month. Today, individual women like Bhobho can own them through a lease-to-purchase program.

“I used to depend on my husband for everything, even money for bread,” she said. She now owns land, has opened a small grocery store, is paying off a car, and has moved her children from an underfunded rural public school to a better-equipped private institution. She earns up to $300 a month, comparable to government workers like teachers. Beyond material gains, she has gained self-esteem.

“Even my husband and in-laws have more respect for me now. No one used to listen to me, but now I have a seat when important decisions are being made,” said the mother of three.

According to Carlin Thandi Ngandu, community engagement coordinator for Mobility for Africa, 300 women in Zimbabwe are part

of the program. The organization has a goal of ensuring that 70% of the beneficiaries are women.

In Wedza, only women own and operate the tricycles. They receive training in safe driving skills. Swapping a lithium battery for a fully recharged one after about 100 kilometers (about 70 miles) costs $1.

Motorcycles are a common source of public transport in subSaharan Africa, with some users now switching to electric to cut fuel costs. The United Nations environmental program is introducing electric two- and threewheelers in nine countries, mostly in East Africa. In Nigeria, a green energy firm and the United Kingdom’s Foreign Office are providing 120 electric three-wheelers to women, promoting sustainability

and economic empowerment.

In Zimbabwe, the tricycles have changed the lives of many women dramatically, even for those who don’t own tricycles but use them for daily chores. Gone are the days of carrying firewood, buckets of water, or heavy farm produce manually over long distances.

The tricycles can navigate narrow paths inaccessible to cars and reach remote homesteads and vegetable gardens. Their affordability makes them accessible to locals.

Hilda Takadini, a tomato farmer, said her business has flourished since she started using Bhobho’s transport services. Previously, she had to leave home at 3 a.m., using an ox-drawn cart to travel 18 kilometers (11 miles) to the market. Often, she arrived too late or not

at all, and her tomatoes rotted.

“I get better prices because now I reach the market on time with my tomatoes still fresh. Even the children now know they can rely on me for school fees,” said the 34-year-old mother of six.

At Wedza shopping center, nearly a dozen women line up with their tricycles, which can carry loads of up to 450 kilograms (nearly 1,000 pounds) and have a top speed of 60 kph (37 mph), waiting for customers. They transport passengers; patients heading to hospitals; and people carrying building materials such as bricks, groceries, and firewood.

Beyond business, the tricycles are revolutionizing healthcare access, particularly for women and children. Josephine Nyevhe, a vol-

unteer community health worker, uses her tricycle to bring medical services closer to rural families.

On a recent afternoon, a group of mothers with children waited at a roadside. Nyevhe arrived on her tricycle, wearing her brown uniform, and hung a weighing scale on a tree branch and began measuring the children’s growth. She recorded details in her notebook, offered nutrition advice, and referred severe cases to the local clinic. Many times, her tricycle has served as a village ambulance.

“I am on 24-hour standby. I get calls during odd hours and have to rush people to the hospital. Sometimes it’s a pregnant woman who would have otherwise given birth at home in unsafe conditions,” said Nyevhe.

Volunteer village health worker

Josephine Nyevhe conducts weekly visits on her electric tricycle in Hwedza, Zimbabwe.

(AP Photo/Aaron Ufumeli)

Education

Is AI a key to Black economic mobility or will it increase disparities?

By LEAH MALLORY Special to the AmNews

Artificial Intelligence is definitely a tool for financial empowerment, but not the key to economic growth since the racial wealth gap predates AI, experts explained.

“I don’t think AI is an end-all-be-all and the mothership to Black economic mobility because the systemic issues that Black communities have faced on a general scale have not been rectified,” said Lamar Laing, founder & CEO of Copiafy, a personal financial management platform.

Historically, Black people have been barred from banking institutions subjected to lending biases, and Black neighborhoods faced systemic denial of financial services through a process known as redlining. These are just a few of many discriminatory practices that have inhibited economic mobility.

Today, that discrimination prevails. Data reveals that mortgage applicants of color are more likely to be denied loans by lenders than their white counterparts despite similar financial standings. Not only that, Black and Hispanic households are five times more likely to be unbanked compared to white households, with mistrust noted as a deterrent from banking. A 2024 analysis by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis also indicated that Black households averaged $311,000 in wealth while white households averaged $1.4 million.

Throwing AI into the mix, financial experts said it could assist in closing the wealth gap. For businesses, it provides ways to streamline menial tasks such as verifying documents and answering customer queries. For consumers, AI can help detect fraudulent activity or make recommendations.

“I think AI is great for operations and productivity — helping you plan things out, helping you with redundant tasks. It definitely has helped us optimize our pipeline from idea to product,” said Laing.

With Copiafy, Laing explained that users can consolidate their financial information into one place. This enables them to keep track of expenses like payment deadlines or credit reports more efficiently.

Though not an AI company, Laing said he plans to leverage AI to help users, emphasizing the need for ethical implementation.

“Our theory is essentially that if we’re going to plug our clients into an AI, we need guardrails around the information that goes in,” he said. “If we’re gonna use AI for anything related to your personal finance, we will do our best to make it hard for the user to accidentally tell the AI things that are personal to their

finances because a lot of third-party integrations tend to use your financial data against you—and that’s what we’re trying to prevent.”

Research validates Laing’s concerns. AI systems rely heavily on data to function, often collecting personal information such as location, online activity, health records, or financial details if entered into the system. This data is then used to train AI models, enabling them to create personalized customer experiences and make predictions.

The problem, however, is that this data isn’t always collected with user consent, leading to privacy concerns. This is especially troubling when that data is used to create algorithms or predictions that can result in bias towards users if the data collected isn’t diverse, representative, or thoroughly analyzed for error.

Black people are disproportionately harmed by algorithmic biases such as those in facial recognition, online recruiting, word association, and other tools.

Third-party AI tools are AI algorithms that are outsourced by an organization for use in its own business, though they also pose many risks like “reputational damage and the loss of customer trust, financial losses,” according to the MIT Sloan Management Review.

AI may widen the wealth gap

AI, experts said, also has the potential to exacerbate financial disparities rather than close them.

“It’s irresponsible for companies to allow your financial data, which is attached to all types of other data, to just be streamlined through an entity that you have no

control or guardrails over,” said Laing.

His concerns about data privacy reflect a larger issue within the digital age. Alondra Nelson, Harold F. Linder professor of Social Science at the Institute for Advanced Study and former deputy assistant to President Joe Biden, shared similar worries.

“We are a society whose economy is pretty much built on data,” said Nelson. “Do we need data privacy laws? Absolutely.”

During her time at the White House, Nelson spearheaded the blueprint for the AI Bill of Rights, a framework and guide for AI design, use, and deployment in the U.S. The blueprint consisted of five principles: safe and effective systems, algorithmic discrimination protections, data privacy, notice and explanation, and human alternatives, consideration, and fallback.

“This was the first document about AI I think that would come out of the White House and really reflect the priorities and the values of the Biden-Harris administration,” she said.

The blueprint would become a pillar in President Biden’s AI executive order for “Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence. which operated from October 2023 to January 2025 until it was rescinded by the subsequent administration. The executive order made some impact, with some government agencies pursuing safety agreements and testing different AI models.

To ensure AI is ethically implemented, Nelson emphasized the need for sustained legal regulation.

“I think any of the principles of the AI Bill of Rights embodied into law would be fan-

tastic,” she said. “There’s a real sense that there are things that the public wants and needs to be able to trust and adapt to these systems in their lives.”

For consumers, knowing how to use AI could be pivotal for financial understanding. Mariah Howard, chief innovation officer for the National Black Chamber of Commerce, noted that upskilling may be especially worthwhile for marginalized groups who are disproportionately affected by the digital divide.

“Actually take the time to invest in upskilling and create an avenue for yourself to learn that we are entering a new digital age that will inquire and require us to be participants,” she said. “Research and upskill yourself so that you are technically sound and somewhat proficient [so that] you can speak and understand on a general basis.”

Learning how to work the system may prevent the system from outworking you. A McKinsey & Company study found that Blacks and Latinos have the highest risk of job displacement due to automation and that 132,000 African American jobs could be lost by 2030.

“If reskilling efforts are not undertaken, this trend only stands to worsen,” another McKinsey & Company study stated.

At the Brooklyn Bank, a nonprofit teaching financial literacy to communities of color, they have considered incorporating AI into lessons but echo the aforementioned concerns.

“It makes things a lot easier, and it opens a lot of doors too, freeing up time for people to do other things,” said Jude Bernard, founder of the Brooklyn Bank. “On the harmful side of it, as consumers, you also have to be aware that it’s not a perfect system yet and that it makes mistakes, so you can’t put all your trust into it.”

The common thread is that AI presents both pros and cons in advancing Black economic mobility. While experts acknowledge that AI tools can help streamline financing and banking for historically marginalized groups, they also emphasize the need for vigilance and continuing to learn more about these systems.

“We are still in the very beginning stages of what Is soon to come,” said Howard. “So that is all to say that we have time, and there is no rush to be inaccurate and to make errors and irreversible, immutable mistakes, if you will. It’s really the most critical and pivotal time for us to do the extensive higher level deep research.”

This story is part of the Digital Equity Local Voices Fellowship lab. The lab initiative is made possible with support from Comcast NBCUniversal.

(Pixaby photo)

Arts & Entertainment

Claude McKay’s ‘Harlem: Negro Metropolis’ on view at Antiquarian Book Fair

By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff

A signed first edition of Claude McKay’s non-fiction book, “Harlem: Negro Metropolis,” will be on display and available for purchase at this year’s New York International Antiquarian Book Fair.

The fair, which takes place from April 3 through 6 at Manhattan’s Park Avenue Armory, will be a rare opportunity for Antiquarian Book Fair attendees to touch and peruse a book that once passed through the hands of two famous Harlem Renaissance writers: the book was a gift from McKay, the renowned Jamaican-born poet, to the African American novelist and folklorist Zora Neale Hurston.

“To Zora Neale Hurston,” McKay inscribed in ink on the book’s inside flap: “rare explorer, exponent and creator of the life of our folk. – From her admired Claude McKay / January 1941.”

The book is being offered for sale for $175,000 by Burnside Rare Books, a Portland, Oregon-based bookstore. “It’s a pretty dazzling association copy between two luminaries of the Harlem Renaissance,” said Rachel Phillips, a co-owner at Burnside. “It basically passed from the hands of one to the other and was notably owned by Ms. Zora Neale Hurston herself. It’s such an incredible piece of American literary history.”

Burnside Rare Books purchased “Harlem: Negro Metropolis” from someone who inherited it from an aunt. When the aunt passed away nearly 12 years ago, the book was willed to them. Anyone attending the book fair can see and look through the book, Phillips said. “The fair is like a museum, but you can buy the books. The book will be behind a glass case but you can ask for someone to bring it out to show it to you, people can handle books at these fairs.”

A critical eye on Harlem

“If you’re interested in mid-century Black writing –– and journalism, especially –– this is his only book of journalism,” Dr. Gary Holcomb of Ohio University explained to the AmNews. “I would also say that it shows an arc in his intellectual political life.”

Holcomb is a co-editor, along with James Madison University Professor Brooks E. Hefner, of the upcoming book “Claude McKay: Letters in Exile” (Yale University Press, 2025). He said that “Harlem: Negro Metropolis” shows McKay’s state of mind as he began turning away from predominantly white-led, leftist organizations. Just as Richard Wright, the author of “Native

Son,” and other Black intellectuals had become disillusioned with the direction of the Communist Party U.S.A., McKay too began to doubt that the Party was acting in the best interests of Black people.

“He was critical of the Communist Party’s agenda, which put class at the top of political revolutionary objectives, and racism and imperialism were to be dealt with through class revolution,” said Holcomb.

“A lot of Black intellectuals didn’t think this was a viable revolutionary thesis. He was eager to show that Black people were able to pilot their own economic and political future without what he regarded as intrusive, organized, leftist ideology.”

McKay’s book casts a critical eye on Harlem and some of its most prominent figures of the time like the spiritual leader Father Divine, the United Negro Improvement Association’s Marcus Garvey, and the strident religious and labor leader Sufi Abdul Hamid. McKay suggested that these leaders and local Black businesses could organize Harlem and help fortify it. “There is a constant struggle of economic, social and political forces in Harlem, and this struggle symbolizes the aspiration of Negroes everywhere,” a Nov. 9, 1940, Amsterdam News review of the book declared. “The author depicts the turmoil and search of his group for a way out of the chaos and impasse in which it finds itself with unusual vividness. The lack of ‘community commerce,’ he tells

us, is largely responsible for Harlem’s critical economic plight… ‘This feature, more than anything, strikes the eye and invites sarcastic or cynical comment from every intelligent visitor. There is no other American community in which the huge bulk of local business from the smallest to the largest, is operated by outsiders.’”

Jean-Christophe Cloutier, co-editor of the recently published, scholarly edition of Claude McKay’s “Amiable with Big Teeth: A Novel of the Love Affair Between the Communists and the Poor Black Sheep of Harlem” (Penguin Classics, 2017) calls “Harlem: Negro Metropolis” an amazing book of research and fact-finding. McKay began formulating it while he was employed by the New York branch of the Federal Writers Project between 1936 and 1939, this was when he had time to research and write about life in Harlem. This book is the culmination of those years of research; it inspired his “Amiable with Big Teeth” novel.

“There are chapters on the numbers game in Harlem and on very important figures like Father Divine, who claimed to be God,” Cloutier said. “But he’s also kind of exposing some of these figures that he considers to be not necessarily beneficial for the Black community. He also put a spotlight on figures and people that he admires, and thinks are more positive leaders like Sufi Hamid, who was a labor organizer. There’s also a beautiful chapter on Casper

Holstein, who was a former number’s game boss in Harlem who had kind of turned into a philanthropist and was now trying to use his accumulated wealth –– from an illegal business –– but now trying to give back and even inventing fellowships for local artists at the time.”

Soul of Harlem

Cloutier suggests that the dedication of the Burnside Rare Books copy of the book to Zora Neale Hurston was because of her favorable review of McKay’s work in Common Ground magazine. The book had been applauded by Hurston and a few other artists, intellectuals, and prominent businesspeople but it was more generally ignored and did not sell well. This pushed McKay’s publisher, E. P. Dutton, to be much less interested in the “Amiable with Big Teeth” novel.

Cloutier revealed that “Amiable with Big Teeth” was originally supposed to be entitled “God’s Black Sheep.” The fictional novel borrowed a lot of its ideas from “Harlem: Negro Metropolis,” he explained. Sufi Abdul Hamid is a character in the novel and although the real-life, Caribbeanborn Casper Holstein is not characterized, McKay created a similar former-numbersrunner-turned-philanthropist named Pablo Peixota from Honduras for the book. McKay also dramatized the Black empowerment issues of “Harlem: Negro Metropolis” in “Amiable with Big Teeth,” Cloutier said. “With the cause for Ethiopia [which was fighting an invasion from Italy], is the Black community going to follow a Comintern-run organization, or are they going to follow an all-Black, Aid-to-Ethiopia organization? It’s kind of like the soul of Harlem rests in the bounds of who they will choose, you know, a Black self-reliance or a whitecontrolled group.”

Hurston’s copy of McKay’s book at the Antiquarian Book Fair brings with it echoes of early 20th-century Harlem. Even the book’s dedication appears to share a wink between the two authors, as Cloutier points out: “Did you notice that in the dedication McKay wrote ‘From her admired Claude McKay’? I love that; it’s hilarious. That’s like a joke between the two of them. They’re both towering now, especially in retrospect, they’re towering figures of what we call the Harlem Renaissance, which was the New Negro Movement, and both actually kept publishing in the 1930s, even though a lot of people think that the Renaissance kind of just ends with the Depression in 1929. But Langston Hughes, Hurston, McKay, they all continued publishing.”

Claude McKay’s signed first edition copy of “Harlem: Negro Metropolis” with an inscription to Zora Neale Hurston. (Burnside Rare Books photo)

Dance Theatre of Harlem brings joy to City Center, April 10-13

By ZITA ALLEN

Special to the AmNews

Proof that Black joy is alive and well is coming to New York City when the Dance Theatre of Harlem’s (DTH) Spring Season sweeps into City Center Theatre, April 10-13. The company’s spirit of uplift is all over Instagram as DTH’s energetic young dancers zip across our feeds performing exciting leaps, dizzying pirouettes and all manner of impressive steps in captivating snippets of the excitement that’s in store this season.

Yet, it’s unmistakably modern, a bold celebration of the DTH dancers’ ability to transform technical challenges into exhilarating feats of physical mastery. Setting the work on the company is dancer/choreographer

Jodie Gates, of whom Garland said. ‘She is the Forsythe-whisperer. She’s set this work several times for other companies, including the San Francisco Ballet, Northwest and the Paris Opera. She did a great job coaching the DTH dancers in the Forsythe style so, in her we have a trusted person who lives inside the Forsythe world.” During a recent rehearsal the choreographer Forsythe told the dancers, “This work is designed for dancers to enjoy dancing so you can make it something that gives you joy.”

Jodie Gates also has a world premiere work of her own on the DTH program titled “Passage of Being.”

