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THE ALTERNATIVE VOLUMEPERSPECTIVE 26 ISSUE 40
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HONORED WITH LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
N e w H P D C o m m i s s i o n e r W i l l C r e at e A F F O R D A B L E H O U S I N G
York and a former chancellor of the Blackwill Stars News 2015 Annual LouiseThe Carroll serve as the next Awards Dinner will honor Mayor New York public schools system. Commissioner of the Department David Dinkins, Rep. Charles of Housing Preservation and Pioneering producers Stephen Rangel, Rep. Yvette Clarke, Development. As Commissioner, Byrd and Alia Jones, through their R.intensify Donahue Peebles, Barbara company Front Row Production, she will preservation Inez Barron, Sabrina brought “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” effortsArnwine, to address displacement Lamb, Dr. Rudy Crew, Stephen and “A Streetcar Named Desire” before it occurs. Carroll will also Byrd, Alia Jones, and the Central with a multi-ethnic cast to work closely with the new Mayor’s Park Five survivors of gross injustice Broadway. In 2016 they bring Office to Protect Tenants to create on December 18 from 6:00pm – “Eclipsed” with Oscar Winner strategies to hold bad landlords 10:00pm at MIST Harlem, 46 West Lupita Nyong ’O to Broadway. accountable and ensure we are 116th Street. using every available resource to Honorees, the so-called Central “EachYorkers honoree for keep New in chosen their homes. Park 5, are collectively and recognition hasisdemonstrated “Affordable Housing about more individually heroes. They are exceptional vision in than just numbersleadership for Louiseand – she survivors of one of the ugliest David Dinkins Charles Rangel orwith his respective profession or knowsher that every affordable miscarriage of justice in New York’s andpreserved, in some significant home endeavor created and it history; having been railroaded majority. She now leads The was a member of the New York has Yorkers contributed meansmeasure more New can towards and unjustly convicted for a crime Transformative Justice Coalition. City Council, representing the creating a more society th stabilize their lives andjust thrive in in this they did not commit and for which Arnwine was for 26 years executive 40 council district in Brooklyn, country,” says Black Starfight News their neighborhoods. She will they served long prison sentences director of the Lawyers’ Committee succeeding her mother, Una S. founder publisher th aggressively to and protect tenantsMilton and ranging from seven years to 13 years for Civil Rights Under the Law. T. Clarke. In the current 114 Allimadi. “Obviously much work prevent displacement,” said Mayor before being exonerated when the Congress Clarke serves on Inez Barron, honoree, formerly a needs to be done here and actual rapist confessed. They are: de Blasio. the Energy and Commerce State Assembly member, is now around the world.” Yusef Abdus Salaam; Raymond Committee, responsible for “I’m going fight to ensure New a New York City council member The gala starts at 6:00pm with a Santana Jr., Antron McCray, Kevin consumer protection, food Yorkers can afford to live and and a champion of education for - Louise Carroll cocktail hour to be followed by the Richardson, and Kharey Wise. safety, energy development, public our youth. thrive dinner in this and City.awards Fighting means HPD Commissioner ceremonies. There health, communications, the The Black Star News, which focuses cuttingwill through the red-tape, Honoree Imhotep Gary Byrd is be musical entertainment by environment, and interstate and on investigative journalism, has rejecting business as usual, and a legendary radio talk show host opera singer Cassandra Douglas international commerce. been featured as a result of some if enacting that focus on and executive producer, radio DJ, andpolicies from harmonica phenomenon its news scoops, on CNN, The New R. Donahue honoree, is enforcement the everyday of tenants,” a skilled negotiatorPeebles, and manager unit to protect tenants’ poet, songwriter, music recordingship-owning and brokerage Williamlives Galison. David Dinkins is York Daily News, The New York a leading founder ofrights artist said Commissioner Carroll.Achievement “I working on rentdeveloper regulationand reform and make sure landlords and producer, rapper, writercompany. honored for Lifetime Voice, and Brill’s The Peebles Co., the nation’s largest want to Mayor Blasio, were following throughactivist. on theirHe beganCarrollPost, was The bornVillage in the U.S. Virgin and community —thank he was New de York City’s first and committed to protecting their Content magazine. African American-owned real promises and Deputy Beenmayor for theand alsohomes.” to the as City. She was his career a radio DJ inalso BuffaloIslands and raised in St. Lucia. AfricanMayor American estate firm with $3.5 billion worthinstrumental opportunity to build on the agency’s Black Starfrom News honorees to both the design holds a J.D. Tulane at age 15. For over 30 years, he’s CarrollPast welcomed Nelson Mandela to theCarroll is currently the General of properties under development and implementation existing initiatives and join’s the have included: Gil Noble of mandatory, Law School, an M.B.A. from the(Like It been a talk show host at WBLS and city after his release in 1990. Counsel of the Housing or management — he was one permanent administration’s historic efforts to Is), Rep. Maxine Waters, Soledad housing of Leicester, England, WLIBaffordable radio in New York City. HeUniversity Development Corporation. She Rangel, also honored of the pioneering developerswho ensureRep. thatCharles New York is fairer and O’Brien (CNN), Ms. Camille also has a Friday night radio talk and a B.Sc. from the University Cosby, requirements. served ataround HPD from for Lifetime helped turn and revitalize more affordable forAchievement, generations tohas formerly Voza (New Heritage Theatre), on WBAI. of Wales at Rivers Aberystwyth. Carroll to 2018, most recently as Beforeshow her tenure at HPD, served in Congress since 1971. He 2006 is the once-blighted Anacostia Errol Louis (NY1 News), Amel come.” Sabrina Lamb, founderis a recipient of the prestigious a recipient of The Bronze medal for Associate Commissioner for LouiseHonoree served as an Associate neighborhood in Washington, D.C. Larrieux (Entertainer), Dr. William Ibo Balton Community Planner “Louise is a brilliant lawyerbehind and enemyHousing of World of Money, is a champion helping save soldiers Incentives. During her Counsel at the New York City A champion of African-American Pollard (Medgar Evers College), manager is known for being of financial literacy for youth-sheAward from the Citizens Housing line who during the Korean War. tenureeconomic at the agency, Carroll Peebles’ Conflicts of Interest Board and empowerment is Herm Edwards (NY Jets), Nayaba teaches knowledge handlingPlanning Commission. She lives in tough Rep. and fair,” said Incoming revamped the City’s tax incentives as a transactions attorneyabout for the contemplating a possible run for NYC Yvette Clarke is a Democratic Arinde (Amsterdam News), La-Verna money, and planning. Manhattan with her husband and Deputy Mayor of forthe Housing and of programs to increase New York Citybudgeting Administration mayor in 2017. the amount member US House Fountain (Columbia their seven-year-old son. University), Economic Developmentfrom Vicki of affordability they generated, for Children’s Services. Prior to Dr. Rudy Crew, honoree, is one of Representatives New Lillian Roberts (DC37), Desiree Honoree Barbara Arnwine, civil Acting HPD Commissioner Eric Dancy Been.York “It’s whose her empathy, integrity, producing record numbers of beginning her career in public the nation’s leading educators. He’s 9th district covers (New York Times), Greg Floyd (Local rights lawyer, is a champion of Enderlin will return to his position and tenacity a litigator that Before affordable housing. Carroll also led service, Louise worked as a Chief much ofascentral Brooklyn. 237), Rev. Al Sharpton (National president of Medgar Evers College protecting voting rights of ethnic as President of the Housing will make her an excellent of groups a compliance and Financial Officer an international entering Congress in HPD 2007, she the creation Action Network), and many others. of The CityofUniversity of New Development minority — the emerging Corporation. Commissioner. Tenants now have
“I’m goi ng fight to ensure New Yorkers can afford to live and thrive in this Cit y.”
