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Vol. 117 No. 40 | October 1, 2026 - October 7, 2026
THE NEW BLACK VIEW
©2026 The Amsterdam News | $1.00 New York City
GOING GREEN HOW A GRASSROOTS URBAN AGRICULTURE MOVEMENT IS GROWING IN FERTILE GROUND (See story on page 6)
(AMNEWS / Amanda Ulloa collage)
Police Misconduct Costs Millions, Mayor Mamdani Must Toss the NYPD Playbook Urban Agenda by David R. Jones, President and CEO of the Community Service Society of New York - See page 5 (AmNews / Amanda Ulloa collage)
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THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS
Recapping Brooklyn County Dems saga as party wrestles for new leadership Bichotte Hermelyn, the first Black and Haitian woman to hold the position of party chair, proposed controversial new rules this year before her departure that set the ball rolling, among other things, on her stepping away. The amendment rules that expanded voting seats were passed in a private executive meeting on Aug. 25, but were vehemently opposed by the reformer group, New Kings Democrats. By Sept. 2, the feuding factions had taken the matter to court. A judge initially denied the party rules on Sept. 14, but after an appeal, the changes were restored until an official ruling could be made. On Sept. 29, an appellate court decided to toss the party rules. However, the contentious rules were in place as the Brooklyn (Kings) County Democratic Committee members gathered for an organizational meeting on Sept. 23 at Hundreds showed up for the Kings County Committee Meeting held at NYC College of New York City College of Technology (City Technology in Brooklyn on Wednesday, September 23, 2026. (Ariama C. Long photo) Tech) to vote on the aforementioned rules By ARIAMA C. LONG middle of a lawsuit that overturned her last- as a collective. Outside, elected officials like Amsterdam News Staff minute rule changes. Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, Council“After six years of steering this historic in- members Sandy Nurse and Crystal Hudson, Editor’s Note: Elements of this story are stitution, I am ready to leave the throne and and Assemblymember Monique Chandlerongoing and will be updated online as de- serve as a general among the people,” said Waterman joined avid reformer and disvelopments unfold. Bichotte Hermelyn in a statement on Sept. trict leader Julio Peña III to protest Bichotte After weeks of dramatic turmoil, Brooklyn 29. “Brooklyn’s strength has always come Hermelyn’s leadership. Democratic Party Chair and Assemblymem- from its neighborhoods, its families, and its “I honestly believe as a woman official, as a ber Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn abrupt- grassroots power. That is where I am called See BROOKLYN COUNTY DEMS ly decided not to run for reelection in the to be right now.” on page 36
Shuttered Navy Yard Boys & Girls Club could become a development site By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff In Downtown Brooklyn, there’s a section of the Farragut Houses that sits on Navy Street, and across the street is a low brick building that used to be the site of the Navy Yard Boys & Girls Club at 240 Nassau Street. For decades, the Navy Yard Boys & Girls Club was the safe space where children from the Farragut, Ingersoll and Whitman Houses went after school. Operated by the Madison Square Boys & Girls Club Foundation, it had enrichment programs for 6- to 18-year-olds. But the clubhouse was shut in June 2023 after the Foundation was forced into Chapter 11 bankruptcy because it had to pay for more than 140 child sexual-abuse claims. A former volunteer doctor was accused of abusing children beginning in the year 1948 and up until 1984. Lawsuits were filed against the Foundation under the New York State Child Victims Act. A bankruptcy court approved a $22 million settlement. In November 2023, the Foundation sold the clubhouse to the real estate company, Alloy Development, for $15 million. Now, the former youth center is the central part
The real estate development company Alloy plans to take over the old Navy Yard Boys & Girls Club at 240 Nassau and the neighboring P.S. 287 site at 46 Navy Street to construct a multi-unit rental and commercial site. (Karen Juanita Carrillo photo)
of a proposed 1.4-million-square-foot re- town Brooklyn. development site that will feature 73- and Alloy’s project will cover 240 Nassau and 63-story buildings. Many neighbors have the neighboring P.S. 287 site at 46 Navy said this kind of project will only accelerSee BROOKLYN DEVELOPMENT SITE ate the erasure of Black people in Downon page 35
THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS
October 1, 2026 - October 7, 2026 • 3
NYPD misconduct payouts approach $1 billion since they became publicly disclosed in 2018 By TANDY LAU Amsterdam News staff Last month, the Legal Aid Society, the country’s oldest public defense organization, found that the city paid out more than $53.5 million for NYPD misconduct claims in the first half of this year. The total payouts since 2018, when the city started disclosing the data, now approach $1 billion in taxpayer money. Amanda Jack, the director of policy for the Legal Society’s Criminal Law Reform Unit, says investing in public services and resources will prevent these lawsuits and save taxpayer money later on. She specifically points to investing in behavioral healthcare and education, commending recent emphasis on the city’s Summer Youth Employment Program. “It goes without saying at this point that we all know that the safest communities aren’t the most policed,” said Jack. “They’re the most well-resourced… There are countless investments that have been identified over and over. And then, the big promise that [Mayor Zohran Mamdani] made
sizable payouts potentially stem from useof-force injuries or false imprisonment. This most recent analysis shows the city is again on pace for another nine-figure year of payouts. The legislation disclosing how much the city paid to resolve NYPD misconduct cases passed in 2017 and was enacted the following year under former mayor Bill de Blasio, who long championed police transparency while serving as public advocate. Data now comes out twice a year, with Legal Aid Society analysis usually not far behind. While these numbers likely carry over from incidents and allegations that occurred under past mayors like de Blasio and Eric Adams, Jack called on Mamdani to deliver on several campaign promises regarding police reform, including abolishing the Criminal Group Database, which almost exclusively surveils young Black and Brown A New York Police Department patch is seen, June 29, 2017, in New York. men as alleged gang members, and the Stra(AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File) tegic Response Group, a unit often named that we have yet to see come to fruition is than $100 million annually, with a stag- in misconduct suits regarding protests and to start to really build out a crisis response gering $206 million awarded in 2024. The other First Amendment activity. Legal Aid that doesn’t include the police.” lawsuits themselves are often undisclosed also pointed to continued “quality of life” See NYPD PAYOUTS on page 26 Since 2022, the city has paid out more due to settlement agreements, but more
Mamdani’s new Office of Community Safety tackles hate violence By TANDY LAU Amsterdam News staff Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s campaign promise to integrate community safety into city government remains underway. Last week, the Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes (OPHC), which he reshuffled under his new Mayor’s Office of Community Safety (OCS), awarded $120,000 in grant money to 13 local organizations to combat “hate, bias, and discrimination across all five boroughs.” “This grant is a way for us to ensure that we are engaging those who are affected and most vulnerable to hate, bias, and discrimination, and give them [the] opportunity to be part of the solution,” said OPHC Executive Director Vijah (VJ) Ramjattan, “and not just talk to communities about what hate, bias, and discrimination is or how it can be prevented, but give them an opportunity through the Community Project Grants to showcase innovative ways from their lens [on] how we can partner with them to be ambassadors in their community to solve bias, hate, and discrimination.” These Community Project Grants predate the Mamdani administration as a “flagship” initiative for OPHC, which was founded in 2019 and was originally under the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice. Up to $10,000 goes to local organizations to address hate violence around the city across different communities. Projects range from anti-hate public education campaigns to efforts to help
Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani attends a community safety event in Brooklyn. on Thursday, August 13, 2026. (Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)
victims heal after an incident. Anyone age 14 and older can apply for a grant. Awardee Martha St. Jean recalls learning about the initiative from attending a Community Project Grant-funded event herself. The Haitian-American New Yorker ended up meeting Ramjattan and later on, applied for her own project, “Migration & Memory: Stories That Build Belonging.” She hopes her storytelling work will go beyond just hate crime statistics and address the human being. “The thing about a statistic [is], it can only tell you what’s been recorded and documented,” said St. Jean. “It doesn’t necessarily tell you the whole story of what people are experiencing and what they are afraid to report or what they may not even recognize as something they can report. So I’m interested in these programs because they do bridge that gap…to find connection rather than waiting
until something terrible happens to bring people together. We’re preventing [hate] and storytelling is a way to prevent.” The criminal legal justice system leaves gaps in reporting, since not every hate incident ends in conviction or even prosecution. In particular, these resources address populations that traditionally under-report experiences of hate violence to law enforcement, which include Black Americans. “This year’s grantees reflect the creativity, resilience, and leadership found in every corner of our city,” added OCS Commissioner Dr. Ayesha Delany-Brumsey in a statement. “From youth-led arts programs and disability-inclusion initiatives to interfaith dialogue and immigrant storytelling, these projects will help New Yorkers recognize bias, address conflict, and build the relationships that make communities safer.”
Earlier this year, Mamdani established OCS after his original vision for a standalone Department of Community Safety stalled. Several smaller offices, like OPHC, the Office to End Domestic and Gender-based Violence, and the Office of Neighborhood Safety, were moved under this new parent agency. He appointed Delany-Brumsey, along with Deputy Mayor for Community Safety Renita Francois, to head these efforts. Hate crime prevention played a central role in Mamdani’s campaign, particularly when addressing Jewish New Yorkers. OPHC funding expanded by $26 million this year. This week, the administration also announced the inaugural “Strategy to Combat Antisemitism.” When Mamdani unveiled the campaign promise in spring 2025, he told the Amsterdam News that the then-Department of Community Safety proposal would allow public safety agencies to work together better. Ramjattan, who was appointed by Mamdani’s predecessor Eric Adams last year, said these ambitions are noticeable. “A lot of our work is to break down silos,” said Ramjattan. “We don’t want to make our work to only meet specific communities because we [all] live and thrive across New York City, so government should reflect that as well … Now that we are in this Office of Community Safety, we see and we do feel the wraparound effect of providing a whole approach, a whole government approach to community when it comes to safety.”
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THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS
National Erasing Equity: Proposed 2030 Census changes to strip race questions and exclude noncitizens By ARIAMA C. LONG Amsterdam News Staff The Trump administration once again proposed major changes to the 2030 U.S. Census that could leave out noncitizens and remove questions on race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. Local organizers are racing to put a stop to it before Black, Brown, immigrant, and marginalized communities are erased from data collection entirely. “The Census touches every piece of New Yorkers’ lives, which is why an accurate count is crucial,” said New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin, who previously served as the Director of NYC Census 2020, in a statement. An accurate count in the Census is crucial to ensuring that all communities are fairly represented in Congress and local government, that funding and resources are doled out based on population, and that the country’s civil rights laws are protected. The proposed changes are published in the Federal Register by the Census Bureau under the U.S. Department of Commerce. They include using any federal records to determine an individual’s legal status and introducing a citizenship question; eliminating questions about race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation for a “colorblind” intake; and adding two new federal regulation codes that would change the criteria for identifying a person’s “usual residence.” The Census’ public comment period for these rules is open until October 13, 2026. This is by no means the first effort President Donald Trump has made to reshape the Census Bureau. In 2018, during his first term, Trump tried to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census, but the Supreme Court denied it. Former Census director Rob Santos, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden in 2022, resigned early following Trump’s second swearing-in to office. Trump then appointed George Cook as the Census Bureau’s deputy director and chief operating officer in 2025, and almost immediately began probing
Meeta Anand, senior director for the Census & Data Equity at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, added that the proposed changes are not about ensuring an “accurate” count, efficiency, or protecting privacy. She explained that in June 2026, the U.S. Commerce Department banned the Census Bureau from using advanced data privacy tools needed to protect people’s identity when data is published, and is now using the privacy issue as a justification for getting rid of the race and ethnicity question. She also pointed out the Commerce Department’s policy revision this year that removed language protecting against “political interference.” “This rule seems not fully thought out and not grounded as to the overall effects it would have on counting or trying to achieve goals of accuracy,” said Anand.
Dexter Suber of New York holds an American flag upside down as he protests the Confederate flag that is on the Statehouse grounds during a rally for Martin Luther King Day at the Capitol in a Monday, Jan. 16, 2012. (AP Photo/ Mary Ann Chastain, File)
ways to exclude immigrants without citizenship from the intake. “President Trump’s proposal [last] week to exclude anyone who is not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident from the Census is not only deeply concerning, it is unconstitutional and undermines the democratic process,” said Menin. “Equally troubling is his proposal to remove questions of race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation, which provides the critical demographic data needed to enforce landmark anti-discrimination protections like the Voting Rights Act.”
tionately. All tools and data legal experts have used to change laws and pursue those who violate civil rights in the U.S. “Now that it no longer benefits them, they want to change the rules. The demographic makeup of the country is shifting. It’s more diverse,” said Anneshia Hardy, the founder and executive director of Alabama Values, which is a nonprofit grassroots civic organization in Alabama. “And those in power will do everything to hold onto power.” The Census began collecting race and ethnicity data in 1790, countBlack and Brown communities ing Black people as “three-fifths” of nationwide are at risk a person to benefit white landholdThe proposals would not only ers who owned slaves. But the 14th impact funding and resources for Amendment of the U.S. Constitueveryday life, such as schools and tion, ratified in 1868, specificalhospitals, but also severely under- ly mandated Black Americans and mine high-quality research that descendants of enslaved Africans documents a wide range of racial whole personhood and birthright disparities, she said. This could citizenship. Enforcement of these be in health, housing, voting, rights was not immediate. In 1962, economic, and environmental in the Baker v. Carr case, a group of areas known to affect Black and Black voters in Tennessee sued the Brown communities dispropor- state, claiming it fixed voting dis-
New York State and New York City’s local census efforts The state’s Black Legislative Task Force is serious about raising awareness about the Census in their communities. They lobbied Governor Kathy Hochul to establish a statewide Census office and got $3 million for a Census Planning Commission in this year’s budget. At the city level, Menin pushed for a local Census office by 2027 and launched a Census Taskforce in early preparation for the 2030 Census, with co-chairs that include NAACP New York State Conference President L. Joy Williams and Jeffrey Wice, director, who is a distinguished adjunct professor & senior fellow for New York Law School. This initiative is specifically to pushback against the Trump administration and any hardships that might arise in 2030. “We have a task force that’s been assembled to begin looking at the 2030 challenges based on 2020 response rates and changes in the city’s population since 2020 and to make recommendations,” said Wice.
tricts to take voting power away from minority voters during redistricting, leading to the Voting Rights Act of 1965 protections against gerrymandering. This law was eventually challenged and “gutted” in the Louisiana v. Callais case in April 2026. “The census data is used to enforce all kinds of anti-discrimination laws. And it’s very elementary that if you cannot figure out where communities of color live, you can’t ensure that they have fair representation in government,” said Brenda Wright, special litigation and policy counsel at NAACP LDF. Today, the Census must count “the whole number of persons in each State” regardless of immigration status. The Trump administration is attempting to argue that this kind of data collection violates privacy laws, is no longer needed or “useful,” leads to a reduced response rate, and was not created as a tool to determine funds or research, but solely to To add to the public comdetermine apportionment for ments on these rule changes, congressional representation. visit www.regulations.gov/
THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS
October 1, 2026 - October 7, 2026 • 5
House in Harlem: The music THE URBAN AGENDA By David R. Jones, Esq radio show that doesn’t sleep
Black
New Yorker
Police Misconduct Costs Millions, Mayor Mamdani Must Toss the NYPD Playbook Mayor Mamdani campaigned as a police reformer, yet his administration has kept many of his predecessors’ most notorious policing strategies in place. Now, the payout of taxpayer money to settle the resulting lawsuits for police misconduct is poised to grow on his watch. Taxpayers forked over $53 million in the first six months of this year to settle lawsuits alleging New York Police Department (NYPD) misconduct, according to an analysis by the Legal Aid Society. While those cases are holdovers from prior administrations, if the payouts continue at pace under Mamdani, 2026 will be the fourth consecutive year in which settlements of lawsuits alleging police misbehavior topped $100 million.
Tina Dixon (right) and DJ BlackIcon1 in Amsterdam covering an event. (Photo courtesy of Tina Dixon and DJ BlackIcon1)
By NAFISSATOU YATTASSAYE Special to The AmNews At 11:59 p.m. every Friday night to 6 a.m. on Saturday, when much of Harlem is asleep, WHCR 90.3 turns up the house music for those who believe the night is young. For six hours straight, Tina Dixon and DJ Black Icon1, also known as Abayomi Babatunde, keep music alive, bringing soulful house, late-night hits, and “Cuddlehouse” to listeners in Harlem and around the world. House in Harlem, a six-hour nonstop radio show run by WHCR, “The Voice of Harlem 90.3,” has been thriving for 13 years. Located in room 1/513 at City College, and hosted by Dixon, 59, Babatunde, 60, and a recent addition to the team, ND Houseparty, the Friday night to early Saturday morning show creates a space where house music and community meet. Initially started by DJ Vince the Prince, Dixon and Babatunde have continued the show while bringing their own experiences and love for music to the show. “For me, house music is a feeling. It’s the epitome of love. It transcends race, sexual orientation, and religion; none of that matters in house music. It gives me what I would expect the gospel to give me,” said Dixon, who is also the production manager at WHCR. Dixon grew up in Queens, and later moved to Harlem as an adult. Currently residing in Georgia, she attended Beach Channel High School in Far Rockaway while traveling to Harlem for the Talent Unlimited program and All City Choir at Julia Richman High School.
Her passion for music was always there. After failing a class and being told by the school that she would have to postpone her graduation by six months, Dixon decided to attend GED school while interning at the NAACP. After attending Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) for one semester and not enjoying it, she entered the workforce at the New York Design Center before eventually transitioning into gospel radio at WHCR. “I come from a strong Baptist background; that’s how I got into gospel radio. But 13 years ago, after an open-heart surgery, my boss told me I couldn’t stay up all night doing both gospel and house music shows. I had to pick one, and I chose house music because I wanted to be where that energy was,” Dixon shared. For Babatunde, his path to radio wasn’t always linear either. Born in Harlem and raised in the Bronx, Babatunde describes growing up in his household as “very musical.” A graduate of Mount Saint Michael Academy in the Bronx and a City College alumni, he never envisioned a career as a DJ straight out of college. But the passion was always there. “I started working for the City of New York, you know, so I was doing that, and along the way, like I said, I’m hip hop. So, I started DJing as a hobby.” After realizing that he could turn his passion into a full-time job, Babatunde began getting into radio. “When people ask me who I am, I say, ‘I am hip hop.’” Babatunde started out at WHCR on See BLACK NEW YORKER on page 35
Mamdani must take action to end the NYPD’s status quo: a long-standing, well-documented tradition of human rights violations and widespread unconstitutional stop-and-frisks. At the very least, the mayor has an obligation to send the message that abuse of the city’s citizens will no longer be treated simply as the byproduct of police work. Good policing does not have to come at the expense of New Yorkers’ civil rights. The mayor earlier this year took a step in the right direction by appointing Jennifer Jones Austin chairwoman of the Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB), which is essential to good law enforcement. Now the New York City Council must immediately make appointments to the three unfilled CCRB seats for representatives from the Bronx, Brooklyn and Staten Island. Jones Austin, a respected pillar of the city’s social justice community, is the type of credible voice an independent CCRB needs after former Mayor Eric Adams’s administration killed CCRB cases and tinkered with the NYPD’s discipline matrix in ways that lowered penalties for police officers found to have committed serious offenses. The CCRB plays an important role as a check on the NYPD as well as a catalyst for public discourse. Filling all 15 seats strengthens the CCRB’s legitimacy, which is necessary to maintain public trust in civilian oversight of the NYPD. For some tragic reason, elected city and state officials, and community activists, no longer speak out publicly against police excesses. The NYPD settlements cited by the Legal Aid Society represent only a portion of the amount the city spends each year on allegations of police misconduct. The New York City Comptroller also settles cases before formal lawsuits are filed. According to the most upto-date figures, the comptroller paid $427
million between fiscal years 2019 and 2023 to settle personal injury police action claims, which include allegations of improper police conduct, such as false arrest or imprisonment, or excessive force. The settlements so far this year are a stain on the legacy of Adams, a supporter of gung-ho policing tactics he condemned as an activist police captain before he ran for public office. He emphasized “quality of life” policing and the deployment of specialized units that targeted mostly innocent Blacks and Latinos for legally dubious police pat-downs and arrests in the subways. Police stop-and-frisks deemed “unconstitutional” by a U.S. District Court and, most recently, by a federal court-ordered monitor, ballooned under Adams. Police reported an average of 25,500 stops annually over the past two years, compared with merely 8,947 in 2021, the year before Adams took the oath of office. Mamdani can begin to cut back on illegal searches and overaggressive police tactics by rethinking how to use officers who flooded the subways in recent years. A $77 million cash infusion from the state in 2025 has run out, leaving New York City on the hook for police overtime that resulted in a tsunami of fare evasion arrests and desk appearance tickets for other minor violations. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch pledged to the City Council that she would implement stricter measures against officers who ignore stop-and-frisk reporting requirements. But she also suggested the NYPD has taken significant steps to increase accountability and update policies that could create a greater risk of litigation, including regular meetings to review compliance issues like use of force and new restrictions on vehicle pursuits. Tisch’s doublespeak seems to signal the NYPD would continue to double down on targeting people of color in the misguided belief that abusive tactics are the best way, or maybe the only way, to deter crime. Since Mamdani took office, his approach to policing has not been all that different from the policies he railed against during the 2025 campaign. Let’s hope the mayor has not fallen into the trap of all of his predecessors since the late 1980s – Edward Koch, David Dinkins, Rudolph Giuliani, Michael Bloomberg, Bill de Blasio and Eric Adams. All of them tolerated or gave a wink-and-nod approval to the ugly police tactics. I’ve said this before, and it needs to be repeated: No one is saying the NYPD should stop enforcing the laws. Just stop singling out Black and Hispanic young men.