The Company also adds George Balanchine’s “Donizetti Variations” to its repertoire for the first time. While the tone is bright and cheery, the technical demands on the dancers are anything but, showcasing two bravura performers in a master-

DTH dancer Kouadio Davis announces in a voiceover on one of the Instagram video clips, “This 2025 season, I’m looking forward to bigger risks, bigger rewards, more love and more fun onstage. ...I can’t wait. It’s going to be fantastic.” In a recent interview with The Amsterdam News, DTH Artistic Director Robert Garland says the season “kicks off with the very, very exciting company premiere of William Forsythe’s ‘The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude.’” Set to the final movement of Franz Schubert’s Symphony No. 9, this electrifying work pays homage to ballet choreographic geniuses Marius Petipa and George Balanchine with its dazzling partnering and lightning-fast allegro.

class of elegance and endurance. Garland calls Mr. Balanchine his “choreographic hero,” praising the late founder of New York City Ballet who, along with impresario and NYCB co-founder Lincoln Kirstein, played a pivotal role in both Arthur Mitchell’s career as a principal with NYCB and his founding of DTH with the late master teacher and co-founder Karel Shook. Garland says, “DTH would not exist if Mr. Balanchine had not chosen Mr. Mitchell in 1955 to dance with NYCB where he became an international star.” Garland is delighted that George Balanchine’s “Donizetti Variations” has been added to DTH’s repertoire for the first time. It’s a work of complete genius,” he says of the ballet, which is a lively, effervescent series of pieces set to Donizetti’s Don Sebastian opera. “I know Mr. Mitchell wanted it for a very long time but never got around to doing it. The ballet was a favorite dance for NYCB ballerina Violette Verdi whom Mr. Mitchell revered, and it was choreographed on NYCB’s Melissa Hayden so it’s just been wonderful having the work on DTH and it’s such a joy to see the dancers move through the ballet,” Garland says.

Garland waxes poetic when talking about DTH’s current 19-member multiethnic company which includes a wonderful mix of familiar faces, like Lindsay Donnell, Ingrid Silva, and Stephanie Williams as well as dynamic new faces who Garland says are at different levels of newness but are really wonderful and talented.

“I have an intimate group of really motivated and joined-at-the-hip dancers who just blow my mind. I know that we are going to get larger so I’m savoring this moment of having this intimate group that I work with every single day.”

For his second New York City season as DTH’s Artistic Director Garland has managed to do the amazingly demanding job of juggling both the formidable creative and administrative demands of the job of company head thanks, he says, to the indispensable DTH Executive Director Anna Glass. This season he also delivers two works that showcase his own unique choreographic style. Headlining the season is the everpopular “Return,” a soulful, high-octane celebration to the timeless sounds of James

The DTH Company. (Jeff Cravotta photo)

Brown and Aretha Franklin. But that’s just the beginning—this season also marks the New York premiere of Garland’s “The Cookout,” a tribute to joy, drawing inspiration from DTH’s Arthur Mitchell and his reflections on our shared struggles and triumphs and the dignity and passion of Harlem’s legacy. In fact, Garland says, “Joy is what this DTH season is all about.” Not only is that evidenced by the four captivating performances with a dazzling display of artistry that promises to captivate and delight, but on Thursday, April 10, there is also a preshow and post-show DJ and dancing in the Grand Tier Lobby of City Center Theatre. On Friday, April 11, Dance Theatre of Harlem holds a Vision Gala with Ava DuVernay, Gala Chair and Ben Vereen, Honorary Gala Chair With D-Nice and Kenny Burns. The Gala program consists of “The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude” (Company Premiere)— William Forsythe, Excerpts from “Donizetti Variations” (Company Premiere)—George Balanchine, “We Are All Brown” (Excerpt) –Robert Garland Commemorating Brown v. Board of Education With Oration from Janai Nelson, President of the Legal Defense Fund (LDF). Black joy will be on full display and, as Garland says, “We can all use a lot of Joy.” So, this DTH season audiences can expect nothing less than a dazzling display of artistry that promises to captivate and delight. It is a must-see celebration of dance at its

most exhilarating.

As Dance Theatre of Harlem continues to inspire a new generation of classical and contemporary ballet artists and enthusiasts worldwide, the Company remains deeply rooted in the groundbreaking vision of its founder, Arthur Mitchell, more than 56 years later. This spring, DTH will present four captivating performances featuring

an exciting blend of company premieres, a world premiere, a New York premiere, and cherished works, offering audiences a dynamic journey from ballet’s storied past to its vibrant future. Tickets start at $45 (including fees) and are available now at www. nycitycenter.org. New York City Center is located at 131 West 55th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues.

The work of Bill is really prolific. What he did ws took ballet and broke the form in such a luscious way. It included s lot of joy. Will Forsythe telals the dancers who’ve just finished rehearsing a segmtn of his brilliant work created in 19096,in a version tailored to DTH, “This work is designed for dancers to enjoy dncing so you can make it something that gives you joy,.”

Take a Breath

Music and Joy

APRIL 5 AT 2:00PM

In partnership with Northwell Health and Mother AME Zion Church, these FREE music and wellness events offer workshops led by expert facilitators from Northwell Health, enriched with performances by NY Phil musicians and cultural partners.

FREE and open to the public on a first-come, first-seated basis.

Mother AME Zion Church

140 West 137th Street

DTH Company Artists in “Return.” (Jeff Cravotta photo)

DTH’s Carly Greene in “Donizetti Variations.” (Rachel Papo photo)

DTH Company Artists Alexandra Hutchinson and Kouadio Davis. (Nir Arieli photo)

Towanda Braxton marries … Keke Palmer launches ‘Unstoppable’ hair campaign … Jean

Shafiroff supports Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League

Last weekend (on March 22, to be exact), Towanda Braxton married her longtime boyfriend, Sean Hall, in a private ceremony in Decatur, Georgia. According to Ricky Smiley, the newlyweds have been together for nine years. The songstress/ reality star and music producer got engaged last year. Braxton officially changed her last name to Hall. Her sisters Trina and Toni were bridesmaids. However, Tamar did not attend . Black-owned legacy hair care brand Crème of Nature revealed their new Unstoppable Hair advertising campaign with actress/game show host Keke Palmer, the first to feature Keke since she became the product’s chief brand officer. Now live on social channels, linear TV and paid digital media, the ad shows how Creme of Nature’s Argan Oil from Morocco collection — one of Palmer’s favorites — protects hair from heat damage and helps women feel “unstoppable.”.......

Philanthropist, author and television host Jean Shafiroff hosted an elegant luncheon at Cafe Bolud in The Brazilian Court Hotel in Palm Beach, Florida, to honor Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League, one of Florida’s most impactful animal welfare organizations. Shafiroff, a passionate advocate for animal welfare, told her guests, “Peggy Adams is a beacon of hope for animals in need. It is an honor to bring together like-minded individuals who are committed to making a difference in the lives of these innocent creatures.” Shafiroff made a generous donation to the work of the charity on behalf of the attendees at the luncheon..... Empire’s dance artist Kendra Erika released her first song under Empire Distribution partnership, “Dance in The Fire” on March 28. The song was co-written by Kendra Erika, twotime Grammy nominated producer Luigie “LUGO” Gonzalez and 2024 Grammy-winner Will Gittens. Said Erika, “Dance in The Fire” was ignited by the recent inferno events in Southern California. However, the inspiration spreads to other meanings of resilience in the world.......

Broadway’s brightest bring Stevie Wonder’s ‘Songs in the Key of Life’ to life at Symphony Space Apr. 7

Contributed press release

On Monday, April 7, some of Broadway’s brightest talents will grace the stage at the Peter Jay Sharp Theatre at Symphony Space to bring Stevie Wonder’s timeless “Songs In The Key of Life,” to life. The one-night-only event will take the audience through the iconic double album that changed the face of music forever. From the exuberant, horn-blasting “Sir Duke” to the soulful depth of “Isn’t She

Lovely,” Stevie Wonder’s poignant reflections on life are celebrated with dynamic performances and a vibrant fusion of soul, pop, jazz, and joy.

Performers will include Ali Louis Bourzgui (“The Who’s Tommy”), Jenn Colella (“Suffs”), Britney Coleman (“Company”), Nikki Renée Daniels (“Once Upon a Mattress”), Adrianna Hicks (“Some Like It Hot”), Amber Iman (“Lempicka”), Jhardon DiShon Milton (“TinaThe Tina Turner Musical”), Aramie

Payton (“MJ the Musical”), Zachary Noah Piser (“Redwood”), Heath Saunders (“Company”), Rashidra Scott (“Sunset Boulevard”), Antoine L. Smith (“MJ the Musical”), Nathaniel Stampley (“The Lion King”), Gene Taylor (“The Voice”), Adrienne Warren (“Tina - The Tina Turner Musica”), and more! Gala packages and tickets include a pre-show party and VIP concert seating. Concert-only tickets are also available. For more info, visit www.symphonyspace.org.

Keke Palmer (Photo courtesy of Crème of Nature)

(Photos courtesy of Symphony Space)

Nikki Renée Daniels

Amber Iman

Adrienne Warren

Book Review: ‘Racial Innocence’ questions myth that Latinos can’t be racist

By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff

There is a general belief in the United States that Latinos can’t be racist. Both Black and Latino communities have faced decades of discrimination. The Black community — composed of African Americans and others of African descent — confronts race-based discrimination, while Latinos confront ethnic discrimination. The two groups have frequently joined together to fight for civil rights.

Yet, as Fordham University Law Professor Tanya Katerí Hernández points out in her 2022 book, “Racial Innocence: Unmasking Latino Anti-Black Bias and the Struggle for Equality,” there are also conflicts between the two groups that need to be acknowledged.

Since at least the 1960s, Blacks and Latinos have had coalition-building efforts based on all the things we have in common. “In the 1960s, the Young Lords alliance with the Black Panthers provided an example of Chicago African American and Latino communities coming together to pursue programs of direct action to bring their neighborhoods such services as daycare, free breakfasts, and vocational training,” Hernández writes. “Within New York City, the Young Lords Party also participated in Black Power movements and African American civil rights.” Latino voters played a key role in electing Chicago’s first Black mayor, Harold Washington, but the professor pointed out to the AmNews that while coalition-building fosters unity among socalled “people of color,” it can also mask a tendency among some coalition members to marginalize their own.

In her book, Hernández shows that colorism and prejudice are everyday oc -

currences within Latino communities, often paralleling the racism Black Americans face from whites. She cites legal cases where judges and juries have ruled against African Americans and Afro Latinos who brought discrimination cases against Latino employers, landlords, and supervisors.

There was a 2016 case against a Chicago-based nationwide job placement agency where “Latino supervisors trained [their Latino employees] to exclude African American applicants from job placements in favor of Latino applicants. …. because of the stereotype that they were not capable of working as hard as Latinos…”

In California, she writes about Latinos who joined with whites to harass a Black family out of a neighborhood. And the fact that there are Latino street gangs that stalk, beat, and sometimes murder Black people who move into predominantly Latino neighborhoods. “In 2019, seven members of the Los Angeles Hazard Grande (Big Hazard) Latino street gang pled guilty to firebombing the Ramona Gardens public housing complex in East Los Angeles with the specific intent of driving Black residents out of the Boyle Heights neighborhood,” Hernández writes. “The Hazard Grande gang was affiliated with the Mexican Mafia prison gang, which ordered the firebombings as part of their mutual commitment to eradicating Black people from the predominantly-Latino Ramona Gardens complex.”

But even though there are frequent cases of Latino racism, the pervasive myth is that Latinos are incapable of racism and hail from discrimination-free countries. Any animosity between African Americans and Latinos gets blamed on the Black community. There is a “presumption that African Americans harbor resentment and bias against Latinos for ‘leapfrogging’ over them in a competition for jobs and resources,” Hernández writes in “Racial Innocence,” yet a recent survey found that while “Latinos state they have the most in common with white non-Hispanics and the least in common with African Americans. In contrast, African Americans respond that they feel they have more in common with Latinos and the least in common with whites and Asian Americans.”

Hernández explained in an interview that “If a Black person is accused of antiLatino bias, that gets vetted and examined and investigated from our courts as a true aspect of discrimination. My attention in this book is not towards that because what I have found is that a Latino who is accused of anti-Blackness –– that is viewed as an exception to the rule, that is viewed as not being real discrimination. So, my point is not that other kinds of discrimination are not problematic; my point is that the one that I’m examining –– that of Latinos being anti-Black –– is a misunderstood dynamic, and it’s one that in both public discourse

and in our legal system is not treated as a true act of discrimination.”

Hernández reports that her book has received various responses within the Latino community. Some white Latinos are upset about the book and feel that they are being indicted. And there’s been a very strong emotional reaction from other Latinos who see their own experiences in the book. They can identify with the stories about discrimination and feel they are finally gaining visibility. Sometimes, at her book events, it becomes almost like a church, Hernández said, where people come to testify.

“I mean, here’s the thing: when we view anti-Blackness as being, ‘Oh this is only about white Anglo English speakers,’ ––

because they’ve been, so often, part of the problem –– it means that we take our eyes off the ball in which it’s systemic, right? It’s not just about individuals and sort of like what their grandmother told them, or who they prefer for their children to marry, or what have you. It’s about when you are in positions with some discretion and decision-making, what choices are you making? Are they truly based on merit, or are they based on racial dynamics and stereotypes and the like?

“It means that we need to look at that from a systemic perspective, not just that it’s about one individual. So, my focus on the Latinos and Latinidad is for lifting that up.”

Book cover for “Racial Innocence” by Tanya Katerí Hernández (Beacon Press photo)

Fordham University Law Professor Tanya Katerí Hernández (Chris Taggart photo)

Sarah Snook redefines Broadway excellence in her Broadway debut

By LINDA ARMSTRONG Special to the AmNews

Sarah Snook is redefining Broadway excellence as she gives a tour-de-force performance in

“The Picture of Dorian Gray,” playing at the Music Box Theatre on W 45th Street. In 40 years as a theater critic, I have never seen anything so creative, with such excellent use of multimedia — camera shots are happening before your eyes, projected onto huge screens; pre-filmed scenes are incorporated and pre-taped characters are projected on the stage; there are even puppets. Humor and wit abound in this production. Snook is absolutely stupendous as she brilliantly and humorously pulls off playing 26 different characters, each very distinct. “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” based on Oscar Wilde’s story of a young narcissist obsessed with looking young who makes a deal with the devil, has a new adaptation written and directed by Kip Williams. Williams’ vision is immaculately portrayed by Snook.

Snook gives a master class in

acting as she effortlessly transitions between the multiple characters, and she looks like she’s having a grand old time doing it. For two hours, the audience was in awe of this woman’s theatrical gifts. We were held captive by her every word, expression, and gesture. It is incredible to believe what you are about to see. But, believe this, you have never seen anything like this on Broadway. This play is setting a new standard in originality and genius and it gives off an energy that will have you leaving the theater charged and amazed at the theatrical GOLD you have just witnessed. My hat is off to David Bergman for his video design, which plays an enormous role in the splendor of this production. The set and costume design are stunningly done by Marg Horwell. Lighting design is the work of Nick Schlieper and composition and sound design are by Clemence Williams.

If you want a theatrical experience that you will remember for years to come, get tickets to “The Picture of Dorian Gray!” Visit doriangrayplay.com for more info.

Publisher and poet Dr. Haki Madhubuti, Third World Press honored at National Book Critics Circle

By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews

With hundreds of writers, and with a countless number of books to his credit, renowned poet and publisher Dr. Haki Madhubuti was celebrated recently at the 50th anniversary of the National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) Awards Ceremony at the New School. Dr. Madhubuti was saluted, along with author Sandra Cisneros, with Achievement Awards by committee cochair Jacob Appel. Dr. Madhubuti and Third World Press (TWP) were recipients of the Toni Morrison Achievement Award by the NBCC, which was launched in 1974, seven years after TWP was established. TWP is the largest independent Black-owned press in the U.S.

“Third World has played a crucial role in ensuring the publication and continued availability of the works of major Black writers including Gloria Naylor, Amiri

Baraka, Sonia Sanchez, Pearl Cleage, and, most notably, Gwendolyn Brooks,” Appel said. “In addition, the press offered an essential platform both for new voices and for a range of writers who did not initially receive the attention they deserved from major publishers.”

Upon receiving the award, Madhubuti reached into his pocket, pulled out a fifty dollar bill and gave it to Appel. “It’s not for you Jacob, but for the NBCC and its fifty years.” He then recounted the beginning of his writing career, one encouraged by his mother and facilitated by the libraries where he discovered the writings of Richard Wright. “I was sixteen and art saved my life,” he said, before noting that his wife of 55 years, Safisha, accompanied him to the ceremony.

Dr. Madhubuti could not waste an opportunity to comment on the current administration, and

like

plight of the Palestinians, waving a copy of his most recent publication, “For Gaza’s Children.” Then he lashed out at the current president.

“I love my country but I find it difficult to accept the fact that we have a criminal in the White House,” he said. The current president was, to his way of thinking, a Neanderthal, though that may have been an insult to early creatures.

“I want you to help me as I read my poem called ‘Art,’” he said, referring to a work from his book “Liberation Narratives,” asking the audience to repeat that word in a call-and-response pattern.

“Magnify your children’s minds with art,” he said. “Introduce your children to the cultures of the world through art, energize their young feet, spirits and souls with art, keep them curious, political and creative with art…” This went on for several stanzas.

“And finally, and this is consequential, the quality of the art determines the quality of the responses,” he said.

The response from the crowded auditorium was loud and sustained.

Lauren Michele Jackson, who received the Nona Balakian Citation for Excellence in Reviewing, he offered a few words about the

Dr. Haki Madhubuti (Herb Boyd photo)

Sarah Snook in a scene from “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” playing at the Music Box Theatre. (Marc Brenner photo)

Stars come out for ‘Wine in the Wilderness’ opening night

By LINDA ARMSTRONG

Special to the AmNews

There was a great energy in the air as people gathered for the opening of the late Alice Childress play, “Wine in the Wilderness” playing at Classic Stage Company’s Lynn F. Angelson Theater. The play tells the story of an artist named Bill who is working on a painting, a triptych, and needs his last model. Friends bring him Tommy, who seems to be exactly what Bill is looking for. But Bill soon finds out that there is more to her than meets the eye.

The production has a phenomenal cast that includes Grantham Coleman, Olivia Washington, Milton Craig Nealy, Brooks Brantly, and Lakisha Michelle May. Not only is the storyline riveting, set during the Harlem riots of 1964, but the production has the added bonus of

being directed by LaChanze, someone who is very familiar with Childress’ work having starred in her play “Trouble In Mind” on Broadway. This time, LaChanze is involved with this project as the director and she does an exceptional job.