INSIDE T HIS ISSUE: IS SUE : INSIDE THIS
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NEWS
M E M O R I A L D AY T R AV E L P l a n n i n g B e g i n s
Memorial Day is on its way! The holiday weekend is one of the busiest travel times of the year for motorists getting ready to embark on a much-anticipated getaway.
Whether heading to Disney or Universal in Orlando, South Beach in Miami, or any other popular Memorial Day destination, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) urges motorists to use the Florida 511 (FL511) Advanced Traveler Information System (ATIS) as part of their travel plans. The FL511 system is the state’s official source for traffic and travel information. FL511 provides information on congestion events, crashes, construction and maintenance activities; and travel times on all interstates and toll facilities and several Florida routes, so drivers can make better choices about their travel plans. The free information service is accessible by mobile app, website in English and Spanish, Twitter messages, Facebook, Instagram, texts alerts and more.
NY C NYC HE ALTH + HOSPITAL S, the nation’s largest public health care system serving more than one million New Yorkers annually, today announced that the health system was able to secure more than $2 million in special loan forgiveness grants for 17 physicians in exchange for their commitment to continue serving needy New Yorkers in the Health + Hospitals system. The 17 physicians – with specialties ranging from psychiatry, pediatrics and emergency medicine – currently practice in the health system’s hospitals and community based health centers. The Health + Hospitals physicians will receive $40,000 per year for up to three years to pay down their medical school debt. The grants were provided by the state’s Doctors Across New York Physician Loan Repayment program and will result in more than 50 years of combined service to support the Health + Hospitals’ comprehensive, multiyear redesign to build a competitive, sustainable organization that will continue to offer high-quality and accessible health care to the people of New York City. According to the Association of Medical Colleges, the average medical student loan debt was $192,520 in 2018; the average cost of four years of medical school at a private institution was more than $278,000. “We are so pleased to help this impressive and diverse group of doctors obtain an added incentive and financial relief to continue giving back in communities that desperately need their expertise and dedication,” said Mitchell Katz, MD, President and CEO, NYC Health + Hospitals. “This is
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FL511 provides camera views on major Florida roads, so users can see road conditions throughout the state. The goal is to provide information about current conditions to keep traffic moving safely and efficiently. To accomplish its goal, FL511 offers the latest information on transportation services and conditions throughout Florida, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Before heading out, drivers should visit the FL511.com website for important traffic information and incident alerts. In addition, be sure to download the FL511 Mobile App, now with voice interaction feature and speak a request for your destination. Once on the road, have a passenger check to avoid using a phone while behind the wheel. Get the Florida 511 Mobile App on Google Play, or download it from the App Store. Travelers can follow FL511 on 13 Twitter handles, on Facebook @FL511, and Instagram @Florida_511. For more information, visit the website at www. FL511.com to Connect.Know.Go.
+
GRANTS PAY MED SCHOOL DEBT
one of other loan forgiveness programs available to physicians who want to serve in our essential health system and build a career like no other, in a city like no other.” “As an immigrant, I feel a profound sense of pride in practicing in a diverse and inclusive setting like Bellevue and getting to learn about patient's different backgrounds,” said Dr. Reza Parungao, a psychiatrist at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue in Manhattan. “This grant will ease the burden of having a substantial student loan debt. I feel less stress in knowing that I can continue practicing primary care in an academic and safety net setting. Often times, physicians leave for a higher paying private practice position because of the financial reality of having to repay loans.”
“It was my mission statement when applying medical school to work with the underserved, and I have kept that as my mission statement throughout medical school, residency and now as an attending,” said Dr. Robyn Levinson, a pediatrician at NYC Health + Hospitals/ Gotham Health, Belvis in the Bronx. “I was taught from a young age to always give back to those less fortunate than I. Also, I enjoyed working with H+H as a resident, which made my choice to come back as an attending very easy. And I love working with my coworkers.”
can meet their financial needs and that public health systems can recruit and keep practitioners.”
The NYC Health + Hospitals physicians who received the loan repayment grants were recognized by Dr. Katz at breakfast on Friday, April 5. The physicians receiving grants to pay off or pay down their debt are: Diana Aschettino, NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem, pediatric medicine. Jennifer Cabral, NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln, obstetrics and gynecology. Vincent Capanelli, NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan, neurology. Lucas Dreamer, NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County Hospital, internal medicine. Abieyuwa Eboikpomwen, NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health, internal medicine. Chudi Eyiuche, NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens, psychiatry. Robyn Levinson, NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health, Belvis, pediatric medicine. Meredith Lynn, NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health, Gouverneur, internal medicine. Denise McCormack, NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx,
emergency medicine. Daniel McGonigle, NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue, psychiatry. Jenny Mirabal, NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, psychiatry. Joshua Moskovitz, NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi, emergency medicine. Anna Paley, NYC Health + Hospitals/ Elmhurst, psychiatry. Reza Parungao, NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue, psychiatry. Schantal Polanco, NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi, internal medicine. Ali Samee, NYC Health + Hospitals/ Queens, psychiatry. Alexander Sanchez, NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan, psychiatry. The Doctors Across New York program is a state funded initiative enacted in 2008 to help train and place physicians in underserved communities in a variety of settings and specialties to care for New York´s diverse population. The programrequires a 3-year service obligation for a maximum amount of $120,000. On average, the program issues 75 three-year awards. Those interested in becoming a primary care physician at NYC Health + Hospitals can learn more at docs4nyc. org.
“Doctors Across New York enables students from all backgrounds to become physicians and improve health care in underserved areas,” said Assembly Health Committee Chair Richard N. Gottfried. “By combining loan forgiveness and public service, these grants ensure both that students
May 2, 2019 - May 8, 2019
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NEWS CHAMBER of COMMERCE Annual Symposium Focus On Employment The Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce (MDCC) hosted its Annual Symposium & Business Leaders Luncheon on Friday, March 29 at Hyatt Regency Miami, located in downtown Miami. Each year, the Miami Dade Chamber’s executive leadership chooses a theme that directly impacts its constituents, building a power panel around it. It’s no secret that the economic landscape is changing in Miami. One of the most important elements of this landscape is the workforce. As the leading chamber in MiamiDade County’s minority community, MDCC leveraged its position to bring together a number of formidable thought leaders to discuss “Employment: Today & Tomorrow”. Title sponsor CareerSource South Florida was uniquely positioned to lend deep insight on this topic. Executive Director, Rick Beasley, led an intuitive fireside chat with none other the President & CEO of Enterprise Florida, Jamal Sowell. The day began with an introduction provided by Dr. Mark Rosenberg, President of Florida International University (FIU). Dr. Rosenberg shed light on how universities like FIU must be at the forefront of preparing students to step confidently into the workforce. The first panel of the day, led by President of the Florida State Minority Supplier Development Council Beatrice Louissaint, focused on Enhancing Small Business Competitiveness. Panel members included President and CEO of Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Michael Harrington,
Managing Member of Brickell Ventures John Hall, Chief Executive Officer of Holsen Inc. Enterprises Darryl Holsendolph and Dr. Mark Rosenberg. The second and final panel of the symposium, led President of the Mourning Family Foundation Bill Diggs, took a deep dive into “Tools to Develop South Florida’s Talent Pipeline.” Panel members included Executive Director of CareerSource South Florida Rick Beasley, District 1 Miami-Dade County Public School Board Member Steve Gallon, Venture Hive Founder and CEO Susan Amat and Florida Memorial University’s Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Adrienne Cooper. During the Business Leaders Luncheon, the Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce acknowledges those individuals who have worked so hard in the community. It also recognizes Chamber members for their business savvy and accomplishments. Special recognition was awarded to the following; Aletha Player – Board Member of the Year; Greenberg Traurig – Corporate Business of the Year; United Way of Miami-Dade – Large Non-Profit Organization of the Year; BAC Funding – Small Non-Profit Organization of the Year; MIA Media Group – Dexter Foster Small Business of the Year; Matthew Pigatt – Rising Star of the Year. After the awards were presented, Rick Beasley of CareerSource South Florida welcomed Marine Corps. Veteran Jamal Sowell to the stage to talk economic prosperity for middle class and minority communities
as well as Enterprise Florida’s talent retention efforts. “It was a pleasure to speak with the MiamiDade Chamber of Commerce last week about Enterprise Florida and our mission to diversify Florida’s economy,” said President Sowell. “We look forward to partnering with local communities to recruit new businesses and create opportunity for Floridians.” Sponsors for the event included CareerSource South Florida (title sponsor), Wells Fargo, AARP, American Airlines, Bank of America, Bayside Marketplace, Commissioner Barbara Jordan, Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, Jackson Health System, Knight Foundation, Royal Caribbean Ltd and InTouch Logistics LLC.