David R. Jones, Esq., is President and CEO of the Community Service Society of New York (CSS), the leading voice on behalf of low-income New Yorkers for more than 175 years. The views expressed in this column are solely those of the writer. The Urban Agenda is available on CSS’s website: www.cssny.org.
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THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS
Grassroots agriculture and battle for food future in five boroughs
By JASON GONZALEZ Special to the AmNews Beyond the noise of traffic in East New York, Brooklyn, the neighborhood landscape is taking on a new form. In newly reclaimed greenspaces, hands driving shovels and the scent of dark compost tell the story of a community fighting food insecurity, one harvest at a time. “East New York has the highest concentration of community gardens in all five boroughs,” said Ariella Riapos, project manager of East New York Farms. “That’s a testament to community members who took burnt-out lots — after years of austerity and disinvestment — and turned them into spaces that sustain life and grow food. A neighborhood is more than your apartment; it’s where you go to exist, connect, and feed yourself. We must protect these spaces from real estate speculation.” That space on Schenck Avenue is just one point in a movement that spans the entire city. You can take the #6 train to 138th Street and Grand Concourse in the South Bronx to meet Nancy Ortiz of La Finca del Sur (the Farm of the South); talk shop with Domingo Morales of Compost Power as he builds out composting in New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) developments; then head to Flushing, Queens, to talk food scraps and wood chips with Lou Reyes at Queens Botanical Garden; or roll down to Staten Island’s Heritage Farm at Snug Harbor to see how all these hubs are building food sovereignty. “Through our Share Table, local gardeners drop off produce, youth interns process and sell it at our market, and the gardeners keep 90% of the profits,” Riapos said. “Combined with our half-acre farm, we distributed and sold 10,000 pounds of fresh food in East New York last year. We intentionally price everything lower than grocery stores — we haven’t raised prices since 2019. Despite broader inflation, folks know they can rely on our rates.” These leaders all point out that urban greenspaces are much more than just a nice neighborhood perk. They believe they are essential for environmental justice: reclaiming neglected land, building localized soil systems, and feeding communities that the system usually leaves behind. New York City is one of the leading cities in the country along with Detroit, San Francisco, Boston, and Atlanta that reportedly boasts more than 700 community gardens and farms, including rooftop farms, con-
Gardeners hard at work at Queens Botanical Garden in Flushing, Queens. (Courtesy Lou Reyes, Queens Botanical Garden)
trolled environments, and learning gardens. However, this is more than just a local movement. Urban farming is a global trend in which city spaces are turned into usable land that does everything from reducing the carbon footprint caused by transporting produce to teaching locals how to grow sustainable food and sell it at market. It also provides solutions to food insecurity in areas that had once been food deserts — something that farm organizers say affects people of color in New York communities. “East New York is Caribbean, Black, Latino, and South Asian,” Riapos said.“We grow crops like callaloo, scotch bonnets, bitter melon, and pigeon peas so residents can buy food they actually eat and identify with. To remove financial barriers, we accept SNAP, WIC, and Health Bucks, offering matching incentives so fresh produce stays affordable for everyone.” Teaching the youth and reclaiming power Beyond serving as a place to get fresh food and a shield against gentrification, East New York Farms is investing directly in the future by training neighborhood teenagers in farm management and market sales. For Riapos, this is just as important as the crops they pick. “Our tiered internship for ages 14 to 20 is a core pillar. First-years learn farm-
ing, composting, and market operations, while senior interns function as junior staff, leading workdays and managing operations,” Riapos said. “It’s a paid opportunity that invests in them monetarily while giving them the tools to manage projects from start to finish.” In the Bronx, La Finca del Sur Co-founder Ortiz views urban farming through the lens of public health, neighborhood preservation, and gender equity. In a neighborhood dealing with health disparities and fast-moving economic changes, growing food on local soil becomes a direct defense against being pushed out. “La Finca del Sur was envisioned by local residents — activists, educators, youth, and elders — concerned about our neighborhood’s historic health disparities,” Ortiz said. “Through youth-led canvassing in Mott Haven and Port Morris, it became clear our community needed fresh, affordable produce and green space. Our leadership evolved organically into a founding group of four women and my husband, Demetrio Surun. Having a majority women of color leadership team was vital: We wanted the development and stewardship of this farm to be driven by people who truly reflected the community that built it.” Ortiz noted that at La Finca del Sur, local culture and community health needs de-
termine what gets planted. The farm grows traditional cooking staples alongside medicinal plants, pairing fresh food access with real health education. “From the beginning, our crops were chosen to be culturally relevant to the Bronx — staples like beans, collards, tomatoes, oregano, and papalo that mirror our culinary heritages — but it’s not just about nutrition; it’s also about wellness,” Ortiz said. “In an area plagued by asthma, we grow garlic and mullein for respiratory support, alongside mints and ginger for digestive health. We even keep beehives for local honey. It’s about merging beneficial crops with education so people feel empowered to grow and eat these foods.” Closing the loop in public housing When it comes to the basics of healthy soil, Morales sees recycling organic waste as not just an environmental goal, but something that belongs to the community. As founder of Compost Power, Morales approaches environmental justice through his own life story: Having grown up in foster care and lived in NYCHA housing himself, he uses micro-composting to link green equity with real job opportunities for local youth. “Mandatory citywide composting sounds great on paper, but DSNY (Department of Sanitation of New York) doesn’t service See story on next page
THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS Continued from previous page
NYCHA developments — that’s one in 16 New Yorkers left out,” Morales said. “NYCHA is the city’s second-largest landowner, with 325 campuses completely skipped over.” Compost Power builds small compost sites right on NYCHA property, taking in food scraps and turning them into rich soil onsite — with no foul odor and no pests. That compost goes right into community farms on campus that grow free food for the people living there. “That’s the gap Compost Power fills,” Morales said. “We use the finished compost for on-campus farms that grow free food for residents. DSNY sends huge volumes of waste to anaerobic digesters; we prioritize making real compost to rebuild New York City’s soil.” Keeping these programs running, though, is an uphill fight. Ever since the city cut community composting from its main budget, groups like his have had to scrape by on discretionary funding. “We need policy that forces local processing — decentralized community hubs in every district rather than trucking waste across boroughs,” Morales said. “The funding environment is broken. Right now, community composting relies on a meager $6 million in discretionary funding for the entire city.” Scaling soil across boroughs Over in Queens, Reyes and the team at the Queens Botanical Garden (QBG) run the borough’s only mid-scale composting site. Operating as a hub for both processing and public distribution, QBG serves as an essential backbone for community growers who don’t have the space to store large shipments of materials. “A community garden may not have the space or infrastructure to receive a large delivery of wood chips,” Reyes said. “QBG serves as a central resource, distributing carbon-rich ‘browns’ so neighborhood sites across Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx can keep processing local food scraps.” For Reyes, handling hundreds of cubic yards of carbon and food scraps comes down to making sure local soil stays rich enough to produce healthy food. “Healthy food production doesn’t begin with planting a seed; it starts with healthy soil,” he said. “Composting closes the loop by turning what would be discarded into a highquality soil amendment that goes right back into growing food in our own neighborhoods.” Expanding the island network Across New York Harbor at Snug Harbor in Staten Island, Heritage Farm brings a gritty, working-class swagger to urban agriculture, welcoming half a million visitors every year. According to farm apprentice Tate Torello, “The esthetics of a production farm are vastly different from a botanical garden. We are definitely the shaggier sibling who isn’t quite as well-groomed as the formal gardens on our site.”
Snug Harbor deals with a unique challenge: While many urban farms build their growing beds over concrete, Snug Harbor manages an untamed, living landscape. “Our challenge is more about making room for human needs in balance with a well-established natural ecology,” said Susannah Abbate, senior director of community impact. “Much of our labor goes to fighting weeds and other natural forces … We’d argue that we have the best-fed groundhog family in NYC.” Despite hungry wildlife and tough clay under the topsoil, Farm Manager Claudia Diaz-Pina manages more than 400 crop cycles a year. She lets the neighborhood’s tastes lead the way, growing everything from heirloom tomatoes to sea kale and cucamelons. “Being culturally responsive in one of the most diverse parts of New York City means that we don’t prioritize historically local produce over human culinary traditions,” Diaz-Pina said. The harvest goes directly back into Staten Island: 80% to local residents facing food apartheid, 15% to neighborhood pantries, and 5% sold to help fund operations. Connecting that harvest to the community takes constant outreach, workshops, and partnerships with groups like the Cornell Cooperative Extension. For the team, every carrot pulled out of the ground is a quick lesson in teamwork and taking care of the land. “We don’t just produce food; we provide experiences that illuminate the fragility of our food system,” Abbate said. “Soil, air, and water are vital resources [that] require active vigilance by every member of the community. People forget this when they live so far from where their food is produced.” A cleaner, safer city from ground up As New York City keeps debating top-down trash pickup and citywide environmental policy, community composters and urban growers maintain that real sustainability starts right on the block. For Morales, building local waste systems gets straight to the heart of everyday neighborhood life. “If someone asks who cares about compost, my answer is simple: If you don’t care about composting, do you care about fresh produce in food deserts? Do you care about good green jobs? Do you care about rat control or absorbing stormwater so raw sewage stops flooding our rivers? Composting hits every single one of those issues simultaneously.” Across the five boroughs, grassroots growers are doing much more than planting crops. They are building healthy soil, creating good work, and making neighborhoods stronger from the ground up. As Reyes said, protecting the actual land where this work happens is the bottom line for New York’s food future. “When we talk about expanding composting infrastructure in New York City, we also have to talk about protecting what already exists,” Reyes said. “Community composting takes years to build — you cannot simply replace decades of trust, trained staff, and neighborhood relationships by putting a new site somewhere else.”
October 1, 2026 - October 7, 2026 • 7
La Finca del Sur.
Heritage farm.
East New York Farms. (Courtesy Ariella Riapos, East New York Farms)
8 • October 1, 2026 - October 7, 2026
THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS
System Failures, Part Two: Heirs’ property, partition sales, and paper wars By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff and JASON PONTEROTTO Special to the AmNews When a Black person dies without a will in New York City, or falls behind on property taxes or home loans, their families may be at risk of losing the family home. If they owned property and the deed was in that person’s name, their children, grandchildren, spouses, and cousins could each inherit a share of the house as “tenants in common.” One relative could still live in the home and pay the bills, while others might live upstate, or in New Jersey, Georgia, or Jamaica, or in another part of the world. They might not even know that they have inherited an interest in the property. Until a predatory investor contacts them. Jane Sternecky, legislative counsel for the nonprofit Uniform Law Commission — an organization that promotes standard model legislation nationwide — explained that while heirs’ property is often seen as a rural issue, it also impacts urban centers like New York City. “Heirs’ property can also be an urban issue,” she asserted. It can be seen in something like a Brooklyn or Harlem home that is passed down for generations, and that relatives of a former owner all own as tenants in common. “As we know, that’s a very difficult way to own property,” she conceded. “It presents many problems.” The Uniform Partition of Heirs’ Property Act was created to help slow one of the main problems this can lead to: a forced sale. New York passed its version of the law in 2019 as Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law § 993. The law provides for special protections of heirs’ property in partition cases, such as valuation, buyout rights, and a preference for selling on the open market instead of at courthouse auctions. The law does not prevent all partition cases, but it can help families keep their long-time homes from being sold cheaply. Sternecky explained that: “Predatory partition actions happen when an individual acquires just one share of that property.” Once a developer buys out that fractional share, she said, “they’re entitled to file for partition.” And partition cases can be overwhelming. They can drag homeowners through repeated court motions, notices, affidavits, delays, reports, and eviction proceedings that families end up having to pay thousands of dollars for while trying to teach themselves property law on the fly. A House Divided in Harlem Harlem resident Candace Cephas-Niles says that’s just what she and her family have been going through as they try to fight off an alleged partition sale at 305 West 136th Street, a historically landmarked two-family house on Striver’s Row. Her parents moved into the building in the 1980s. They came to live with Julia
Candace Cephas-Niles with husband Prince Niles, daughter Skye Niles and mother Camille L. Cephas sitting in front of their family’s historically landmarked two-family house on Harlem’s Striver’s Row – they are fighting off an alleged partition sale. (Photo courtesy of Candace Niles)
Miller, whose family has owned the property since the 1920s. Miller was the godmother to Candace’s mother — not a blood relative, but a woman with no children who served as the surrogate grandmother to the Niles’ family. Niles, who is also running as an independent candidate to represent New York’s 13th Congressional District, told the AmNews, “I’m fighting for [Miller’s] legacy. That keeps me going every day, because she unfortunately never could have kids, and my mother basically was her surrogate daughter, and my brother and I were her surrogate grandkids,” Niles said. “I will be damned if I let somebody take that house from her.” Niles showed the AmNews a copy of Julia Miller’s will, in which Miller writes, “I devise and bequeath my property, both real and personal wherever situated, including any life insurance policies I may have to the following Three (3) Beneficiaries: • Camille L Cephas who is my God Daughter and entitled to 50% of my Residual Estate. • Candace M Cephas who is my God granddaughter and entitled to 25% of my Residual Estate. • D’andre L Jackson who is my God Grandson and entitled to 25% of my Residual Estate.” “She left the house to my mother, myself, and my nephew,” Niles said. “She just wanted to make sure we always had some place to live.” Miller’s 50% in share ownership was passed down to Niles and her family, who are the primary residents. Niles admits that her family never filed Miller’s will. “We never filed it because we were advised we needed an attorney and that we had to pay estate taxes, and we didn’t have the money at the time when she passed, so we left it as is and just submitted the will over to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and ConEd, and they allowed us to change the name on the documents,” she said. “We never thought something like this would happen.”
A little over five years after Miller’s death in 2016, Niles said she, along with her parents and other family members, began receiving phone calls from someone identifying themselves as Joseph Ambalo, who claimed to be a researcher with the Manhattan Foundation, LLC, asking about the property and claiming to represent relatives of Miller. In December 2021, she was notified of a new deed being recorded on her home from the company. Niles has provided the Amsterdam News several documents from the Department of Finance showing sales of property shares to Ambalo and the Manhattan Foundation. But none of the people who sold to Ambalo are primary residents. Supposedly, they are distant heirs of Miller’s family. But Niles told the AmNews the Ambalos have not brought these individuals to court to prove that they were paid any monies for their heir shares, and Niles’ family hired private investigators to try to find the distant heirs but were not able to track them down. Niles also provided an audio recording of an in-person meeting she and her husband Prince had with both Ambalo and lawyer Eta Vardi in January 2022. One of the voices, allegedly Ambalo’s, can be heard saying, “Eventually we want to buy you guys out … If we can work out something, we can do some kind of partnership, or we can figure out a way we can all benefit from this.” A 2023 report from The City detailed over 50 different LLC names in connection to the Ambalos, including The Manhattan Foundation, which were used to acquire properties in New York over several years. The Amsterdam News has made multiple attempts to reach Joseph Ambalo and other representatives of the Manhattan Foundation, LLC, to have them speak to the allegations by the Niles family, but they did not respond to us prior to publication. Ambalo, along with his brother Elliot and Vardi, have previously been linked to several alleged deed theft cases in Brooklyn and Queens, and were even labeled “Speculator
Bros,” in reference to speculators engaging in predatory actions to strip property, often through buying shares from distant relatives. Mortgage fraud, in which these heirs don’t realize what they are signing, is also a tactic used in deed theft. Niles says it is unclear whether those who sold their shares were in fact real heirs or even real people, as she says it was difficult to get in contact with any of them. For example, Niles says Ambalo claimed to have connected with a Lawrence Miller who was an heir to the property, but she points out that the Lawrence Miller related to the property had, in fact, died in 1968. “The question is, are these the real people or people who happen to share the same name,” Niles said. Niles’ family is currently in litigation regarding ownership of the house. She says the case has left her mother with lasting trauma. Niles joined the Coalition to Stop Deed Theft in 2024. Evangeline Byers, a lead organizer with the group, says Niles’ story has to do with “ghost heirs,” in which speculators can lay claim to owning several shares without verification. “[Speculators] come in and say that they did these transactions. There’s no check, there’s no history of a sale, you just have their word,” Byers said. According to Byers, law enforcement and court officials have allowed these speculators to “steal in peace.” “No one has ever looked into it or taken it seriously enough to make a big deal out of it,” Byers continued. “If you talk to the sheriff’s office, the DA … Everybody knows who the people are, but they have not done anything to stop.” Once recorded, a deed is presumed valid In New York City, a recorded deed can carry the force of truth — even when it is fraudulent — leaving families to prove they are being targeted by thieves while battling foreclosure, eviction, partition, or possession claims. Vira Jones said she’s been in a paper war with attorney Alan J. Waintraub’s Majestic Crowns NY LLC to get back into her fourfamily home at 130 Greene Avenue in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. Majestic Crowns claims Jones defaulted on a commercial mortgage loan, so it foreclosed on the property. But Jones has long claimed that she tried to pay the loan back, yet Waintraub’s company was more interested in repossessing her property than in the loan repayment. Arguing in court for herself, Jones was this past July able to win an order for her to be allowed to get back into her home. But Waintraub’s attorney filed an emergency counter-motion to block the court order and prevent Jones from reentering the building. Jones told the AmNews she has been so stressed out from the past four-plus years of court battles for her home that she recently had heart surgery. “You can’t help it,” she said. “Because when this happened See SYSTEM FAILURES on page 30
THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS
October 1, 2026 - October 7, 2026 • 9
Divine Nine News Spotlight on a member of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. By MALCOLM MANNING Special to the AmNews What started as a passion became a business built around storytelling. For me, Malcolm Manning, photography has always been about more than creating something visually beautiful. It’s about preserving emotion, experiences, culture, and the moments that deserve to be remembered. From weddings and milestone celebrations to creative collaborations, businesses, and brands, I approach every project with authenticity and purpose. I’m a Newark native, photographer, filmmaker, and founder of Air.MCM Photography. Growing up in Newark shaped my view of the world. I was surrounded by culture, creativity, individuality, and real human connection. Those experiences helped develop my creative eye and eventually led me to photography and film. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate enough to see that work recognized in some incredible ways. One of the moments I’m most proud of was having my portrait photography work recognized through a viral retweet from Oprah Winfrey. Having someone with that level of cultural influence see and share my work and even offer me an
opportunity to shoot a campaign for her magazine company, Oprah Daily, was surreal and remains one of those moments I’ll always remember. My work was also featured in The Star-Ledger and Black Bride, among other wedding and creative platforms. Those opportunities have been meaningful because they represent more than recognition — they reflect years of showing up, developing my craft, building relationships, and creating work that connects with people. As I celebrate 10 years of Air.MCM Photography, what I’m celebrating most isn’t one feature, one client, or one accomplishment. Ten years of building. Ten years of learning, evolving, investing, taking risks, hearing “no,” figuring things out, and continuing to show up. Building a creative, Black-owned business is a challenge that has given me an even greater appreciation for what longevity means. There are constant challenges that come with trying to establish yourself, compete, build credibility, create opportunities, and have your work valued appropriately. You have to learn how to navigate a constantly changing industry while also figuring out how to stay true to your vision. For me, staying on top has never meant believing
that I’ve “made it.” It means continuing to evolve. Photography and filmmaking have changed dramatically over the past decade. Technology and social media has changed the way clients discover creatives. Through it all, I’ve had to grow alongside all of that while maintaining the foundation of what my company represents. That evolution has pushed me beyond photography and deeper into filmmaking, visual storytelling, and creating more intentional experiences for my clients. I’ve continued investing in my equipment, my education, my craft, and my business because I believe longevity requires you to keep becoming better. One of the biggest lessons these 10 years have taught me is that longevity is a creative skill, too. It’s easy to create something once. The challenge is creating something that continues to matter years into the future. I’m proud to be a Black entrepreneur from Newark who has been able to turn a creative passion into a business that has lasted a decade. I’m proud of the couples who trusted me with their wedding day, every business, creatives who collaborated with me, and every person who supported Air.MCM along the way. But, I
Malcolm Manning on location. (Photos courtesy of Malcolm Manning)
Wedding portraits captured by Malcolm Manning.
Editorial beauty portraits of models captured by Malcolm Manning.
To share your Divine Nine News, please contact us at d9@amsterdamnews.com and at amsterdamnews.com/d9news
The editorial team of the Divine Nine News column at the New York Amsterdam News congratulates Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. on 63 years of Brotherhood and service. Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. was founded on September 19, 1963 at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland.
don’t look at 10 years as the finish line. Instead, it is the foundation for what comes next. The first 10 years were about building the foundation, finding my voice, developing my craft, and proving to myself that this could become something real. The next 10 are about expanding the vision. I want Air.MCM to continue growing beyond photography into filmmaking, storytelling, and creative production while creating opportunities for other creatives and telling stories that deserve to be remembered. Ten years later, the mission remains simple: Create with purpose. Tell stories with intention. Capture moments that deserve to last. Malcolm Manning, a member of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc., was initiated into the Alpha Psi Chapter at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, during Spring 2017.
A maternity portrait of an expectant mother wrapped in hanging fabric was captured by Malcolm Manning.