The theater was packed with celebrity supporters. Denzel Washington and Pauletta Washington were there, of course, to support their daughter Olivia, as was her twin brother Malcolm, brother John David and sister Katia. The house was full of thespians we all know and love. From the cast of the Broadway play “Purpose” there was Tony Award winner Kara Young, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Jon Michael Hill, and Glenn Davis. “Purpose” playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins was also in the house, as were filmmaker/director Spike Lee; actress

Denise Burse; playwright, director and producer Charles Randolph-Wright; Tony Award-winner Kecia Lewis from “Hell’s Kitchen”; Tony Award-winner Chuck Cooper; film legend Samuel L. Jackson; playwright/actor Daniel Beaty; and actor Ralph Carter of “Good Times” fame.

Quite a few took the time to speak with the AmNews and share why they were at the opening. Daniel Beaty said, “You know Alice Childress is one of our greatest playwrights and I’m so thrilled that her work is being done. I also absolutely love LaChanze and I’m excited to see her directorial debut in New York.”

Chuck Cooper shared briefly why he had to come out. “In one word: LaChanze and Alice Childress. Two more words.”

Samuel L. Jackson was excited to share, “I’m here in support of Olivia

Washington, we support our Washington kids. We’ve been with them forever and they are a part of our family. It would be, like, just as if my daughter is performing. She is a loving member of our family and one of my wife’s wonderful students.”

Kecia Lewis was glad to share, “I am here to support to very old, dear friends of mine, LaChanze, who I have known since we both started in the business in the ‘80s and Milton Craig Nealy, who I did my first show with in ‘80s and I love Alice Childress. I love everything and anything that she has written and I am here to witness this beautiful New York debut of this piece.”

And beautiful it was. If you want to see a play that will lift your spirits take a creative sip of “Wine in the Wilderness.” For tickets visit www.classicstage.org.

Broadway star Chuck Cooper came to lend his support. Kecia Lewis, Tony Award winner for “Hell’s Kitchen”. Movie legend Samuel L. Jackson. (Linda Armstrong photos)

Seun Kuti, Sun Ra, Dizzy’s

Fela Kuti is renowned as the innovator of Afrobeat, a creative blend of his native West African music, James Brown funk, and big horn jazz rhythms that were meant for more than just jump up dance and shout (although he did once state “”f music doesn’t make you move it’s not shit.” But more important to him, his music was an anthem, a call for equal justice, political truths and social awareness, and freedom for the people! He could very well have been recognized as the Malcolm X / Amiri Baraka of West Africa from a political and music platform.

At the Blue Note (131 West 3rd Street), April 3-6, the tradition of Fela continues the hardcore socially conscious truth in the swing of Afrobeat with Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 with two shows each night at 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.

His most recent album with Egypt 80 released last year, “Heavier Yet (Lays The Crownless Head),” on the independent Milan label (Record Kicks) showcases his evolution as an artist and activist. Executive produced by legendary musician Lenny Kravitz and Fela Kuti’s original engineer Sodi Marciszewer (artistic producer) and featuring special guests Damian Marley and Sampa The Great.

Seun’s global reputation has led to collaborations with The Roots MC and frontman Black Thought in the EP “African Dreams,” Janelle Monae’s “The Age of Pleasure” album with the two singles “Float” and “Knows Better”; teamed up with Talib Kweli and Madlib for their album “Liberation 2” on the song “Nat Turner” featuring Cassper Nyovest and released a new version of the single “Bad Man Lighter” with Black Thought, featuring Vic Mensa (Chicago rapper and activist). For reservations visit bluenotenyc.com.

The musician, composer, philosopher, and poet Sun Ra is often described as eccentric but essen-

Seun Kuti, Nigerian singer and songwriter, and the youngest son of Fela, has spent most of his life preserving and extending his father’s political and musical legacy as the leader of his father’s former band Egypt 80 since 1997. As a developing saxophonist and percussionist, he entered the formal ranks of the band before he was 12.

tially it was his out-of-the-realm inventiveness that ignited his innovative big band theories and encompassed his riveting keyboard solos with 12-20 musicians on stage leading audiences through a galaxy of electronic excursions, poetic songs, alluring chants, dancers and intense percussion pieces, and mesmerizing

chants. His music was a mosaic of avant-gardism, swing, bebop, fusion and all that loomed in his imagination.

From the 1950s until his transition in 1993, Sun Ra transformed the big band sound into an intergalactic dimension, a form of modernism that captured the sound of big bands past and his bold interpretation of planet earth and its relationship to the African Diaspora, science and technology which were the early growing blacks seeds of Afrofuturism. Sun Ra’s work has influenced everyone from Jackie McLean and Lester Bowie to William Parker, Oliver Lake, and Craig Harris.

As the month of April celebrates International Jazz Month, Brooklyn’s Sistas’ Place will also pay tribute to the music of Sun Ra with “Satellites of the Sun-Music of Sun Ra.” The celebration on consecutive Saturdays begins on April 5 with trombonist and composer Dick Griffin, who will be joined by pianist Alex Marcelo, bassist Saadi Zain, and drummer Malik Washington. April 12 features trumpeter Robert Rutledge/ drummer George Gray Quintet with bassist Alex Blake, pianist Sharp Radway, and saxophonist Eric Person. April 19 will be “Rays of Sun” and closes out on April 26 with Ahmed Abdullah’s “Diaspora (Dispersions of the Spirit of Ra).”

“The Sun Ra Festival at Sista’s Place affirms that Sun Ra is valued, appreciated, and legible today. Sun Ra remains pertinent — well beyond the music. This is something that we’ve explored in the ‘Sun Ra Course’ at the New Art School Modality and the Festival reminds us of his extraordinary vision and force,” said Romi Crawford, director of the Chicagobased NAS Modality.

All the musicians performing are former members of the Sun Ra Arkestra under the direction of Sun Ra or Marshall Allen, who became leader following Sun Ra’s death and continues to lead the Arkestra in various configurations. “Marshall was the first person I called for this great tribute to Sun Ra but, unfortunately, he had another gig,” said Abdullah. “He is still constantly performing at the age of 101.”

For a complete listing visit sistasplace.org. For reservations call 718-398-1766. Two shows at 8 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Located at 456 Nostrand Avenue in Brooklyn.

For over five decades, the bril-

liant drummer Roger Humphries served as a first call drummer for A-list musicians like Lee Morgan, Bill Doggett, Shirley Scott, Stanley Turrentine, Joe Williams, Hubert Laws, and Dwayne Dolphin. He is perhaps best known for his stint with Horace Silver playing on three of his most significant Blue Note studio albums, “Song for My father” (1964), “Cape Verdean Blues” (1965), and “The Jody Grind” (1966). Most recently, Humphries was one of 20 awardees of the Mellon Foundation Jazz Legacies Fellowship. At age 81, Humphries was honored as a “Jazz phenom who committed his career to nurturing his hometown scene of Pittsburg, PA.”

The Pittsburgh native, who hasn’t made an appearance in the Big Apple in some time, arrives on April 8 for his debut at Dizzy’s (60th street/Broadway) as part of “Dizzy’s Hometown Heroes: Celebrating Roger Humphries.” He will be joined by a generation of younger musicians that will include trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, alto saxophonist Patrick Bartley, pianist Miki Yamanaka, bassist Rus-

sell Hall and MD Joe Saylor, with two shows at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.

“Looking forward to playing at Dizzy’s, this is my first time so it’s really special. Joey Saylor is the one that made this happen, you know he’s from Pittsburgh but he was also one of my students and he recommended me for this gig so I’m blessed,” said Humphries during our phone conversation. “I don’t really know the band but we will have one day of rehearsal and I’ve spoken to Joey about what we are going to do. I don’t want to give the whole thing away but we will play some Horace Silver and other tunes.”

Humphries led his own band in the early 1970s, R.H. Factor, and led ensembles under other names into the 1990s. He released albums under his own name in 1993, 2003, and 2011.

“Pittsburgh is still a happening town so I have my own band and still play with other groups and I have a few festivals coming up,” noted Humphries with a chuckle.

“Music is my life and I’m still playing, thank God.” For reservations visit jazz.org.

Seun Kuti (Jamila K. Grote photo)

(Eliot Bernard photo)

Program cuts

Continued from page 2

North Carolina, Montana, Utah, Arkansas, Indiana, and Arizona, were won by Trump in the 2024 presidential election.

In New York City, congressional districts in the Bronx, Harlem, and Brooklyn have high percentages of Medicaid/CHIP enrollees.

Another major program that is at risk of getting about $230 billion slashed in budget funding is the SNAP food benefits program, a lifeline for most households during the COVID-19 crisis and the rise of inflated food prices. Jeffries joined a House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee hearing on March 25 to discuss the implications of the cuts.

“Approximately 42 million Americans could go hungry, including nearly 17 million children, 5 million seniors, and over a million veterans,” said Jeffries at the conference.

2030 Census

Continued from page 2

the Brennan Center for Justice. Meanwhile, southern states like Texas, Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina are booming. Texas could gain four seats and Florida three seats in the next reapportionment. The South would become the country’s most populous region, meaning there’d be a solid shift in the regional balance of power, said the Brennan Center. The biggest challenges Census takers face today are the rapidly changing uses of technology that make it difficult to predict how people will interface with the Census, distrust in government, declining response rates, increasingly diverse populations which require more tailored questions, complex living arrangements, and highly

Minority-Owned

Continued from page 3

was no longer a factor.

Kayla Mamelak Altus, a spokesperson for Mayor Eric Adams, disputes Lander’s calculations and said Local Law 83 of 2021 sets a goal for ECM advertising rather than a requirement. The Adams administration also denied boosting numbers with larger media companies like NY1 and said they only made up around 2% of ECM compliance.

“While Local Law 83 does not require the city to allocate half of our advertising budget to ethnic and community media outlets, the Adams administration does exactly that,” said Mamelak Altus in her statement. “In fact, in Fiscal Year 2024, 51 percent of our advertising budget was spent on ethnic and community media — a percentage that has grown every year since we took office.

“The Adams administration has also increased access for our ethnic and community media partners to the Mayor’s Office through weekly roundtables and interviews, as well as providing them with seats in City Hall’s Room

“This reckless Republican budget scheme will hurt vulnerable families and decimate farm country. It will hurt food processors, manufacturers, and Mom and Pop grocery stores who provide critical support to urban and rural communities.”

Seeberger added that the massive cuts to Medicaid and SNAP could result in the loss of over 1 million jobs nationwide.

“Extending these tax breaks without paying for them would actually increase the debt by $37 trillion over the course in the next 30 years. That’s more than doubling the national debt and doing so would cause inflation to shoot up,” said Seeberger about the long term effects, “meaning that not only our prices are going to go up but the cost of borrowing would increase. That means consumers would pay more for a mortgage, credit cards, student loan, car loans, all of that. It has to be said that who has to borrow money in order to go to school, or buy a car, or buy a home?

mobile citizens, said the U.S Census Bureau. Jeff Wice, Distinguished Adjunct Professor/Senior Fellow at New York Law School, advised that education and outreach to residents from trusted sources in “hard to count communities” that historically have the lowest census response rates is crucial to make sure that the state as a “whole is not shortchanged” and has “fair representation.”

The state’s population has grown since 2020’s losses, mostly because of the influx of migrants and asylum seekers over the last two or three years. The Census does usually count residents and non-citizens, but Wice warned that there will likely be a question about citizenship on the 2030 Census.

The Supreme Court ruled that the citizenship question, “Is this person a citizen of the United States?,” was constitutional in 2019 but blocked it from appearing on

9, which was previously reserved for legacy media outlets.”

Whether Local Law 83 of 2021 serves as a mandate or merely a suggestion is vague based on the legislative language, which proclaims “each mayoral agency shall seek to direct at least 50 percent of its total spending on advertising to ethnic and community media outlets, provided that a mayoral agency may apply to the executive director for an annual waiver of this goal.”

While the Adams administration questioned Lander’s calculations, the analysis actually credited the city with more ECM funding than the MOECM findings. Lander’s letter stems from using two datasets publicly available on the city’s Open Data website: “Local Law 83 - City Agency Advertising Spend” and “Citywide Marketing Directory”.

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

It’s not the wealthiest people in this country.”

Separately, businessman Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has set its sights on gutting the Social Security Administration (SSA). The agency announced plans to cut 7,000 staff, limit phone support for seniors and force them to visit an SSA office in person, and shutter SSA offices across the country–including two in New York.

“Social Security is a promise, not a political bargaining chip. The Trump Administration’s reckless efforts to undermine this vital program will have devastating consequences for millions of New Yorkers,” said US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand in a statement. “I urge the Trump Administration to safeguard this necessary lifeline and ensure Americans have access to services they rightfully deserve.”

Congressmember Adriano Espaillat said that “food stamps” and Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) systems are vital tools in the fight against hunger and food insecurity in

the 2020 Census. Wice said that the Trump administration didn’t follow the rules properly during the first term to get it included, and have learned from that experience.

“With the citizenship question and looking at the headlines everyday when we see people being picked up on the streets over immigration issues and their status,” said Wice in an interview with Capitol Pressroom. “We have a major challenge ahead. Why would somebody here in 2030 want to respond to a federal government form after

his district, but also throughout the state and nation. “These programs ensure millions of individuals and families can access nutritious food, while EBT provides a secure, efficient, and dignified way to access benefits. Beyond feeding families, SNAP has strengthened local economies by supporting grocery stores, farmers’ markets, and food retailers, and every dollar spent has generated economic growth,” said Espaillat in a statement.

The Senate is set to vote on the House Budget resolution this week. It needs a simple majority (50 votes) to pass and be adopted. There are currently 53 Republicans and 47 Democrats in the Senate.

Senator Cory Booker decided to peacefully demonstrate his ire with Trump’s cuts to social programs in his record breaking speech on the Senate floor on April 1, which lasted 25 hours and 4 minutes. He made reference to the late Civil Rights icon Congressmember John Lewis’ love of making “good trouble.”

four years of Donald Trump in office scaring the heck out of them.”

Furthermore, Director of the U.S. Census Bureau Robert Santos recently resigned, giving President Donald Trump more leeway to choose who heads the agency.

Councilmember Julie Menin, who served as the director of NYC Census 2020 and as executive assistant corporation counsel at the NYC Law Department, is also coordinating legislation at the city level to establish a Census office.

Louise (Norton) Langdon Little, Malcolm X’s mother and Garveyite CLASSROOM IN THE

By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews

At the very beginning of this column a generation ago, Louise Little was one of my early profiles, and based on the circumstances of her lineage, she has been often invoked since. We do it again here as the centennial birth of her famous son arrives in May and as Dr. Ron Daniels, president of the Institute of the Black World 21st Century assembles a delegation to travel to Grenada, the birthplace of Malcolm’s mother.

This is also an occasion to correct some of the facts first attributed here and elsewhere. According to Find A Grave, a fairly reliable website, Louise was born Norton and raised by the Langdons and her grandparents. The site mistakenly lists her death as 1889 — she died December 1989 on various listed days in Lilley Township, Newaygo, Michigan at 95 — though most of the information is accurate, including that she was cremated. There are still some issues about whether her ashes were scattered in Woodland Park, Michigan, located near Grand Rapids and Lansing, or returned to Brown Funeral Home at the Rest Lawn Memorial Park.

No matter where her remains are, Louise’s legacy is formidable and needs to be rescued from obscurity and shared alongside the contributions of her predecessors and children. As we reported on the death of her granddaughter, Malikah, in 2021, Louise Langdon was born Nov. 4, 1894. (The Norton often affixed to her name came as a result of mother, Ella, being raped). During an interview with Keisha Blain of Black Perspectives, Prof. Erik McDuffie detailed some of Louise’s early years: “The progenitors of the Langdon family, Jupiter Langdon and Mary Jane Langdon both came from West Africa, ap-

parently from modern-day Nigeria. They were so-called ‘liberated Africans’ who arrived in Grenada probably in the mid-19th century.

Jupiter Langdon became a successful carpenter and landholder. Mary Jane Langdon was a devout wife and mother, raised her children, and worked as a domestic. Descendants of Mary Jane and Jupiter Langdon still own the land where Jupiter Langdon is buried. I had the privilege to visit this grave. It was incredibly moving. It’s on the side of a hill outside the town of La Digue on the eastern side of the island. The grave faces the Atlantic Ocean which is so telling that both Jupiter and Mary Jane came from Africa and represents the roots and route of this family.” McDuffie traveled extensively to gather pri-

mary sources including to Grenada.

The first mention of Louise in Malcolm’s autobiography notes that she was 28 when he was born and that “she looked like a white woman.” Her father was white, Malcolm continued, and she had straight black hair, but her accent “didn’t sound like a Negro’s.” Other than indicating he got his “mariny” complexion from her, that was the extent of his mother’s early years in his book. McDuffie deftly expands on Louise’s formative development, writing that she spoke multiple languages — English, French and Patois. “She taught her children the French alphabet,” he added, “and she insisted that her children read newspapers such as The Negro World, the official periodical of the UNIA, and

with a tremendous burden, to say nothing of an incipient mental depression. Malcolm wrote that his mother seemed to always be working, cooking, washing, ironing, cleaning, and fussing over the children. Soon, he related, things began to go downhill, despite the welfare checks. “The physical downhill wasn’t as quick as the psychological,” he said.

“My mother was, above everything else, a proud woman, and it took its toll on her that she was accepting charity. And her feelings were communicated to us.”

Malcolm said he recalled people referring to his mother as “crazy.” It was a term he heard in reference to her not eating pork. They didn’t seem to understand that the family had never eaten pork because they were Seventh Day Adventist, and that would certainly make it easy for Malcolm to accept that dietary restriction once he became a member of the Nation of Islam.

ACTIVITIES

FIND OUT MORE

Professor Keisha Blain’s interview with Erik McDuffie is a good place to start and from there several census records and medical reports.

DISCUSSION

Louise’s actual death and what happened to her remains is a question we raised, along with her birth records.