About: The Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1974 by a group of Black business leaders out of a need for a strong organization that could objectively advocate the needs of a growing Black business community. To date, the Chamber has been led by four presidents, David Fincher 19741984, Dorothy Baker 1984-2004, Bill Diggs 2005-2013 and current President G. Eric Knowles 2014. Understanding that membership is the life blood of the Chamber, they have focused on meeting the needs of the membership by upholding our five pillars of service; access, development, procurement, advocacy and foundation. For additional information, please visit www.m-dcc.org.
LAW SU I T Against NYC Hospital Won Over MA LP R A C TIC E Keimoneia Redish, a Black grandmother from New York who was left crippled for life due to medical malpractice, has recently won a massive $110.6 million in damages after a long legal fight against a local hospital and its four doctors. It was considered the largest malpractice award ever for a single-plaintiff suit. In 2010, Redish was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital after an asthma attack. Instead of getting better, she got worse with a brain injury that resulted in crippling speech and motor deficits, according to her attorney, Richard Gurfein. According to the lawsuit, she should have been transferred to a hospital with better equipment. The hospital didn’t have the advanced
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technology, ECMO or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, that could have prevented a lifelong, irreversible damage caused by carbon dioxide build-up in her brain. Still, Dr. Darryl Adler, Dr. Richard Stumacher, Dr. Abdurham Ahmed, and Dr. Ronald Ciubutaro continued treating Redish at the St. Barnabas facility. She testified that at one point, she was moved to the “dark side” of the hospital’s ICU. She spent a total of 328 days in the hospital and in nursing homes before returning home in October 2011. Above all that, Redish claims the doctors and the lawyer representing the hospital made her feel that her condition was somehow her fault. She testified, “I heard [the defense lawyer] say I fell using the walker because I always tried to
walk. But I fell that day because I refused to be down.”
taken care of her partner for 26 years, Clarence Darden.
Redish, who is now 48-years old with five sons and a grandchild, is confined to a wheelchair and being
“I don’t want to be this way,”
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she added.
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C O M M E N TA R Y Raise Awareness During NATIONAL MINORITY HEALTH MONTH
The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) today announced the kickoff of its new national “Know the Numbers” campaign to raise awareness about how prostate cancer disproportionately affects African American men, who are 76 percent more likely to be diagnosed than men of other ethnicities, 2.2 times more likely to die of the disease and are 23% more likely to present with advanced/metastatic disease.
The campaign, themed “Know the Numbers,” encourages men and their families to understand their risks and to take proactive measures to protect their health. “I am honored to serve as an ambassador for the Prostate Cancer Foundation and to use my platform to raise awareness about this insidious disease which has affected so many people close to me,” said actor Harry Lennix. “In honor of those I have lost, I am encouraging all men, including African Americans who are at heightened risk, to take the time to familiarize themselves with this disease and to take steps to reduce their risk for developing prostate cancer or to catch it early enough to survive it.” Despite recent reports of declining mortality rates for African American men, they remain the hardest hit by prostate cancer, with nearly 20 percent still being affected, and suffer the highest mortality rate from the disease of any racial or ethnic group in the United States. There remains a need to build public awareness about prostate cancer and to provide easy access
to critical information, including screening guidelines, prevention and new targeted treatments. Equally important is destigmatizing the disease through open, honest dialogue, such as this discussion featuring former minority leader of the Georgia House of Representatives, Stacey Abrams, and her father, which will lead to more men becoming proactive about
awareness – which we know is saving lives on the front end, and investment in science, so we can better understand what is going on so precision treatments can be developed.”
their health.
Blacklist,” is the face of PCF’s 2019 “Know the Numbers” campaign, which encourages men to understand their personal risks for prostate cancer, take charge of their health and save lives by breaking down barriers and talking about the disease. The PCF’s new PSA featuring Lennix can be viewed at www.pcf.org/knowthenumbers. The PCF’s new “PROSTATE CANCER: Additional Facts for African American Men and Their
“Currently, there is focus and large commitment in place to understand why the disparities that affect African American men with prostate cancer exist, and we are finally seeing some progress. But this is not the time to take the foot off the gas; this is the time to accelerate,” said Christine N. Jones, Chief Operating Officer, PCF. “We have a two-pronged approach to address this issue – education and
NATIONAL MINORITY HEALTH MONTH CAMPAIGN HIGHLIGHTS Actor Harry Lennix, who currently co-stars on the NBC drama “The
Families” is available for free download at www.pcf.org. The new guide provides actionable information about what men can do to prevent prostate cancer as well as information about risks and screening guidelines specifically for African Americans. The guide features comments from Chris Tucker, Brian Custer, “Uncle” Charlie Wilson and Snoop Dogg. Also available for free download is a comprehensive Prostate Cancer Patient Guide. The PCF currently has more than $10 million invested in research focused on prostate cancer in African American men. Teams across the U.S. are investigating a range of topics such as environmental factors to targeted therapies and genomics. Commencing this month is recruitment for the RESPOND study, which represents a $1 million PCF investment and is the largest study of its kind aimed at identifying the environmental and genetic factors related to disproportionately high diagnoses of aggressive prostate cancer in African American men. The study aims to recruit 10,000 participants over a three-year period to generate key biological and non-biological information that will help researchers reduce the rate of aggressive prostate cancer in this population. Find out more at www. pcf.org/RESPOND. Randy Jackson, Chris Tucker, Rev. Rosey Grier and others will be featured in month-long social media campaigns designed to reach men to encourage them to “Know the Numbers.”