10 • October 1, 2026 - October 7, 2026
THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS
Labor & Workplace New York is the nation’s fifth ‘side-hustle capital’ By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff In NYC, side hustles have a long tradition. New Yorkers are known to take the time to turn their specialized skills into income. A new national report on “America’s Side-Hustle Capitals” from the online rental marketplace Giggster found the New York–Newark–Jersey City metropolitan area placed fifth in side-hustle capitals. Giggster looked at 30 major U.S. metro areas based on business density, earnings, pay rates, and purchasing power to create its Side-Hustle Capital Index. Miami ranked first overall with the highest concentration of small, solo businesses. Southern cities took seven of the top 10 spots for business density. Yet New York City led in average business revenue, San Francisco had the highest overall pay, and Seattle topped as the best pay city relative to local living costs. Giggster found that there was no single metro area that led in every category of the side-hustle economy. In the New York area, gig work can be a delivery job, home repair, event services, tutoring, pet care, freelance design, or even consulting. Pay can vary widely based on the work offered, the platform used to get gigs, the gig worker’s experience, and expenses. Recent listings put dog-walking pay at $17 to $35 an hour and independent auto-appraisal work at $100 to $500 a day. One part-time outreach consulting job offered $30 to $35 an hour. Meanwhile, app-based restaurant and grocery delivery workers now earn a minimum pay of $22.13 an hour before tips, although the way compensable time is calculated differs by platform. Families have had to look for additional income in the current economy, and platformbased gig work has become an essential financial safeguard. This past April, a report by Rachel Swaner from the Community Service Society of New York (CSS) found that 20% of New Yorkers relied on gig apps
for financial support over the past 12 months. In a survey of 4,000 residents across New York state between September and October 2025, the report found that “gig work has become a mainstream economic survival strategy, from New York City (23 percent) to Erie County (20 percent). For half of gig workers (51 percent), platform work is their main source of income.” CSS found that the racial divide is particularly evident: one in four Black residents, or 25%, used gig platforms to generate income, compared with 17% of white residents and 15% of Asian residents. That means Black New Yorkers have become the main workers in the gig labor market, most likely because steadier work is frequently unavailable. CSS also disclosed that nearly four in five gig workers said apps pushed them to work longer or at specific times through alerts, bonuses, and other incentives. Seventy percent said the platform controlled when, where and how much they worked, and two-thirds worried that bad ratings from customers could be because of their race, gender or language. Swaner noted that “gig workers show strong consensus on wanting government intervention. Over three-quarters (76 percent) said they would feel more secure if the government set rules about how apps treat workers. Of workers who rely on platforms as their main income source, 80 percent want government labor regulation of platforms. Even among gig workers doing platform work for additional income, 72 percent support such state action.” New York’s fifth-place finish in the Giggster report shows that workers can make good money working gigs in the city, and our varied economy means there are many ways for people to earn income. Yet the people doing gig work — who are disproportionately Black New Yorkers — often face wild swings in income, close digital supervision, and limited worker protections. Gig workers need to be able to count on being able to get fair pay and good work conditions.
A delivery person with a backpack and helmet, ready for service. (Pexels photo)
THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS
October 1, 2026 - October 7, 2026 • 11
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12 • October 1, 2026 - October 7, 2026
THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS
Opinion Pope Leo raises concerns about artificial intelligence — and we agree
EDITORIAL
Artificial Intelligence, or “super intelligence” as President Trump brands it, is on everybody’s mind, including Pope Leo XIV. Last Friday in Paris, at the UNESCO headquarters, he warned that a “paradise of machines” risked undermining humanity and, during his lengthy speech, posed fundamental questions about what it means to be human during these troubling times. “Peace is not a balance of power; rather, it is built day-by-day through dialogue and justice,” he said. This is reminiscent of Dr. Martin Luther’s King’s definition of true peace, which he said, “is not the absence of tension: it is the presence of justice.” For the most part, the pope addressed the people of France, specifically President Macron, reminding them of the country’s “deep Christian roots.” He stressed the point that the right to life is the “indispensable foundation of every other human right.” The dignity of human life and humanity was his opening to discuss the threats posed by artificial intelligence, threats dismissed by Trump. “The paradox has become increasingly evident: while ‘intelligence’ is attributed to computational systems, we struggle to recognize the inalienable dignity of human persons, whose lives are judged according to the criterion of efficiency and, when deemed no longer productive, are rejected and discarded,” he said. In many respects, Pope Leo is continuing the legacy of Pope Leo XIII, addressing modern challenges, particularly artificial intelligence, as well as concerns for oppressed minorities. On these resolutions, he is praised by The Rev. Aristide Ahidote, from the Ivory Coast, who said, “God has given us a pope with vigor and strength.” We salute Pope Leo’s progressive stances on migration, social justice, and climate change, and we believe his cautious concerns about artificial intelligence are commendable. The world would certainly be better off if it heeded his desire for peace and prosperity.
Vitiligo is an autoimmune disease, not a cosmetic choice
Elinor R. Tatum: Publisher Member
Alliance for Audited Media
and Editor in Chief
Madison Gray: Executive & Investigative Editor Kristin Fayne-Mulroy: Managing Editor Cyril Josh Barker: Digital Editor Damaso Reyes: Editor at Large Siobhan "Sam" Bennett: Chief Revenue Officer and Head of Advertising
Wilbert A. Tatum (1984-2009): Chairman of the Board, CEO and Publisher Emeritus
(Pexels/Rods Aguiar)
By ASSEMBLYMEMBER JORDAN J.G. WRIGHT There is an important difference between wanting to change how you look and seeking treatment for a disease. Changing your hair color is a choice. Getting a tattoo is a choice. Living with vitiligo is not. Vitiligo is a chronic autoimmune disease that occurs when the immune system attacks and destroys melanocytes, the cells that produce skin pigment. The resulting white patches may be its most visible manifestation, but visibility should not be confused with vanity. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) describes vitiligo as a chronic autoimmune disorder, and the American Academy of Dermatology calls it a medical condition. That distinction matters because the persistent characterization of vitiligo as “cosmetic” consequently determines when and whether patients can obtain treatment. A cosmetic service is intended primarily to alter appearance. Vitiligo treatment addresses an underlying disease process. We would never characterize treatment for another autoimmune disease as cosmetic, simply because some of its symptoms are visible. Vitiligo deserves the same clinical seriousness. The burden of the disease can also
extend beyond changes in pigmentation. People living with vitiligo report anxiety, depression, stigma, social isolation and disruption to their sense of identity. Some avoid social situations or feel compelled to conceal their condition. Vitiligo can also involve physical symptoms such as skin sensitivity and itching and is associated with other autoimmune conditions. These challenges can be particularly difficult when the disease is immediately visible to everyone a person encounters. People with vitiligo can face stigma and discrimination, especially in the workplace. They should not have to demonstrate that their experiences are sufficiently painful before their disease is taken seriously. For Black communities, this is also a question of health equity. We know what happens when a disease is misunderstood, overlooked, or fails to receive the attention its patients deserve. For decades, advocates have fought to secure greater recognition, research and investment for sickle cell disease, which disproportionately affects Black Americans. The conditions are different, but the lesson is relevant: misconceptions about a disease should never become barriers to appropriate care. Our federal health agencies already provide a strong foundation for getting this right. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have explicitly stated that treatments indicated for vitiligo are not considered cosmetic under
Medicare Part D plans. The Department of Veterans Affairs likewise recognizes vitiligo as a medical rather than cosmetic condition, and federal employee health plans provide coverage for vitiligo treatments. Yet Medicaid patients often encounter a very different standard. New York is one of only eight states that have policies restricting access to vitiligo therapy, affecting thousands of Medicaid beneficiaries. That puts New York in the same company as Alabama and South Dakota. Most states cover vitiligo treatment, and six states have removed previous “cosmetic” classifications since 2024. It’s time for New York State to catch up. CMS should provide state Medicaid directors the same fundamental clarification it has already provided in Medicare: treatments indicated for vitiligo should not be categorically excluded as cosmetic. Doing so would help ensure that an autoimmune disease is not treated the same as elective efforts to change one’s appearance. How we classify a disease shapes policy. Policy shapes access to care. Calling vitiligo “cosmetic” is not merely inaccurate terminology –– it can become the rationale for denying people the treatment they need. Vitiligo is an autoimmune disease. Our healthcare policies should treat it like one. Jordan J.G. Wright is the assemblyman for New York’s 70th District in Harlem.
THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS O P I N I O N
Why Puerto Rico cannot be asked to survive another crisis alone By NEYDA MARTINEZ SIERRA On September 20, 2017, Hurricane María struck Puerto Rico, unleashing catastrophic destruction. But María did not create our vulnerability. It exposed and magnified years of governmental disregard, underinvestment, and failures in infrastructure and essential services. As the anniversary of Hurricane María approaches, we are once again confronting other compounding crises. Water systems are failing. Drought is deepening vulnerabilities. Infrastructure remains in disrepair. The cost of living rises while opportunities dwindle. The burden falls hardest on economically marginalized and historically underserved communities, particularly our elders and those living in rural areas. The water crisis makes
this painfully visible. People spend hours finding, waiting for, carrying, and storing water. Access depends on transportation, mobility, physical ability, and the ability to absorb additional costs. The organizations our communities depend on are struggling to keep essential services moving. The deeper crisis is colonialism — and the systems it has produced and continues to reproduce. We are asking the government, philanthropy, and the media to act differently. With Dr. Marta Moreno Vega, president and founder of the Creative Justice Initiative, we are deepening connections among academics, artists, activists, and community organizers in Puerto Rico and across the mainland United States. Our challenges require sustained relationships, shared knowledge, and collective action.
We need those connections between crises to strengthen networks, share resources, build trust, and work proactively toward lasting change. For too long, we have celebrated Puerto Rico’s resilience without asking what it costs us to be resilient again and again. The government must fulfill its responsibility to the public. Political interests cannot come before the basic needs of the people. Our communities cannot be expected to organize indefinitely around failures that public institutions have a duty to address. Infrastructure and essential services are not acts of generosity. They are public obligations. The government must be transparent in its decisions and use of public resources, accountable to the people it serves, and responsive to the conditions our communities face. It must invest in
infrastructure, protect essential services, and address systemic failures that leave us vulnerable, long after the disaster passes. Philanthropy has a different but equally important role. It must move beyond emergency response. Funders should build collaboration into their practices, support organizations by working together rather than competing for scarce resources, and provide flexible, multiyear support. Trust, relationships, and community knowledge are infrastructure. They must be funded as such. Our communities have built networks of care and collective action for generations, often with limited resources. Philanthropy can strengthen those networks rather than fragment them — sharing resources, supporting collaboration, and See PUERTO RICO on page 35
U.S. blockade of Cuba an act of war and genocide
As a member of an IBW21/ PAUD delegation that traveled to Cuba this year, I remain concerned about the welfare of the people on this island nation. A few days ago we were privileged to meet with Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cuba, and while it was a meeting strictly off the record, we did have an opportunity to view an amazing exhibit of photos documenting Fidel Castro’s visit to Harlem in 1960. Rather than divulge any of the discussion with Chancellor Parrilla, I will cite some of the comments he shared with the press about a new report on the U.S. blockade. “The long months living with only two or three hours of electricity a day or less; food spoiling, heat that makes
it impossible to sleep, parents fanning their babies, children doing their homework in near darkness, young people without internet access or recreation, grandparents without television, or sometimes even radio — all family life damaged,” he related. The report from Cuba’s foreign ministry on Sept. 17 was an annual summary of the devastating results of the lengthy U.S. economic blockade of Cuba. It is a report arriving in time for the yearly vote on the U.N. General Assembly on the Cuban resolution. According to the report on the resolution, it states the “necessity of ending the economic, commercial, and financial embargo imposed by the U.S. against Cuba.” It also denotes that the vote will take place on Oct. 28-29. For nearly a generation, U.N. members have approved this resolution, and customarily it has been rejected mainly by
the U.S. and Israel. Among the most distressing things about the 55-page report is the extent to which the blockade has menacingly touched every facet of Cuban life. Reading the report is like witnessing a relentless bombing of Cuba. The report puts the U.S. blockade in political and historical context, beginning most consequentially with the Monroe Doctrine of 1823, authored by President James Monroe, that basically warned European nations not to interfere or create new colonies in the Western Hemisphere — in effect, leaving that feast to the U.S. There is no better recent example of this than the toppling of the Venezuelan government of Nicolas Maduro, an intervention that hampered its material support of Cuba. The report is extensive, but two things stand out for me: the designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism, whereby Cuba
loses access to international loans and payments due from abroad; and the ramifications of this blockage of economic provisions and how it impacts medical, educational, and scientific venues. To some degree, Cuban livelihoods are gravely stymied by the loss of tourism, with the report noting a $2.5 billion loss. Equally disturbing is the loss in industry (goods and services) totaling $5.1 billion. All the figures above are based on stats from last year. For more proof of the blockade’s impact on Cuban life, take a few minutes to read the report (misiones.cubaminrex.cu/ en). More than that, take a little more time to help spread the word about the need to do what we can to end the blockade. Doing this may take only a few words, only a moment’s notice to engage in a conversation, much like the one we had with Chancellor Parrilla.
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Dr. Lonnie Bunch III gave us many gifts, but his departure leaves a warning CHRISTINA
GREER, PH.D. A few weeks ago, Dr. Lonnie Bunch III announced he would be stepping down as the 14th secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, the first African American and first historian to serve as head there. Many were first introduced to Bunch when he was named director of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, more affectionately known as the “Blacksonian.” In so many ways, Bunch was the intellectual architect who brought that amazing institution to life –– the same institution Donald Trump said creates a bad picture of America and makes people “feel bad.” In doing so, as the nation celebrates its 250th anniversary, the president of the United States is attempting to rewrite American history while simultaneously erasing large facets of Black history. Before leading the Smithsonian Institution and NMAAHC, Bunch led the Chicago History Museum and served as a curator at the California African American Museum. As founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Bunch designed a program of traveling exhibitions and public events before the museum’s 2016 opening. Bunch served as NMAAHC director until 2019, when he was appointed to lead the Smithsonian Institution. I do not know if we will ever know the full extent of Bunch’s brilliance and dedication as an educator and leader of so many educational and cultural institutions. Think of all the
institutions, collections, and exhibits Bunch helped shape and expand. His foundation in education and curation has been his life’s work, and his dedication to the NMAAHC long before it became a physical building should be remembered forever. The current political moment should give all of us pause. We must continue to support our cultural institutions and museums. As the federal government cuts and suspends funding for small and large museums and threatens the mission of many museums now more than ever, these institutions rely on the generosity of the patrons who come through their doors. We must become members of these institutions and stewards of our own culture to ensure its continuation for future generations. We may not have the same reaching impact of Lonnie Bunch III on cultural institutions; still, we can make sure his decades of work are not erased during the tenure of one presidential administration. History is powerful. The role of historians as the keepers of record in our society is something we must hold dear, respect, and support. Words of gratitude seem so small when compared to all Dr Bunch has done for Black people, for the culture, and for America more broadly. Christina Greer, Ph.D., is a professor at Fordham University, author, Senior Policy Fellow at Brooklyn Org, and co-host of the podcast FAQNYC.
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Caribbean Update King Charles to Antigua for Commonwealth summit: Region vows to raise reparations issue By BERT WILKINSON Special to the AmNews Britain’s King Charles is headed to Antigua in early November for the Commonwealth leaders’ summit, and just as was the case at the last conference in Samoa in the Pacific two years ago, the issue of the United Kingdom making things right for the horrors of slavery is likely to again be raised with the visiting monarch, regional officials say. The four-day summit begins on November 1, just weeks after the umbrella Caribbean Reparations Commission (CRC) will have held its major review meeting in Barbados in September, and after Jamaica had handed King Charles a petition asking him to ask Britain’s final court to determine the merits of the regional demand for reparations for slavery. The petition was presented in London by Jamaican Culture Minister Olivia Grange and asked the Privy Council or appeals court to determine whether the enslavement of Africans in Jamaica was legal under English
common law, violated international law, and the UK has a legal obligation to provide a remedy for the harm caused by slavery. “We go fearlessly into another chapter in our story when we petition His Majesty King Charles on the matter of reparations,” the minister had said while in London preparing to serve the petition. “We want the answers. Once we get the answers, or once we get a response to those questions, then the next steps will be determined. We anticipate that His Majesty will accept our petition and refer the questions to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. We are ready for those who will deny and oppose. To them I say, as we’ve been taught, let justice ring.” The king will also visit Guyana and the Bahamas during the mini Caribbean tour. Now that the king has consented and forwarded the petition to the court, the next major opportunity to discuss reparations with Britain would be the summit in Antigua. Several leaders who spoke at the ongoing UN General Assembly meeting in New York did raise the issue of reparations, in-
cluding Mia Mottley of Barbados, who is the lead Caribbean spokesperson on the issue. “Regrettably, we still carry the scars, and hence the wounds are still raw,” Mottley said. “We in Barbados accept the moral responsibility of removing the cross of slavery with its horrific consequences. We must effect healing through reparatory justice, for it is the right thing to do. For the Caribbean, for Africa, and for those countries concerned, the honest engagement must begin.” For Jamaica and the region, Grange said the fight will continue on behalf of the ancestors as she brushed aside critics who had argued that the king would have trashed the petition because successive British administrations have vowed not to deal with reparations and Britain’s brutal role in the transatlantic slave trade. “Jamaica should pursue reparations in the name of our African ancestors who endured hundreds of years of enslavement on this island, and in the name of the people of Jamaica,” Grange said. “We are awaiting directions from the Judicial Committee of the
Privy Council as to the next steps to be taken in the case. We will keep the cabinet and the parliament updated on the developments.” The Jamaican government had used the ploy of approaching the king because Jamaica is not yet a republic. The king is still officially the head of government and monarch of the northern Caribbean island, so the ploy was to deliver the petition to him asking for legal guidance about the slavery issue and reparations or the cause of reparatory justice. Both Grange and Mottley argue that no one should forget the genocidal nature of slavery. “Their status as human beings was denied. They were categorized as chattel, which means property that was bought, sold, and branded with hot irons to signify them as belonging to specific enslavers. They were abused with impunity — men, women, girls, and boys. They were raped. They were made to breed. They were forced to work for free. This went on every day for hundreds of years. It was the gravest crime against humanity,” Grange said while in London.
Too dangerous for his American wife and kids — but not for their Haitian father? FELICIA PERSAUD
IMMIGRATION KORNER If Omara, a U.S. citizen, decided tomorrow to take her two young American children to Haiti to see their father, the United States government would have a very clear message for her: Do not go. Haiti remains under the U.S. State Department’s highest travel warning — Level 4: “Do Not Travel” — because of crime, kidnapping, terrorism, unrest, and limited healthcare. They would be traveling to see Omara’s husband and their father, Pastor Molis Augustave. Why is he in Haiti now? The United States government sent him there on September 24. Augustave was deported to Haiti, leaving his wife, children, congregation, and community behind in York, Pennsylvania. His journey from York to Haiti began just 20 days earlier with something remarkably ordinary: a broken headlight. On September 4, West Manchester Township police stopped Augustave while he was driving. During the traffic stop, officers discovered an outstanding removal order. Officers then took him and handed him over to ICE.
To be clear, Augustave was not deported because of a broken headlight. He had an existing removal order after an earlier asylum case — but his immigration story did not end there. Augustave had been allowed to remain in the United States under Temporary Protected Status (TPS) before that protection for Haitians ended this summer. His U.S. citizen wife had petitioned for him, and he was seeking lawful permanent residence. His attorneys were also pursuing a motion to reopen his removal proceedings. Augustave was initially scheduled for deportation on September 17. He was reportedly already on the plane when he was pulled off at the last minute as his case received national attention and his pending green card application was reviewed. That reprieve lasted only days. His application for permanent residence was denied within two days, and on September 24, Augustave was placed on another flight. This time, the plane left. Now Omara has a husband in Haiti, two American children have their father in Haiti, and a York congregation has its pastor in Haiti. His 2-year-old son was too young to understand where his father had gone. Omara told WITF, an NPR and PBS member station in Central Pennsylvania, that while Augustave was detained, the little boy would wait by the door saying “Daddy.”
An important legal reality applies here: Marriage to a U.S. citizen does not automatically erase an existing removal order, and a pending immigration application does not necessarily prevent deportation. However, legality does not answer every question this case raises. There is also the question of discretion, proportionality, family, and the human consequences of immigration enforcement. While in detention, Augustave reportedly led Bible study, prayed with other detainees, and counseled a man who was contemplating suicide, but something else happened there. He began thinking about the immigrants whose names never make the news. Before his deportation, Augustave wrote about the 89 people who remained on the first deportation flight after he was removed. “Who knows whether one of them was afraid?” he asked. “Who knows whether one left children behind?” Those questions are worth remembering because Augustave had something many immigrants facing deportation do not: People knew his name. His wife fought for him. His community rallied around him. Clergy advocated for him. Attorneys challenged his removal. His story reached the media. Yet still, he was deported. Imagine, then, the immigrant whose name nobody knows. Perhaps the most difficult
contradiction in Augustave’s story lies not in an immigration court filing, but on the State Department’s own website. The United States warns its citizens not to travel to Haiti because of kidnapping, terrorism, crime, unrest, and limited healthcare. Haiti remains under a national state of emergency. Even U.S. government employees face restrictions on nonessential travel because of security risks. Yet, the same government continues deporting Haitian nationals there. Perhaps immigration law gave the government the authority to deport Molis Augustave, but authority does not erase consequences. His wife now lives in Pennsylvania while her husband lives in Haiti. Two American children now have their father in a country their own government warns them not to visit. The question I cannot shake is painfully simple: If Haiti is too dangerous for Molis Augustave’s American wife and children, why was it safe enough for their Haitian husband and father? Felicia J. Persaud is the founder and publisher of NewsAmericasNow.com, the only daily syndicated newswire and digital platform dedicated exclusively to Caribbean Diaspora and Black immigrant news across the Americas.