PLACE IN CONTEXT

Although more than half her life was spent in an institution, she nonetheless made a significant contribution during her years as a mother and activist in the Garvey movement.

newspapers from Grenada.” Before she began having one child after another — eight in total, seven by Earl — she was as active in the Garvey movement as her husband, perhaps even more so given her linguistic and literary capabilities. At one time, she was reported to be the secretary of the Omaha branch where her husband was the leader. She was introduced to Garveyism by her uncle, Edgerton Langdon, and became a member in good standing, even editing the publication and helping with distribution. The couple married in Montreal, where they had met during a political meeting, moved to Philadelphia, and then on to Omaha in 1921 — where Malcolm was born four years later. With the death of her husband in 1931, Louise was saddled

“Eventually my mother suffered a complete breakdown,” Malcolm wrote, “and the court orders were finally signed. They took her to the State Mental Hospital in Kalamazoo.” She would remain in this hospital for 26 years until 1963 when they got her out and she began living with her son, Philbert. There came a time when she failed to recognize her children, and Malcolm saw her for the last time in 1952. He confessed in his autobiography that he had never said that much about his mother, though he dearly loved her and blamed the state for destroying her and her family.

Besides Malcolm X, several of her other children led successful lives, especially her youngest son, Robert, who was the deputy director of the Office of Youth Services in the Michigan Department of Social Services. He died on Nov. 23, 1999, ten years after his mother’s death in December 1989.

THIS WEEK IN BLACK HISTORY

March 31, 1878: Boxing immortal Jack Johnson was born in Galveston, TX. He died in 1946.

Apr. 1, 1949: Musician/ poet Gil Scott-Heron was born in Chicago. He died in 2011.

Apr. 3, 1961: Actor/comedian Eddie Murphy was born in Brooklyn, NY.

Louise Langdon Little

Continued from page 9

Project and presented to representatives from CAMBA, Inc., a non-profit agency in New York that provides support services to help individuals and families establish their economic stability, and

to thrive physically, educationally, and emotionally. Detergent, dryer sheets, fabric softener, and laundry bags were among the items donated.

After attending an uplifting Public Meeting and contributing to the service project, it was time for an “Old School / Hip-Hop / R&B After Party,” featuring celebrity DJ D-Nice.

LIVING SURE FOCUSED, FEARLESS &

TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR SEXUAL HEALTH PrEP PREVENTS HIV AMONG WOMEN.

PrEP is safe and effective medicine for all – including women – that prevents HIV, available as either a daily pill or regularly scheduled injections. You can use PrEP if you are pregnant or taking any form of birth control or hormone therapy. PrEP is covered by most insurance providers and financial assistance is available for those without insurance.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, visit nyc.gov/health/PrEP or talk to your health care provider.

Pictured left to right: AKA International President & CEO Danette Anthony Reed; Arnitra Duckett, President of a DC Chapter, who was one of the honorees; North Atlantic Regional Director Elicia Pegues Spearman, Esq. (Photos courtesy of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. North Atlantic Region)

Sunny Hostin, Esq., an Emmy-award winning journalist, co-host of ABC-TV’s “The View,” bestselling author, and member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., was the mistress of ceremonies for the public meeting.

Presiding over the conference was AKA’s North Atlantic Regional Director Elicia Pegues Spearman, who is also CEO of Girl Scouts of Connecticut.

Health

Protecting future generations: The essential role of HPV vaccination in cancer prevention

By SRI PRANITA CHERUKURI & CAROL MULUMBA

Special to the AmNews

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Human Papillomavirus (HPV), one of the most prevalent sexually transmitted infections, is the cause of nearly 36,000 cancer cases each year in the United States. With cancers associated with HPV impacting areas including the cervix, throat, and anus, the virus presents a significant public health issue. Nevertheless, an effective solution is available: the HPV vaccine, which serves as a highly efficient means of preventing these cancers.

The HPV vaccine provides protection against the virus strains that are most likely to lead to cancer. It is delivered in a series of doses and is most effective when given prior to any exposure to the virus, which usually occurs through sexual activity. The CDC advises vaccinating children at the age of 11 or 12 years.

While the HPV vaccination offers significant benefits, it’s important to address some common misconceptions. Some parents express concerns that vaccinating their children against a sexually transmitted infection could encourage early sexual activity. Ben Kahn, a PhD student on Health Behavior at UNC, Chapel Hill, states, “I think for some people there is a misplaced association of HPV with sex and beginning of sexual activity for children and teens.”

However, research indicates that there is no relationship between HPV vaccination and increased sexual behavior. Understanding the facts can help parents make informed choices about their children’s health.

Another common misconception is that the vaccine is only for females. “The HPV virus itself is very common,” Dr. Celia Quinn, Deputy Commissioner for the Division of Disease Control in the New York City Department of Health, noted. “Recent data suggests that over 40 million people in the US have an HPV infection. And a lot of those, about half, are in teens and young adults,” Dr. Quinn added. The vaccine protects against genital warts and cancers in both males and females.

In New York City, many underserved communities, especially low-income Black and Hispanic populations, face significant challenges when it comes to HPV-related cancers. Dr. Quinn highlighted how “there are disparities and we can look at it by neighborhood.” She continues, “The way that we know about vaccine uptake is because in New York City, vaccines administered to anyone under 18 are required to be reported into our citywide immunization registry. So this is how we have a complete understanding of who is being vaccinated.”

A study published in the JAMA Network (Journal of the American Medical Association), noted that women living in the lowest socioeconomic status neighborhoods were 73% more likely to develop cervical cancer than those in the highest socioeconomic status neighborhoods. This disparity is influenced by several factors, including vaccine hesitancy, limited access to healthcare, and a deep-rooted mistrust of the medical system that has developed over time. It’s important that we acknowledge these issues and work together to address them for the sake of our communities.

Kahn further comments on the causes of poor vaccine uptake, “Access to care, I think that’s something that’s worth thinking about, because it might be something deeper and more systematic than just the HPV vaccine.”

Racial disparities, misinformation, and structural barriers also hinder vaccination efforts.

To address these issues, healthcare providers must foster trust with patients and families.

“We know that a provider recommendation directly to children and their families is the best way to increase uptake and acceptance of this vaccine and other vaccines,” Dr. Quinn emphasizes. “A lot of our work is with providers, helping them to encourage vaccination, helping them learn strategies to discuss the benefits of the vaccine with parents, and recommending vaccination at every opportunity starting at age nine.”

New York City offers resources to make the HPV vaccine accessible to all. The federal Vaccines for Children Program provides free vaccines to eligible children. Additionally, Merck’s Vaccine Patient Assistance Program offers free doses of Gardasil, the only available HPV Vaccine in the U.S, for individuals aged 19–45 who meet specific income and insurance criteria.

For healthcare providers, the city’s immunization registry ensures accurate tracking of vaccine coverage. Providers are encouraged to discuss the vaccine with families at every opportunity, emphasizing its role in cancer prevention. Mr. Kahn suggests “if you have a vaccine drive, or if you have weekend hours, or if you have nurse only visits, things that might make getting a vaccine easier for a parent or for, you know, a family when they come in… that can go a really long way towards driving uptake for HPV vaccine or for other vaccines”.

Public health campaigns are also vital in raising awareness. By educating parents and communities about the safety, efficacy, and

importance of the HPV vaccine, New York City aims to close gaps in coverage and protect future generations. The HPV vaccine represents a public health success story, reducing HPV infections, genital warts, and cervical cancer rates significantly since its introduction. Yet, much work remains to ensure equitable access and uptake.

Dr. Quinn concludes, “It’s a really effective vaccine at preventing the types of the HPV virus that are likely to cause cancer. We definitely have a long way to go to meet our goals in terms of… achieving that.” For more information on the HPV vaccine and local resources, visit NYC Health’s HPV webpage or consult with your healthcare provider.

Laboratory monkey, a participant in the developmental work on the new attenuated rubella HPV-77 virus strain at NIH, is inspected by Drs. Harry M. Meyer, Jr. (left) and Paul D. Parkman (right), assisted by Rudyard Wallace, technician (center). (National Institutes of Health photo)

(melvil photo via Wikimedia)

DEI

Continued from page 4

feel when speaking out as diversity, equity and inclusion services face cuts, endangering the legacy of Black veterans.

The armed forces have long grappled with issues of equality, recognition and representation for Black service members. The Tuskegee Airmen and the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, two distinguished groups of Black soldiers who fought valiantly in World War II, still faced racism despite their exceptional service.

Sergeant Felix Maurice Carswell, a member of the 82nd Airborne Division’s Recon First, 504th Headquarters Company at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, said he endured discrimination during his military service from 1973 to 1983. While having a leading position from age 18, Carswell recalls times when members of his platoon tested his authority. He said he faced challenges while commanding older, white men, especially soldiers whom he claims identified as proud members of the Klan.

“Out of 32 men in the platoon, there were three men of color.

Those not of color would place their sheets on and play KKK games in the field,” said Carswell, a 66-year-old New Jersey resident. “This was commonplace, it happened a lot.”

Carswell stands “totally against” Hegseth’s plan for identity months, firmly believing Black people serve as the cornerstone of the military’s success. Rather than feeling defeated, he prides himself on sharing words of wisdom and encouragement to young Black soldiers to gather as one.

“Still fight for your country, but protest,” said Carswell. “But when you protest, protest as a team.”

In 1926, Carter G. Woodson launched Negro History Week, later known as Black History Month. After the American Historical Association — which overlooked Black history — prohibited him from attending conferences despite his paid dues, the historian made it his mission to create a separate institutional structure. He sought to highlight the achievements of African Americans.

A descendant of Woodson and a Black female combat veteran stresses the significance of knowing and discussing Black history, especially in a time of heightened

scrutiny — choosing to remain anonymous to protect her current position. She grew up with a mother who proudly wore an afro, adorned with a red, black and greenfisted hair pick while protesting in the streets of the Bronx. Every Sunday, their family sat in the living room, staying up past curfew to watch “Roots.” As a mother, she prioritized teaching her children the value of Black love and pride.

“Being a Woodson has brought a different sense of wealth of knowledge,” she said.

In response to Hegseth’s decision to cancel identity month celebrations, she passionately urged Black veterans and active-duty members to read books on Black history and engage in community gatherings to foster solidarity. Her mission centers on educating all generations about the significance of understanding the past, uniting in the present and safeguarding the future legacy of Black people in the military.

“This is something that we have to embrace. We have to honor our history,” she said. “We can’t allow anyone to erase us, erase our accomplishments, erase our triumphs, everything.”

Reparations

Continued from page 4

“Typically, we’ve done three to four hours of testimony. When we went to Albany, there were individuals who had artifacts –– they had evidence; they had stories. They had facts to demonstrate the harm. But our educators also come with facts so, whether it’s talking about redlining or urban renewal projects that have certainly harmed our communities, we have the data to demonstrate that. People can just come with their stories, their lived experience, and if they can, their facts. If they have that, we’ll copy it; we’ll take pictures of it. But also, if you can’t come, we want community members to go to our website, ny.gov/reparations, and they can submit their testimony either by telephone or by email, or they can call and verbally leave their testimony. All of that will form part of the data that we will use to perform this study.”

The CCRR hearings are designed to allow the public a chance to testify, but they also provide education for those attending. At the Bronx hearing that’s coming up, there will be discussions about the Great Migration and the lasting effects of post-

Reconstruction harms that residents of the Bronx can still point to. Fordham University Professor of African American Studies Dr. Mark Naison and Lehman College Professor Susan Watson Turner will be in attendance to talk about the once-notorious Bronx slave market and the impact ––in terms of lasting systemic harm ––it still has on the community today. Those who want to speak at the Bronx hearing are encouraged to sign up in advance. If you are unable to sign up online, you can still come to the meeting and sign up in person. The hearings are designed to keep the public informed about New York state’s reparations for slavery work and allow the voices of community members to be heard.

Following the meeting in the Bronx, the next CCRR public hearing will take place at the Recital Hall in Long Island’s Old Westbury on May 6th.

Those who want to speak at the CCRR public hearing are encouraged to register, but even if not registered the hearing will try to schedule a time for you to talk. You can also leave testimony for the CCRR by phone at 518-473-3997, or you can fill out the contact form or send an email to ReparationsCommission@reparations.ny.gov.

Religion & Spirituality

In these holy days

In these Holy Days of Lent, Ramadan, and with Passover coming soon, my mind and heart are troubled by how much violence happens in the name of God.

It is not a new phenomenon that in the name of God, horrors have happened. The Crusades were wars fought to convert the “infidels”; during the Inquisition, folks were tortured in the name of keeping Catholicism pure; smart, strong women were hunted and killed as “witches” both in Europe and in colonial Massachusetts. Africans were enslaved; Indigenous were slaughtered; land was stolen; theologies of Apartheid were created in South Africa and Jim Crow in the U.S.. Blacks were lynched and Jews were exterminated in the name of God. Queer and Trans people are banished and tortured in the name of God. Lies, deception, broken hearts, poverty, capitalism run amok, environmental raping and pillaging, all happen in the name of God.

In the name of God. Which God? Whose God? Does God want the death and destruction of people and the planet? Honestly, we don’t fully know who God is. God is a mystery that we can’t quite comprehend. Is there a God at all? I think so. I believe so. But to be honest, much of what many people call “god” is made up from the worst of our thoughts, fears, and projections. In other words, though some Holy texts say God creates humans in God’s image, humans also create god in ours.

Too often that made-up god is a bully, hates all the people we hate and will smite our enemies. That made-up god is on the side of the rich and powerful; the poor and disenfranchised be damned. In fact, that made-up god wants us to believe that the tragedies of poverty and sickness are the fault of the poor and sick.

I do not believe in that capitalist, fascist, xenophobic, white male god. I’m with Shug Avery in Alex Walker’s “The Color Purple.” We need to get that god off our eyeballs so we can see who God really is and discover what God really desires for us and the creation.

I preached a sermon last Sunday about

the God I know, God who is Love. 1 John says this; I am not making it up. God is Love, and those who live in Love live in God and God lives in them. God is Love, and when we Love, we live in God and God lives in us. God is our dwelling place, our tabernacle and we are God’s dwelling place and tabernacle when we love.

When we love, when we really and truly love ourselves and our neighbors, we are love shacks, baby.

God is love, and God’s promises to us include peace, well-being, and an everlasting love. To imagine God as our faithful lover, to imagine God as Love is to shape our hearts to love each other. To imagine God as a hate monger is to give ourselves permission to hate. To imagine God as violence almost demands violence from us.

Jonathan Capehart and his producer, Michelle Cumbo, have been so generous to me over the years. Jonathan and I had a very frank conversation on politics, religion and Trump two years ago during Lent. Click the link, and tell me what you think.

What do you see when you hear the word, “God”? What image comes to you? A menacing force that lies, cheats and despises everyone who is not white, straight and rich? A mean daddy who will protect you and yours while destroying everyone else? Do you see a brown Jewish rabbi from Palestine preaching love, and healing the world? Do you see a gentle, powerful feminine spirit — Sophia — whose wisdom and breath cause peace and wellness? What do you see? Be aware of what you see.

Look closely at what you see.

What you see matters. What you say matters. How we love matters.

Let’s do better. In the name of God. In the name of Love.

Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis is senior minister and public theologian at Middle Church in New York. Celebrated internationally for her dynamic preaching and commitment to justice, she champions racial equality, economic justice and LGBTQIA+/gender rights. Featured on MSNBC, PBS, NBC, CBS and NPR, she is the author of several books, including “Fierce Love” and the “Just Love Story Bible.” Countless individuals and communities have been inspired by Lewis’ transformative work on her podcast, “Love Period”; in columns and articles; and on stages, in churches, on the street and in digital spaces around the globe.

Continued from page 5

Continued from page 5

as he served on the board that selected Anderson for the award.

Resources at the YMCA that Anderson said he has utilized include the Teen Center, Leader’s Club, and Rowe’s Scholars, a college readiness program for students throughout the city.

Anderson is also active in My Brother’s Keeper — an initiative launched by former President Barack Obama in 2014 — which serves as a professional development and support space for young males of color. Anderson is now a fellow, the highest rank in the program. In this setting, the young men create space to speak openly about issues in their community, while also offering mental health support resources and participating in community service projects.

As part of the bai initiative, Anderson and other teens participated in an HBCU college tour across the country. Closer to making a decision, some of his top choices are SUNY Binghamton and Albany, where he said he is looking to continue leadership on campus.

A career in mechanical engineering is not the only path Anderson sees as he’s looking to become entrepreneur, owning a business and getting involved in real estate properties across New York. Like other graduates from the YMCA and bai over the years, he plans to remain connected with the program going forward.

“I don’t think there will ever be a time in my life that I will forget the YMCA, that I wouldn’t come back to visit because at the end of the day, they have granted me the opportunity and a blessing for being a youth achiever and for giving me a place that I can call home,” he added.

Black New Yorker

Maurice Anderson being awarded the Carrie Terrell Award by the chair of the Harlem YMCA board of managers, Teneka Robinson during the Harlem YMCA bai Achievers in Industry gala in the Marriott Marquis. March, 13, 2025. (Harlem YMCA)

Continued from page 3

car and killed somebody.”

More than 30 elected officials also back the Feliz family’s call for Rivera’s termination, including mayoral candidates Jessica Ramos and Zohran Mamdani.

“We’re told the police are always seeking to improve community relations,” said Ramos on March 6. “Well this is where it matters most. This is where we see that no one is above the law. Not any New Yorker, not even a police officer.”

“This is the most basic form of justice,” added Mamdani. “That a police officer, that has been found by a judge to have violated the NYPD’s policies by murdering a New Yorker during a traffic stop, lose their job.”

Whether or not Tisch terminates Rivera will set the tone for how she approaches police accountability in her tenure.

Mayor Eric Adams appointed her last November following the exit of her predecessor Edward Caban, who reportedly buried numerous disciplinary cases stemming from substantiated CCRB investigations.

Tisch fashioned herself as a reformer over her first few months as commissioner through tackling excessive overtime and shaking up leadership. She notably relieved the previous Chief of Internal Affairs of duty in December and pushed out Jeffrey Maddrey, a prominent police chief

whose substantiated CCRB case was dismissed by Caban.