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ENTER TAINMENT B r o w n S u g a r C e l e b r at e s P A M G R I E R ' S 7 0 th B i r t h d ay Brown Sugar, the popular
subscription video on demand service from Bounce, is honoring both Moms and the "Mother of Badass" - the legendary Pam Grier in May. "Foxy Brown" herself turns 70 this month and Brown Sugar is celebrating with a curated collection of Grier cult classics including Coffy, Sheba, Baby and Friday Foster, along with newer Grier titles such as The Big Bird Cage, The Big Doll House and Women in Cages. For Mother's Day, Brown Sugar offers "Brown Sugar Mamas," a collection of films featuring strong Mother figures, including: My Other Mother (Lynn Whitfield, Jasmine Guy), Grandma's House (Wendy Raquel Robinson, Loretta Devine), Down in the Delta (Loretta Devine, Wesley Snipes) and Holiday Heart (Alfre Woodard, Ving Rhames). More exciting new titles coming to Brown Sugar this month include Lilies of the Field (Sidney Poitier); Bojangles (Gregory Hines, Kimberly Elise); Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo (Ice-T) and The Arena (Pam Grier).
Popular movies returning in May include Bucktown (Pam Grier, Carl Weathers); Five on the Black Hand Side (Glynn Turman, Ja'Net DuBois); Black Caesar (Fred Williamson); Hell Up in Harlem (Margaret Avery); Original Gangstas (Richard Roundtree and Jim Brown), Posse (Big Daddy Kane, Blair Underwood) and A Rage in Harlem (Forest Whitaker, Gregory Hines, and Danny Glover). Subscribers can watch these films and countless others on Brown Sugar along with complete seasons of top-rated Bounce originals such as Saints & Sinners, Family Time, In The Cut and Last Call. Brown Sugar is available on Apple TV, Roku, Chromecast, Comcast Xfinity X1, Amazon Channels, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Kindle, Android and Apple smartphones and tablets and web browsers via BrownSugar.com. There is a free 7-day initial trial period for subscribers with a retail price of $3.99/month thereafter. Visit www. BrownSugar.com for more information. Brown Sugar is a part of The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP).
MOVIE REVIEW TH E SU N IS AL SO A STA R "What if I told you I could get you to fall in love with me…?”
College-bound romantic Daniel Bae and Jamaica-born pragmatist Natasha Kingsley meet—and fall for each other— over one magical day amidst the fervor and flurry of New York City. Sparks immediately fly between these two strangers, who might never have met had fate not given them a little push. But will fate be enough to take these teens from star-crossed to lucky in love? With just hours left on the clock in what looks to be her last day in the U.S., Natasha is fighting against her family’s deportation as fiercely as she’s fighting her budding feelings for Daniel, who is working just as hard to convince her they are destined to be together. A modern-day story about finding love against all odds, “The Sun Is Also a Star” explores whether our lives are determined by fate or the random events of the universe. The film stars Yara Shahidi (“grownish”) as Natasha and Charles Melton (“Riverdale”) as Daniel, along with John Leguizamo (“John Wick: Chapter 2”). Directed by Ry Russo-Young (“Before I Fall”), the film is based on the acclaimed bestseller by Everything,
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May 2, 2019 - May 8, 2019
Everything author Nicola Yoon. The Sun Is Also a Star was #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and has received multiple accolades, including: 2016 National Book Award Finalist; Amazon’s Best Book of 2016 in YA; Amazon’s Top 20 Children’s Books of 2016 in YA; the New York Times Notable Children’s Books of 2016; and Entertainment Weekly’s 10 Best Books of 2016. Russo-Young directed from a screenplay by Tracy Oliver (“Girls Trip”). The film’s producers are Leslie Morgenstein and Elysa Koplovitz Dutton, who served as producers on “Everything, Everything.” Pamela Hirsch served as executive producer. The behindthe-scenes creative team includes director of photography Autumn Durald Arkapaw (“Teen Spirit”), production designer Wynn Thomas (“Hidden Figures”), editor Joe Landauer (“Before I Fall”), and costume designer Deirdra Elizabeth Govan (“Sorry to Bother You”). The music is by Herdís Stefánsdóttir (“The Hate U Give”). Warner Bros. Pictures and Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures present An Alloy Entertainment production, “The Sun Is Also a Star,” due in theaters worldwide beginning May 16, 2019.
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ENTER TAINMENT PROFILE One of the most rec ognizable figure s in c ontemporary music,
Beyoncé rose to fame in the late ‘90s as the central member of popR&B group Destiny’s Child, and the following decade embarked on a multi-platinum, record-breaking solo career with Dangerously in Love (2003), her first in an unbroken string of number one pop solo albums. Chart-topping singles such as “Crazy in Love” (2003), “Irreplaceable” (2006), and “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” (2008), combined with sold-out world tours and Grammy awards, all heightened her profile in the 2000s. Billboard named her female artist of the decade, while the RIAA acknowledged that, through 64 gold and platinum certifications, she was the decade’s top-selling artist. Once Beyoncé released her self-titled fifth solo album in 2013, it was evident that the powerhouse vocalist, songwriter, and dancer wasn’t merely an entertainer but a progressive artist as well. The notion was affirmed throughout the remainder of the decade with Lemonade (2016) and Everything Is Love (2018). Born in Houston, Texas, Beyoncé began performing at age seven,
winning over 30 local competitions for her dancing and vocal abilities. Her talents are not limited to singing, however. Before landing several movie roles, Beyoncé became the first African-American female artist and second woman ever to win the annual ASCAP Pop Songwriter of the Year Award. An appearance in the MTV drama Carmen: A Hip Hopera quickly followed, but it was her role as Foxxy Cleopatra in 2002’s Austin Powers in Goldmember that established her as a true Hollywood star. She also turned in an awardwinning performance for the movie musical, Dreamgirls. Beyoncé made history with Coachella. Backed by a pyramid constructed with bleachers and over two-hundred backing performers, Beyoncé became the first AfricanAmerican female to headline the festival, closing both weekends of Coachella 2018 with historic performances that highlighted black culture and featured guest appearances by Jay-Z, Solange, and a reunited Destiny’s Child. Months later in June 2018, while Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s co-headlining On the Run II tour was underway, the couple released Everything Is Love, a collaborative full-length credited to the Carters. Wrapping at the end
BEYONCÉ
of the year, On the Run II was the third-highest grossing tour of 2018. True to form, Beyoncé issued the surprise live album Homecoming in April 2019. Paired with a concert documentary of the same name, the 40-song chronicle immortalized her 2018 Coachella performance and also included a newly released song,
a cover of Maze’s “Before I Let Go.” Beyoncé is blazing a trail that cannot fail. She is truly a multitalented singer, actress, mom and business mogul extraordinaire. Source: https://www.allmusic. com/artist/beyonc%C3%A9mn0000761179/biography
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TECH NOLOGY MULTI-FACETED ESPORTS ESPORTS, GAMING & PEER To PEER CONTENT PLATFORM DEBUTS In a commitment toward further solidifying themselves in the digital era as the definitive mobile app + social network connecting the seismic Historically Black College & University (HBCU) audience, HBCU GO announced it has forged a multi-year partnership with AMPlifi STUDIOS to satisfy the un-met demand and cultural void that exists within the fast-growing, vast E-SPORTS and Gaming ecosystem. HBCU GO is a unique partnership between the HBCU TV Network and Kiswe Mobile, and the brainchild of media industry leaders Curtis Symonds, CEO and co-founder Clinton Evans, President & GM of HBCU TV Network. The former BET executives were instrumental in the meteoric rise of Black Entertainment Television (BET) and assisting BET founder Robert Johnson sell the company for $3 billion. Symonds and Evans have since pioneered a success path through the digital transformation, on the forefront of the second wave of disruption and cultural sea change across the media landscape. “I feel very strongly that there needs to be more education and exposure of HBCU’s and Gaming is a huge component to their lifestyle