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At Schomburg, New York Puerto Ricans urge City Council to stand against colonial-style control By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff Puerto Rican elected officials and organizers held a press conference at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture on September 28 to call on New York City to stand up against the financial, political, and environmental pressures displacing Puerto Ricans and weakening public services throughout the archipelago. Councilmember Alexa Avilés hosted the “NYC Stands with Puerto Rico” press conference, which brought Puerto Rican diaspora advocates and community organizations together just before the start of a field hearing by the City Council’s Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries, and International Relations. The committee had come to the Schomburg for “Telling Our Stories: Examining the Research Collections of New York City’s Public Libraries.” Many of the speakers at the press conference pointed out how important it was that councilmembers were meeting in a place like the Schomburg –– a site that honors the famous Afro Puerto Rican Arturo Alfonso Schomburg –– to talk about how libraries preserve history. “For those of you who may not know,” Avilés said, “Arturo Alfonso Schomburg was a Black Puerto Rican activist who fought for the liberation of our island and Cuba. We –– as a side note –– must stand in solidarity with the people of Cuba and demand an end to the blockade and condemn the U.S.’s starvation of the Cuban people that is happening right now. Sadly, both countries continue, to this very day, to fight for their survival and sovereignty, so it is only fitting that we gather at this place, at this time, at this exceptional institution to say presente and to continue that fight!” While at the Schomburg, advocates urged councilmembers to also consider resolutions that could help preserve Puerto Rico’s future. The press conference called on the City Council to pass resolutions, or position statements, about the situation in Puerto Rico. Resolution 27 urges Albany to pass a law limiting how corporations and
board causes from year to year and not taking action, we will be here [again] in another 10 years.”
Puerto Rican elected officials and organizers are calling on New York City to take a stand against displacement and weakened public services in archipelago. (Karen Juanita Carrillo photo)
collection agencies buy and aggressively collect sovereign debt. It would stop so-called vulture funds from buying distressed debt at low prices and then suing for full payment plus interest. Resolution 28 calls on Congress to set an end date for Puerto Rico’s Financial Oversight and Management Board, created by the 2016 PROMESA law. Critics refer to the unelected board as “La Junta” and say its spending cuts have favored bondholders over schools, pensions, utilities, and local selfgovernment. Resolution 494 is a formal stance against the $2 billion Project Esencia, a proposed luxury development covering about 2,000 acres in Cabo Rojo. It urges Puerto Rican authorities to stop approvals for the project and protect public access, water, and sensitive coastal land. “It’s well past time that the NYC Council stands in solidarity with the working class of Puerto Rico,” Avilés said. She said the three resolutions would show the power that diaspora Puerto Ricans could flex from New York. “My community suffers from the active colonial control of our homeland. It is the very same real estate developers and vulture funds gentrifying and exploiting NYC that are causing all that harm back home.”
The Puerto Rican government authorized the development of Project Esencia in July, but many people on the island are against its construction. The plan includes luxury residences, hotels, and golf courses. Developers are promising that most of the property will remain green space and the project will have its own renewable power and water, but environmental advocates say that Cabo Rojo is one of Puerto Rico’s driest regions and that groundwater extraction, desalination, and large-scale construction will threaten residents and coastal ecosystems. “Puerto Ricans are confronting the consequences of drought and a strained water supply, with reliable access to water becoming a source of uncertainty for families and communities,” said City Council Deputy Speaker Dr. Nantasha Williams at the press conference. “At the same time, a housing market that is increasingly out of reach for many Puerto Ricans –– very similar to here in New York –– is being met with proposals for massive luxury development built around a standard of living that many of the people who actually live there cannot afford. When Puerto Ricans ask who this development is for, the question deserves an answer. When land becomes more valu-
able, housing becomes more expensive and natural resources face greater demands.” “Puerto Rico and New York City are inextricably linked for generations,” Erica González, the director of the Power for Puerto Rico coalition, added. “New York City has been shaped by Puerto Rican leaders, organizers, parents, and workers.” That’s one reason New Yorkers should take a stand about what is happening on the island: the fiscal control board, which has been in place for 10 years, is anti-worker and has pushed for the privatization of public services, González asserted. “This board has had labor protections overturned. It doles out millions of Puerto Rico’s public dollars to firms like McKinsey as it financially wounds our prized and public University of Puerto Rico. “This board went all the way to the Supreme Court to withhold records from the public …. Years ago, Power4PuertoRico successfully advocated for a transparency measure that passed into law to check the board’s conflicts of interest. Earlier this year, we also advocated for the introduction of the Puerto Rican People’s Power Act or HR 7833 — congressional legislation that would put an end date to this control board, because if we keep talking about the harm that this
Loíza: “We have had to carry water” Modesta Irizarry Ortiz, a community leader in Loíza, Puerto Rico, said the water crisis began in her area long before the islandwide rationing that started with this summer’s drought. Residents in Loíza and parts of San Juan had already faced months of unreliable service. Pump failures, broken pipelines, sediment buildup in reservoirs, and leaks showed that the island’s system had been weakened by decades of poor maintenance. In August, the dryness in the reservoirs forced more than 500,000 people in seven cities to go through rotating 48-hour water shutoffs. “It was a very difficult time [from] the summer to now,” Irizarry Ortiz said. “Physically, personally, I have to tell you that I have been very hurt in my shoulders because we have had to carry water.” She said volunteers have made sure that older adults, bedridden residents, and people with limited mobility get water, while churches and mutual-aid groups delivered bottled water, food, and supplies. Even after rain improved service, she said the physical and financial burden was still too much. “We are still standing, though — thanks to the creator.” The Schomburg Center press conference came eight days after the ninth anniversary of Hurricane Maria’s September 20, 2017 landfall, which devastated Puerto Rico’s electrical and water systems. Today’s water shortage is not only because of Maria’s aftermath: Puerto Rico rationed water way before the hurricane, and the 2026 drought only intensified infrastructure failures, but the anniversary of Hurricane Maria was another point that press conference speakers focused on. “Luxury resorts are not needed,” said Power Malu of El Grito Boricua. “What the people need is access to clean water, healthcare, education, affordable housing, and lower food prices.”
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Arts & Entertainment
‘Songs in the Key of Life’ is the peak of human potential By MATTHEW ALLEN Special to the AmNews Truth and fact are not the same thing. Most people think they are, but they are not mutually exclusive ideals or synonyms. Truth is what an individual or group believes happened. Truth is anecdotal, and based on feeling and perspective. A fact is something that can be proven and cannot be refuted. When someone says it’s cold outside, that is a truth. When a weather forecast reports that it’s 45 degrees outside, that is a fact. In 1976, Stevie Wonder released “Songs in the Key of Life,” the greatest album of the 20th century. This is not subjective; it is not up for debate. It isn’t even a truth; it is a fact. Now, there is nothing on earth more subjective than music. As an art form, its very existence is predicated on allegory and opinion, particularly when you can consider how many different rhythmic and melodic dialects and timbres there are, all over the world, let alone in the American songbook. You can like thrash metal. You can like modal jazz. You can like French Caribbean zouk. You can like German Baroque. Every genre and creation within those genres has merit and affects the lives of listeners in profound ways that others may not. However, all things considered, “Songs in the Key of Life” is, from a music standpoint, the most comprehensive, satisfying, and nuanced representation of what it means to live on this earth, day-to-day, person-toperson, reaction-to-reaction. Wonder himself stated that the subtext of the “challenge of doing an album relating to life” is that “it’s impossible to cover all of what life is about,” which is true. No one man or woman could syphon every single possible outcome of the human experience and display it throughout an album. Nevertheless, what Wonder was able to accomplish was to expertly unveil what could be a universal cliffsnotes of life that can be understood and empathized with by nearly all who come across it. And what’s most remarkable is that he did it as a Black American blind man from Detroit, Michigan. Perhaps there was no era that
Stevie Wonder (Rózsavölgyi Gyöngyi / Creative Commons photo)
was grander in American music than the 1970s. The album had fully taken over as the main focus of musical expression rather than the single. By 1976, we were blessed with masterstrokes like Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On,” Sly and the Family Stone’s “There’s a Riot Goin’ On,” Herbie Hancock’s “Head Hunters,” and Curtis Mayfield’s “Superfly.” In the 12 months preceding “Songs in the Key of Life,” the experimentation and freedom of the Black artist reached a fever pitch. Earth, Wind & Fire’s “That’s the Way of the World,” Parliament’s “Mothership Connection,” Roy Ayers Ubiquity’s “Everybody Loves the Sunshine,” and Aretha Franklin’s “Sparkle” were setting the pace for all musical genres. Even with all this breadth of Black genius, Wonder had emerged as the leader of the pack, releasing masterpiece albums in succession. “Music of My Mind,” “Talking Book,” “Innervisions,” and “Fulfillingness’ First Finale” had not only found commercial success for Wonder and for Motown, but also showcased Wonder’s technological innovation via the multi-timbral synthesizer TONTO and its creators and stewards, engineers Malcolm Cecil and Robert Mar-
gouleff, who influenced several generations of musicians and producers. Wonder was cresting both creatively and commercially with each new album. Once he earned his creative freedom from Berry Gordy and Motown Records after his 21st birthday, Wonder stood out from all of his peers. For virtually any other artist, creating a sprawling statement like “Songs in the Key of Life” after four straight albums of melodic majesty, universal critical acclaim, and emotional satisfaction is practically impossible. Wonder demonstrated why nobody could keep up with him then or now. During his legendary album run, one of Wonder’s most documented achievements was his ability to craft all of his amazing recordings by being the only musician on most of them. He was a virtuoso pianist, a singular drummer, and arguably the greatest harmonica player to walk a turn on this planet. With “Songs in the Key of Life,” Wonder continued to be a one-man band on select songs, but he put his production skills to the real test by working with an array of world-class musicians like Herbie Hancock, Bobbi Humphrey, George Benson, Dean
Parks, Nathan Watts, and Dorothy Ashby. The combination of songs with numerous musicians and songs with only Wonder on them never sounded out of place, and that’s a testament to him as a producer and a composer. Now, this type of presentation wasn’t without precedent. Four years earlier, singer/songwriter Todd Rundgren released “Something/ Anything?,” a double album that featured him playing all the instruments on some songs and leading a band on others. As good as those songs are individually, it’s easy to tell that a song like “I Saw the Light” is Rundgren alone and a song like “Hello, It’s Me” is with session players. On top of Wonder’s prolific and profound virtue to lyrically make connections and set moods, it was his way with melody and chord changes that remain unreplicable. The tactical methods of playing keyboard and synth chords one note at a time, so that he can bend and alter a note he couldn’t while playing chords together (i.e., the ARP synthesizer playing the melody on “I Wish”), made the progressions a scintillating anomaly, becoming a Stevie signature. Playing an entire classical arrangement with a Yamaha
GX-1 — the “Dream Machine as Wonder nicknamed it — on “Village Ghetto Land” or using a time modulator for his bubbling percussive burps on “Black Man” finds Wonder’s orchestral acumen both futuristic and traditionalist. It’s as conceptually dense and ambitious as Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons.” It’s as dynamic as Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.” It’s as intricately visceral as Ellington’s “Anatomy of a Murder.” In a time when Black music was at its most adventurous, Wonder challenged the conventions of the R&B and pop music he was known for throughout his classic album run. However, “Songs in the Key of Life” saw him push Black music to the limit. Who would’ve had the courage to sing a love song accompanied only by a harp, like “If It’s Magic,” or a Latin disco heartbreak anthem, like “Another Star?” “Songs in the Key of Life” came at a time when the concept album was growing in prominence. From The Who’s “Tommy” to Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On,” numerous artists were using the LP as a means to tell stories with linear narratives or discuss a singular theme. “Songs in the Key of Life” tackles the ultimate concept: Life. “Isn’t She Lovely” beautifully captures the miracle of birth. “I Wish” and “Easy Goin’ Evening (My Mama’s Call)” depict the innocence of youth. “Ordinary Pain” and “All Day Sucker” illustrate the heartbreaks no one is immune to. “Summer Soft” is a gorgeous allegory for transitions from life to death. “As” is the definitive declaration of transcendence. Another reason “Songs in the Key of Life” excels beyond any other album is because of the earnest way that Wonder communicates how worthwhile it is to be human, no matter what. Like any great piece of progressive art, it holds a mirror up to the society and time that produced it. “Village Ghetto Land,” “Pastime Paradise,” and “Saturn” reveal the results of a tyrannical, oppressive society, ruled by greed that uses prejudice as its moral compass. Both then and in 2026, these songs carry tremendous significance as they dropped in a time when
See KEY OF LIFE on page 29
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Arthur Jafa dominates New Museum with landmark exhibit ‘I am Tony’
By LLOYD B. DAVIS Special to the AmNews On September 24, the New Museum presented “I am Tony,” which showcases the works of video artist and cinematographer Arthur Jafa. Covering two floors of the museum, “I am Tony” is the largest survey to date of the artist’s work. Museum-goers can expect to be immersed in a barrage of video collages, paintings, and sculptures that encapsulate the experience of Black people in America, sometimes through humor and other times through violence. “I am Tony” is named after legendary jazz drummer Tony Williams. The exhibit aims to connect Black popular music to film and life in America. Jafa was born in 1960 in Tupelo, Mississippi. At Howard University, he studied architecture and film and later moved to Los Angeles to pursue filmmaking. He was the cinematographer for Julie Dash’s film “Daughters of the Dust,” an essential movie in the art-house genre. Jafa has since worked as a visual artist and cinematographer on various art endeavours, including with legendary filmmakers like Stanley Kubrick and Spike Lee during his career. Jafa is best known for his short film “Love is the Message, the Message is Death.” This 7-minute video came out during the early
years of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2016. It was beloved, yet controversial. The film interweaves video clips from dance parties, police shootings, internet memes, and sports, with the “Ultra Light Beam” by Kanye West playing in the background. The New Museum exhibition is showing this film along with a myriad of Jafa’s video projects. The exhibit was curated by Massimilano Gioni, Gary Carrion-Murayari, and Calvin Wang. At a recent media preview, museum director Massimilano Gioni discussed the New Museum’s excitement about the opportunity to display Jafa’s work. “It’s not only an honor and a privilege to be able to present this exhibition, but it’s also one that, as many of our solo show exhibitions that I like to call ‘introspectives’ rather than ‘retrospectives,’ offer(s) a kind of peek into the creative universe of the artist,” Gioni said. Throughout the works in the exhibit, Jafa’s love for film is apparent. Many of his video collages include scenes from movies like “A Clockwork Orange,” “Alien,” “Star Wars,” and “Belly.” One video installation is a re-edit of a scene from “Taxi Driver” where the pimps killed by character Travis Bickle were digitally edited to be Black men. See ARTHUR JAFA continued on next page
Images from New Museum’s exhibit “I am Tony,” showcasing works of video artist and cinematographer Arthur Jafa. (Lloyd B. Davis photos)
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Visitors also get a look into Jafa’s love for music. Among the mediums of paintings, prints, sculptures, and videos are images of pioneers in popular music, such as Miles Davis, Beyoncé, and Erykah Badu, and references to gospel, hardcore, and punk rock musicians as well. Jafa also grabs viral internet videos and incorporates those into his artworks. Clips from internet stars like Plies and IceJJFish are thrown into videos sporadically. Some video installations feature scenes from twerk contests, gospel performances, and the famous clip of Obama singing “Amazing Grace.” At the same time, Jafa’s video installations also highlight images of Black trauma. A handful of clips show Black people suffering brutality at the hands of the police. Showcasing these sensitive images is something that curators took into consideration when putting together the exhibit. “It’s challenging to figure out how to present that kind of material within the public space of an exhibition, but I also say that it’s not only images of Black death and trauma; there’s also images of Black creativity,” said Carrion Murayari. “I am Tony” runs until January 3, 2027. For more info, visit newmuseum.org.
Image from New Museum’s exhibit “I am Tony,” showcasing works of video artist and cinematographer Arthur Jafa. (Lloyd B. Davis photo)
20 • October 1, 2026 - October 7, 2026
THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS
AmNews Food
From South Carolina to Italy: A day in the life of a NYC food editor KYSHA HARRIS
FOOD EDITOR, @SCHOPNYC Some days as a food editor are spent at my desk writing, editing photos, answering emails, and trying to make deadlines. And then there are days when I leave physical therapy already tired, get some work done, look at the clock and realize, “Wait. Wasn’t I supposed to be at Grand Central at 4:30 p.m?” Welcome to a day in the life of this food editor. It was rush hour, naturally, and I was heading to the first of two assignments that evening. By the time I arrived at Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central Terminal, Discover South Carolina’s “SC in the City” media preview was nearly over. No matter. I was dressed for the assignment. My blue-and-white terrycloth dress felt appropriately coastal, and pinned to it was a Gullah pin I received during one of my previous reporting trips to South Carolina. I have visited the state twice, including Hilton Head and Ted Turner’s private island, and both trips left me with wonderful memories of the people, food, and culture I experienced there. For one weekend, Discover South Carolina brought some of the state to New York. Vanderbilt Hall became a collection of miniature journeys: a Southern veranda, South Carolina-inspired hors d’oeuvres, a beach photo op, putting greens, a colorful floral interpretation of Charleston architecture, and a station of illustrated, alreadystamped postcards ready to mail. Who gets a postcard anymore? Getting there late also gave me time to reconnect with members of the South Carolina tourism community I had met on previous trips. There were hugs, memories, and invitations to come back. In the middle of Manhattan, it began to feel less like a tourism activation and more like visiting people I knew. Then I met fifth-generation Gullah Geechee sweetgrass basket weaver Corey Alston. Someone had already told me I needed to meet him, but Alston found me first. He spotted the woman in the blue-and-white dress with the big hair, introduced himself and then noticed my pin. “Are you Gullah?” I am not, I told him, but I had spent time in South Carolina and had been deeply moved by my experiences there. Soon we were talking about people we both knew or knew of, including Chef Bernard Bennett of Okàn and KJ Kearney, and about the Black food and cultural community that can make a very big
Food Editor Kysha Harris with fifthgeneration Gullah Geechee sweetgrass basket weaver Corey Alston at Discover South Carolina’s SC in the City at Grand Central Terminal. (Kysha Harris photos)
Discover South Carolina swag, including local treats, fragrance and sweetgrass roses, from SC in the City.
world suddenly feel small. Later, I watched Alston work on a sweetgrass basket he had already been weaving for days, carrying forward a Gullah Geechee tradition passed through generations. Before I left, a sweetgrass rose went behind my ear. I also carried home a tote filled with tastes and scents of South Carolina, from benne wafers and pecan brittle to a fragrance layered with jasmine, gardenia, white peach, cedarwood and amber. The sweetgrass rose needed no perfumer. It smelled green and earthy all on its own.
I could have called it a night. Instead, assignment number two was waiting. I hopped on the train and headed downtown to My Cooking Party in Chelsea. This time, the evening took me from South Carolina to Italy without leaving Manhattan. The Distinctly Deliciously European event celebrated two of Italy’s protected culinary treasures: Grana Padano PDO and Prosciutto di Parma PDO. Over aperitivo and tastings, representatives explained what makes the products distinctive; how and where they are produced, and why those geo-
graphic designations matter. Then we got our hands dirty. Or, more accurately, floury. Chef Matheo Pisciotta led us through making ravioli with pumpkin and prosciutto and spinach fillings, along with risotto balls stuffed with mushroom duxelles. This is the part of my job that lets my food nerd flag fly freely. Tell me why the cheese is made that way. Tell me where the prosciutto comes from. Show me the wheel. Give me the pasta dough. I am in. After cooking came dinner, wine, and conversation. Somewhere between the pasta and dinner, I also made a new friend in food media. That counts as part of the job, too. Eventually, I made my way home exhausted after two assignments and two very different culinary journeys in one New York evening. But I get to be nerdy about food for a living. I get to learn from people carrying traditions forward, reconnect with people and places that have meant something to me, meet new people along the way and share those experiences with you. Not a bad day at the office. Thanks for reading and happy eating! Kysha Harris is a chef, culinary producer, and food editor for the NY Amsterdam News. As a consultant and owner of SCHOP!, a personalized food service in NYC for over 23 years, she remains on the hunt for the city’s next great bite. Follow her on Instagram and on Facebook, @SCHOPnyc. Questions, comments, requests, feedback, invitations! Email us at AmNewsFOOD@ SCHOPnyc.com. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook, @NYAmNewsFOOD.
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October 1, 2026 - October 7, 2026 • 21 M
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‘Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother’ — Mahershala Ali’s grieving hitman finds cost of love By LAPACAZO SANDOVAL Special to the AmNews What would you do for love? In “Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother,” Bassam Tariq’s action drama stars Mahershala Ali as Latif, a devout Muslim assassin whose carefully compartmentalized life collapses after the sudden death of his wife. Forced to care for his three children, including an infant daughter who needs breast milk, Latif must contend with an encroaching criminal world at the same time as he confronts the daily demands of grief and fatherhood. The film may arrive in the clothing of an action thriller, but its real subject is love: the fierce, disorienting kind that makes sacrifice feel less like heroism than necessity. That pressure gives the film its emotional charge. Latif has lived by a personal moral code, balancing religious observance with his work as a highly skilled hitman, but his wife’s death exposes the limits of the order he thought he had created. Becoming the children’s sole caregiver requires him to become present in ways he was not while leading a hidden and violent life. The film’s strength lies in Latif’s relationship with his children: his wary teenage daughter, Fatiha (Adia); his perceptive young son, Qadir (Jahleel Kamara); and his infant daughter, whose immediate needs drive the central crisis. Reeling from the death of his wife, Khadija (Shakirah DeMesier), Latif is forced to learn the rhythms of a household shaped by an absence he cannot repair. Tariq finds an impressive balance in the family scenes, allowing grief, frustration, humor, exhaustion, and profound love to coexist without forcing any of it. Ali, Adia, and Kamara make every exchange feel lived in, whether the characters are bickering, testing one another’s patience, sitting in painful silence, or cautiously reaching for connection. The emotional truth of those scenes — not the action alone — is what makes “Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother” such a solid, affecting film. A hitman with a moral code, Latif may kill for money, but he has standards: He refuses to use a gun and only takes on assignments if the target really deserves
Mahershala Ali and writer-director Bassam Tariq on set of “Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother.” (Photos by Jaclyn Martinez © 2026 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.)