The decision could also bolster public trust in the CCRB, the main channel for victims of police misconduct to pursue accountability. However, the agency lacks the direct power to discipline officers. Instead, the CCRB relies on the police to police the police with Maldonado, an NYPD official, overseeing the internal trials and the commissioner making the final call.

“It’s a sign of the tenacity and the confidence of the CCRB, admittedly operating with a limited authority,” said Case, who previously worked for the agency.

“They can’t actually force this to happen, but they did their role as well as it can be done. And it’s a sign that there should be faith in the CCRB. And if the commissioner wants to have faith in the CCRB and wants people to believe in the CCRB process, then she should act on the Maldonado recommendation and fire Lt. Rivera.” Those interested in learning more can follow the issue at justicecommittee.org/ allan-feliz

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

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Supplemental Summons and Notice of Object of Action Supreme Court Of The State Of New York County Of New York ACTION TO FORECLOSE A MORTGAGE Index #: 850267/2024 U.S. Bank National Association, Not In Its Individual Capacity But Soley As Trustee For The RMTP Trust, Series 2019-C Plaintiff, vs Carlin C. West AKA Carlyne West, AKA Carlyne C. West, Tony Zamora As Heir To The Estate Of Steven James Zamora If Living, And If He/She Be Dead, Any And All Persons Unknown To Plaintiff, Claiming, Or Who May Claim To Have An Interest In, Or General Or Specific Lien Upon The Real Property Described In This Action; Such Unknown Persons Being Herein Generally Described And Intended To Be Included In Wife, Widow, Husband, Widower, Heirs At Law, Next Of Kin, Descendants, Executors, Administrators, Devisees, Legatees, Creditors, Trustees, Committees, Lienors, And Assignees Of Such Deceased, Any And All Persons Deriving Interest In Or Lien Upon, Or Title To Said Real Property By, Through Or Under Them, Or Either Of Them, And Their Respective Wives, Widows, Husbands, Widowers, Heirs At Law, Next Of Kin, Descendants, Executors, Administrators, Devisees, Legatees, Creditors, Trustees, Committees, Lienors, And Assigns, All Of Whom And Whose Names, Except As Stated, Are Unknown To Plaintiff, Carla Fierros As Heir To The Estate Of Steven James Zamora, Unknown Heirs Of Steven James Zamora If Living, And If He/She Be Dead, Any And All Persons Unknown To Plaintiff, Claiming, Or Who May Claim To Have An Interest In, Or General Or Specific Lien Upon The Real Property Described In This Action; Such Unknown Persons Being Herein Generally Described And Intended To Be Included In Wife, Widow, Husband, Widower, Heirs At Law, Next Of Kin, Descendants, Executors, Administrators, Devisees, Legatees, Creditors, Trustees, Committees, Lienors, And Assignees Of Such Deceased, Any And All Persons Deriving Interest In Or Lien Upon, Or Title To Said Real Property By, Through Or Under Them, Or Either Of Them, And Their Respective Wives, Widows, Husbands, Widowers, Heirs At Law, Next Of Kin, Descendants, Executors, Administrators, Devisees, Legatees, Creditors, Trustees, Committees, Lienors, And Assigns, All Of Whom And Whose Names, Except As Stated, Are Unknown To Plaintiff, People Of The State Of New York, United States Of America On Behalf Of The IRS, Board Of Managers Of Le Domaine Condominium, Criminal Court Of The City Of New York, New York City Parking Violations Bureau, New York State Department Of Taxation And Finance, Commissioner Of Social Services Of NYC, John Doe (Those unknown tenants, occupants, persons or corporations or their heirs, distributees, executors, administrators, trustees, guardians, assignees, creditors or successors claiming an interest in the mortgaged premises.) Defendant(s). Mortgaged Premises: 403 East 62nd Street, Unit#19B New York, NY 10065 To the Above named Defendant: You are hereby summoned to answer the Complaint in this action, and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the Complaint is not served with this Supplemental Summons, to serve a notice of appearance, on the Plaintiff(s) attorney(s) within twenty days after the service of this Supplemental Summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within 30 days after the service is complete if this Supplemental Summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York). In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. The Attorney for Plaintiff has an office for business in the County of Erie. Trial to be held in the County of New York. The basis of the venue designated above is the location of the Mortgaged Premises. TO Tony Zamora, Unknown Heirs of Steven James Zamora Defendants In this Action. The foregoing Supplemental Summons is served upon you by publication, pursuant to an order of HON. Francis A Kahn of the Supreme Court Of The State Of New York, dated the Twenty-Sixth day of February, 2025 and filed with the Complaint in the Office of the Clerk of the County of New York, in the City of New York. The object of this action is to foreclosure a mortgage upon the premises described below, dated December 20, 2006, executed by Carlin C. West AKA Carlyne West, AKA Carlyne C. West and Steven James Zamora (who died on June 13, 2019, a resident of the county of Santa Clara, State of California) to secure the sum of $1,000,000.00. The Mortgage was recorded at CRFN 2006000707984 in the City Register of the City of New York, New York County on December 29, 2006. The consolidated mortgage was subsequently assigned by an assignment executed August 12, 2009 and recorded on August 28, 2009, in the City Register of the City of New York, New York County at CRFN 2009000277626. Plaintiff is also holder of a mortgage dated August 13, 2009 executed by Carlin C. West AKA Carlyne West, AKA Carlyne C. West and Steven James Zamora to secure the sum of $29,113.45 and recorded at CRFN 2009000277627 in the City Register of the City of New York, New York County on August 28, 2009. Said mortgage was consolidated with the mortgage referred to at CRFN: 2006000707984 by a Consolidation, Extension and Modification Agreement executed by Carlin C. West AKA Carlyne West, AKA Carlyne C. West and Steven James Zamora dated August 13, 2009 and recorded August 28, 2009 at CRFN 2009000277628 in the City Register of the City of New York, New York County to form a single lien in the amount of $975,000.00. The consolidated mortgage was subsequently assigned by an assignment executed June 4, 2012 and recorded on June 21, 2012, in the City Register of the City of New York, New York County at CRFN 2012000244218. The consolidated mortgage was subsequently assigned by an assignment executed January 3, 2020 and recorded on January 15, 2020, in the City Register of the City of New York, New York County at CRFN 2020000018724. The mortgage was subsequently modified by a Deferral Agreement on December 28, 2021. The property in question is described as follows: 403 East 62nd Street, Unit#19B, New York, NY 10065 HELP FOR HOMEOWNERS IN FORECLOSURE NEW YORK STATE LAW REQUIRES THAT WE SEND YOU THIS NOTICE ABOUT THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS. PLEASE READ IT CAREFULLY. SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME. IF YOU FAIL TO RESPOND TO THE SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT IN THIS FORECLOSURE ACTION, YOU MAY LOSE YOUR HOME. PLEASE READ THE SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT CAREFULLY. YOU SHOULD IMMEDIATELY CONTACT AN ATTORNEY OR YOUR LOCAL LEGAL AID OFFICE TO OBTAIN ADVICE ON HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF. SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE The state encourages you to become informed about your options in foreclosure. In addition to seeking assistance from an attorney or legal aid office, there are government agencies and non-profit organizations that you may contact for information about possible options, including trying to work with your lender during this process. To locate an entity near you, you may call the toll-free helpline maintained by the New York State Department of Financial Services at 1-800-342-3736 or the Foreclosure Relief Hotline 1-800-269-0990 or visit the department's website at WWW.DFS.NY.GOV. RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO LEAVE YOUR HOME AT THIS TIME. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO STAY IN YOUR HOME DURING THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS. YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO LEAVE YOUR HOME UNLESS AND UNTIL YOUR PROPERTY IS SOLD AT AUCTION PURSUANT TO A JUDGMENT OF FORECLOSURE AND SALE. REGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOU CHOOSE TO REMAIN IN YOUR HOME, YOU ARE REQUIRED TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR PROPERTY AND PAY PROPERTY TAXES IN ACCORDANCE WITH STATE AND LOCAL LAW. FORECLOSURE RESCUE SCAMS Be careful of people who approach you with offers to "save" your home. There are individuals who watch for notices of foreclosure actions in order to unfairly profit from a homeowner's distress. You should be extremely careful about any such promises and any suggestions that you pay them a fee or sign over your deed. State law requires anyone offering such services for profit to enter into a contract which fully describes the services they will perform and fees they will charge, and which prohibits them from taking any money from you until they have completed all such promised services. § 1303 NOTICE NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this Foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to your mortgage company will not stop this foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. DATED: March 10, 2025 Gross Polowy LLC Attorney(s) For Plaintiff(s) 1775 Wehrle Drive, Suite 100 Williamsville, NY 14221 The law firm of Gross Polowy LLC and the attorneys whom it employs are debt collectors who are attempting to collect a debt. Any information obtained by them will be used for that purpose. 84969

NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION of Oui Do Good LLC. App for authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 1/28/2025. Office location: NY County, LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 8/9/2018. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to 45 W 90th St.. Apt 2B. New York, NY 10024. LLC address in DE: 160 Greentree Dr. Ste 101. Dover, DE 19904. Cert. of Formation filed with DE Secy of State, 401 Federal St. Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901. Pur- pose: any lawful activity. 5090 Wo

Notice of Qualification of VETRICS GROUP LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/06/25. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Virginia (VA) on 04/19/21. 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: 100 Shockoe Slip, 2nd Fl., Richmond, VA 23219. Cert. of Form. filed with Clerk of the Commission, 1300 E. Main St., 1st Fl., Richmond, VA 23219. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF [SHOP N DROP ONLINE LLC]. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on [03/10/2025]. Office Location [NY] County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against it maybe served. The P.O address to which the SSNY shall mail a copy of any process against the [LLC] served upon him/her is: [7014 13TH AVENUE, SUITE 202 Brooklyn, NY 11228]. The principal business address of the [LLC] is [228 Park Ave S #977430, New York, NY 10003].

Notice of Qualification of X11 FIRST AVE LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/25/25. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 10/07/24. 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, 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of WONSEOK JANG DENTISTRY PLLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/18/25. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of PLLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, 28 Bailey Rd., Millburn, NJ 07041. Purpose: Dentistry.

Jocelynn Cheng Acupuncture PLLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 1/24/2025. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 26 E 93rd St, Apt 7AB, New York, NY 10128. Purpose: Any lawful act.

COLON & PARTNERS PLLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 02/04/2025. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 250 Park Ave 7th Fl, New York, NY. 10177. Purpose: Any lawful act.

Notice of Qualification of 155 EAST 79TH PROPCO LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/18/25. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 03/17/25. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Standard Management Services LLC, 9 W. 57th St., 46th Fl., NY, NY 10019. DE addr. of LLC: c/o Corporation Service Co., 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Secy. of State, John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of ASSURED HEALTH GROUP LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/14/25. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Florida (FL) on 01/23/20. Princ. office of LLC: 18100 Von Karman Ave., 10th Fl., Irvine, CA 92612. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. Cert. of Form. filed with FL Secy. of State, The Centre of Tallahassee, 2415 N. Monroe St., Ste. 810, Tallahassee, FL 32303. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of I LOVE JUICY 200, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/24/25. 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, 200 Amsterdam Ave., Unit 20B, NY, NY 10023. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

ACLM GROUP LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 03/13/2025. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 99 Wall Street, Suite 1020, New York, New York 10005 Purpose: Any lawful act.

Notice of Formation of USHG DETROIT F&B LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/12/25. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 853 Broadway, 17th Fl., NY, NY 10003. 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. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of USHG HoldCo, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/12/25. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 853 Broadway, 17th Fl., NY, NY 10003. 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. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Halwa NYC LLC filed w/ SSNY 12/29/24. Off. in NY Co. Process served to SSNY - desig. as agt. of LLC & mailed to the LLC, 228 Park Ave S #850152, NY, NY 10003. The reg. agt. is United States Corporation Agents, Inc., 7014 13th Ave, Ste. 202, Brooklyn, NY 11228. Any lawful purpose.

Antioco Enterprises LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 2/20/2025. Office location: Bronx County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 4380 Vireo Ave Apt 2O, Bronx, NY 10470. Purpose: Any lawful act.

Bar Reuven LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 10/2/2024. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 525 E 14th St, New York, NY 10009 Purpose: Any lawful act.

Vcare Homes Services NYC LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 03/01/2025. Office location: BRONX County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 1056 GERARD AVE , BRONX,NY,1452. Purpose: Any lawful act.

PHR NPL Fund IV, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 7/18/2024. Office location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: P.O. Box 230653, New York, NY 10023 Purpose: Any lawful act.

Mikasho LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 1/23/2025. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 2425 95th Street Fl 1, East Elmhurst, NY 11369. Purpose: Any lawful act.

CADENCE TEMPO CONSULTING LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 12/03/2024 . Office location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: The LLC 228Park Ave S#943518, New York, NY 10003. Purpose: Any lawful act.

CITY CRAWL ADVENTURES

LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 1/09/2025. Office location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 242 W 61st St, Apt 3A, New York, NY 10023. Purpose: Any lawful act.

SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK

THE COLUMBIA CONDOMINIUM BY ITS BOARD OF MANAGERS, Plaintiff -againstIR 96TH ST HOLDING LLC, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated September 28, 2023 and entered on October 2, 2023, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 116 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street New York, NY on April 30, 2025 at 2:15 p.m. premises situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, City, County and State of New York, known as Unit No. 25F in the premises known as "The Columbia Condominium" together with an undivided 0.002716% interest in the common elements. Section 7 Block 1868 and Lot 1240. Said premises known as 275 WEST 96TH STREET, APT. 25F, NEW YORK, NY

Approximate amount of lien $96,753.84 plus attorneys fees and costs as awarded in the judgment, along with interest & costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 154633/2021.

ALLISON M. FURMAN, ESQ., Referee

Schwartz Sladkus Reich Greenberg Atlas LLP

Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 444 Madison Ave., 6th Floor, New York, NY 10022

{* AMSTERDAM*}

IPPSOLAR CROSSROADS

ESS LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 09/26/2024. Office location: NEW YORK County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: PAUL JEUN; 200E 33RD ST., #30E, NEW YORK, NY, 10016. Purpose: Any lawful act.

MOTION MADE LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 2/8/2025. Office location: NEW YORK County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 262 Elizabeth St, Apt 3, New York, NY 10012. Purpose: Any lawful act.

SMITTY SMARTYPANTS DAYCARE LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 10/28/2024 Office location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 2186 5th Ave #5A, New York, NY 10037 . Purpose: Any lawful act.

Hugues Loiret Saint Loup LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 02/11/2025. Office location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 33 W 46th St - Ste 800, NY, NY 10036. Purpose: Any lawful act.

TACC Farms LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 03/14/2025. Office location: Orleans County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 3710 Tuthill Road, Albion, New York, 14411. Purpose: Any lawful act.

The Wellness Odyssey LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 10/31/2024. Office location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 228 Park Ave S #187967, New York, NY 10003. Purpose: Any lawful act.

White Tiger 2024 LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 11/01/2024. Office location: Bronx County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 3857 White Plains Rd, Bronx, NY 10467. Purpose: Any lawful act.

Argentinos en NY LLC. Filed with SSNY on 01/25/25. Office: NY County. SSNY designated as agent for process & shall mail copy to: 339 West 48 St #1C, NY. NY 10036. Purpose: Any lawful.

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF New York , NYCTL 2021A Trust and The Bank of New York Mellon as Collateral Agent and Custodian , Plaintiff, vs . 187 Street Mazal LLC , Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale and Decision + Order on Motion dated August 14, 2024 and entered on December 27, 2024 , I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at Room 116 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY on April 23, 2025 at 2:15 p.m., all that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, County of New York, City and State of New York, Block 2170 and Lot 29. Said premises may also be known as 659 West 187 Street, New York, NY. Approximate amount of judgment is $47,989.20 plus interest and costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index #156380/2022.

Elaine Shay, Esq., Referee

The Law Office of Thomas P. Malone, PLLC, 60 East 42nd Street, Suite 553, New York, New York 10165, Attorneys for Plaintiff

MTA REAL ESTATE Request for Proposals

RFP No. TG032625: Opportunity to license concession space and storage at MNR’s Purdy’s Station Building, Purdys, New York. For information on this RFP, please go to https://new. mta.info/agency/real-estate/

NOTICE OF SALE

STILLWATER ASSET MANAGEMENT, LLC, AS TRUSTEE OF LBC2 TRUST, V. 3RD AND 36TH STREET LLC, ET. AL.

NOTICE OF SALE

NOTICE IS HERE BY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgement of Foreclosure dated October 23, 2024, and entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of New York, wherein STILLWATER ASSET MANAGEMENT, LLC, AS TRUSTEE OF LBC2 TRUST, is the Plaintiff and 3RD AND 36TH STREET LLC, STANLEY GUREWITSCH, ERIC NEMIROFF, ALL STATE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, UNITED ACQUISITION LEASING CORP., THE MURRAY HILL TERRACE CONDOMINIUM, BY THE BOARD OF MANAGERS are the Defendants. I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the NEW YORK COUNTY SUPREME COURT, ROOM 130, 60 CENTRE STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10007 on April 23, 2025 at 2:15PM, premises known as 201-205 East 36th Street, Unit C-, City of New York, County of New York, Block 917, Lot 1001. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgement Index# 850110/2022. 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.

Elain Shay, Esq – Referee. Elaine Shay Attorney at Law, 757 Third Avenue, 20th Floor, New York NY 10017. David Pikus, Bressler, Amery & Ross, P.C., 17 State Street, 34th Floor, New York, NY 10004, attorney for Plaintiff.

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT BRONX COUNTY

PNC BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, Plaintiff against ANGELA MCGHEE AS BENEFICIARY UNDER THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF

STANFORD SHAW A/K/A STANDFORD SHAW, et al Defendant(s)

Attorney for Plaintiff(s) Margolin, Weinreb & Nierer, LLP, 575 Underhill Boulevard, Suite 224, Syosset, NY 11791.