and authentic aspect of the overall campus experience,” Symonds said. “We are creating a social platform where students can provide the content to fill the gaps in Black programming. The App is almost like another channel because of the amount of video, live content and star power we bring.” Looking to carve out HBCU GO's E-SPORTS niche and secure its slice of the $6.9B Mobile gaming pie, Symonds underscored the importance of aligning with the right partner that was able to translate the gaming opportunity in a differentiated way with a visceral understanding of cultural nuances and inter-generational nature of the HBCU experience. To satisfy this requirement, he and his partner turned to the Lone Star State for one of its rising stars in the E-SPORTS ecosystem and long-standing trusted advisor, Erin Patton, Chairman of AMPlifi SPORTS GROUP and its gaming subsidiary, AMPlifi STUDIOS. Despite the staggering levels of investment that have poured into E-SPORTS coiffeurs, Patton believes the access point and representation of cultural groups is still lagging, particularly in the mobile segment,
N E W HBCU APP L AU NCHED HBCU TV Network and Kiswe Mobile soft launched during Black History Month a brand new app called “HBCU GO: A Hangtime Experience” in the Apple and Google Play app stores. This new app will bring together some of the most powerful HBCU related content with a novel, fully social, and interactive “Hang Together” experience pioneered by Kiswe Mobile. This is the first time a major content category teams up with an innovative technology platform provider to bring a fully social and interactive end user mobile experience. HBCU TV Network headquartered in Washington, DC is a 24/7, 365, education, entertainment, sports and live events network. HBCU TV Network founding members are cable industry veterans, Curtis Symonds (CEO) and Clinton Evans (GM). “HBCU TV Network is dedicated to becoming a true destination for the total HBCU Experience, but more importantly, to build a company for the institutions to increase recruitment, enhance endowments and an educational tool to provide tech savvy students pursuing careers within the media and tech industry” said Clint Evans. Kiswe Mobile is a startup company focused on mobile interactive video
8 | NewYorkTrendnyc
created by known and accomplished technology leaders. Through its HangtimeTM app, Kiswe Mobile has pioneered a fully interactive and social mobile video platform and has shown how adding social and interactivity to linear streaming can grow viewing times tenfold. This is the first time our industry has seen a partnership between an innovative digital content owner and a pioneering mobile video platform deliver a shared digital living room experience. In the partnership HBCU TV is responsible for content creation and app marketing while Kiswe Mobile is responsible or app creation and operation. With the HBCU GO app, end users will not only be able to stream the HBCU content but also interact with it. The app will provide a number of interactive capabilities all centered around a concept called “Hangs.” Hangs are like virtual living rooms, where groups of like-minded users can feel like they are together by watching the same content while interacting with it and each other. Interaction can range from chat to engaging with live hosts and responding to live polls and questions. The HBCU community has been looking for a platform like this to get together
given changes in media preferences and consumption. “We’ve barely scratched the surface as it relates to raising the decibel level around the cultural resonance within the E-SPORTS and Gaming ecosystem,” he said. While the social experience and corresponding network effects will be a key driver, Patton added the most integral component of the partnership with HBCU GO revolves around Education and creating a sustainable pipeline of future innovators, coders, publishers and Entrepreneurs. “Few people outside the HBCU community recognize the
disproportionate impact of HBCUs in STEM fields,” he said. “For example, though our nation's 105 HBCU’s make up just three percent of colleges and universities, they produce 27 percent of African Americans with bachelors' degrees in STEM fields. That, coupled with radical shifts in traditional media consumption, content distribution and the advent of geo-culturalism, bodes very well for this partnership.” For more information log onto www. hbcugo.tv or contact Clint Evans 860.966.1480 or Erin Patton 201.988.3412.
and live interact with the content as well as with each other. "We have shown many times that social interaction with content is the key to bringing video to mobile,” says Wim Sweldens, CoFounder and Chief Architect of Kiswe Mobile, “We are proud to partner with HBCU TV to bring the best content with the best experience to mobile.” For more information contact Clint Evans at 860.966.1480 or logo on to www. hbcugo.tv
I sl an d T V E xpands its Reach Recently under the new management, Island TV has expanded its reach via multiple platforms. Besides broadcasting on Comcast CH 578 and Digital CH 16.6 in South Florida, Island TV is also available in 20 Caribbean Islands. It is also available on its own Roku App, Android & Apple Mobile Apps, and broadcast live online at www. islandtv.tv. During the last year, Island TV has significantly grown and has a lot in store planned for its viewers in the near future! To continue providing excellent service to our loyal customers, Island TV has enhanced their sales force, now under the guidance and leadership of Mr.
May 2, 2019 - May 8, 2019
Darin Woods, a veteran sales and management leader. We trust that this internal change in personnel will in no way, affect our business relationship. Island TV pledges to not only continue providing you with great service, but to also ensure your utmost satisfaction in the services we offer. The new management and the Sales Director look forward to working with our loyal customers and to keep increasing their business awareness and branding on Island TV through our various platforms. For more information about the new Island TV, contact Darin via phone (786-416-3801 or 888-816-7174), or via his email (dwoods@islandtv.tv).
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LEGAL NOTICE
To merchants who have accepted Visa and Mastercard at any time from January 1, 2004 to January 25, 2019: Notice of a class action settlement of approximately $5.54-6.24 Billion. Si desea leer este aviso en espaùol, llåmenos o visite nuestro sitio web, www.PaymentCardSettlement.com. Notice of a class action settlement authorized by the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York. This notice is authorized by the Court to inform you about an agreement to settle a class action lawsuit that may affect you. The lawsuit claims that Visa and Mastercard, separately, and together with certain banks, violated antitrust laws and caused merchants to pay excessive fees for accepting Visa and Mastercard credit and debit cards, including by: ™
Agreeing to set, apply, and enforce rules about merchant fees (called default interchange fees);
™
Limiting what merchants could do to encourage their customers to use other forms of payment; and
™
Continuing that conduct after Visa and Mastercard changed their corporate structures.
The defendants say they have done nothing wrong. They say that their business practices are legal and the result of competition, and have benefitted merchants and consumers. The Court has not decided who is right because the parties agreed to a settlement. The Court has given preliminary approval to this settlement.
$40 million and (ii) up to $250,000 per each of the eight Rule 23(b)(3) Class Plaintiffs in service awards for their efforts on behalf of the Rule 23(b)(3) Settlement Class.
HOW
LEGAL RIGHTS
The amount in the class settlement fund after the deductions described below,
™
The deduction to account for certain merchants who exclude themselves from the class,
™
Deductions for the cost of settlement administration and notice, applicable taxes on the settlement fund and any other related tax expenses, money awarded to the Rule 23(b)(3) Class Plaintiffs for their service on behalf of the Class, and attorneys’ fees and expenses, all as approved by the Court, and
™
The total dollar value of all valid claims filed.
Attorneys’ fees and expenses and service awards for the Rule 23(b) (3) Class Plaintiffs: For work done through final approval of the settlement by the district court, Rule 23(b)(3) Class Counsel will ask the Court for attorneys’ fees in an amount that is a reasonable proportion of the class settlement fund, not to exceed 10% of the class settlement fund, to compensate all of the lawyers and their law firms that have worked on the class case. For additional work to administer the settlement, distribute the funds, and litigate any appeals, Rule 23(b)(3) Class Counsel may seek reimbursement at their normal hourly rates. Rule 23(b)(3) Class Counsel will also request (i) an award of their litigation expenses (not including the administrative costs of settlement or notice), not to exceed
PAYMENT
AND
OPTIONS
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<_b[ W YbW_c je Wia \eh fWoc[dj$ Once you receive a claim form, you can submit it via mail or email, or may file it online at www.PaymentCardSettlement.com.