Mahershala Ali as Latif with his children: Adia as Fatiha (left), Jahleel Kamara as Qadir (bottom right), and baby in his arms, in “Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother.”
it. He is also a dedicated Muslim and a regular at the local mosque (run by the kindhearted Abdul Malik, played by the always excellent Giancarlo Esposito) — a detail that signals early that this will not be the average shoot-’em-up. Although usually a very smooth operator, Latif has bungled the latest job for his handler, Mike (Laith Nakli). As a result, he is pulled, against his wishes, into an escalating feud involving Mike; Mike’s sleazy porn-impresario nephew,
Haddy (Abubakr Ali); and Pastor Hwan Yoon (John Cho), the farright leader of an aggressive Christian nationalist militia in Texas. The conflict places Latif’s private grief and paternal responsibility in a larger, volatile story about faith, violence, belonging, and extremism. The title is not merely provocative repetition. It comes from a hadith in which the Prophet Muhammad is asked who deserves a person’s best treatment; the
answer is “your mother” three times before “your father.” That religious reference is central to the film’s emotional architecture. Tariq uses it to frame a story about maternal absence, fatherhood, bereavement, duty, and the sacredness of caregiving. Rather than treating Islam as mere backdrop or using Latif’s faith as an easy contradiction to his violent profession, the film makes his belief system part of the dramatic tension. His work,
mourning, family obligations, and sense of spiritual accountability are all in conflict. Tariq and Ali’s reunion carries additional industry resonance because both were previously attached to Marvel’s long-delayed “Blade” reboot. Tariq left that production in 2022, but their creative connection endured; “Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother” gave them the chance to collaborate on a wholly original project instead. Several early write-ups have characterized the film as a more personal outlet for the kinetic action language that might have been used in “Blade.” Tariq’s previous narrative feature, “Mogul Mowgli” (2020), was similarly rooted in questions of Muslim identity, illness, artistic expression, family expectations, and spiritual inheritance. This new film widens that terrain, combining intimate domestic stakes with stylized, physical action. Early TIFF reviews have been notably enthusiastic, especially about Ali’s performance, which could land him an Oscar nomination. Critics have described the movie as unusually soulful for a hitman thriller: an action film with sharp choreography and dark humor, but also a work driven by grief, fatherhood, spiritual struggle, and the practical crises of raising children alone. The dark humor lands, but so does the film’s intelligent exploration of love and the power of prayer beyond an exclusively religious context. Weeks later, it is still asking me important questions. Tariq keeps every second interesting, building a movie that is as beautiful to watch in stillness as it is when the action sequences arrive with gusto. His sense of humor is delicious, particularly in a lighter moment involving a group of young Mormon missionaries who come to Latif’s aid when he needs them. “Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother” is not a conventional assassin movie; it is head and shoulders better. The religious protagonist and the villain’s religious point of view are a potent combination. Who is right? Who is wrong? The film is a deeply personal grief-and-parenthood drama that happens to erupt into violent action — a distinctive and important second feature from Tariq.
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‘Once Upon a Time in Harlem’ review: The past speaks for itself By LAPACAZO MAGRIRA SANDOVAL Special to the AmNews Photographer James Van Der Zee studies the grand piano in Duke Ellington’s townhouse. Someone asks him to play. “Off the record,” he confesses, “I haven’t touched the piano in four or five years now.” Then he begins a melody. It’s a quiet opening to one of the great pleasures of “Once Upon a Time in Harlem”: watching people remembered for what they made, wrote or painted become — in one another’s company — people again, complete with hesitations, jokes, opinions and stories they’re still eager to tell. The documentary doesn’t embalm its subjects as historical figures or march them out as evidence of their own importance. Instead, it just lets them stay human. The year is 1972, and filmmaker William Greaves has brought together artists, actors, writers, activists and intellectuals associated with the Harlem Renaissance, some of whom have not seen one another since the 1920s and ‘30s, when Harlem stood at the center of African American art and political thought. Greaves, whose work includes “Symbiopsychotaxiplasm,” documentaries about Ida B. Wells and Ralph Bunche, and a tenure hosting “Black Journal,” filmed an evening with conversations that would remain unfinished as a movie during his lifetime. His son David, one of the camera operators that night, has now directed the completed documentary. David Greaves’ most consequential choice is restraint. Working with editors Anne de Mare and Lynn True, he resists imposing a conventional historical structure on footage that was never meant to behave like a classroom lesson. The camera moves through the room as conversations form, drift and occasionally collide, giving the guests space to respond to, and sometimes talk over one another. Archival images provide necessary context without taking command of the film, while the editing preserves pauses, interruptions and shifts in subject that another filmmaker might have cleaned away. That looseness is both the film’s risk and its strength. There are moments when “Once Upon a Time in Harlem” appears to wander, but imposing a tidier chronology would betray what makes the material extraordinary. Memory does not arrive alphabetized or in perfect order, and neither do old friends. The film gradually establishes its own rhythm, one governed less by dates than by personality: a story prompts another story, a name awakens a memory, and disagreement opens another door. What might have looked shapeless in less confident hands becomes the very structure of the experience.
those filmed are artists Aaron Douglas, Richard Bruce Nugent, Ernest Crichlow and Romare Bearden; composers Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle; actor Leigh Whipper; poet Arna Bontemps; photographer Van Der Zee; librarian Regina Andrews; activists Richard B. Moore and Louise Patterson; historian John Henrik Clarke; and journalists Gerri Major and Ted Poston. Those names establish the historical magnitude of the gathering, but resumes are not what make the film breathe. Its vitality comes from the exchanges between these people — their timing, humor, irritation, affection and certainty about their Stories from the room own recollections. The Harlem RenaisThe range of lives gathered inside El- sance is not presented here as a completlington’s townhouse is remarkable. Among ed chapter with an agreed-upon meaning.
Gerri Major speaks with equal clarity about the responsibility she attached to journalism. “If I can’t do something to help us, I don’t want to do something that would hurt us,” she said. Greaves does not underline the statement or surround it with commentary. He understands that its plainness is its force. Other recollections return the Harlem Renaissance to its libraries, parties and studios. Andrews remembers a gathering for author Jessie Fauset. Bontemps recalls entering the 135th Street Library and meeting Andrews and another librarian who recognized him, though he was not yet famous and had been only recently published in The Crisis. Paul Robeson, Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes, Claude McKay and Marcus Garvey enter the conversation through the guests’ memories, each name pulling another piece of their shared world back into the room. Crichlow remembers traveling from Brooklyn as a teenager to sculptor Augusta Savage’s basement studio. “I went down into that cellar … and it was like heaven,” he said. “There was Augusta Savage on a model stand, and Robert Pious was painting a picture.” The memory still carries the awe of the teenager who first walked into that room. Later, someone calls out, “Please, someone talk about Zora Neale Hurston.” Nugent answers. That simple exchange captures what “Once Upon a Time in Harlem” does exceptionally well. History is not formally introduced as a subject because it does not need to be. Someone remembers someone else, and suddenly the absent person is back in the room. As the evening continues, the guests become comfortable enough to interrupt and contradict one another. Their familiarity gives the documentary its intimacy, while their disagreements keep it from becoming the sort of ceremonial tribute in which everyone has been polished into agreement. Those contradictions are not an obstacle to understanding the Harlem Renaissance; they are part of understanding it. The people gathered here are not merely remembering history. They are still (Contributed photo) negotiating who gets to tell it and what, exactly, it meant. It remains contested territory because the For me, there is pride in seeing this compeople who lived it did not all experience it munity together, but an even fuller pleain the same way. sure in watching its members remain Blake recounts a story about Bill “Bojan- unmistakably themselves: opinionated, gles” Robinson, who attempted to shake funny, observant and unwilling to surrenCharles Lindbergh’s hand at an event in der their own versions of the past. the pilot’s honor and was rebuffed. Robinson’s advice, as Blake tells it, was never History in the present tense to be the first to extend your hand to a That is where “Once Upon a Time in white man you do not know. The incident Harlem” becomes more than an extraoris painful, but Blake’s telling gives it an- dinary archival document. Its achieveother dimension: humiliation becomes ment is cinematic as well as historical instruction, carried from one man to an- because the film restores the social texother and preserved through memory. The ture surrounding its celebrated names — film is especially powerful in moments the jokes, loyalties, tensions, recollections like this, when history arrives not through and disagreements of people who knew narration or explanatory text but through a story someone has carried for decades. See ONCE UPON A TIME IN HARLEM on page 29
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October 1, 2026 - October 7, 2026 • 23 M
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A Sonny Day for Mr. Rollins, in every sense of the word
It was a special day, and one could feel it in the air, a serene second summer breeze that made me smile on my way to the celebration of the great Sonny Rollins, the saxophone colossus. (Rollins died at 95 on May 25, 2026). He was our mentor and sage. He treated us like his own students, embraced us with love, guidance and understanding, and blessed us with his Sonny-isms. Each performance and reflection shared by musicians and commentators who took the mic on this memorable day at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, presented by the Jazz Foundation of America, extended warm feelings, many of them equal to what this wonderful giant of a man and genius musician had shared with them — memories never to be forgotten. I have never seen that many saxophonists in one place in my life, but for Sonny they filled the pulpit. A photographer said a photo was taken of them performing, comparing it to Art Kane’s “A Great Day in Harlem” in 1958, in which Sonny was among the notables assembled. So it seems this special photo was not a mishap but an omen, one that Sonny conceived and directed from heaven. Maybe it will hang on walls and document yet another rare moment in jazz history. I was dressed in my Sunday best, but of the thousands who attended (the church capacity is over 4,000), many were dressed casually, from shorts and sandals to jogging suits. Sonny never cared about his audience’s appearance, just about the best show he could present. After a welcoming address from The Very Reverend Winnie Varghese, more than 50 musicians rose to the occasion, beginning with a sizzling solo by Joe Lovano on “Alfie’s Theme.” “I was truly honored that Clifton Anderson [Sonny’s nephew and the trombonist who curated the event] chose me to do this song,” Lovano said. His orchestral backing included a formidable trumpet section, featuring Eddie Henderson, Jon Faddis and Charles Tolliver, with Gene Ghee, Ron Blake and Gary Bartz manning the saxophones. The stellar trombone section included Steve Turre and Anderson. Pianist George Cables, guitarist Bobby Broom, and the ubiquitous bassist Rufus Reid on the rhythm. Billy Hart and Steve Jordan kept the drum beat busy and vibrant. Mark Ruffin, the notable jazz broadcast-
(L-R) Melissa Aldana, Javon Jackson, Bill Saxton, Ron Black, James Cater, and Craig Handy. (Photos By Chris Griffith, Amsterdam News exclusive)
(L-R) Bobby Broom, Rufus Reid, Chris Potter.
er on Sirius/XM Satellite, hosted the show and briefly introduced a video in which Sonny’s sister Gloria Rollins Anderson (Clifton’s mother) spoke intimately about Sonny’s birth and his early determination to
play the saxophone. Lenny White. There was a pleasant interlude For the opening numbers, bassist Reid from Charles Lloyd on video, commentprovided the rhythmic bottom for solos by ing on Sonny’s magic, followed by equally Bartz and Henderson on “Oleo,” accompanied by pianist Bill O’Connell and drummer Continued on next page
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Continued from previous page
compelling remarks from Bennie Maupin. “Tenor Madness” featured an array of saxmen — Harlem’s Bill Saxton and Patience Higgins, Craig Handy, the everebullient James Carter, Javon Jackson, and Melissa Aldana. Applying plenty of heat on the beat were Billy Drummond on drums, Mark Soskin on piano, and Avery Sharpe on bass. Yoshiaki Masuo’s guitar added the delightful sparks. Camille Thurman delivered “I’m An Old Cowhand” with Sonny-like notes, recalling his rhythmic incantations. She was joined and supported by Kenny Davis on bass and Tommy Campbell on drums. Pulitzer Prize winner Henry Threadgill improvised with both his words and his horn, melodically conveying his love and respect. On Sonny’s outstanding “Freedom Suite,” Javon Jackson heeded the call, while drummer Billy Hart and bassist Davis underscored his cry for liberation. Trumpeter Charles Tolliver adeptly handled “East Broadway Run Down,” with Avery Sharpe on bass and Jeff “Tain” Watts on drums. Accompanied by guitarist Bobby Broom, Reid, and drummer Lenny White, tenor saxophonist Chris Potter was as powerful as he was impressionistic in his treatment of “The Bridge.” The indomitable George Braith on his unique soratto Braithophone horns spun an intriguing interpretation of “Lover,” with Ben Meigners on bass and Darrell Green on drums. Pianist Rodney Kendrick set the pace and tone on “Sonny Says,” offering his own commentary with Anderson
Henry Threadgill
The audience looks on. (Photos By Chris Griffith, Amsterdam News exclusive)
and Handy on horns and drummers Victor See Yuen and Ronnie Burrage, with bassist Russel Blake. Whether with words or on his tenor saxophone, Eric Wyatt was profound and articulate, providing the “Golden Rule” with a special elegance. After a short video presentation from Terence Blanchard, emphasizing Sonny’s importance to jazz history, the event closed with a rousing “Global Warming/Don’t Stop the Carnival/St. Thomas,” as if taking the middle title as an instruction, even in
Camille Thurman
the house of St. John the Divine. The everpresent Clifton Anderson, Wyatt, and several of the previous saxmen, along with Steve Jordan on drums, burnished three of Rollins’ popular tunes; Monty Alexander on piano; percussionists Sammy Figueroa and See Yuen; and guitarist Yoshiaki Masuo completed the ensemble. René McLean didn’t serenade with his horn, but he and his mother, Clarice “Dollie” McLean, offered poignant history about their relationship with Sonny. Jason Moran,
Bob Blumenthal, Denardo Coleman, Joe Petrucelli, James Brandon Lewis, Sonny’s biographer Aidan Levy, and Wendy Oxenhorn also shared words of praise for Sonny. State Senator Cordell Cleare arrived with a resolution for Sonny and his family, and thanked the Jazz Foundation of America. It’s an understatement to say it was a lengthy program, though it was also an invigorating one, and equal to a long solo by Rollins. In every sense of the word, it was a Sonny Day.
(L-R) Charles Tolliver, Bill Saxton
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October 1, 2026 - October 7, 2026 • 25 M
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The remix: Netflix’s ‘A Different World’ By MARK WINSTON GRIFFITH Special to the AmNews When the original NBC television series, “A Different World,” first dropped in 1987, it was received mostly as an extension of “The Cosby Show” brand and a star vehicle for Lisa Bonet. Three years earlier, when “The Cosby Show” first aired, a proud and unapologetically Black upper middle class family captivated primetime American television audiences of all stripes. It was so iconic and wielded such high ratings and cultural resonance, that Bonet’s character Denise Huxtable, the second-oldest child of Clair and Cliff Huxtable, was given her own show. Set in a fictional, elite, historically Black college named Hillman, “A Different World” was born. After the first season, Bonet, who portrayed an undergraduate at Hillman, got pregnant, and the respectability politics of the day nixed the possibility of Denise returning to the second season as a mother, unwed or otherwise. Bonet’s abrupt departure, and the naming of Debbie Allen as the chief creative of the series, proved profoundly consequential. Under Allen’s vision, the ensemble cast was reconfigured, current political issues deemed too radioactive for the socially conservative Bill Cosby were explored, and audiences soon realized that a “Cosby” spin-off that did not feature “Cosby” characters, nor was bound by the “Cosby” moral universe, actually meant for a much better show. Although it only lasted six seasons, “A Different World” went on to have a successful syndicated run and gained loyal fans across multiple generations, especially among girls and women who related to the diverse range of strong, intelligent, and ambitious Black women. These women characters pursued conventional romantic relationships and marriage, but were not defined by them. Audiences enthusiastically followed the love story between the hopelessly bougie Whitley Gilbert (Jasmine Guy) and the grounded and scholarly Dwayne Wayne (Kadeem Hardison), while the supporting cast created a durable universe of Black excellence. Beyond Guy and Hardison, “A Different World” was a launching pad for young Hollywood talent including Marisa Tomei, Jada Pinkett Smith, Halle Berry, and Tupac Shakur, as well as a comfortable sitcom home for veterans like Joe Morton, Diahann Carroll, Mary Alice, and Glynn Turman. The Netflix reboot/sequel, “A Different World” is itself a bifurcated planet whose marketing plan seems to brazenly take advantage of the fandom from the original series, while furnishing us with a new Talented Tenth generation facing its own set of unique contemporary challenges. Perhaps even more so than the 1980s original, the 2026 Hillman leans unhesitantly into
Cornell Young IV, Maleah Joi Moon, Kennedi Reece, Jordan Aaron Hall, Elijah J. Roberts, Alijah Kai, Chibuikem Uche in “A Different World” (Quantrell Colbert/Netflix photo)
today’s headlines and ideological crosshairs by placing the college in the middle of a budget crisis triggered by federal cuts to higher education. While the Trump administration is not explicitly named, the call out is unmistakable as characters reference assaults on DEI, immigration, and Black life as we know it. This next-generation “A Different World” remains true to the assignment of being a sitcom with Black college characters and a healthy dose of romantic comedy energy. At the center of the hijinks is Deborah (Maleah Joi Moon), the privileged, rabble-rousing, neurodivergent-coded daughter of, you guessed it, Whitley and Dwayne, and her ride-or-dies — the fiery Compton scholarship student Rashida Duvall (Alijah Kai) and the bible-thumping Hazel Henry (Kennedi Reece). On the male side of the ledger is Deborah’s love interest, Shaquille Johnson (Cornell Young IV), a five-star football recruit who also happens to be the son of Ron Johnson (Darryl M. Bell) from the original series. His running buddies are Kojo Achebe (Chibuikem Uche), an effervescent and enterprising Nigerian-Ghanian Brit, and the mischievous Amir Rodale (Jordan Aaron Hall), who turns up on campus with
a juvenile offender record, but without a housing assignment. Together, the six of them form a relationship pod that anchors most of the student-based action. On hand for alumni business, parachute parenting, and the general imposition of coitus interruptus on Hillman’s coed population, are cast and characters from the original series. Whitley, Dwayne, Ron and Freddie (Cree Summer) are central characters, but Kim (Charnele Brown), Jaleesa (Dawnn Lewis), Colonel Taylor (Glynn Turman), Byron (Joe Morton), and Lena (a stiff Jada Pinkett Smith) also make prominent guest appearances. (Even Halle Berry’s Jaclyn makes a stealth uncredited cameo). Their likenesses may have changed, but their characters seem to have been kept cryogenically preserved. The series rushes through the first episode and underbakes its characters, but it starts to pick up some more effective comic timing as it progresses to the later episodes. Although it has something urgent to say, its politics are didactic and reductionist at best, with endless scenes of earnest people making principled statements or quoting Black writers, with students and alumni nodding their heads in devout agreement. No one actually says “Power to the people,” “For the Culture,”
or “Each one, teach one,” but I swear I could hear those declarations murmuring beneath the background music. If not for the characters from the original series, “A Different World” would be considered a diet version of other recent series that have more effectively depicted the yearnings and dramatic turns of Black young adults, namely “Forever,” “All American,” “Bel-Air “ and even “Dear White People.” But who cares, really? The procession of first-generation cast members and storylines are everything. Let me or any critic beware when speaking ill of this series, lest we summon the wrath of the “ADW” faithful to whom this series shamelessly panders. When original cast members dutifully show up, one by one, as if they were answering a Netflix subpoena, you can hear the hearts of over-40 “ADW” fans warming, and the pitter patter of their feet skipping blissfully down memory lane. If nothing else, “A Different World” is a celebration of Black community and of our messy but urgent dependency on one another. It’s an enshrined space, made in our own image, where we are not only in the majority, but exert agency. And we’ll always be suckers for that kind of action.