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered October 15, 2018, I will sell at public auction to the highest bidder at the Bronx County Courthouse, Courtroom 711 at 851 Grand Concourse, Bronx, New York on May 5, 2025 at 2:15 PM. Premises known as 4084 Wilder Avenue, Bronx, New York 10466. Block 4984 Lot 33. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate,

lying and being at Edenwald, Borough and County of Bronx, City and State of New York.

Approximate Amount of Judgment is $137,370.70 plus interest, fees, and costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 32231/2015E.

The foreclosure sale will be conducted in accordance with 12th Judicial District's Covid-19 Policies and the Bronx County foreclosure auction rules. The Referee shall enforce any rules in place regarding facial coverings and social distancing.

Charlane Brown, Esq., Referee File # 17-0930

GLOBALLYCLEAN LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 12/16/24. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 1159 Second Avenue #202, New York, New York 10065. Purpose: Any lawful act.

Notice of Formation of a NY Limited Liability Company.

Model City Home Renovation, LLC. Arts. of Org. filing date with Secy. of State NY. was January 8, 2025. Office location: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and SSNY shall mail copy of process to 55 W. 116 ST Suite 129, New York, NY 10026. Purpose any lawful act.

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK.

HILTON RESORTS CORPORATION, Plaintiff -against- FOLAYEMI ANIFOWOSHE, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated on July 30, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street New York, NY on April 16, 2025 at 2:15 p.m. premises situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, County of New York, City and State of New York, being an undivided ownership interest as tenant-in-common with other owners in the Timeshare Unit in the building located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY; known as The NYH Condominium. Together with an appurtenant undivided 0.0381% common interest percentage. This a foreclosure on ownership interest in a timeshare unit, a studio penthouse on a floating use basis every year, in accordance with and subject to declarations. Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions dated October 27, 2003 and November 3, 2003 as CFRN # 2003000442513 as recorded in the Office of the City Register, County, City and State of New York. The Timeshare Unit is also designated as Block 1006 and Lot 1302. Said premises known as 1335 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS, NEW YORK, NY

Approximate amount of lien $59,947.94 plus interest & costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 850029/2020. ROBERTA ASHKIN, ESQ., Referee

DRUCKMAN LAW GROUP PLLC

Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 242 Drexel Avenue, Westbury, NY 11590 DLG# 36988 {* AMSTERDAM*}

SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK. NYCTL 1998-2 TRUST AND THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON, AS COLLATERAL AGENT AND CUSTODIAN, Plaintiffs -against- WALTER V. GERASIMOWICZ A/K/A WALTER GERASIMOWICZ, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale and Decision + Order on Motion entered herein on December 11, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 116 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street New York, NY on May 7, 2025 at 2:15 p.m. premises situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, County of New York, City and State of New York, known and designated as Block 1171 and Lot 1945 on the New York County Tax Assessment Map. Said premises known as 220 RIVERSIDE BOULEVARD, ST 139, NEW YORK, NY 10069 Approximate amount of lien $1,879.76 plus interest & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 160744/2022.

JEFFREY R. MILLER, ESQ., Referee

Phillips Lytle LLP

Attorney(s) for Plaintiffs

28 East Main Street, Suite 1400, Rochester, NY 14614 {* AMSTERDAM*}

SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK. NYCTL 2021-A TRUST AND THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON, AS COLLATERAL AGENT AND CUSTODIAN, Plaintiffs -against- NING FANG a/k/a NINA FANG, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered herein on June 28, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 116 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street New York, NY on May 7, 2025 at 2:15 p.m. premises situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, City, County and State of New York, known and designated as Block 1032 Lot 1291 on the New York County Tax Assessment Map. Said premises known as 350 WEST 42ND STREET, #27D, NEW YORK, NY 10036

Approximate amount of lien $109,745.84 plus interest & costs.

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

Index Number 158989/2022.

JEFFREY R. MILLER, ESQ., Referee

Phillips Lytle LLP

Attorney(s) for Plaintiffs

28 East Main Street, Suite 1400, Rochester, NY 14614 {* AMSTERDAM*}

This is to announce that the next meeting of the Harlem Children's Zone Promise Academy II Charter School Board of Trustees will occur in person on Thursday, April 10, 2025, at 4:30 PM. The meeting will be held at 245 West 129th St., NY, NY

This is to announce that the next meeting of the Harlem Children's Zone Promise Academy I Charter School Board of Trustees will occur in person on Thursday, April 10, 2025, at 4:30 PM. The meeting will be held at 245 West 129th St., NY, NY

SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS

Supreme Court of the State of New York, New York County. U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION (AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION), AS TRUSTEE, FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE HOLDERS OF COMM 2013-CCRE13 MORTGAGE TRUST COMMERCIAL MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, BY AND THROUGH ITS SPECIAL SERVICER, LNR PARTNERS, LLC, Plaintiff, against CHELSEA WAREHOUSE ASSOCIATES LLC, PHILIPPE WEISSBERG, JONATHAN LEITERSDORF, CHRISTOPHER SCHLANK, CITY OF NEW YORK DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE, CRIMINAL COURT OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK, CITY OF NEW YORK ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD, BOARD OF MANAGERS OF THE SPEARS BUILDING CONDOMINIUM, and “JOHN DOE,” “JANE DOE,” AND “XYZ CORPORATION,” said names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, the person or parties intended being tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the mortgaged property described in the complaint, Defendants, Index No.: 850022/2025. TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANT(S):YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer to the Complaint on Plaintiff’s attorney within twenty (20) days after service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service, or within thirty (30) days after service is complete if the Summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York. In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you on default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. Plaintiff designated New York County as the place of trial. The basis of venue designated is that the real property that is the subject of this commercial mortgage foreclosure action is located in New York County. The foregoing Summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an Order of the Hon. Francis A. Kahn III, J.S.C, dated March 21, 2025, and entered by the Office of the New York County Clerk on March 24, 2025. The object of this action is to foreclose an Amended, Restated and Consolidated Mortgage, Assignment of Leases and Rents, Security Agreement and Fixture Filing encumbering the premises located at 525 West 22nd Street, New York, New York 10011, Commercial Units 1, 2, 3, 4 and also known as Block 694 and Lots 1001, 1002, 1003, 1004 on the tax map of New York County. Dated: March 25, 2025

McCARTER & ENGLISH, LLP

Attorneys for Plaintiff

By: /s/ Yan Borodanski

Yan Borodanski, Esq.

250 W. 55th Street, 13th Floor New York, NY 1001 9 973-849-4135

Notice of Qualification of PAMALICAN ASSET MANAGEMENT US LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/10/25. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 02/25/25. Princ. office of LLC: 535 5th Ave., 4th Fl., 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: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Secy. of State, John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

SUPREME COURT-NEW YORK COUNTY- HILTON RESORTS CORP., Pltf. v. KENNETH R. TEMPLE, PATRICIA LARAINE TEMPLE and NYC DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES OFFICE OF LEGAL AFFAIRS -SLRLU, Defts. - Index # 850365/2024. Pursuant to Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated March 19, 2025, I will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse located at 60 Centre Street, New York, NY on Thursday, April 24, 2025, at 2:15 pm, an interest of an undivided 0.03434696076644787% tenant in common interest in the timeshare known as 48TH STREET VACATION

SUITES located at 12 East 48th Street, New York, NY. Approximate amount of judgment is $33,234.29 plus costs and interest as of January 6, 2025. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale which includes annual maintenance fees and charges. Thomas R. Kleinberger, 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. VERONICA NKOSI, ANDREA B. THWALA, and BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF HC SUITES OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC., Defts. – Index # 850096/2021. The foregoing summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an Order of the Honorable FRANCIS A. KAHN, III, Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York, dated the 13th day of March 2025 and duly entered the 14th day of March 2025 in the office of the Clerk of the County of New York, State of New York. TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANTS:

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT NEW YORK COUNTY

MCLP ASSET COMPANY, INC., Plaintiff against KEVIN C. LAU, et al Defendant(s)

Attorney for Plaintiff(s) Knuckles & Manfro, LLP, 120 White Plains Road, Suite 215, Tarrytown, NY 10591.

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK.

NOTICE OF SALE

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NEW YORK U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE FOR RCF 2 ACQUISITION TRUST, Plaintiff AGAINST KAREN M. LORCH, RONALD J. LORCH, ET AL., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered September 10, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the New York County Courthouse in Room 130, located at 60 Centre Street, New York, NY on April 30, 2025 at 2:15PM, premises known as 140 East 63rd Street Apt. 11A, New York, NY 10065. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, City, County and State of New York, Block 1397 and Lot 1556. Approximate amount of judgment $2,375,077.45 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #850298/2023. Christy Demelfi, Esq., Referee Gross Polowy, LLC 1775 Wehrle Drive Williamsville, NY 14221 22-004129 84096

Notice of Qualification of SILLY WITCH LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/20/25. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 09/18/24. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, 50 Murray St., Apt. 1104, NY, NY 10007. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Charuni Patibanda-Sanchez, DE Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the Complaint is not served with this Summons, to serve a notice of appearance, on the Plaintiff’s attorney, within twenty (20) days after the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within thirty (30) days after completion of service where service is made in any other manner than by personal delivery within the State) In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT THE OBJECT of the above captioned action is for the foreclosure of a fractional interest of 0.0450946335738578% in the premises at Block 1006, Tax Lot 1304 located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas NY, NY. Mortgage bearing the date of August 14, 2016, executed by Veronica Nkosi and Andrea B. Thwala to Hilton Resorts Corporation, a Delaware Corporation, to secure the sum of $65,915.00, and interest and recorded in the Office of the Clerk of New York County on March 27, 2017, in CRFN 2017000117556. The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the Mortgaged Premises as described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT.

SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK. EAST WEST BANK, Plaintiff -against- HOP CHONG TRADING COMPANY, INC., et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered February 28, 2025, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 116 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street New York, NY on April 23, 2025 at 2:15 p.m. premises situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, City and State of New York, known as 38 East 73rd Street, New York, New York 10021, Block: 1387 Lot: 49. Approximate amount of lien $8,564,556.48 plus interest & costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 850313/2024. PAUL SKLAR, ESQ., Referee Pryor Cashman LLP

Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 7 TIMES SQUARE, NEW YORK, NY 10036

{* NY AMSTERDAM NEWS *}

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered February 6, 2025, I will sell at public auction to the highest bidder at Room 130 at the Supreme Court, New York

County, 60 Centre Street, New York, New York on April 23, 2025 at 2:15 PM. Premises

known as 200 East 94th Street, Unit 2012, New York, New York 10128. Block 1539 Lot

1516. The Condominium Unit (the "Unit") known as Residential Unit 2012 in the building (the "Building") known as Carnegie Park Condominium ( the "Condominium") and by the

street address 200 East 94th Street, New York, New York, Borough of Manhattan, County of New York, City and State of New York. Approximate Amount of Judgment is

$755,529.61 plus interest, fees, and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 850624/2023. 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.

Paul Sklar, Esq., Referee File # 2296-004151

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NEW YORK CITIMORTGAGE, INC., Plaintiff AGAINST ELVIRA P. CHRISTI, ET AL., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered May 23, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the New York County Courthouse in Room 130, located at 60 Centre Street, New York, NY on April 16, 2025 at 2:15PM, premises known as 520 West 112th Street Unit 4B, New York, NY 10025. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, City, County and State of New York, Block 1883, Lot 1104. Approximate amount of judgment $392,131.52 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #116866/2009. Allison M. Furman, Esq., Referee Gross Polowy, LLC 1775 Wehrle Drive Williamsville, NY 14221 18-003305 83903

HNY CLUB SUITES OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC., BY AND THROUGH ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS, Plaintiff -againstADEJORO ADEOGUN, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated on July 30, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street New York, NY on May 7, 2025 at 2:15 p.m. premises situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, County of New York, City and State of New York, being an undivided ownership interest as tenant-in-common with other owners in the Timeshare Unit in the building located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY; known as The NYH Condominium.

Together with an appurtenant undivided 1.4182% common interest percentage. This a foreclosure on ownership interest in a timeshare unit, a studio penthouse on a floating use basis every year, in accordance with and subject to declarations. Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions dated October 27, 2003 and November 3, 2003 as CFRN # 2003000442513 as recorded in the Office of the City Register, County, City and State of New York. The Timeshare Unit is also designated as Block 1006 and Lot 1303.

Said premises known as 1335 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS, UNIT HU2, NEW YORK, NY 10019

Approximate amount of lien $18,839.87 plus interest & costs.

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

Index Number 850039/2020.

CLARK WHITSETT, ESQ., Referee

DRUCKMAN LAW GROUP PLLC

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

DLG# 38638 {* AMSTERDAM*}

NOTICE OF SALE

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

GREEN MOUNTAIN HOLDINGS (CAYMAN) LTD; Plaintiff v. 2040 MADISON LLC; et al.; Defendants

Attorney for Plaintiff: Hasbani & Light, P.C., 450 7th Ave, Suite 1408, NY, NY 10123; (212) 6436677

Pursuant to the judgment of foreclosure and sale granted herein on 10/16/24, I will sell at Public Auction to the highest bidder at the New York County Courthouse located at 60 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007 on April 9, 2025, at 2:15 PM Premises known as 2040 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10035 Block: 01754 Lot: 0116

All that certain plot, piece, or parcel of land, situate, lying and being in the County of New York, State of New York.

As more particularly described in the judgment of foreclosure and sale.

Sold subject to the terms and conditions contained in said judgment and terms of sale. Approximate amount of judgment: $2,604,204.14 plus interest and costs.

Index Number: 850007/2021 Clark Whitsett, Esq., Referee

SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK. HNY CLUB SUITES OWNERS ASSOCIATION INC., BY AND THROUGH ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS, Plaintiff -againstJEFFREY A. HILLS, PATRICIA E. HILLS, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated on September 17, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street New York, NY on April 30, 2025 at 2:15 p.m. premises being an undivided ownership interest as tenantin-common with other owners in the Timeshare Unit in the building located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY; known as The NYH Condominium. Together with an appurtenant undivided 0.0381% in common interest percentage. This a foreclosure on ownership interest in a timeshare unit, a studio penthouse on a floating use basis every year, in accordance with and subject to declarations. Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions dated October 27, 2003 and November 3, 2003 as CFRN # 2003000442512 as recorded in the Office of the City Register, County, City and State of New York. The Timeshare Unit is also designated as Block 1006 and Lot 1302. Said premises known as 1335 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS, NEW YORK, NY 10019 Approximate amount of lien $62,870.27 plus interest & costs.

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

Index Number 850201/2023.

TOM KLEINBERGER, ESQ., Referee

DRUCKMAN LAW GROUP PLLC

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

DLG# 39357 {* AMSTERDAM*}

SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK.

NYCTL 2021-A TRUST AND THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON, AS COLLATERAL AGENT AND CUSTODIAN, Plaintiffs -against- NADER ANSARY A/K/A ANSARY NADER, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered herein on December 24, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street New York, NY on May 7, 2025 at 2:15 p.m. premises situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, City, County and State of New York, known and designated as Block 1212 and Lot 1108 on the New York County Tax Assessment Map.

Said premises known as 182 WEST 82ND STREET, #5E, NEW YORK, NY 10024

Approximate amount of lien $306,620.58 plus interest & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 158170/2022.

JERRY MEROLA, ESQ., Referee

Phillips Lytle LLP

Attorney(s) for Plaintiffs 28 East Main Street, Suite 1400, Rochester, NY 14614 {* AMSTERDAM*}

Supreme Court-New York County – Hilton Resorts Corp., Pltf. V. Any unknown heirs to the Estate of MARIE J. ABRIL, next of kin, devisees, legatees, distributees, grantees, assignees, creditors, lienors, trustees, executors, administrators or successors in interest, as well as the respective heirs at law, next of kin, devisees, legatees, distributees, grantees, assignees, lienors, trustees, executors, administrators or successors in interest of the aforesaid classes of persons, if they or any of them be dead, all of whom and whose names and places of residence are unknown to the plaintiff, et al., Deft. – Index # 850192/2020. The foregoing supplemental summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an Order of the Honorable FRANCIS KAHN, III, Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York, dated the 26th day of February 2025 and duly entered the 27th day of February 2025 in the office of the Clerk of the County of New York, State of New York. TO THE ABOVENAMED DEFENDANTS:

YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the Complaint is not served with this Summons, to serve a notice of appearance, on the Plaintiff’s attorney, within twenty (20) days after the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within thirty (30) days after completion of service where service is made in any other manner than by personal delivery within the State) In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint.

NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT

THE OBJECT of the above captioned action is for the foreclosure of a fractional interest of 0.00986400000% in the premises at Block 1009, Tax Lot 37 located at 102 West 57th Street NY, NY. Mortgage bearing the date of November 26, 2014, executed by Marie J. Abril to Hilton Resorts Corporation, a Delaware Corporation, to secure the sum of $30,712.00, and interest and recorded in the Office of the Clerk of New York County on March 6, 2015, in CRFN 2015000077700. The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the Mortgaged Premises as described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above.

YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT.

Notice of Qualification of SBOS FUND I GP LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/19/25. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 02/13/25. Princ. office of LLC: 590 Madison Ave., 23rd Fl., NY, NY 10022. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Charuni Patibanda-Sanchez, 401 Federal St., #4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Investment management is purpose of entity.

Supreme Court-New York County – Hilton Resorts Corp., Pltf. V. KUMUD K. DHITAL, JANE E. DHITAL and BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF 57TH STREET VACATION OWNERS’ ASSOCIATION, INC., Defts. – Index # 850169/2021. The foregoing summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an Order of the Honorable FRANCIS A. KAHN, III, Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York, dated the 26th day of February 2025 and duly entered the 27th day of February 2025 in the office of the Clerk of the County of New York, State of New York. TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANTS:

YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the Complaint is not served with this Summons, to serve a notice of appearance, on the Plaintiff’s attorney, within twenty (20) days after the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within thirty (30) days after completion of service where service is made in any other manner than by personal delivery within the State) In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT THE OBJECT of the above captioned action is for the foreclosure of a fractional interest of .009864% in the premises at Block 1009, Tax Lot 37 located at 102 West 57th Street NY, NY. Mortgage bearing the date of December 30, 2011, executed by Kumud K. Dhital and Jane E. Dhital to Hilton Resorts Corporation, a Delaware Corporation, to secure the sum of $43,690.00, and interest and recorded in the Office of the Clerk of New York County on May 21, 2012, in CRFN 2012000200512. The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the Mortgaged Premises as described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT.