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;nYbkZ[ oekhi[b\ from the Rule 23(b)(3) Settlement Class. If you exclude yourself, you can individually sue the Defendants on your own at your own expense, if you want to. If you exclude yourself, you will not get any money from this settlement. If you are a merchant and wish to exclude yourself, you must make a written request, place it in an envelope, and mail it with postage prepaid and postmarked no later than @kbo ()" (&'/, or send it by overnight delivery shown as sent by @kbo ()" (&'/, to Class Administrator, Payment Card Interchange Fee Settlement, P.O. Box 2530, Portland, OR 97208-2530. Your written request must be signed by a person authorized to do so and provide all of the following information: (1) the words “In re Payment Card Interchange Fee and Merchant Discount Antitrust Litigation,� (2) your full name, address, telephone number, and taxpayer identification number, (3) the merchant that wishes to be excluded from the Rule 23(b)(3) Settlement Class, and what position or authority you have to exclude the merchant, and (4) the business names, brand names, “doing business as� names, taxpayer identification number(s), and addresses of any stores or sales locations whose sales the merchant desires to be excluded. You also are requested to provide for each such business or brand name, if reasonably available: the legal name of any parent (if applicable), dates Visa or Mastercard card acceptance began (if after January 1, 2004) and ended (if prior to January 25, 2019), names of all banks that acquired the Visa or Mastercard card transactions, and acquiring merchant ID(s).
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WHAT MERCHANTS WILL GET FROM THE SETTLEMENT
™
FOR
Merchants who are included in this lawsuit have the legal rights and options explained below. You may:
Under the settlement, Visa, Mastercard, and the bank defendants have agreed to provide approximately $6.24 billion in class settlement funds. Those funds are subject to a deduction to account for certain merchants that exclude themselves from the Rule 23(b) (3) Settlement Class, but in no event will the deduction be greater than $700 million. The net class settlement fund will be used to pay valid claims of merchants that accepted Visa or Mastercard credit or debit cards at any time between January 1, 2004 and January 25, 2019.
Every merchant in the Rule 23(b)(3) Settlement Class that does not exclude itself from the class by the deadline described below and files a valid claim will get money from the class settlement fund. The value of each claim will be based on the actual or estimated interchange fees attributable to the merchant’s Mastercard and Visa payment card transactions from January 1, 2004 to January 25, 2019. Pro rata payments to merchants who file valid claims for a portion of the class settlement fund will be based on:
ASK
To receive payment, merchants must fill out a claim form. If the Court finally approves the settlement, and you do not exclude yourself from the Rule 23(b)(3) Settlement Class, you will receive a claim form in the mail or by email. Or you may ask for one at: www.PaymentCardSettlement.com, or call: 1-800-625-6440.
THE SETTLEMENT
This settlement creates the following Rule 23(b)(3) Settlement Class: All persons, businesses, and other entities that have accepted any Visa-Branded Cards and/or Mastercard-Branded Cards in the United States at any time from January 1, 2004 to January 25, 2019, except that the Rule 23(b)(3) Settlement Class shall not include (a) the Dismissed Plaintiffs, (b) the United States government, (c) the named Defendants in this Action or their directors, officers, or members of their families, or (d) financial institutions that have issued Visa-Branded Cards or Mastercard-Branded Cards or acquired Visa-Branded Card transactions or MastercardBranded Card transactions at any time from January 1, 2004 to January 25, 2019. The Dismissed Plaintiffs are plaintiffs that previously settled and dismissed their own lawsuit against a Defendant, and entities related to those plaintiffs. If you are uncertain about whether you may be a Dismissed Plaintiff, you should call 1-800-625-6440 or visit www.PaymentCardSettlement.com for more information.
TO
EX`[Yj je j^[ i[jjb[c[dj$ The deadline to object is @kbo ()" (&'/. To learn how to object, visit www.PaymentCardSettlement.com or call 1-800-625-6440. Note: If you exclude yourself from the Rule 23(b)(3) Settlement Class you cannot object to the settlement.
For more information about these rights and options, visit: www.PaymentCardSettlement.com.
IF
COURT APPROVES FINAL SETTLEMENT
THE
THE
Members of the Rule 23(b)(3) Settlement Class who do not exclude themselves by the deadline will be bound by the terms of this settlement, including the release of claims against the released parties provided in the settlement agreement, whether or not the members file a claim for payment. The settlement will resolve and release claims by class members for monetary compensation or injunctive relief against Visa, Mastercard, or other defendants. The release bars the following claims: ™
™
Claims based on conduct and rules that were alleged or raised in the litigation, or that could have been alleged or raised in the litigation relating to its subject matter. This includes any claims based on interchange fees, network fees, merchant discount fees, no-surcharge rules, no-discounting rules, honor-all-cards rules, and certain other conduct and rules. These claims are released if they already have accrued or accrue in the future up to five years following the court’s approval of the settlement and the resolution of all appeals. Claims based on rules in the future that are substantially similar to – i.e., do not change substantively the nature of – the above-mentioned rules as they existed as of preliminary approval of the settlement. These claims based on future substantially similar rules are released if they accrue up to five years following the court’s approval of the settlement and the resolution of all appeals.
The settlement’s resolution and release of these claims is intended to
be consistent with and no broader than federal law on the identical factual predicate doctrine. The release does not extinguish the following claims: ™
Claims based on conduct or rules that could not have been alleged or raised in the litigation.
™
Claims based on future rules that are not substantially similar to rules that were or could have been alleged or raised in the litigation.
™
Any claims that accrue more than five years after the court’s approval of the settlement and the resolution of any appeals.
The release also will have the effect of extinguishing all similar or overlapping claims in any other actions, including but not limited to the claims asserted in a California state court class action brought on behalf of California citizen merchants and captioned Nuts for Candy v. Visa, Inc., et al., No. 17-01482 (San Mateo County Superior Court). Pursuant to an agreement between the parties in Nuts for Candy, subject to and upon final approval of the settlement of the Rule 23(b)(3) Settlement Class, the plaintiff in Nuts for Candy will request that the California state court dismiss the Nuts for Candy action. Plaintiff’s counsel in Nuts for Candy may seek an award in Nuts for Candy of attorneys’ fees not to exceed $6,226,640.00 and expenses not to exceed $493,697.56. Any fees or expenses awarded in Nuts for Candy will be separately funded and will not reduce the settlement funds available to members of the Rule 23(b)(3) Settlement Class. The release Ze[i dej bar the injunctive relief claims or the declaratory relief claims that are a predicate for the injunctive relief claims asserted in the pending proposed Rule 23(b)(2) class action captioned Barry’s Cut Rate Stores, Inc., et. al. v. Visa, Inc., et al., MDL No. 1720, Docket No. 05-md-01720-MKB-JO (“Barry’s�). Injunctive relief claims are claims to prohibit or require certain conduct. They do not include claims for payment of money, such as damages, restitution, or disgorgement. As to all such claims for declaratory or injunctive relief in Barry’s, merchants will retain all rights pursuant to Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure which they have as a named representative plaintiff or absent class member in Barry’s, except that merchants remaining in the Rule 23(b)(3) Settlement Class m_bb h[b[Wi[ their right to initiate a new and separate action for the period up to five (5) years following the court’s approval of the settlement and the exhaustion of appeals. The release also does not bar certain claims asserted in the class action captioned B&R Supermarket, Inc., et al. v. Visa, Inc., et al., No. 17-CV-02738 (E.D.N.Y.), or claims based on certain standard commercial disputes arising in the ordinary course of business. For more information on the release, see the full mailed Notice to Rule 23(b)(3) Settlement Class Members and the settlement agreement at: www.PaymentCardSettlement.com.