26 • October 1, 2026 - October 7, 2026
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Don’t let scammers crash back-to-school season Tips from local Community Manager, Iliana Menesick Sponsored content by JPMorgan Chase
Today’s students and young adults are true digital natives, having grown up online, learning to navigate digital spaces as a normal part of daily life. As they transition to college, they turn to digital platforms and social media for everything from apartment hunting and job searches to shopping, banking and talking with friends. That familiarity, however, can create a false sense of security, making younger adults just as much of a target for fraud and scams as older individuals. According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Report, Americans ages 20–29 reported more than $500 million to internet-crime losses in 2025. As scammers become more sophisticated, including using AI, students need to be more vigilant than ever about fraud and scams. Understanding the most common ones can help you and your children avoid becoming victims. Common scams targeting students (and the families supporting them) Online shopping and marketplace scams Whether your student is furnishing a dorm, moving into an apartment or buying textbooks--or you’re helping them pay for essentials—online deals and secondhand marketplaces can help you save money while also creating more opportunities for scammers. Buy from official and trusted retailers whenever possible, double check website URLs for misspellings or other red flags, and make sure the site uses https://. Be wary of deals that seem too good to be true as well. Avoid clicking links in unsolicited emails or text messages, including fake “missed delivery” notifications that often lead to fraudulent websites or malware. Before making a purchase, read seller reviews and ratings. If you’re buying locally, meet in a safe public place and inspect the item before paying. Job scams As students return to school this fall, some may be looking for part-time jobs or internships. Scammers target students with fake jobs offering high salaries, flexible schedules or jobs you can do from a residence hall, apartment or home. If your child receives a job offer by text, email, or direct message – be cautious, especially if they never applied to work at that company. Encourage them to use wellknown job boards and then apply directly through the company’s official website. Also, if an employer asks them to pay upfront for training, equipment, background checks or application fees, it may be a sign of a scam. Legitimate companies will never charge you to get a job. They also won’t send you money and then ask you to return a portion of it. Rental and housing scams Scammers know student housing is in high demand. They’ll often post fake apartment listings or copy legitimate ones to trick potential renters (or their families) into sending money for a deposit. Rental prices that seem unusually low should raise a red flag. Use a reverse image search to see if photos of the property appear on a different website or in a different location. Research unfamiliar property managers or housing websites before sending money, and avoid paying deposits through wire transfers, gift cards or peer-topeer payment apps. Double check the address, read online reviews of the property management company and schedule a tour of the house or apartment before signing a lease or sending a deposit. That way, you’ll know
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the listing and location is real. The influence of AI Thanks to artificial intelligence, scammers can now create cloned voices and deepfake videos, along with fraudulent emails, text messages and even websites and apps that look real. These AI tools let scammers impersonate family members, employers, banks, law enforcement, delivery companies and trusted brands to get you to send money or share personal information. They may even target parents directly—claiming your child is in trouble and needs money immediately. How to protect yourself (and your children) No matter what type of scam you encounter, a few simple habits can go a long way toward reducing your risk: • Limit the personal information you and your children share online and make social media profiles private whenever possible. This can help reduce the information scammers can use to target you, guess your security questions or attempt to access your financial accounts. • When you’re making a payment, use more protected methods, such as credit and debit cards, which generally offer stronger consumer protections than wire transfers, gift cards or peer-to-peer payment apps. Treat peer-to-peer payments, such as Zelle, like cash — once the money is sent, it’s often difficult to recover. • Scammers can spoof phone numbers to make calls look like they’re coming from your bank, law enforcement or another trusted organization. Don’t automatically trust your caller ID – if you get a call demanding immediate action or claiming there’s a problem with your account, hang up and call back directly using a verified phone number. Banks will never call and ask you for account information, tell you to transfer money to ‘protect’ it or pressure you to act immediately. • Don’t click links or download attachments from unexpected emails or text messages and avoid accessing your financial accounts or making online purchases on public Wi-Fi, where savvy cybercriminals can gain access to your login credentials. • Perhaps most importantly, slow down. Back-toschool season brings a flurry of financial decisions and scammers know students and families are looking for deals. They often create a false sense of urgency to try to pressure people into making quick decisions. Taking a few extra minutes to verify information can make the difference. The bottom line Whether your student is shopping for school supplies, searching for a job or signing a first lease, their status as a student can make them a prime target for scammers—and families can be targeted too. Stay skeptical of unsolicited offers, verify before you pay or share personal information, and slow down when something feels rushed. Those simple habits can help protect your money, your identity and your family’s peace of mind throughout the school year from scams and fraud. To help consumers stay ahead of common and emerging threats, Chase hosts more than 1,000 free fraud and scam prevention workshops each year in communities across the country. This September, Chase will host a workshop for Bronx Community College students focused on recognizing scams and protecting their money and personal information during the back-to-school season.
For more financial health tips, visit chase.com/scamproof. 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 specific advice/recommendation for any business. Information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but JPMorgan Chase & Co. or its affiliates and/ or subsidiaries do not warrant its completeness or accuracy. The material is not intended to provide legal, tax, or financial advice or to indicate the availability or suitability of any JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. product or service. You should carefully consider your needs and objectives before making any decisions and consult the appropriate professional(s). Outlooks and past performance are not guarantees of future results. JPMorgan Chase & Co. and its affiliates are not responsible for, and do not provide or endorse third party products, services, or other content. Deposit products provided by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC. Equal Opportunity Lender. © 2026 JPMorgan Chase & Co
NYPD payouts Continued from page 3
enforcement against lower-level offenses under NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, who was retained from the previous Adams administration. Jack, however, also credited Mamdani for appointing Jennifer Jones Austin as chair of the Civilian Complaint Review Board, which investigates NYPD officer misconduct and recommends discipline to the police commissioner. Previously, the watchdog agency went without a permanent head for more than half a decade. Divad Durant, a member of the police reform organization Justice Committee, called for pivoting away from criminalizing poor people and against upholding “broken windows policing,” a disproven policing strategy involving prevalent lowlevel enforcement. He believes these practices lead to unnecessary NYPD encounters that can mutate into a misconduct lawsuit. “[The] Justice Committee has worked with families since the ‘90s who have dealt with the issue of trying to hold police accountable because of police abuse and police harassment,” said Durant. “We need to see real discipline, and if we don’t, it fuels this cycle of impunity where New Yorkers pay the price, and we will continue to see those same numbers, if not higher, if there isn’t real discipline.” He specifically mentions Lt. Jonathan
Rivera, who remains in the NYPD despite Justice Committee efforts to remove him from the force after killing Washington Heights resident Allan Feliz in 2019. Mamdani himself called for the officer’s firing last year while serving as an assemblymember. Despite an internal NYPD ruling that Rivera, who was named in multiple lawsuits, violated NYPD rules with a fireable offense, Commissioner Jessica Tisch, whom Mamdani retained from the previous Adams administration, overrode any discipline against him. This week, an independent monitor tasked with NYPD oversight after the landmark Floyd v. City of New York lawsuit — which found the department liable for racially profiling Black and Brown New Yorkers — found that stop-and-frisks remain more than a decade later. Samah Sisay, a staff attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights, which brought the original case, expressed her disappointment in a statement over Legal Aid’s findings. “Officers continue to racially profile individuals and engage in unconstitutional stop, question, and frisk, among many other constitutional violations,” said Sisay. “It is time for Mayor Mamdani to listen to the community members who elected him and ensure that NYPD officers and supervisors are disciplined and, if warranted, fired for engaging in racist and unconstitutional policing practices.” The NYPD did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
EAST MEADOW, NEW YORK HUD SUBSIDIZED HOUSING BEGINNING October 5, 2026, AND ENDING October 9, 2026 Preliminary applications will be available to re-establish a waiting list for apartments at Mitchel Houses, a HUD Project Based Section 8 Subsidized Development. Qualifications for the development are based on HUD 4350.3 guidelines. Applications may be picked up in person at Mitchel Houses -1485 Front Street East Meadow, NY 11554 beginning October 5, 2026, to October 9, 2026, between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM. Completed applications may be returned by regular mail, Email or Fax and must be received no later than November 6, 2026. Mitchel Houses does not discriminate on the basis of handicapped status in the admission or access to, treatment of employment in federally assisted programs and activities. If you have a disability and need assistance in picking up or preparing the applications, please call the management office at 516-542-0470.
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NYC Electeds call for decarceration and reform in youth detention centers By ARIAMA C. LONG Amsterdam News Staff Elected officials rallied at the Horizon Juvenile Center in the Bronx on Tuesday, Sept. 22, to call attention to the need for New York City to address the harmful conditions and overcrowding that Black and Brown youth in juvenile detention are facing. “They think these kids are not human,” said Violetta King, 68. She is mother to Mary King, 46, and grandmother to a 15-year-old who is at Horizon. Councilmember Althea Stevens, who chairs the youth committee and the Black steering committee, along with fellow electeds, completed a tour of Horizon Juvenile Center. They spoke with juveniles and staff at the center about complaints involving overcrowding, few sleeping spaces, lack of or limited access to education, programming, bathrooms and showers, being denied basic needs, and missing communication with their families. The Legal Aid Society said that Horizon and Crossroads youth detention centers had approximately 374 young people with a certified capacity of 244. The coalition of electeds, parents and advocates called for the city to decarcerate the youth facilities and release at least 150 young people to their communities by December with access to services and legal support. Among these complaints about housing conditions are more serious allegations of instances of violence. King alleged that Williams was beaten, didn’t receive medical attention, was left in solitary confinement and without schooling or access to a social worker following an incident with an officer. She made five separate complaints against the facility, which were returned “unfounded,” said King. “The lawyer didn’t tell us about the court date. They came to my house; they removed my son from the house because they said he had a bench warrant because he failed to come to court,” said Laquasia Tatum, 36, a city worker whose son is currently at Horizon. “My son didn’t come from a troubled home at all. It’s simply his lawyer failing to reach out.” Tatum alleged that while her son was held at Horizon, he was attacked and injured by other juveniles and staff. “We cannot normalize these conditions that these young people are living in,” said Stevens. Raise the Age falling short? According to state statistics, Black and Hispanic youth made up 33% of 16- and 17-year-old youth statewide, but 72% of all arrests in that age group in 2018. After several years of advocacy, Raise the Age legislation was signed into law by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2017. The law removed youth who have committed a crime from the adult criminal justice system, like
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams (podium) joined council members and held a press conference at a youth detention center in the Bronx on September 22, 2026. (Ariama C. Long photo)
Rikers Island, and placed them in age-appropriate youth detention centers. It was seen as a meaningful step toward rehabilitation for nonviolent youths of color who have made mistakes. Horizon was also newly renovated at the time, having had both city and state money invested in its education and counseling programs. However, in practice for less than a decade, the law seems to be falling short. “When we were supporting Raise the Age, we had a different hope. We had a vision for rehabilitation that was going to take our kids and provide mental health support, provide them a path to a different future, but that’s not what we’re experiencing today,” said Councilmember Pierina Sanchez at the press conference. “There’s a reason why we didn’t want them at Rikers Island. We didn’t want them to lose hope,” said Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, who joined the visit. “It’s also not
lost on me that every one of those kids are Black and Brown. That’s it, not even one that fits another description. And I believe that if it looked a little different, we probably wouldn’t be having these conversations.” Mayor Zohran Mamdani has been in favor of closing Rikers and decarceration, as well as shifting policing through the city’s lofty goals outlined in the Racial Equity Plan. The Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice recently announced this September a partnership with the Administration for Children’s Services and the Department of Probation aimed at reducing the number of young people in the city’s detention centers, investing in workforce development, less restrictive alternatives to incarceration, and reducing case delays. ACS added that it is currently renovating existing facilities, enhancing security measures, onboarding additional staff members, developing updated staff training, and increasing youth educa-
tional and employment opportunities. “ACS is committed to providing a safe and supportive environment for youth and staff in our secure detention centers,” said an ACS spokesperson. “We were pleased that members of the City Council and the Public Advocate had the opportunity to see our secure detention facility, meet with staff and young people, and learn more about the ways in which we are working to improve conditions of care and reduce the number of young people in secure detention.” While the electeds praised Mamdani for his stance on decarceration so far, many at the press conference vowed to hold him accountable if he doesn’t follow through. Stevens plans to hold a hearing through the youth committee in October to closely examine the current conditions of the city’s juvenile justice system. “These are children,” said Stevens. “We have to take this as a failure. We failed them.”
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Key of Life Continued from page 17
America was facing the aftermath of the Nixon administration, marred with corruption and a war on celebratory Black art. Five decades later, the Trump administration is, well, marred with corruption and a war on celebratory Black art. The secret weapon of “Songs in the Key of Life” is the fact that Wonder puts music itself on the pedestal it deserves. The songs “Ngiculela - Es Una Historia I Am Singing,” and Sir Duke are the mission statements of the album, and for the art form in and of itself. “I am singing of tomorrow/I am singing of love/I am singing someday sweet love will reign throughout this world of ours/I am singing of love from our hearts.” And more to the point: “Music is a world within itself, with a language we all understand, With an equal opportunity for all to sing, dance, and clap their hands.” The marvel of “Songs in the Key of Life” is that it was written, produced, arranged, and performed by this blind, Black 26-year-old from Detroit. For someone without physical sight to possess so much wisdom and naked selfawareness about the world at large, especially when being Black in America can give one a jaded and broken
outlook on life, speaks to his ability to empathize with humanity. Not to mention the fact that he was able to make such a massive collection of music of different sounds and tones, and still tie it all together so that it doesn’t sound scattered or unfocused. Fifty years on, the people are still amazed by Wonder’s magnum opus. Fans have been scrambling for tickets to his forthcoming international tour, where he will perform “Songs in the Key of Life” in its entirety. Furthermore, when Motown released an EP of unreleased Wonder tracks from and before the album’s sessions to DSPs for the 50th anniversary, social media went into a frenzy. Melody, harmony, and rhythm are aspects that can be comprehended by anyone from any walk of life. Whether your favorite album is Metallica’s “Black Album,” Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” Carole King’s “Tapestry,” or Nas’ “Illmatic,” the music and messages of “Songs in the Key of Life” are undeniably for everyone. The way Wonder synthesized gospel, funk, jazz, classical, soul, proto-prog-rock, and sang of heartbreak, cynicism, righteous indignation, nostalgia, idealism, and hope, there’s not a person on earth who cannot relate to or see themselves in the multi-dimensional miracle that is “Songs in the Key of Life.” And that’s a fact.
Once Upon a Time in Harlem Continued from page 22
one another before history had finished deciding how they would be remembered. David Greaves could easily have treated his father’s footage as sacred material requiring solemn presentation. Instead, he trusts its spontaneity. That choice gives the documentary its warmth and immediacy. We are not merely told that these people knew one another; we see what knowing one another looked and sounded like. The rough edges of the gathering become part of the film’s argument: history was once ordinary life, lived by people who did not know which of their conversations, friendships or disagreements would one day be studied. One of the most profound observations in the film — words that linger long after the screening — comes from Richard Bruce Nugent: “While you’re living it, it is the now.” In that single thought lies the film’s deepest achievement. Greaves’ guests are not preserved as figures trapped inside a historical moment; they remain alive within it, speaking, laughing, disagreeing and remembering. Their presence becomes perpetual rather than frozen, and the camera gives us access not merely to what they once were but to the immediacy of who they were while they were living. That is also why the survival of this footage matters. Preserving the stories of our ancestors requires more than reverence; it
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requires work, patience and, sometimes, another generation willing to finish what the previous one could not. William Greaves did not live to complete this film, yet the images survived, and David Greaves carried them forward. Memory, when it is tended to rather than simply admired, becomes its own form of immortality. These women and men were living in their present just as we are living in ours, and through “Once Upon a Time in Harlem,” their present continues to move alongside us. That is profound. And, in the truest sense of the word, groovy. “Once Upon a Time in Harlem” opens theatrically in New York on Oct. 16, and in Los Angeles on Oct. 23, with additional markets to follow. “Once Upon a Time in Harlem” is a William Greaves Productions presentation made in collaboration with Louise Archambault Greaves, with support from the Cromwell Harbor Foundation, Ford Foundation’s JustFilms and the Mellon Foundation. Cinetic Media handles world sales. David Greaves directed; Liani Greaves and Anne de Mare produced. Anne de Mare and Lynn True edited; Tamar-kali composed the music. The camera crew included David Greaves, Doug Harris, David Hoffman, and Jerry Panzer.
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‘It’s been finalized’: Harlemites share frustration about controversial One45 Project at forum with Bruce Teitelbaum, Yusef Salaam By JASON PONTEROTTO Special to the AmNews On September 23, City Councilman Yusef Salaam, developer Bruce Teitelbaum, and other city leaders gathered for a public forum at the National Urban League to discuss the controversial One45 housing development coming to Harlem, in an attempt to “demystify” some of the information. However, community members in attendance who were concerned about issues, such as the affordability of the proposed rental rates, said much of the event was disappointing. The project, which has been in the works for several years, has garnered attention in recent months as groups like Defend Harlem, also known as the NY Interfaith Commission for Housing Equality, have sounded the alarm. Others on the panel included Assemblyman Al Taylor; Malcolm Hunter, president of HCCI and coordinator of the Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) for the project; and Jelani Deshong, deputy director of intergovernmental affairs for the Mayor’s Office. One by one, concerned Harlem residents addressed the panel, asking about the project and how they can maintain life in Harlem despite not qualifying for its income ranges. “This project marks a milestone as the first major development of this size dedicated to creating affordable housing for northern Manhattan in more than a generation,” Salaam said. “No project can address 100% of the problem.” Salaam had negotiated the terms of the project with Teitelbaum, paving the way for its approval by the City Council in July 2025. At the closing of the event, Kai
Cogsville, a leader of Defend Harlem, shared a statement directed toward Salaam, discussing the issues with the project, including the income levels starting at $71,280 for a single person and $101,760 for a family of four, while the median household income in Central Harlem is roughly just $52,000 a year. “The One45 project as currently proposed does not serve Harlem residents … The city, state, developer, and other development partners must come together and use every available financing and policy tool to close the gap,” Cogsville said. “As currently proposed, the One45 project will not help longtime Black and Latino families remain in Harlem. It risks accelerating their displacement — and we have an opportunity to change that. This is a chance to be on the right side of history and ensure that the people who built Harlem can continue to call Harlem home.” Cogsville also requested a meeting with Salaam “to identify a path forward to increase significant affordability for this project.” The development is set to be 1,000 units in three buildings — the first two with the vast majority being market rate, which is more than double the income of the surrounding area and Central Harlem. Construction is expected to begin by December or at the start of the new year, and slated to be completed within 24 months. The third building is set to be fully affordable, with 90 units for seniors, but won’t start construction until 2031, because demolition and cleanup of the garage currently at the space will take longer. Salaam noted the first building would be 502 units, with 160 affordable family-sized units at 60% of Area Median Income (AMI) for
System Failures Continued from page 8
back in 2020, yeah, 2020, when they showed up and said, ‘Oh, we own your house now,’ you can’t help but get stressed out. I was in shock for six months. I couldn’t even move from my bed; I was so in shock.” She’s now waiting for a mid-October final decision on her case. “[The judge] said they couldn’t go into the property. They couldn’t try to sell it, because you know they’re trying to sell it. And she said their people couldn’t go into the building.”
Harlem community members discuss concerns about Project One45 with Councilmember Yusef Salaam, developer Bruce Teitelbaum, and more on panel at National Urban League, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026. (Jason Ponterrotto photo)
a two-partner household, which amounts to $82,000 or $41,000 per person. The second building would have 408 units, with 122 family-sized units at 80% of AMI, amounting to $108,000 or $55,000 per person. The goal for the third building would be at 50% of AMI. Community members expressed frustration with some of the metrics. “The numbers don’t add up,” said June Moses, a longtime Harlem resident in attendance. “If you have to be making $55,000 and I have to make $55,000, then it is not affordable.” In response to the claim that Salaam negotiated down from 50% affordability established under a deal with previous City Councilperson Kristin Richardson Jordan, Salaam told the Amsterdam News that it is misinformation. “The former councilmember stepped away from negotiations,” Salaam said. “It’s disingenuous to say, ‘Why did you negotiate less than what she got?’ If she got it, it would be on the record, but she didn’t get it.”
the project, Teitelbaum said he previously requested subsidies from the Adams administration for the project to make more affordable units, but was rejected. “It’s not possible to build housing at the AMI level or as low as you’d like without getting the city subsidies,” Teitelbaum said. He also said he is open to making the third building more affordable, and potentially adding units. When questioned about flexibility in lowering the rental rates for the majority of units that are currently set at market rate, Teitelbaum declared that it was too late. “The project is fully baked. It’s been done. It’s been finalized. The answer is no, at this point, because the previous administration did not provide the subsidies,” Teitelbaum said. “It’s not as if you can just wait around for 10 months, 15 months … for some magic subsidy. It doesn’t work that way.” Through the CBA, the project will include economic resources, including a 23,000-squarefoot technology center providing workforce training for Harlem residents and a 30,000-squareFight over rental rates for major- foot commercial retail and comity of units munity space with 20% set aside After discussing the timeline for for Harlem businesses and anoth-
Neither Attorney Alan Waintraub nor Majestic Crowns NY LLC responded to inquiries regarding the claims raised by Vira Jones before AmNews’ publication. The Department of Finance sent the following statement when questioned about partition actions, disputed titles, and how the City Register deals with them: “The City Register’s Office takes proactive steps to help prevent deed theft. Staff have been trained to better detect documents that may be forged or fraudulent, and the office has put in place several safeguards to flag suspicious deeds, referring potentially fraudulent filings to the Sheriff’s Office for
further investigation. The Mayor’s Office of Deed Theft Prevention also works closely with the City Register’s Office to place holds on suspicious deed transfers while the Sheriff’s Office conducts further investigation. We encourage anyone experiencing a suspected case of deed theft to report it to the Mayor’s Office of Deed Theft Prevention at nyc.gov/deedtheft.” The ULC is looking into other ways to combat deed fraud. Sternecky said the goal is not to promise that deed fraud can be eliminated, but to “reduce the likelihood of it, prevent it from happening, and when it happens, give people a straight-
er 10% for Minority and WomenOwned Businesses. However, Nicky Sunshine, coowner of Comedy in Harlem on St. Nicholas Avenue, highlighted issues with the project for surrounding small businesses. “This project will raise surrounding rates … I’m talking about surrounding businesses and our cultural institutions,” she said. She asked what more can be done to protect them. Throughout the year, Defend Harlem has rallied to raise awareness and push to make the project more affordable by getting Mayor Mamdani’s attention. “We have a mayor that has had some incredible strategies around affordable housing and affordability in general … I think this would be a great project for him to get involved with,” Cogsville said. Despite what was said, Cogsville does not buy that nothing can be done to make One45 more affordable for the majority of units. “I understand from [Teitelbaum’s] standpoint,” he said. “He’s been working on this for almost a decade now, so he’s probably exhausted in trying to just get a return on his investment. In New York, things are always changing … until the building is up and people are living in it, there’s a bunch of things that can be done for sure.” Salaam gave his card to Cogsville, but Cogsville said he has yet to hear back from Salaam’s office. “We have nothing but respect for our elected … I’m not going to badmouth Yusef Salaam or any of these people. I’m simply asking to have a time for us to have a dialogue,” Cogsville said. “Harlem leadership and the Harlem community [are] just a little bit too siloed; I think we really need to kind of come together and deliver an actionable win for the community.”
forward mechanism, potentially through a quiet title action or some other expedited judicial process.” For New York families fighting to keep homes in gentrifying neighborhoods, that expedited process cannot come soon enough. Part Three of this series examines why criminalizing deed theft has not guaranteed that victims get their homes back, and what lawmakers could do to change that. Editor’s Note: This story was made possible with help from a grant from the Fund for Investigative Journalism.