IL BAMBINA VINTAGE LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 2/27/2025. Office location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 251 E. 2nd St., APT. PHA, New York, NY 10009. Purpose: Any lawful act.

SALON DE LILY LLC LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 02/14/2025. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 29W 36th St, STE 5U, New York, NY, 10018. Purpose: Any lawful act.

RADIANT REFLECTIONS BEAUTY SALON LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 11/25/24. Office location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: 2505 Adam Clayton Powell, Front, New York, NY 10039. Purpose: Any lawful act.

Supreme Court-New York County – Hilton Resorts Corp., Pltf. V. ANTOINETTE TURNER BEALE, Deft. – Index # 850276/2024. The foregoing summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an Order of the Honorable FRANCIS A. KAHN, III, Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York, dated the 12th day of March 2025 and duly entered the 13th day of March 2025 in the office of the Clerk of the County of New York, State of New York. TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANTS:

YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the Complaint is not served with this Summons, to serve a notice of appearance, on the Plaintiff’s attorney, within twenty (20) days after the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within thirty (30) days after completion of service where service is made in any other manner than by personal delivery within the State) In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint.

NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHTTHE OBJECT of the above captioned action is for the foreclosure of a fractional interest of 0.0147201260419194% in the premises at Block 1283 and Lot 1002 located at 12 East 48th Street New York, NY. Mortgage bearing the date of June 20, 2020, executed by Antoinette Turner Beale to Hilton Resorts Corporation, a Delaware Corporation, to secure the sum of $18,876.00, and interest and recorded in the Office of the Clerk of New York County on December 30, 2022, in CRFN 2022000465769. The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the Mortgaged Premises as described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above.

YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT.

Notice of Qualification of hLevel, LLC

Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/25/25. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 10/29/24. Princ. office of LLC: 2248 Broadway, #1954, NY, NY 10024. 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, 401 Federal St., #4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Management.

Notice of Formation of RESERVE MANAGEMENT LLC

Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/25/25. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: c/o Certes Partners, 1359 Broadway, Ste. 800, NY, NY 10018. 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. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK. 57TH ST. VACATION OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC., BY AND THROUGH ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS, Plaintiff -againstELISABETH HOERNER AS CO-ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ESTATE OF MARY J. HOERNER, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated on July 30, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street New York, NY on May 7, 2025 at 2:15 p.m. premises situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, County of New York, City and State of New York, being an undivided ownership interest as tenantin-common with other owners in the Timeshare Unit in the building located at 102 West 57th Street, New York, NY. Together with an appurtenant undivided .009864% common interest percentage. This a foreclosure on ownership interest in a timeshare unit, a studio penthouse on a floating use basis every year, in accordance with and subject to declarations. Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions dated October 10, 2008 and October 31, 2008 as CFRN # 2008000426142 as recorded in the Office of the City Register, County, City and State of New York. The Timeshare Unit is also designated as Block 1009 and Lot 37.

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

Approximate amount of lien $25,511.03 plus interest & costs.

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

Index Number 850027/2023.

CLARK WHITSETT, ESQ., Referee

DRUCKMAN LAW GROUP

PLLC

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

DLG# 37913 {* AMSTERDAM*}

Notice of Formation of 123A 7TH HOLDINGS LLC

Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/03/25. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 122072543. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of formation of RCK9 LLC . LLC Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 3/27/ 2025 . Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 196 Spring St, Apt 2, New York, NY 10012. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

IGLESIAS NOTARY AND MANAGEMENT LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 3/14/2025. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail to: Business Filing Incorporated, 187 Wolf Road, Ste 101, Albany, NY 12205. Purpose: Any lawful act.

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF New York , Wilmington Savings Fund Society, FSB, not in its Individual Capacity, but Solely as Owner Trustee of CSMC 2019-RPL11 Trust , Plaintiff, vs . Unknown heirs at law of Hyunjeong Han, IF THEY BE LIVING and if they be dead, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, ET AL., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale and Decision + Order on Motion duly entered on May 17, 2023 and a Decision + Order on Motion duly entered on January 9, 2025, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007 on April 30, 2025 at 2:15 p.m., premises known as 70 Little West Street Unit 22G, New York, NY 10004 a/k/a 70 Battery Place, Unit 22G, New York, NY 10280. 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 16 and Lot 1878 together with an undivided 0.36855 percent interest in the Common Elements. Approximate amount of judgment is $665,379.10 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #850044/2021. Cash will not be accepted.

Thomas R. Kleinberger, Esq., Referee

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

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NEW YORK, NYCTL 2019A TRUST, AND THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON AS COLLATERAL AGENT AND CUSTODIAN FOR THE NYCTL 2019-A TRUST, Plaintiff, vs. KATHERINE MOSLEY A/K/A CATHERINE MOSLEY, IF LIVING AND IF SHE BE DEAD, ANY AND ALL PERSONS UNKNOWN TO PLAINTIFFS, ET AL., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale and Decision + Order on Motion dated January 6, 2025 and duly entered on January 6, 2025, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007 on April 30, 2025 at 2:15 p.m., premises known as 123 West 142nd Street, New York, NY 10030. 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, City, County and State of New York, Block 2011 and Lot 25. Approximate amount of judgment is $131,692.39 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #159074/2020.

Roberta Ashkin, Esq., Referee Bronster, LLP, 156 West 56th Street, Suite 703, New York, New York 10019, Attorneys for Plaintiff

Supreme Court-New York County – Hilton Resorts Corp., Pltf. V. CROMWELL T. CABRISOS, Deft. – Index # 850084/2021. The foregoing summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an Order of the Honorable FRANCIS A. KAHN, III, Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York, dated the 26th day of February 2025 and duly entered the 28th day of February 2025 in the office of the Clerk of the County of New York, State of New York. TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANTS: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the Complaint is not served with this Summons, to serve a notice of appearance, on the Plaintiff’s attorney, within twenty (20) days after the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within thirty (30) days after completion of service where service is made in any other manner than by personal delivery within the State) In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT THE OBJECT of the above captioned action is for the foreclosure of a fractional interest of 0.0271980765638990% in the premises at Block 1006, Tax Lot 1304 located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas NY, NY. Mortgage bearing the date of August 27, 2017, executed by Cromwell T. Cabrisos to Hilton Resorts Corporation, a Delaware Corporation, to secure the sum of $45,854.02, and interest and recorded in the Office of the Clerk of New York County on November 30, 2017, in CRFN 2017000440252. The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the Mortgaged Premises as described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT.

Notice of Qualification of ER NORTHWAY LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/24/25. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 02/18/25. Princ. office of LLC: 60 Cutter Mill Rd., Ste. 601, Great Neck, NY 11021. 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 122070543. 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., 401 Federal St., Ste. 3, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of 39 E 1ST HOLDINGS LLC

Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/03/25. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 122072543. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT BRONX COUNTY

RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE

LOAN TRUST 2013-TT2 BY U.S. BANK NATIONAL

ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, BUT SOLELY AS LEGAL TITLE

TRUSTEE, Plaintiff against ANDREA DAVIS, et al Defendant(s)

Attorney for Plaintiff(s) Knuckles & Manfro, LLP, 120 White Plains Road, Suite 215, Tarrytown, NY 10591 and .

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered July 31, 2017, I will sell at public auction to the highest bidder at the Bronx County Courthouse, Courtroom 711 at 851 Grand Concourse, Bronx, New York on April 21, 2025 at 2:15 PM. Premises known as 851 East 220th Street, Bronx, New York 10467. Block 4679 Lot 13. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being in the Borough of and County of Bronx, City and State of New York. Approximate Amount of Judgment is $658,107.47 plus interest, fees, and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 382261/2009. Cash will not be accepted at the sale.

The foreclosure sale will be conducted in accordance with 12th Judicial District's

Covid-19 Policies and the Bronx County foreclosure auction rules. The Referee shall enforce any rules in place regarding facial coverings and social distancing.

Ricardo Oquendo, Esq., Referee File # 2600-000011

Notice of Qualification of FLATIRON DRAGADOS CONSTRUCTION HOLDING LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/06/25. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 12/01/09. Princ. office of LLC: 810 Seventh Ave., 9th Fl., NY, NY 10019. 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: CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

4056 HARPER AVE LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 02/25/2025. Office loc: Bronx County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 4056 Harper Ave, Bronx, NY 10466. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NEW YORK, U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE, SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST TO BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS TRUSTEE AS SUCCESSOR BY MERGER TO LASALLE BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS TRUSTEE FOR WAMU MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES SERIES 2006-AR13 TRUST, Plaintiff, vs. DAHLIA DAMAS, THE PUBLIC ADMINISTRATOR OF NEW YORK COUNTY, AS LIMITED ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ESTATE OF GUITI MIODOWNIK BENADON, ET AL., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale and Decision + Order on Motion duly entered on November 13, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007 on April 30, 2025 at 2:15 p.m., premises known as 55 Wall Street, Unit 735, New York, NY 10005. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, City, County and State of New York, Block 27 and Lot 1067 together with an undivided 0.3251 percent interest in the Common Elements. Approximate amount of judgment is $730,474.85 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #850117/2016.

Roberta Ashkin, Esq., Referee Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC, 10 Bank Street, Suite 700, White Plains, New York 10606, Attorneys for Plaintiff

Notice of Qualification of STANDARD POWER NOVA LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/25/25. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 02/13/25. Princ. office of LLC: 551 Madison Ave., Fl. 4, Ste. 450, NY, NY 10022. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 122072543. DE addr. of LLC: c/o CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Charuni Patibanda-Sanchez, DE Secy. of State, DE Div. of Corps., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of WEST 92ND STREET ASSOCIATES LLC

Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/18/22. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 02/02/22. 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 DE Secy. of State, John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NEW YORK US Bank National Association as Trustee for CMSI REMIC Series 2007-03REMIC Pass-Through Certificates Series 2007-03, Plaintiff AGAINST Chaya Gottesman a/k/a Chayala C Gottesman a/k/a Clare C Gottesman, et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered February 9, 2022, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the New York County Courthouse in Room 130, located at 60 Centre Street, New York, NY on April 16, 2025 at 2:15PM, premises known as 127 West 82nd Street, Unit 1B, New York, NY 10024. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, City, County and State of New York, Block: 1213, Lot: 1159. Approximate amount of judgment $873,418.90 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #850006/2018. Joseph Buono, Esq., Referee Frenkel Lambert Weiss Weisman & Gordon, LLP 53 Gibson Street Bay Shore, NY 11706 01-086495-F00 83828

Notice of Formation of Limited Liability Company (LLC) Name: Emmy Eats LLC

Articles of Organization filed by the Department of State on New York on: 01/02/2025 Office location: County of New York

Purpose: Any and all lawful activities. Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: c/o Ivey, Barnum & O'Mara, LLC, STOP JAH 170 Mason Street, Greenwich, CT 06830

Notice of Formation of CPG DOBBS MANAGER LLC

Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/07/25. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 116 E. 27th St., 11th Fl., NY, NY 10016. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 122072543. Purpose: Real Estate Investment & Development.

SUPREME COURT-NEW YORK COUNTY- HILTON RESORTS CORP., Pltf. v. DAWN TREHARNE-ESPARZA, Deft. - Index # 850381/2024. Pursuant to Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated March 19, 2025, I will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse located at 60 Centre Street, New York, NY on Thursday, April 24, 2025, at 2:15 pm, an interest of an undivided 0.0147201260419194% tenant in common interest in the timeshare known as 48TH STREET VACATION SUITES located at 12 East 48th Street, New York, NY. Approximate amount of judgment is $41,510.76 plus costs and interest as of January 3, 2025. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale which includes annual maintenance fees and charges. Thomas R. Kleinberger, Esq., Referee. Cruser, Mitchell, Novitz, Sanchez, Gaston, & Zimet LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 341 Conklin Street, Farmingdale, NY.

REFEREE'S NOTICE OF SALE IN FORECLOSURE

SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK

MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION, Plaintiff - against - DAVIS BERGMAN, et al Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered on January 9, 2025. I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse located at 60 Centre Street, New York, New York 10007 on the 30th day of April, 2025 at 2:15 PM. All that certain piece or parcel of real property, situate and being a part of a condominium in the Borough of Manhattan, County, City and State of New York.

Premises known as 225 East 46th Street, Unit 12F, New York, NY 10017.

(Block: 1320, Lot: 1723)

Approximate amount of lien $327,829.92 plus interest and costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed judgment and terms of sale.

Index No. 850049/2023. Scott H. Siller, Esq., Referee. Stein, Wiener & Roth LLP Attorney(s) for Plaintiff

1400 Old Country Road, Suite 315 Westbury, NY 11590

Tel. 516-742-1212 GREGMAN-79220

Dated: January 10, 2025

During the COVID-19 health emergency, bidders are required to comply with all governmental health requirements in effect at the time of sale including but not limited to, wearing face coverings and maintaining social distancing (at least 6-feet apart) during the auction, while tendering deposit and at any subsequent closing. Bidders are also required to comply with the Foreclosure Auction Rules and COVID-19 Health Emergency Rules issued by the Supreme Court of this County in addition to the conditions set forth in the Terms of Sale. Auction Locations are subject to change

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Joyce Stanley Johnson

Joyce Bradford Stanley Johnson, a remarkable trailblazer, loving mother, cherished grandmother, and esteemed community leader, passed away on March 19, 2025, at the age of 78. Born on June 17, 1946, at Bellevue Hospital in New York, New York, Joyce was the oldest of five children—and the only daughter—of Columbus Landon Stanley and Dorothy Annette Bradford Stanley Joyce attended Poughkeepsie High School and following graduation, she went on to pursue her education at Morgan State University before transferring to Howard University, where she earned a degree in microbiology Her sharp intellect and tenacity allowed her to forge a dynamic career that spanned multiple sectors.

Beginning as a Management Trainee at Joseph E. Seagram & Sons in Baltimore, Joyce quickly rose through the ranks and broke barriers along the way She eventually became National Director of Equal Employment Opportunity at Seagram’s corporate office in New York City In this capacity, she chaired the company’s Minority Affairs Committee, co-founded the Women in Management Committee, and became one of the first minorities to serve on the prestigious Joseph E. Seagram & Sons Political Action Committee. Following her successful corporate career, Joyce devoted over 30 years to New York City and New York State politics. She ran for public office driven by a desire to make positive change in her community In 2010, she mounted a passionate campaign for the U.S. Congress; while she did not win, she earned the coveted endorsement of The New York Times. Joyce also served as the Democratic Assembly District Leader for the 69th Assembly District in Manhattan, championing local issues and empowering voters at the grassroots level. Joyce lent her talents to numerous political campaigns for causes and candidates she believed in including serving as the New York State Petition Coordinator and a Field Director for Obama for America in 2008, helping to elect President Barack Obama which earned her an appointment to the Platform Committee at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Joyce’s commitment to service extended beyond the political arena. She took on important roles in city government and served as Special Assistant to the Manhattan Borough President and later as the Director of Community Relations for the New York City Comptroller In the education arena, Joyce was the Executive Assistant to the NYC Schools Chancellor, directing the Office of Business and Community Relations. In each of these positions, she applied her exceptional ability to build bridges between the city government and the community of people it served. Beyond her official titles, Joyce volunteered her time on numerous boards and committees reflecting causes close to her heart including Higher Heights for America – championing political empowerment for Black women DiMaggio, Inc. – supporting community and economic development initiatives New York Coalition of 100 Black Women – advocating for Black women’s leadership and equity Eleanor Roosevelt Legacy Committee –supporting women candidates and political leadership and North Manhattan Alumni Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. –her beloved sorority, where she mentored younger members and fostered sisterhood

Joyce’s greatest pride and joy was her family She is survived by her beloved daughter, Stephanie Renee Johnson Garcia; her “favorite” son-in-law, Melvin Garcia; her treasured grandchildren, Todd Johnson, Cori Lawrence, Devin Lawrence, and Nina Johnson; and her great-grandson, Brixton Keith Lawrence. She is also survived by her devoted brothers, Brian W Stanley and Kirk L. Stanley, and her “sister from another mister,” Patricia Stevens. Joyce’s loving spirit lives on in her nieces and nephews, first cousins, family and friends Joyce was preceded in death by her parents and two of her brothers, Charles H. Stanley and Columbus L. Stanley Jr

Joyce Bradford Stanley Johnson’s light and love will forever shine in the hearts of all who were blessed to know her Her legacy of compassion, courage, and activism will continue to inspire generations to come.

The NCAA Men’s Final Four has the top dogs vying for the title

By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor

The NCAA men’s Final Four, which will be held on Saturday in San Antonio, Texas, with the winners moving on to Monday’s championship game, is replete with four No. 1 seeds. Florida and Auburn will match up in the opening game (6:09 p.m.) and Duke will meet Houston in the nightcap (8:49).

For most of this college basketball season, the aforementioned quartet of programs have been the best, and have resoundingly proved their bonafides during the postseason. Furthermore, for local basketball fans, the weekend will be spiced with New York City-area flavor.

Before becoming a First-Team All-American this season, senior point guard Walter Clayton Jr. starred at Iona College in New Rochelle under their former head coach Rick Pitino. When Pitino left Iona to take his current head coaching position at St. John’s in March 2023, he tried to convince Clayton to join him. It was a difficult deliberation for the three-

point sniper, but in the end, the Sebring, Florida native chose his home state school.

“Whenever he went to St. John’s, I was thinking about that,” Clayton said of Pitino in a recent interview on ESPN’s “Paul Finebaum Show.” And honestly, that was the plan. But plans can change.