THE COURT HEARING ABOUT THIS SETTLEMENT On Del[cX[h -" (&'/, there will be a Court hearing to decide whether to approve the proposed settlement. The hearing also will address the Rule 23(b)(3) Class Counsel’s requests for attorneys’ fees and expenses, and awards for the Rule 23(b)(3) Class Plaintiffs for their representation of merchants in MDL 1720, which culminated in the settlement agreement. The hearing will take place at: United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York 225 Cadman Plaza Brooklyn, NY 11201 You do not have to go to the Court hearing or hire an attorney. But you can if you want to, at your own cost. The Court has appointed the law firms of Robins Kaplan LLP, Berger Montague PC, and Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP as Rule 23(b)(3) Class Counsel to represent the Rule 23(b)(3) Settlement Class.
QUESTIONS? For more information about this case (In re Payment Card Interchange Fee and Merchant Discount Antitrust Litigation, MDL 1720), you may: Call toll-free: 1-800-625-6440 Visit: www.PaymentCardSettlement.com Write to the Class Administrator: Payment Card Interchange Fee Settlement P.O. Box 2530 Portland, OR 97208-2530 Email: info@PaymentCardSettlement.com Please check www.PaymentCardSettlement.com for any updates relating to the settlement or the settlement approval process.
WWW 0AYMENT#ARD3ETTLEMENT COM s s INFO 0AYMENT#ARD3ETTLEMENT COM NewYorkTrendnyc
May 2, 2019 - May 8, 2019
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THE AR T S ‘ A WA L K I N T O S L AV E RY ’ D e b u t s
The award-winning Billie Holiday Theatre has announced the world premiere of the ground-breaking A Walk Into Slavery. As 2019 marks the 400th year of the first enslaved Africans brought to the Jamestown settlement in America, The Billie will present this multi-media meditation experience as it takes audiences on an evocative and emotional historical expedition to the genesis of the Transatlantic slave trade as seen through the lens of one man’s journey. Conceived and directed by Indira Etwaroo, Executive Director of The Billie, this compelling new work follows award-winning international designer and photographer Hollis King from his native home of Trinidad to Brooklyn, and then as he traces his steps back to West Ghana’s slave castles – what were for many the final stop before they reached the Americas. With poetry created and performed by celebrated writer and recording artist Carl Hancock Rux, A Walk Into Slavery will run for one week only at The Billie from April 30th-May 4th (see schedule below) and will also include vocals by artist and Brooklynnative Marcelle Davies-Lashley. Grappling with the notion of home and what is lost when one is forcibly displaced and must redefine the concept of home on American soil, A Walk Into Slavery shapes it’s narrative with historic photographs dating back
to the 1800s; pencil sketches, journal entries, and original photographs by King; and a haunting lighting design that assumes the character of time created by Devin Cameron.
“400 years after the first group of Africans were brought to the Americas enslaved, we are still dealing with the residual effects of slavery and the consequences of it as a nation. There is still systemic injustice. There is still a lot of healing in front of us, as a people and as a nation. 400 years later,” said Dr. Etwaroo. “We wanted to approach this historical moment as boldly and bravely as possible. Art allows us to ask unique questions in unique ways; questions to help move us forward. With A Walk Into Slavery,
I want audiences to find a way forward because, in order for us to move forward, we must first look back.”
Set in the round in The Billie’s New Community Studio space, A Walk Into Slavery ensures an intimate and interactive exchange between artist and the audience. “This was a journey I avoided for many years. Once I made the decision to move forward, I first asked myself, ‘How did I get here?’ and then ‘how did we get here?” From there I began tracing my steps back, leading me to a spiritual reawakening in Ghana at the slave castles,” said King. “It was a completely transcendent experience and, now, to have The Billie create such an incredible work from my journey and to be able to share it with others is an amazing feeling because although A Walk Into Slavery is based on my personal experience, it is really OUR journey as a people.” Since its inception in 1972, The Billie Holiday Theatre has continued to reinforce its role as a leader in presenting and championing Black Theater; as a vital resource for its surrounding Bedford Stuyvesant community and beyond; and as a platform for artists to address issues of social justice encompassing a diverse range of ground-breaking, provocative works presenting diverse stories from across the African Diaspora.
In August of 1619, the first African men and women arrived by ship to Point Comfort, which is present-day Fort Monroe in Hampton, Virginia when John Rolfe, Secretary and Recorder General of Virginia, recorded the arrival of “20 and odd Negroes,” marking the beginning of the social construct in colonial America where citizens of Africa were taken unwillingly from their homeland, transplanted, and committed to lifelong slavery and racial discrimination. 2019 marks the 400th anniversary of the arrival of that first recorded slave ship. Last year, Ghana kicked-off the “Year of Return,” an opportunity to unite the people in the Diaspora with their kin in Africa, with its launch in Washington D.C., in October 2018. This was followed by the Full Circle Festival last December, where more than 70 AfricanAmerican notables visited Ghana to reconnect with their African heritage. The “Year of Return” commemorates the 400th year of the extraordinary sacrifices, achievements and contributions Africans in the Diaspora made to the lives of the Americans.
A WALK INTO SLAVERY SCHEDULE:s
Previews: Tue, Wed & Thu at 11AM | Tue & Wed at 7PM | Opening Night on Thu at 7PM Weekend Performances: Fri at 11AM, 7PM & 9PM and Sat at 2PM, 7PM & 9PM
C r e at i n g W E A R A B L E A RT & FA S H I O N By
Ann Brown
Jamaican-born designer Kesi Gibson grew up in the world of fashion. She has been an understudy in her mother’s fashion business since the age of nine. Her path to declaring fashion a career choice (versus a part time hobby) has been a meandering one, informed by the typical artist dilemma. She has always been observant of the economic challenges of creative professionals, especially women, who struggle to make a living from their artistic talents. Her formal career has been in the investment banking arena, where she’s worked for the likes of Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank, J.P. Morgan and Veronis Suhler Stevenson (Private Equity). She earned her BA in International Relations & Economics from Mount Holyoke College, and MBA from The Wharton School. The essence of the KYU BY KESI which translates to “Progress By Kesi” is a dynamic reflection of Kesi’s personal and professional journey. She is determined to pave sustainable paths to financial success beyond local street corners, for artisans around the globe, and has a social focus bent on eradicating the celebrated phenomena of the “poor struggling artist.” Through KYU BY KESI social impact arm “The Melting Pot Movement”
10 | NewYorkTrendnyc
KYU BY KESI has partnered with The Impossible Dream Project, whose goal is to create possibilities for people with disabilities, using water and in particular the ocean as a vehicle of empowerment. Among other significant initiatives to affect change in entrepreneurship and social enterprise, Kesi has partnered with Hult Prize to create Hult Prize Caribbean, to foster and support social entrepreneurship in the Caribbean region. Kesi has also been an Entrepreneur/Adviser in Residence for Hult Prize incubator since July 2016, helping to shape the vision and enterprise model for entrepreneurs around the world. As a contemporary artist, who focuses heavily on creating wearable art, Kesi’s pre- occupation with the possibilities of expression in abstraction can be experienced in every garment and in every stitch. As you discover KYU BY KESI body of work, you will notice a geometric undertone in almost everything Kesi does, with a strong focus on lines and indirection. Launched in New York, at fashion week in 2015, by LRL Group, KYU BY KESI has been on a steady growth path. The brand currently has three accessories collections, and most recently a ready to wear collection that debuted in Miami in the summer of 2017 during a private showing hosted by noTheName.