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sions of filed Judgment Index# 850317/2024. Scott H. Siller, Esq., Referee LOGS Legal Group LLP Attorney(s) for the Plaintiff 175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, New York 14624 (877) 430-4792 Dated: August 12, 2026 91159
after the service of this summons, exclusive of the day of service, and 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 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. This is an attempt to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose. The foregoing summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an order of Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, signed the Honorable day of 20_ at New York. The object of this action is to foreclose a mortgage on the following property: 25-002664-NY ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING IN THE BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN, CITY, COUNTY AND STATE OF NEW YORK, BOUNDED AND DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS:- BEGINNING AT A POINT ON THE SOUTHERLY SIDE OF EAST 118TH STREET, DISTANT 259 FEET 6 INCHES EASTERLY FROM THE CORNER FORMED BY THE INTERSECTION OF THE SOUTHERLY SIDE OF EAST 118TH STREET (60 FEET WIDE) WITH THE EASTERLY SIDE OF MADISON AVENUE (80 FEET WIDE); RUNNING THENCE SOUTHERLY AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE SOUTHERLY SIDE OF EAST 118TH STREET, 100 FEET 11 INCHES TO A POINT; RUNNING THENCE EASTERLY AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE LAST MENTIONED COURSE, 19 FEET 10 INCHES TO A POINT; RUNNING THENCE NORTHERLY AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE NORTHERLY SIDE OF EAST 118TH STREET, 100
FEET 11 INCHES TO THE SOUTHERLY SIDE OF EAST 118TH STREET; RUNNING THENCE WESTERLY ALONG THE SOUTHERLY SIDE OF EAST 118TH STREET, 19 FEET 10 INCHES TO THE POINT OR PLACE OF BEGINNING. Subject to easements, covenants, and restriction of record. These premises are also known as 68 E 118TH ST, New York, NY 10035. Dated: 9/1/2026 25-002664-NY Aleaten Oleksiy Lunhu, Esq. Tromberg, Miller, Morris & Partners, PLLC Attorneys for Plaintiff 39 Broadway, Suite 1840 New York, NY 10006 Tel.: (800) 2806205
A, A/K/A 300 WEST 138TH STREET, UNIT 2573A, A/K/A 300 WEST 138TH STREET, UNIT 2573, A/K/A 2573 8TH AVENUE, UNIT A, NEW YORK, NY 10030; and the following tax map identification: 2041-1119.
NOTICE OF SALE Supreme Court County Of New York Citibank, N.A., Plaintiff AGAINST Thomas N. Pieper, Carol Ann Foley, et al, Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on August 1, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the New York County Courthouse, see posted location outside Room 130 at 60 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007 on October 20, 2026 at 2:15 PM premises known as 250 South End Avenue, Unit 4D, New York, NY 10280. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the County of New York, City and State of New York, BLOCK: 16, LOT: 2222. Approximate amount of judgment is $28,099.34 plus interests and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 850158/2023. This sale may be subject to the US Dept of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network Real Estate Reporting Rule. In such event, all purchasers are required to provide the information needed for proper reporting in accordance with the terms of sale. Scott H. Siller, Referee FRENKEL LAMBERT WEISMAN & GORDON LLP 53 Gibson Street Bay Shore, NY 11706 01-095756-F00 91257 NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NEW YORK JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, Plaintiff AGAINST Allison Scollar; Brook Altman; et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered May 20, 2026, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the New York County Courthouse, see posted location outside room 130, at 60 Centre Street, New York, NY on October 20, 2026, at 2:15PM, premises known as 59 John Street, Unit 11A, New York, NY 10038. The Condominium Unit (“the Unit”) in the premises known as Five Nine John Lofts and by the street Number 59 John Street, Borough of Manhattan City, County, and State of New York, Block 78 Lot 1667. Approximate amount of judgment $1,264,998.16 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provi-
STATE OF NEW YORK SUPREME COURT: COUNTY OF NEW YORK NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC, V. Plaintiff, ANY UNKNOWN HEIRS, DEVISEES, DISTRIBUTEES OR SUCCESSORS IN INTEREST OF THE LATE ANTONIA MOCZO, IF LIVING, AND IF ANY BE DEAD, ANY AND ALL PERSONS WHO ARE SPOUSES, WIDOWS, GRANTEES, MORTGAGEES, LIENORS, HEIRS, DEVISEES, DISTRIBUTEES, EXECUTORS, ADMINISTRATORS, OR SUCCESSORS IN INTEREST OF SUCH OF THEM AS MAY BE DEAD, AND THEIR SPOUSES, HEIRS, DEVISEES, DISTRIBUTEES AND SUCCESSORS IN INTEREST, ALL OF WHOM AND WHOSE NAMES AND PLACES OF RESIDENCE ARE UNKNOWN TO PLAINTIFF; ANTHONY WAYNE NICOLEAU INDIVIDUALLY AND AS ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ESTATE OF ANTONIA MOCZO; THE CITY OF NEW YORK, A MUNICIPAL CORPORATION ACTING BY AND THROUGH ITS DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING PRESERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT; CITY OF NEW YORK PARKING VIOLATIONS BUREAU; CITY OF NEW YORK ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA BY THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE; JOHN DOE (REFUSED NAME) AS JOHN DOE #1; JOHN DOE (REFUSED NAME) AS JOHN DOE #2; JOHN DOE (REFUSED NAME) AS JOHN DOE #3; JOHN DOE (REFUSED NAME) AS JOHN DOE #4; JOHN DOE (REFUSED NAME) AS JOHN DOE #5 Defendants. TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS: Index No.: 850568/2025 SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS Property Address: 68 E 118TH ST New York, NY 10035 Block: 1623 Lot: 42 YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the complaint in this action and to serve a 25-002664-NY copy of your answer, or if the complaint is not served with this summons, to serve a notice of appearance on the Plaintiff’s attorneys within thirty (30) days
Notice of Formation of SEAL PARK VENTURES LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 6/16/2026. Office location: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 245 8th Ave, #884, New York, NY 10011. Purpose: any lawful activity. SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NEW YORK WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, D/B/A CHRISTIANA TRUST, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE OF RESIDENTIAL CREDIT OPPORTUNITIES TRUST II, -againstNORTHWARD ESTATES LLC, ET AL. NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of New York on September 29, 2025, wherein WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, D/B/A CHRISTIANA TRUST, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE OF RESIDENTIAL CREDIT OPPORTUNITIES TRUST II is the Plaintiff and NORTHWARD ESTATES LLC, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the NEW YORK COUNTY CIVIL SUPREME COURTHOUSE, 60 CENTRE STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10007, on October 13, 2026 at 2:15PM, premises known as 2573 FREDERICK DOUGLASS BLVD, UNIT
THE UNIT KNOWN AS UNIT NO. 2773(A) LOCATED IN ST. CHARLES CONDOMINIUM IV LOCATED AT 2571-2579 FREDERICK DOUGLASS BOULEVARD, COUNTY, CITY AND STATE OF NEW YORK AND ALSO DESIGNATED AND DESCRIBED AS UNIT NO. 2573(A) IN THE DECLARATION ESTABLISHING ST. CHARLES CONDOMINIUM IV, (HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AS THE “PROPERTY”) MADE BY THE SPONSOR/ DECLARANT AND GRANTOR UNDER THE CONDOMINIUM ACT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, AS AMENDED (ARTICLE 9-B OF THE REAL PROPERTY LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK) Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 850647/2023. Paul R. Sklar, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC, 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES. Notice of formation of STATSTRAT LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 5/25/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Mingyu Zhang: 508 51st Street, Apt 1112, West New York, NJ 07093. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of formation of ASHLEIGH THURSTON LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 5/22/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to LEGALCORP SOLUTIONS, LLC: 11 BROADWAY, SUITE 615 NEW YORK CITY, NY, 10004, USA. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of formation of Table
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Stakes LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 9/01/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Kelly Bennett: 130 East End Ave, Apt 14d, New York, NY 10028. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 8/15/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Aldiana Hot: 105 Pinehurst Ave, Apt. Super, New York, NY 10033. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
fice location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Secretary of State of New York: 53 Union Avenue, Maplewood, NJ 07040. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
NY (SSNY) on 09/01/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to SOFIA ROSALES: 171 Suffolk Street. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
on 9/02/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to The LLC: 450 W 42nd St Apt 17A, New York, NY 10036. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
TAL LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 08/24/2026. Office in New York Co. SSNY desig. agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to 300 Mercer St., Apr 15J, New York, NY 10003. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
Notice of formation of Creswell Jewelry, LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 6/0426. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Birkley Sigband: birkley@creswelljewelry.com. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
Notice of formation of ANIVA LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 09/09/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Registered Agents Inc.: 418 Broadway, Suite R, Albany, NY 12207. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
Notice of formation of RollaHamper, LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 9/17/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Tyler Evick: Tyler.evick@yahoo.com. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
Notice of formation of Vital Essence Wellness LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/09/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to The LLC: 310 EAST 23RD STREET, APT. 5G, NEW YORK, NY 10010-4703 . Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
Notice of formation of In The Ether Productions LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 6/20/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to LegalZoom USCA, INC.: 45 Main Street Suite 28 Brooklyn,NY 11201. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
Notice of formation of Word of Mouf Catering LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/31/26. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Valerie Simms-Dixon: 156-20 Riverside Drive W apt 5i New York, New York 10032. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
Notice of formation of Hostage Families NY Story Project LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/20/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Dana Cwaigrach: 27w 72nd st , 10023 NY. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
Notice of formation of LEYLLE LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 09/02/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Northwest Registered Agent: 418 BROADWAY, STE N, ALBANY, NY, 12207, USA. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of formation of RT 42 4446 LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/12/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to RT 42 4446 LLC: 269 W 87 Street, 11A, NY NY 10024. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of formation of Rebecca Brown Marriage & Family Therapy, PLLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/11/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Professional Limited Liability Company (PLLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Rebecca Brown: 220 5th Avenue, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10001. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of formation of Blue Bonnet Studio, LLC . Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/06/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Bonnie Maxey : 45 e 22nd st. APT 18B New york, NY 10010 . Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of formation of Eagle Crest Facility Services LLC.
Notice of formation of CHRISTOPHER SALE DESIGN LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/06/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to LEGALZOOM USCA, INC. : 45 Main Street, Suite 238 Brooklyn, NY, 11201, USA. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of formation of Art Eyes LLC . Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/21/2006. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Legal Zoom: galarzagal@gmai.com . Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of formation of Hyacinth’s Flowers, LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 8/24/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Karina Singh: 159 west 122nd st, apt 4 New York NY 10027. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of formation of Ivolv LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/13/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Laurice Lusane: Laurice. lusane@gmail.com. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of formation of Great Northeast Properties, LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 8/25/2026. Of-
Notice of formation of Older Sister Events, LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/03/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Catherine A Sullivan: 310 1st Ave Apt 7H, New York, NY 10009. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of formation of Sancta Tribeca, LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 6/24/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to LegalZoomUSCA, Inc.: 124 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10013. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of formation of THE WONDER TREE LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 1/12/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to ENTITY PROTECT REGISTERED AGENT SERVICES LLC: 447 Broadway, 2nd Fl. - #3000, New York, NY 10013. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
Notice of formation of Legal Management Tools, PLLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 7/29/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Professional Limited Liability Company (PLLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Jacob Richman: jrichman@legalmgmttools.com. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of formation of Redman Protective Service LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 04/07/2026. Office location: Bronx County. SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Redman Protective Service LLC: emeldara@yahoo.com. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
Notice of formation of Show Stop Tickets, LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 7/29/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to ENTITY PROTECT REGISTERED AGENT SERVICES LLC: 447 Broadway 2nd Fl. - #3000, New York, NY 10013. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
Notice of formation of 803 Street, LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 7/172026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to 803 Street LLC: 66 Saint Nicholas Place Apartment 36A New York NY 10032. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
Notice of formation of SOFIA ROSALES CONSULTING LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of
Notice of formation of Pepperworks LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY)
Notice of formation of VYSE RENTALS , LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/27/2026. Office location: Bronx County. SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to LegalZoom USCA. INC : 45 MAIN STREET, SUITE 238 BROOKLYN, NY, 11201, USA. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of Qualification of Turbineco, LLC. Certificate of Authority filed with Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 9/2/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). Limited Liability Company (LLC) formed in Delaware on 8/24/2023. SSNY designated as agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to The Corporation Trust Company: Corporation Trust Center, 1209 Orange St, Wilmington, DE 19801. Articles of Organization originally filed with Secretary of State (SOS). DE SOS, 401 Federal Street, Suite 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. RMA CONSULTING GROUP LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 09/22/26. Office: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 22 E 41st Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10017. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. MINETTA
PRIVATE
CAPI-
CJW 123 LLC Filed 8/17/26 Office: New York Co. SSNY designated as agent for process & shall mail to: USA Corporate Services Inc, 98 Cuttermill Road, Ste 466, Great Neck, NY 11021. Registered Agent is at the same address. Purpose: all lawful Notice of Formation of SHARFFI LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 03/30/2026. Office location: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Eric Sharff, 140 7th Ave Apt 6P, New York, NY 10011. Registered Agent: Dimov Associates LLC, 211 E 43rd Street, Ste 628, New York, NY 10017. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Jules Power LLC, Arts. of Org. filed SSNY 7/9/26. Office: NY County. SSNY designated as agent for process & shall mail process to: David Jaramillo, 7E 86th St, Apt 16A, NY, NY 10028. Purpose: any lawful act. Notice of Formation of TRAVIS DEEN LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 7/14/2026. Office location: New York County. Principal business location: 208 W 149th St, Apt 2F, New York, NY 10039. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 208 W 149th Street, Apt 2F, New York, NY 10039. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of formation of SEALED WITH SNARK LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 07/15/2026. Office located in NEW YORK. SSNY is designated for service of process. SSNY shall mail a copy of any process served against the LLC to SEALED WITH SNARK LLC 99 WALL STREET #2319, NEW YORK, NY, 10005, USA. Purpose: any lawful purpose. STUDIODYKAS LLC Articles of Org. For Any Lawful Activity filed w/ SSNY 08/25/2026 New York County. SSNY designated agent whom process against to be served. SSNY mail all docs: 447 Broadway 2nd Floor #1476, New York, NY 10013 Notice: Blackhall Equipment Services LLC, a foreign limited liability company. Application for Authority filed with the NY Secretary of State on 07/21/2026. County: New York. LLC organized in Delaware on 3/15/2021. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process may be served; SSNY
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101 LEGAL NOTICES
195LEGAL HELP WANTED 101 NOTICES
shall mail a copy of process to: Blackhall Equipment Services LLC, 1415 Constitution Rd SE, Atlanta, GA 30316. Purpose: To engage in any lawful act or activity for which limited liability companies may be organized under the laws of the State of Delaware.
DRUCKMAN LAW GROUP PLLC Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 242 Drexel Avenue, Westbury, NY 11590 DLG# 39286 {* AMSTERDAM*}
Index No. 850566/2025
NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF STRAZZELLA PROSTH‑ ODONTICS LLC. STRAZ‑ ZELLA PROSTHODONTICS LLC filed an Application of Authority with the New York State Department of State on 07/23/2026. LLC formed in NJ on 05/30/2024. Its office is lo‑ cated in NEW YORK COUNTY. The Secretary of State has been designated as agent of the Company upon whom it may be served and a copy of any process shall be mailed to THE LLC, 279 GOFFLE ROAD, RIDGEWOOD, NJ, 07450. Certificate of Formation filed with the NJ Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services, 33 W. State Street, Trenton, NJ 08608. The purpose of the Company is any lawful purpose. NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT ‑ COUNTY OF NEW YORK. 57TH ST. VACATION OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC., BY AND THROUGH ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS, Plaintiff ‑against‑ EBRAHIM OSMAN, MIRIAM OSMAN, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated August 11, 2026, I, the under‑ signed Referee will sell at public auction at the New York County Supreme Courthouse, 60 Cen‑ tre Street, New York, NY, in the courtroom designated by the posting outside of Room 130, on October 20, 2026 at 2:15 p.m. premises situate, lying and being in the Borough of Man‑ hattan, County of New York, City and State of New York, being an undivided ownership interest as tenant‑in‑common with other owners in the Timeshare Unit in the building located at 102 West 57th Street, New York, NY. Together with an appurtenant undivided 0.00986400000% common interest percentage. This is a foreclosure on own‑ ership 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 Time‑ share 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 $19,425.00 plus interest & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 850341/2023. SCOTT H. SILLER, ESQ., Ref‑ eree
SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUN‑ TY OF NEW YORK 57TH ST. VACATION OWN‑ ERS ASSOCIATION, INC., BY AND THROUGH ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS, Plaintiff, -against- SUMIE TAKEUCHI, if living, and if she be dead, any and all persons unknown to Plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or generally or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein gener‑ ally described and intended to be included in the follow‑ ing designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs-at-law, next of kin, de‑ scendants, executors, admin‑ istrators, 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 ei‑ ther of them, and their respec‑ tive wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs-at-law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, lega‑ tees, creditors, trustees, com‑ mittees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to Plaintiff, Defendants. INDEX NO.: 850059/20024 FILED: September 21, 2026 Plaintiff designates New York County as the place of trial pursuant to CPLR § 507 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 com‑ plaint is not served with this summons, to serve a notice of appearance on the plaintiff’s attorney within 20 days after the service of this summons, exclusive of the day of service or within 30 days after comple‑ tion 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. The foregoing Sum‑ mons is served upon you by publication pursuant an Order of the Hon. Francis A. Kahn III, a Justice of the Supreme Court, of New York County, dated Au‑ gust 26, 2026 and entered Au‑ gust 26, 2026. Dated: August 17, 2026 Westbury, New York, Maria Sideris, Esq. DRUCK‑ MAN LAW GROUP PLLC At‑ torneys for Plaintiff 242 Drexel Avenue, Westbury, New York 11590 (516) 876-0800 SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NEW YORK SUPPLMENTAL SUMMONS
Date Filed: 8/28/2026 Nationstar Mortgage LLC, Plaintiff, -againstEdward Gelb, if he be living or if he be dead, his spouses, heirs, devisees, distributees and suc‑ cessors in interest, all of whom and whose names and places of residence are unknown to Plaintiff; Gail Rosenberg Gure‑ witz; Eric Rosenberg; William Glickman; Franklin Spector; Sheila Brown; Jay Manne, if he be living or if he be dead, his spouses, heirs, devisees, dis‑ tributees and successors in in‑ terest, all of whom and whose names and places of residence are unknown to Plaintiff; Ste‑ phen Spector; Howard Spector; Matthew Kaminsky; Samantha Kaminsky Pidmont, if she be living or if she be dead, their spouses, heirs, devisees, dis‑ tributees and successors in in‑ terest, all of whom and whose names and places of residence are unknown to Plaintiff; Any un‑ known heirs, devisees, distribu‑ tees or successors in interest of the late Susan Rita Manne, if they be living or, if they be dead, their spouses, heirs, devisees, distributees and successors in interest, all of whom and whose names and places of residence are unknown to the Plaintiff; The Board of Directors of 140 East 56th Street Condominium Homeowners Association; City of New York Environmental Control Board; City of New York Parking Violations Bureau; City of New York Transit Adjudication Bureau, and “JOHN DOE”, said name being fictitious, it being the intention of Plaintiff to des‑ ignate any and all occupants of premises being foreclosed herein, and any parties, corpo‑ rations or entities, if any, having or claiming an interest or lien upon the mortgaged premises, Defendants. PROPERTY ADDRESS: 140 East 56th Street, Unit 4J, New York, NY 10022 TO THE ABOVE NAMED DE‑ FENDANTS: YOU ARE HEREBY SUM‑ MONED to answer the com‑ plaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or a notice of appearance on the attorneys for the Plaintiff within thirty (30) days after the service of this summons, exclusive of the day of service. The United States of America, if desig‑ nated as a defendant in this action, may appear within sixty (60) days of service hereof. In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the re‑ lief demanded in the complaint. NOTICE OF NATURE OF AC‑ TION AND RELIEF SOUGHT THE OBJECT of the above captioned action is to fore‑ close a Consolidation and/or Modified Mortgage (hereinaf‑ ter “the Mortgage”) to secure $159,500.00 and interest, re‑ corded in the New York County Office of the City Register on
October 1, 2026 - October 7, 2026 • 33
101 LEGAL NOTICES
101 LEGAL NOTICES
101 LEGAL NOTICES
August 31, 2011, in CRFN 2011000309791 covering premises known as 140 East 56th street, Unit 4J, New York, NY 10022 a/k/a Block 1310, Lot 1339. The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment di‑ recting the sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above. Plaintiff designates New York County as the place of trial. Venue is based upon the County in which the mortgaged premises is situated. NOTICE
Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY, in the courtroom designated by the posting out‑ side of Room 130, on October 20, 2026 at 2:15 p.m. premises being an undivided ownership interest as tenant‑in‑common with other owners in the Time‑ share Unit in the building lo‑ cated at 1335 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY; known as The NYH Condominium. To‑ gether with an appurtenant undivided 0.0381% in common interest percentage. This is a foreclosure on ownership inter‑ est in a timeshare unit, a studio penthouse on a floating use basis every year, in accordance with and subject to declara‑ tions. 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 $19,470.73 plus interest & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 850292/2023. ROBERTA ASHKIN, ESQ., Ref‑ eree DRUCKMAN LAW GROUP PLLC Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 242 Drexel Avenue, Westbury, NY 11590 DLG# 39266 {* AMSTERDAM*}
of Manhattan, City, County and State of New York, which Decla‑ ration is dated 4/9/1998 and re‑ corded in the New York County Office of the Register of the City of New York (the “City Register’s Office”) on 7/23/1998 in Reel 2636 Page 1214 and amended by First Amendment to Dec‑ laration dated as of 1/4/2001 and recorded on 1/5/2001 in Reel 3217 Page 168, as further amended by Second Amend‑ ment to Declaration dated as of 1/27/2009, recorded 2/12/2009 in CRFN 2009000041625, and by Third Amendment to Dec‑ laration dated as 7/22/2009, recorded 8/7/2009 in CRFN 2009000247585, as further amended by Fourth Amend‑ ment to Declaration dated as of 3/2/2016, recorded 3/11/2016 in CRFN 2016000086373 (as so amended, the “Declaration”); the Unit is also designated as Tax Lot 1004 in Block 15 of Section 1 of the Borough of Manhattan on the Tax Map of the Real Property Assessment, Division of the City of New York, and on the Floor Plans of said building, certified by Fifield Piaker & Associates, Architects, P.C. on 3/2/2016 and filed in the City Register’s Office, New York County, on 3/11/2016 as Condominium Plan No. 1025B, amending the original floor plans of the Buildings, certified by Fifield Piaker & Associates Architects, P.C. on 7/10/1998 and also filed in the City Reg‑ ister’s Office as Condominium Plan No. 1025, Map No. 5529 on 7/23/1998, as amended by the amended floor plans pre‑ pared by Avinash K. Malhotra, AIA, Architects and certified on 12/28/2000 and filed in the City Register’s Office on the 1/5/2001 as Condominium Plan No. 1025A, Map #5520A (all capitalized terms herein which are not separately defined herein shall have the respec‑ tive meanings described to them in the Declaration or in the By‑Laws (the “By‑Laws”) of The 17 Battery Place Condo‑ minium);
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 DE‑ FAULT 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 INFORMA‑ TION ON HOW TO ANSWER THE SUMMONS AND PRO‑ TECT YOUR PROPERTY. SENDING A PAYMENT TO VOUR MORTGAGE COM‑ PANY WILL NOT STOP THIS FORECLOSURE ACTION. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORT‑ GAGE COMPANY) AND FIL‑ ING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. Dated: June 18, 2026 Steven M. Palmer, Esq. Foreclosure Attorney LOGS LEGAL GROUP LLP Attorneys for Plaintiff 175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, New York 14624 (585) 247-9000 Fax: (585) 247-7380 Our File No. 25-099886 #103164 NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT ‑ COUNTY OF NEW YORK. HNY CLUB SUITES OWN‑ ERS ASSOCIATION INC., BY AND THROUGH ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS, Plaintiff ‑against‑ HANS J. HENRICI, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated August 11, 2026, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the New York County Supreme
SUPREME COURT ‑ COUNTY OF NEW YORK. WILMINGTON TRUST, NA‑ TIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE ON BEHALF OF THE REGISTERED HOLDERS OF CITIGROUP COMMER‑ CIAL MORTGAGE SECURI‑ TIES, INC., COMMERCIAL MORTGAGE PASS‑THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2016‑P3, Plaintiff ‑against‑ NY‑ ACK 2 WASHINGTON LLC, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered herein and dated May 4, 2026, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auc‑ tion at the New York County Supreme Courthouse, 60 Cen‑ tre Street, New York, NY, in the courtroom designated by the posting outside of Room 130, on Tuesday, October 13, 2026 at 2:15 p.m. The Unit (the “Unit”) Known as Unit 3B in THE 17 BATTERY PLACE CONDOMINIUM (the “Condominium”), said Unit be‑ ing designated and described as Unit 3B in the Declaration establishing a plan for condo‑ minium ownership under Article 9‑B of the Real Property Law of the State of New York (the “New York Condominium Act”), with respect to the building and im‑ provements located on the land described below (the “Prem‑ ises”) known by the street num‑ ber 17 Battery Place, Borough
TOGETHER with an undivided 17.0551% interest in the Com‑ mon Elements (as defined in the Declaration) appurtenant to the Unit. The land upon which the building containing the Unit is described as follows: ALL that certain plot. piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being in the Borough of MANHATTAN, City, County and State of NEW YORK, bounded and described as follows: BEGINNING at the corner formed by the intersec‑ tion of the northerly side of BATTERY PLACE with the westerly side of WASHINGTON STREET as now laid out and established by Law; THENCE westerly along the northerly side of BATTERY PLACE, 180 feet 10‑1/4 inches to the corner formed by the intersection of the northerly side of BATTERY PLACE and the easterly side of WEST STREET; THENCE northerly along the easterly side of WEST STREET, 363 feet 11‑1/2 inches, more or less, to the land now or formerly of
34 • October 1, 2026 - October 7, 2026
101 LEGAL NOTICES
101 LEGAL NOTICES
ALEXANDER STEVENS and RICHARD MORRIS; THENCE easterly along said land now or formerly of ALEXANDER STE‑ VENS and RICHARD MORRIS, 179 feet 10‑1/4 inches, more or less, to the westerly side of WASHINGTON STREET; THENCE southerly along the westerly side of WASHINGTON STREET, 357 feet 1‑1/2 inches, more or less, to the corner at the point or place of BEGIN‑ NING. Block: 15 Lot: 1004 Said premises known as 2 WASHINGTON STREET, UNIT 3B, NEW YORK, NY Approximate amount of lien $89,022,691.78 plus interest & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 850020/2024. CLARK WHITSETT, ESQ., Ref‑ eree Holland & Knight LLP Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 787 Seventh Avenue, 31st Floor, New York, NY 10019
of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/18/26. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of PLLC: 130 East 35th St., NY, NY 10016. SSNY designated as agent of PLLC upon whom pro‑ cess against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the PLLC at the addr. of its princ. of‑ fice. Purpose: Medicine.