“It was a great environment, they made a great plan … it was

Women’s college basketball’s

By LOIS ELFMAN Special to the AmNews

Even without megastar JuJu Watkins, who suffered a torn ACL in the second round of the 2025 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament, the University of Southern California put up a ferocious fight against the University of Connecticut in their Elite Eight match up on Monday night before succumbing 78–64. With the win, UConn secured another trip to tomorrow’s Final Four in Tampa, Florida, the 24th for head coach Geno Auriemma.

“We’ve got a whole lot of heart and a whole lot of toughness about us and we play together as a team,” said Paige Bueckers, who had 31 points, six assists and a team-high four steals. “I feel like every team that I’ve played on we’ve been super well connected, but … we’ve been through so much adversity as individuals, as a team, and it’s brought us together [and] made us stronger.”

a great decision,” the 6’3”, 22 year old said of transferring to the University of Florida.

Auburn’s dynamic freshman point guard Tahaad Pettiford played high school basketball just 9.5 miles from Manhattan. The 6’1” 2024 McDonald’s All-American from Jersey City, New Jersey had a stellar prep career at Hudson Catholic in his hometown. His

adept ball-handling skills, shotmaking creativity and perimeter shooting have translated exceptionally well to the next level.

He’s been one of Auburn’s most productive and important players, making the Southeastern Conference’s All-Freshman team while averaging nearly 12 points and three assists per game. The Final Four will also showcase college

best will be on full display

in the Final Four

basketball’s top-two candidates for national player of the year in Duke’s remarkable freshman forward Cooper Flagg and Auburn’s senior forward Johni Broome. Flagg and Broome were this season’s only two unanimous FirstTeam All-American selections and the 6-9, 18-year-old Flagg will with near certainty be the No. 1 pick in June’s NBA Draft.

spots are held by No. 1 seeds: UCLA, the University of South Carolina and the University of Texas. UCLA defeated 2023 NCAA Champion Louisiana State University 72–65 to advance and will take on UConn tomorrow at 9 p.m. in the night’s second game. Bruins junior center Lauren Betts had 17 points and seven rebounds in their win.

South Carolina defeated Duke University 54–50 to punch its Final Four ticket in pursuit of its first back-to-back title. It was a tough game with no big scorers. Chloe Kitts led the Gamecocks with 14 points. Sania Feagin 12 points and eight rebounds. They will face Texas in the opening game at 7 p.m.

Texas downed TCU 58–47, pulling away only in the final minutes. Sophomore forward Madison Booker powered the offense with 18 points and six rebounds.

Also of note in UConn securing a spot in pursuit of its 12th national championship, and its first since 2016, is the impact of guard Kaitlyn Chen. A graduate student who joined the Huskies after playing for and graduating from Princeton University last year, Chen had 15 points, including some crucial buckets in the fourth quarter. If three Ivy League teams making the tournament didn’t convince naysayers that the conference boasts high DI level talent, Chen’s success with the renowned Huskies should.

would make it to a Final Four, but here I am,” said Chen. “I feel like I relied on my teammates a lot throughout this whole process.”

“Honestly, I never thought I

UConn is the only No. 2 seed in the Final Four. The other three

“I’m humbled, I’m grateful, I’m honored to be able to coach this group of young ladies,” said Texas’ head coach Vic Schaefer. “A team that, as you saw today, will absolutely play their guts out when challenged and knowing that that’s what it’s going to take.”

University of Connecticut guards Paige Bueckers (5) and Kaitlyn Chen (20), and forward Sarah Strong (21) celebrate their 78-64 win over USC in the Elite Eight. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

Former Iona standout Walter Clayton Jr. has become an All-American for the Florida Gators. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

(L) Jersey City native Tahaad Pettiford of Auburn is one of the country’s best freshmen. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

The Knicks overcome injuries with productive minutes from reserves

By JAIME C. HARRIS

AmNews Sports Editor

Knicks starters Jalen Brunson (right ankle sprain) and Karl-Anthony Towns (knee soreness), and sixth man Miles “Deuce” McBride (left groin contusion), were all sidelined on Tuesday evening when the Knicks hosted the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden. But those in uniform heeded head coach Tom Thibodeau’s mantra of next man up and the Knicks won their third straight game and fifth out of the last sixth before meeting up with the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers last night on the road.

The Knicks’ 105-91 victory upped their record to 48-27 and they went into Cleveland last night as the East’s No. 3 seed, four games ahead of the Indiana Pacers and eight behind the No. 2 seed Boston Celtics with six regular season games remaining. The Cavaliers were 60-15.

The 76ers have had an unforeseen disastrous season, exiting Madison Square Garden 23-53 — the fifth-worst record in the NBA. They have been playing without their three All-Stars, as center Joel Embiid (knee) and forward Paul George (abductor muscle and knee) are both done for the rest of the season, and guard Tyrese Maxey (finger sprain) has been unavailable since suffering a back sprain on March 3. With these absences, the Knicks imposed their advantage.

With

Knicks rookie point guard Tyler Kolek, shooting a jumper against the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday, has been inserted into the team’s rotation as they navigate a rash of injuries.

(AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

and Brunson respective-

ly and made necessary imprints on the game. It was just Robinson’s 14th game this season since returning from left ankle surgery performed last May.

“I need to be able to play like seven minutes straight. I have been working on the conditioning stuff, so we are rolling,” he said afterwards.

Robinson self-assessed that his timing is gradually becoming more calibrated. “Legs are heavy, and the conditioning is not there, missing 10 months is a long time, but I feel like with all the practices and shootarounds, it is catching up.”

The contributions from multiple Knicks have been impactful with Brunson missing his 14th consecutive game last night and McBride his sixth.

“I think Landry [Shamet] has been playing at a very high level, and I thought Landry and Mitch gave us a huge boost tonight,” said Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau on Tuesday, “particularly with guys being out.

OG [Anunoby has] been on a tear, but we had a number of guys ... Josh [Hart] had timely plays for us. Mikal [Bridges] had timely plays. [Delon’s] wall pressure was a huge factor for us. He played well also.”

Additionally, rookie point guard Tyler Kolek has played quality minutes while the regular rotation players recover. And Anunoby continues to drive wins, leading the Knicks with 27, the third-straight game he posted a team high in points.

The Knicks will battle the Hawks in Atlanta on Saturday and be back at the Garden on Sunday to host the Phoenix Suns followed by the Boston Celtics on Tuesday.

their season winding down, the Nets firmly chart a new course

By DERREL JOHNSON Special to the AmNews

With a record of 25-51 before playing the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the Nets only have six games remaining as they officially were eliminated from postseason competition last week. Now, the May 12 NBA Draft Lottery, which will decide where the franchise will pick in June’s draft, is the most important date on the team’s calendar.

Brooklyn hopes to draft a transformational player who can become a superstar and lead the franchise’s turnaround. In today’s league, winning without at least one NBA superstar is impossible, and most top teams have two or more stars.

Nets rookie head coach Jordi Fernandez still has his squad competing intensely. They host the Timberwolves after having won two straight — road victories over Washington Wizards last Saturday (115-112) and the Dallas Mavericks (113-109) on Monday. It is the Nets’ first win streak of two or more games since taking three in a row in early February. Despite trailing the Mavericks twice in the fourth quarter, the Nets displayed what Fernandez calls Brooklyn grit to earn the win.

“I think our guys have always fought back, and no matter what, we have been in all these games competing and fighting for

games,” said Fernandez. “It doesn’t always go your way, but I think that is the mindset, and no matter how much time is left on the clock, we are going to keep fighting and keep

trying to steal possessions…

“I think that this group has done it consistently,” Fernandez continued, “and it was good to see because … being down 10, some-

times you get discouraged.”

Fernandez recognized guards Keon Johnson and Tyrese Martin as being instrumental in the comeback. Both guards have capitalized on being in the team’s rotation this season due to roster changes through trades and numerous injuries to players including guard Cam Thomas, who was Brooklyn’s leading scorer at 24 points per game but played in just 25 games; Thomas was shut down on March 13 for the remainder of this season with a strained left hamstring.

“You see them from the first day in the summer, Tyrese is fighting for a two-way contract, and then Keon is there as a roster guy to try to get in the rotation at some point, and you see how they evolved,” Fernandez said.

“The most important thing is yes, they’re having fun, but they’ve been building this every day, coming to practice with positive energy, building relationships, and then what you see out there is a competitive group. A group that is selfless and that is connected. And that’s what we expect for every single one of our guys. These two especially, they’ve done an amazing job and I’m happy for them because they deserve this success and this development.”

Following the Timberwolves, the Nets will meet the Toronto Raptors on Sunday at the Barclays and the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday in Brooklyn.

Center Mitchell Robinson (14 points, 14 rebounds) and guard Delon Wright (12 points, four rebounds, four assists) replaced Towns

Nets forward Keon Johnson, driving against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday, has been a constant in the Nets’ rotation this season. (AP Photo/Albert Pena)

With this season complete, Howard University bowler Cameren Sullivan revs up for senior year

By LOIS ELFMAN Special to the AmNews

A junior in Howard University’s nursing program, Cameren Sullivan deftly balances the demands of her major with being a student-athlete. A member of Howard’s bowling team, having a daily planner and making sure that she writes down everything is essential.

“If I have practice, I’ll write that in; if I have class, I’ll write that in,” said Sullivan, who also does clinical rotations as part of her nursing training. “Also, trying to make time for [myself] and things I want to do outside of school and bowling so I don’t burn myself out and still have fun because I am in college.”

Becoming a competitive bowler was inevitable. “I basically grew up in a bowling alley because both of my parents bowled when I was younger,” Sullivan said. “My aunts and uncles bowled. When I was around four or five, I joined a junior league with my cousins and I’ve been bowling since. I bowled in high school, so I knew I wanted to bowl in college.”

The opportunity to go to a school with a strong nursing program and a bowling team made Howard University, the renowned historically Black university that recently re-

ceived Research 1 (R1) status, a great fit. She even has a partial athletic scholarship. This semester, Sullivan has done a clinical rotation in a maternity section and is now doing adult health.

“Every day I go to class or to a clinical, I know nursing is for me,” she said. “Being a student-athlete teaches me teamwork and working with other people. Bowling has helped me tremendously, especially with nursing since there’s so much you have to learn, including how to rely on other people. Bowling has helped me communicate with others and [with] time management.”

Being on a team and taking part in intercollegiate competition has helped Sullivan meet a wide range of people, including other Howard student-athletes across the sports.

Representing the school and the bowling team on a national stage gives her a sense of pride and alumni support is very encouraging. She will be back on the team for her senior season.

“Being at an HBCU, seeing like minded Black people is really refreshing, especially since my high school didn’t have many Black people,” Sullivan said. “Coming to a place where there are people who look like me, have similar goals and similar drives and passions that I do, is really amazing.”

Kaysha Love sets the stage for Olympics with World Championships gold

By LOIS ELFMAN Special to the AmNews

Kaysha Love put the bobsled world on notice when she upset the sport’s veterans to win gold in the monobob at the 2025 IBSF World Championships in Lake Placid. With less than a year until the 2026 Olympics, she is now among the favorites.

“I started bobsled in 2021 as a brakeman, and made the Olympic team in 2022,” said Love, a former sprinter who graduated from the University of Nevada Las Vegas. After the Games, she began training as a pilot while still serving as a brakewoman. Last year, she turned her full focus to piloting both the monobob and the twowoman, finishing fifth in the latter at the World Championships with Jasmine Jones.

“Starting off as a brakeman and being in that role of having to adjust to different pilots has really helped me in my piloting role adjust to the different brakeman I push with,” said Love. “It really does boil down to the chemistry, the connection and the timing, which is where you make sure in practice runs you work on those things.”

Love prefers the teamwork of two-woman, but monobob, which made its Olympic debut in 2022, builds her skills. It gives her a chance to test out various aspects of piloting without worrying about another person. Finding the fastest line on the track requires pushing the limits.

“Sometimes finding that perfect speed line can be … potential-

ly dangerous,” she said. “Monobob gives you the confidence to flirt with those super fast lines and gain more confidence doing something that you may not be as confident doing in two-man.”

Born and raised in Utah, Love was too young to fully appreciate the 2002 Olympic Winter Games held in Salt Lake City, but she now celebrates that those Games

marked the debut of women’s bobsled and also the first Black person to win Winter Olympic gold, U.S. bobsledder Vonetta Flowers. In the years since, the sport has become increasingly diverse, and Love is proud to be a part of that.

Love appreciates the bobsled tracks in Utah, allowing her to live and train near family as well

as sit on the steering committee for 2034 Games, which will return to Salt Lake City. She’s also up for giving the cast of “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” a tour of the facilities. “I get to be a part of the generation that gets to inspire the next generation, like Vonetta Flowers and Elana Meyers Taylor did for me,” said Love.

Bowler Cameren Sullivan has been a standout scholar-athlete attending Howard University. (Howard Athletics photo)

The top six finishers in monobob, Gold medalist Kaysha Love is top row center at the World Championships.

Kaysha Love celebrates her victory in the monobob at the IBSF World Championships. (IBSF/Viesturs Lacis photos)

Sports

Harlem boxer overcomes epilepsy to continue career

By DERREL JOHNSON

Special to the AmNews

For many, if not most aspiring boxers, suffering a seizure and subsequently being diagnosed with epilepsy would be the end of their pursuits inside the ring. But Harlem’s Rodney Phoenix is not like most people.

“When I found out (about the epilepsy diagnosis) I was really emotional, but I just felt like boxing is my calling,” he shared exclusively with the AmNews. The 25-year-old began boxing when he was 15 years old to stay out of trouble, and from the outset, Phoenix remained consistent in his commitment and discipline.

“It is just something that just puts me in a different state of mind. It is my therapy. Without it, I don’t know where I would be, you know, run the streets or whatever it was.” So, when epilepsy manifested in Phoenix’s late teens, potentially taking away something that is deep in his heart, he did what he

trained so hard to do: fight back.

“I just want to prove to be an inspiration to others and, most importantly, always stay self-motivated and know that anything is possible and I’m only here once, so I’m going to do what I want to do and do it by the will of God.”

Phoenix, who trains and represents the Harlem House of Champions, recently won the 176lb Six Borough Championship in the elite light heavyweight division.

“Rodney represents everything Harlem House of Champions stands for — discipline, community, and faith. His story is a reminder that real champions don’t just train hard, they lead by example,” said Ronnie Love, Phoenix’s coach and founder of the health and wellness organization located at 236 West 135th Street.

Phoenix is also a gym teacher at Future Leaders Institute Charter School in Harlem and is motivated by the kids he works with.

“I love the kids, and I have been working with them since I gradu-

ated (from Lehman College with a bachelor’s degree in recreational education) in 2020,” he said. Phoenix was also recently baptized at Abyssinian Baptist Church, one of Harlem’s most well known houses of worship.

“I feel like it’s always important to give back to the next generation, and being young, I just feel like the (Future Leaders students) are like my little siblings in a way.”

Phoenix emphasized that his influence on youth encompasses much more than their physical fitness.

“Anytime I see a kid that’s down, they always know they always talk to Coach Rodney. It is always being that mentor because I did not have that in school, and nobody really got to talk to me as a kid, so I always want to come talk to the kids and just always give back.”

Phoenix will next compete on Saturday, April 5, at the Frederick Samuel Community Center, located at 669 Malcolm X Blvd. Doors open

at 3 p.m. for weigh-ins, with the first bell sounding at 5 p.m. sharp. This event is part of the Ring Masters Championships, and winners will compete at The Theater at Madison

from May 11-18.

Jazz Chisholm Jr., off to a hot start, can be the NY Yankees X-Factor

By MATTHEW CAIN, MLBbro.com Special tov the AmNews

The New York Yankees are off to a strong start to the 2025 MLB season. They were 3-1 prior to hosting the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Bronx last night and set Major League Baseball’s all-time record of 17 home runs through the first four games of a season. A major factor in their explosive offense? Jazz Chisholm Jr., a rising star poised to make a huge impact in the Bronx.

Chisholm wasted no time making his presence felt, launching three home runs in the Yankees’ opening series against the Milwaukee Brewers, including a thrilling two-homer game on Sunday in the Yankees 12-3 win. With his power, speed, and knack for getting on base, the dynamic 27 year old from the Bahamas is shaping up to be a game changer for this new-look Yankees squad. Slotted in the cleanup spot behind perennial MVP candidate Aaron Judge, Chisholm adds another dangerous weapon to an already stacked lineup.

The Yankees were in desperate need of his versatility, athleticism, and elite baserunning last season.

Acquired at last season’s MLB trade deadline from the Miami Marlins, Chisholm quickly made his mark in pinstripes, playing 46 games at third base while hitting a steady .273 with an impressive .825 OPS. His contributions helped propel the Yankees to the postseason and secured his second career playoff appearance.

Interestingly, Chisholm hadn’t played in the infield consistently since early in his career with the Marlins. After transitioning to the outfield in 2022 to accommodate Miami’s roster needs, he proved his adaptability once again by returning to the infield for New York. However, for the 2025 season, he’ll be making another shift — this time back to his natural position at second base.

The move to second should pay huge dividends for the Yankees.

Chisholm boasts a solid career fielding percentage of .970 at the position,

with only 19 errors across five seasons. His defensive prowess, combined with his offensive firepower, makes him an invaluable asset for a Yankees team determined to chase another championship.

With Chisholm now settled in and thriving, Yankees fans have every reason to be excited. If his electric start to 2025 is any indication, the Bronx Bombers might have just found their missing piece.

Coming into the 2025 season, the Yankees faced several unanswered questions, one of the biggest of which was just how good can Jazz Chisholm Jr. be? If his early performance is any indication, he’s poised to be an All-Star in the Bronx and could be the spark that helps propel the Yankees back to the World Series.

Square Garden Thursday, April 10. Ring Masters winners earn their way to the National Golden Gloves, which will take place in Tulsa, Oklahoma,

Boxer Rodney Phoenix has not allowed epilepsy to stifle his love of and competitive participation in the sport. (Antonio Guiseppe photo)

Yankees third baseman Jazz

Chisholm Jr., mirroring the team, is off to a hot start at the plate to open the 2025 MLB season. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)