The SS18 Ready To Wear Collection is currently available in our New York Soho showroom. Despite the brand’s relatively recent official launch, Kesi has been designing clothing and
accessories, reaching private audiences since 2007 (in parallel with her investment banking career). Kyu Melange is a by-product of KYU BY KESI, designed to promote sustainable
May 2, 2019 - May 8, 2019
economic infrastructures for artists and artisans world wide. The Kyu Melange Virtual Fashion Mall is KYU BY KESI Future of Fashion Growth Strategy powered by blockchain technology, augmented / virtual reality and powerful hardware/software optimization. Kesi is currently fund raising for Project GRAFATAR: The GRowth Accelerator for FAshion Technology & Advanced Retailing. Specific elements that will be underpinned by blockchain include payment, authentication, supply chain and ownership verification. These elements will be deployed to support the exchange of value in the Kyu Melange Digital Economy, expressed via a Virtual Shopping Mall utilizing 3D Web, virtual and augmented reality. The Virtual Shopping Mall will be an enabler for the Fashion Supply and Value Chain, reaching the customer via mobile, meanwhile creating communities around product development, transparency in supply chain, product authenticity and above all, a significant and sustainable strategy to level the playing field for both established / well – capitalized designers and local talent no matter where they are located in the world. We are excited bout GRAFATAR and the innovations we are creating. Stay tuned.
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TRAVEL
S T. K I T T S S h i n e s i n U S R o a d s h o w
A signature activity in the US, the St. Kitts Tourism Authority conducted its 2nd annual Destination St. Kitts & Nevis US Roadshow 2019 from Monday, March 25 to Friday, March 29. The week-long series of 6 events were held in New York, New Jersey, Atlanta, Houston, Farmer’s Branch (Texas) and Dallas in order to grow visitor arrivals from these gateway markets and supporting flow markets. These events were designed to educate travel agents, tour operators, MICE buyers, wedding and honeymoon planners, media and experiential lifestyle consumers about everything the destination has to offer both business and leisure travelers. “This year’s US Roadshow was a resounding success with record numbers of attendees for each event,” said the Hon. Lindsay F.P. Grant, Minister of Tourism for St. Kitts & Nevis. “Having attracted the sheer number of travel agents, MICE buyers, media and more who sell or publicize business and/or leisure travel demonstrates that there is growing interest and demand in these gateway markets for the tourism product that St. Kitts & Nevis has to offer.” The first event was a brunch held at The Castle Hotel & Spa in Tarrytown, New York, an affluent suburb north of New York City on Monday, March 25. The second event was a dinner held at the Pleasantdale Chateau in West Orange, New Jersey, an upscale neighborhood in the northern part of the state, also on March 25. On Tuesday, March 26, the third event was a dinner held at the Westin Buckhead, located in an affluent suburb just north of Atlanta. The fourth event was a luncheon held on Wednesday, March 27, at the Hess Club in Houston. A cocktail reception held on Thursday, March 27 at the Brookhaven Country Club in Farmer’s Branch, an affluent suburb of Dallas, Texas, was the fifth event in the Roadshow, while the sixth and final event was a luncheon held at III Forks Restaurant in Dallas. All events supported St. Kitts’ nonstop flights and attracted a total of
300 attendees combined, all of whom were travel agents, MICE buyers, tour operators, wedding and honeymoon planners, media or experiential lifestyle consumers. Attendees were top travel professionals representing some of the most respected organizations in the business, including Maritz Travel, Cox Enterprises, Pro Travel International, Meetings Plus, Valerie Wilson Travel, Houston Style Magazine, Frosch, Questex LLC, Travel Impressions, and Westchester Magazine. “Developing lasting relationships with top travel professionals in our key gateway markets is a key component of our overall marketing strategy for the destination and our Roadshow provides us with the opportunity to connect with these individuals face-to-face,” added Racquel Brown, CEO of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority. “In order to continue growing arrivals, we need to maintain and expand our base of sellers to help fill our non-stop flights as we continue to build out new and increased airlift from the US.” In addition to being treated to a meal and lively conversation with representatives from St. Kitts, the individuals played games, listened to presentations and won a variety of prizes from hotel stays to bottles of St. Kitts’ own Brinley Gold Shipwreck rum that were provided by participating local island tourism stakeholders. In addition, attending travel agents were offered a special $150 incentive for booking clients’ air only on the non-stop flights to St. Kitts or air in combination with a hotel reservation at participating destination hotels, all offering special Summer Sunsation rates, between now and May 17, 2019 for clients’ travel through August 17, 2019 when they log their productivity on St. Kitts’ website or via the Destination Specialist program with Travel Agent University. As a result, many attendees are now adding St. Kitts & Nevis as a featured destination they will sell to their clients.
PICTURED: Minister Grant and CEO Brown with a lucky prizewinner at the destination event held at the Hess Club in Houston, Texas.
PICTURED: Minister Grant addresses the crowd at the luncheon at III Forks Restaurant in Dallas on Friday.
PICTURED: Jamar Wilkins of Four Seasons Resort Nevis interacting with attendees at the event in West Orange, NJ
Visitors Flock to London Attractions London’s visitor attractions have welcomed 67, 640, 804 people – nearly the equivalent of the total population of the UK, according to statistics released by the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) today. The news comes the day after TripAdvisor’s online community hailed London as the world’s best-rated destination in the 2019 Traveller’s Choice Awards. With the top ten attractions being based in London, and an increase of 3.37% in visitors, 2018 has been another successful year for the capital’s much-loved attractions. Laura Citron, CEO of London & Partners, which runs VisitLondon said, “I am delighted that this data shows London’s worldfamous attractions continuing to entice and captivate visitors from all over the world. London’s attractions are so important to our global appeal, with London recently being named World’s Best Destination 2019 in the
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TripAdvisor Traveller’s Choice awards. And we have an exciting year ahead, with major events such as the Cricket World Cup, citywide projects like the magical Illuminated River display, Van Gogh at Tate Britain and Mary Poppins on stage – to name just a few!” The most visited attraction in the UK was Tate Modern with 5,868,562 visits. This could be linked to the 2016 Switch House extension, which is still attracting much attention, as well as the hugely popular exhibition Picasso 1932 – Love, Fame, Tragedy. The British Museum saw a slight decrease of 1.3% to second place at 5,828,552, although the public will have had the opportunity to see some of its objects outside of London in 2018 through major touring exhibitions. Seeing a 9% increase, the National Gallery remained in third place with 5,735,831 visits after staging the works of the ‘father
of impressionism’ in Monet & Architecture – the first exhibition devoted to Claude Monet’s relationship with architecture. Bernard Donoghue, Director of ALVA, commented: “2018 was a great year for London’s attractions. Visitors from home and abroad flocked to London’s world class cultural assets, in fact ALVA’s London members welcomed the equivalent of the population of the UK. Tourism is such a major part of the London economy, and a
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huge employer, and we know that overseas visitors say that our attractions are their number 1 reason to visit the UK. This year we’re working with the Mayor and London & Partners to promote London to Londoners and to remind all of us what amazing attractions we have across London, in every borough.” For more information about what’s on in London, go to visitlondon.com.
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