{* AMSTERDAM*}
SUPREME COURT ‑ COUNTY OF NEW YORK. BOARD OF MANAGERS OF GRAMERCY EAST CONDO‑ MINIUM, Plaintiff ‑against‑ THE ATARAXIA REVOCABLE LIV‑ ING TRUST DATED SEPTEM‑ BER 21, 2016 c/o MICHAEL WALLACE, AS TRUSTEE, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated July 14, 2026 and entered on August 28, 2026, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the New York County Supreme Court‑ house, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY, in the courtroom des‑ ignated by the posting outside of Room 130, on October 20, 2026 at 2:15 p.m. premises situ‑ ate, lying and being in the Bor‑ ough of Manhattan, City, Coun‑ ty and State of New York, known and designated as Unit No. 3B in the Condominium Building known as 312 East 22nd Street, New York, New York, Block 927 Lot 1008 together with a .42734 percent undivided interest in the common elements. Said premises known as 312 EAST 22ND STREET, UNIT 3B, NEW YORK, NY 10010 Approximate amount of lien 24,395.69 plus interest & costs. Approximate amount of lien $24,395.69 plus interest & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 162976/2025. SCOTT H. SILLER, ESQ., Ref‑ eree TROIA & ASSOCIATES Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 59 MAIDEN LANE, 41ST FLOOR, NEW YORK, NY 10038 {* AMSTERDAM*} Notice of Formation of EVIA NANO MEDICAL, PLLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy.
Notice of Formation of JESSUP LANE 101 LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 09/11/26. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 500 Park Ave., Apt. 36 A/B, NY, NY 10022. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom pro‑ cess against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Ellen Aschendorf-Shasha at the princ. office of the LLC. Pur‑ pose: Any lawful activity. Notice of Formation of MVMH IP LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 09/10/26. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom pro‑ cess against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Davidoff Hutcher & Citron LLP, 605 Third Ave., NY, NY 10158. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Notice of Qualification of STRIDE HOSPITALITY PART‑ NERS, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 09/01/26. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Dela‑ ware (DE) on 07/30/26. Princ. office of LLC: 1370 6th Ave., Ste. #1902, NY, NY 10019. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Alba‑ ny, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilm‑ ington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Charuni Patibanda-
undersigned to sell beer, wine NY (SSNY) on 01/08/25. Office & liquor at retail in a restaulocation: NY County. LP formed rant under the ABC Law at 994 in Delaware (DE) on 12/26/24. Columbus Ave., New York, NY Princ. office of LP: Attn: General 195LEGAL HELP WANTED 101 LEGAL NOTICES 101 LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES 101 NOTICES 10025 for on-premises conCounsel, 9 101 W. 57th St., 43rd Fl., sumption; Limone LLC NY, NY 10019. Duration of LP is Perpetual. SSNY designated Notice of formation of Akanksha Kevalramani, LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of State of NY (SSNY) on of LP upon whom proof NY (SSNY) on 8/03/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agentas of agent 03/18/26. Office location: NY cess against it may be served. Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to County. LLC formed in Con‑ NOTICE is hereby that apurpose. SSNY shall mail process to the Akanksha Kevalramani: 170 Amsterdam Ave, Apt 13D, New York, NY 10023. Purpose:given Any lawful necticut 01/02/26. license, number NA-0370-24Partnership at the(CT) princ.onoffice SSNY designated asof agent 135212 for liquor, wine, beer & of the LP. Name and addr. Sanchez, 401 Federal St., #4, of LLC upon are whom process NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that been a license, number NA-0340-26cider has applied for by each general partner availDover, DE 19901. Purpose: 114617, Ghemo, for liquor has been applied for by the undersigned to against itDE may be served. SSNY the undersigned to sell liquor, able from SSNY. addr. of LP: sell liquor at retail in a restaurant under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Passive Investments in Private shall mail Service process toCo., Cogency wine, beer & cider at retail in a c/o Corporation Law at 201 W. 106th Street, Storefronts 1 & 2, New York, New York Companies. Inc., Wilmington, 122 East 42nd St., bar/tavern underconsumption. the Alcoholic 251 LittleGlobal Falls Dr., County, New York 10025, for on-premises GHEMO INC. 18th Fl., NY, NYfiled 10168. CT addr. Beverage Control Law at 4371 DE 19808. Cert. of LP with of of LLC: 10 Red Court Ln., Red‑ 3rd Ave; Bronx, NY 10457 in The Secy. State of the State Notice of Qualification of DON‑ ding, CT 06898. Cert. of Form. Notice of formation of ELITE GROUP & CO SERVICE LLC. of Ar‑ DE, Dept. Bronx County for STAFF on premises of State, Div. of CASTERS US 2 LLC filed with CT Secy.Bldg., of State, 30 ticles of Organization filed with the Secretary State of NY (SSNY) consumption. Zion of Restaurant Corps., John Townsend Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. on 9/7/2026. Office location: York County Trinty St., Purpose: Hartford, Any CT 06106. and New Lounge Corp (Manhattan). d/b/a Zion SSNY des‑ Dover, DE 19901. ignated as an agent of Restaurant Limited Liability of State of NY (SSNY) on Purpose: Any lawful activity. andCompany Lounge (LLC) upon whom lawful activity.
THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS
09/08/26. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Dela‑ ware (DE) on 03/18/13. 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., Al‑ bany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, DE Dept. of State Div. of Corps., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
Notice of Qualification of 345 PARK F&B OPERATOR LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 09/02/26. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 04/08/25. Princ. office of LLC: c/o Rudin Management Co. Inc., 345 Park Ave., 32nd Fl., NY, NY 10154. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom pro‑ cess against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 122072543. DE addr. of LLC: CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Secy. of State, 401 Do‑ ver St., #4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Notice of Qualification of 375 DENNYTOWN ROAD LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of
process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to LE‑ GALZOOM USCA,INC: 45 MAIN STREET, SUITE 238 BROOKLYN, NY 11201, USA. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF SCHMEISSER LAW, PLLC. App. for Auth. filed with SSNY 08/11/2026. Off. loc.: NY Co. PLLC formed AZ 04/03/2025. SSNY desig. agent for process & shall mail: 43 W. 43rd St., NY, NY 10036. AZ off.: 14362 N. Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd, Ste 1107, Scottsdale, AZ 85260. Cert. of Org. filed with AZ Corp. Comm., 1300 W. Washington St., Phoenix, AZ 85007. Purpose: law.
State of NY (SSNY) on 08/20/26. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 11/13/25. Princ. office of LLC: 767 Fifth Ave., 42nd Fl., NY, NY 10153. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom pro‑ cess against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the princ. office of the LLC. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Notice of Qualification of DON‑ CASTERS US 3 LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 09/08/26. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Dela‑ ware (DE) on 03/30/26. 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., Al‑ bany, NY 12207-2543. DE
addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, DE Dept. of State Div. of Corps., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Notice of Qualification of ETH‑ MOS, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/18/26. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Dela‑ ware (DE) on 06/16/26. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Notice of Qualification of STAM‑ FORD TENT, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy.
h c im D h E r o g o o c
Notice of Qualification of DON‑ CASTERS US LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 09/08/26. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Dela‑ ware (DE) on 03/11/13. 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., Al‑ bany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, DE Dept. of State Div. of Corps., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Notice of Qualification of StruX‑ ure Outdoor, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/06/26. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Georgia (GA) on 04/01/09. Princ. office and GA addr. of LLC is: 154 Ethan Allen Dr., Dahlonega, GA 30533. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom pro‑ cess against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 122072543. Cert. of Form. filed with GA Secy. of State, 313 West Tower, 2 Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr., Atlanta, GA 30334-1530. Purpose: Manufacturer of au‑ tomated outdoor living systems.
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October 1, 2026 - October 7, 2026 • 35
THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS
Brooklyn development site Continued from page 2
Street, between Navy and Gold streets. The site is near the Brooklyn Navy Yard and Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. After neighbors protested the initial loss of the Navy Yard Clubhouse, Alloy donated $2 million to help restore interim after-school services and offered free space to six local groups who offer youth programs. According to information provided to the Amsterdam News, Alloy has spent more than three years engaging with local residents in more than 150 community meetings and events. The developer also works with a community liaison and a 17-member advisory group. Alloy has also partnered with GFB Development, the company founded in 2024 by NBA veteran Taj Gibson and his friends Tameek Floyd and Malik Brown. Gibson grew up in Ingersoll Houses; Floyd and Brown attended P.S. 287 and belonged to the Navy Yard Clubhouse. Alloy said the
partnership shows that longtime community members are helping shape the project. Plans are for the new site to have 1,502 apartments in three buildings, including 302 permanently affordable units. A separate building would have 100 affordable apartments for seniors. The site will also have a new 120,000-square-foot K–8 school to replace P.S. 287 (students at P.S. 287 would attend P.S. 67 starting in the 2027 school year, until their new building is built –– the New York City Educational Construction Fund is the main public applicant). The project would also have a community center, cultural center, retail space, and open public space. The proposed cultural center could end up housing the Cultural Museum of African Art’s Eric Edwards collection. The project is still going through the city’s land-use review process and has not yet received a final City Council vote.
But Eric Blackwell — an urban planner, former Fort Greene News publisher and longtime Brooklyn political strategist — has been one of many locals speaking out against the project. Blackwell thinks the project’s benefits don’t justify its size. “It was not necessary –– and actually harmful –– that they be even allowed to build a 73-story and a 63-story building right next to each other... [T]hey’re saying we’ve got to build 1,500 units to create 200 units of affordable housing.” City filings now say there would be 302 affordable units, but Blackwell is pointing out that some four out of five apartments would be market-rate. Blackwell also questioned whether Alloy’s outreach means consent. He said a Farragut board member described “incredible opposition from the community against this project’s height, scope, and size,” and warned that the towers “would exacerbate every gentrifying principle that is affecting our community right now.” Alloy rejects the idea that its meetings with community members were cosmetic. In a statement, it said, “240 Nassau was shaped
by more than three years of community engagement, including over 150 meetings and feedback from more than 1,000 neighbors, NYCHA Tenant Associations, elected officials and local organizations. After decades of disinvestment in this area, the development team is seeking to rezone the site to maximize the amount of community benefit and housing in the project without any subsidy from the city.” The company says the advisory group it’s been working with will remain active during construction to aid quality-oflife concerns. “We’ve been under attack,” Blackwell said, while pointing out that housing and economic exclusion in the broader Downtown Brooklyn–Fort Greene area has drastically changed the district’s demographics. Recent American Community Survey estimates show that about 16% of people in the Downtown Brooklyn–Fort Greene area are non-Hispanic Black, compared with about 49% who are white. Alloy says its 240 Nassau project will reconnect the block, restore community uses, and create housing –– and all without city subsidies.
regularly call in, reach out through Black New Yorker listeners social media, and even stop by the station. “The phone light is always flashing, social Continued from page 5
The Third Dimension at Dust before eventually meeting Dixon and being brought on as a cohost for House in Harlem. After the first couple of years producing House in Harlem, DJ Vince the Prince had to step aside. Dixon then reached out to Babatunde to assist with the show. “I was like, ‘Icon, could you come in and help me?’ Because it’s six hours, and we’ve been, you know, 13 years, we’ve been going strong, and I just don’t see it ending anytime soon,” Dixon said. For 13 years, House in Harlem has remained a space for listeners to experience different styles of house music, whether Dixon and Babatunde are broadcasting from the studio or working remotely from home. “We play a lot of different styles, but the majority of what we play for House in Harlem is soulful house music. Whether it’s late-night grooves, techno, or what we call ‘Cuddlehouse,’ music that makes you want to dance with a significant other. Our goal is to soothe people or get them up on the dance floor,” Babatunde shared. The show’s connection to the community extends beyond the music. Dixon said
Puerto Rico Continued from page 13
creating conditions for trust between crises. It can also convene, advocate, amplify community knowledge, and press for public investment and accountability. It cannot substitute for the government, but it can strengthen the civic capacity we need to demand that the government meet its obligations. The media has a responsibility, too. We need sustained support for independent journalism — not coverage that arrives with the next disaster and disappears when the headlines fade. Puerto Rico needs journalists with the time, resources, and independence to stay en-
media DMs are constant, and local artists like Aaron Prince walk right into the studio to share their new music,” Dixon said. That community connection has also allowed House in Harlem to reach viewers and supporters beyond New York City. “We’re bridging the gap between Harlem with one ‘A’ in New York and Haarlem with two ‘A’s over in Amsterdam by attending the Amsterdam Dance Event. We’re partnering with the Black Amsterdam Museum to host a party, panel discussion, and cultural exchange,” they shared. For Babatunde, the show is not only about the music but also about encouraging others to pursue their own passions. “Follow your dreams and work on your skill, guarantee it won’t fail you.” Dixon has a similar message for anyone who may be afraid to pursue what they want. “My motto is simple: ‘Oh, you scared? Do it anyway.’ Whatever it is you aspire to do, don’t wait until you’re not afraid, just do it.” “House In Harlem” airs every Friday through Saturday 11:59 p.m. - 6 a.m. on WHCR 90.3. gaged, build relationships, follow stories over time, and hold institutions accountable. Follow the money. Ask who makes decisions, where public resources go, who benefits, who bears the costs, and who is accountable. We know how to respond to crises. We know how to care for one another. What we need now is a sustained commitment to addressing the conditions that keep producing crises. To learn more, contact the Creative Justice Initiative at https://creativejustice-initiative. org/contact/ Neyda Martínez Sierra is an associate professor of professional practice in the Media Management Graduate Program at Parsons School of Design.
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36 • October 1, 2026 - October 7, 2026
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Public Advocate Jumaane Williams protested the rules amendments ahead of the Kings County Committee Meeting on Sept. 23, 2026. (Ariama C. Long photos)
Hundreds showed up for the Kings County Committee Meeting on September 23, 2026.
Brooklyn County Dems Continued from page 2
Black or Brown elected official, you are often treated differently. As a Black woman, you are often treated differently, but I think what people exploit is the ability to hold two things [at once]. You can be mistreated and still be doing something wrong,” said Williams outside of City Tech. “What’s happening in Brooklyn County is wrong, and I think some of it is illegal, as a judge has agreed with.” Despite several fraught hours of technical delays, late proxy submissions, public arguments over vote tallies and at least three people being escorted out of the building by officers, the organizational meeting concluded with members officially passing (76% yes, 23% no) Bichotte Hermelyn’s rules. Many committee members the Amsterdam News spoke to were happy to support the amendments, while reformers remained unhappy about them being approved. County committee members also technically named Rep. Nydia Velázquez as replacement party boss in the organizational
New York Liberty
meeting, argued reformers. Regardless, an executive committee vote for party chair was scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 29. The night before, on Sept. 28, Bichotte Hermelyn announced she was not going to seek reelection and is supporting Assemblymember Nikki Lucas as her successor. She insists that this decision is “not a retreat from public life but a strategic pivot.” Peña, the reformer favorite for the next party chair, and the New Kings Democrats coalition vowed to be relentless in their opposition. The reformers’ lead lawyer and fellow district leader, Mark Hanna, requested a temporary restraining order that delayed the scheduled vote on Sept. 29. He argued that the organizational meeting last week “didn’t successfully adopt the amendment changes,” and that committee members “weren’t notified ahead of time” about what they would be voting on. They’re due [to] be in court on Oct. 6, he said.
“This was a tough year for us with injuries, with a lot of other stuff going on, and I feel Continued from page 40 like we’ve been trending in the right direction for a while now,” said DeMarco, “and it was just getting on the boards, finding it doesn’t always show up in the wins and ways to impact the game inside and then losses…. We knew we had to be at our best making sure that we were all connected de- [at the] end of September and October, and fensively, and I think we did a really great I think we are right now,” he said. job with that.” The Liberty will next face the winner of Liberty first-year head coach Chris DeMar- the Atlanta Dream and Washington Mystics co found relief and satisfaction in besting the series. Atlanta was up 1-0 heading into last Lynx after an up-and-down regular season. night’s game.
Knicks
Continued from page 40
unifying force at a time of deep division in this city, this country. Alas, summer is over. The start of the regular season is just three weeks away. The Knicks will raise their championship banner and be presented their championship rings at a ceremony at Madison Square Garden on October 20, when they open their new
campaign against the Philadelphia 76ers — the enhanced 76ers with LeBron James and Jalen Brown and the team team many project to be the Knicks’ primary challenger in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks are acutely aware that their success, their reign as king, can be fleeting. It is inherent in the current NBA landscape in which the last franchise to win back-toback titles was the 2017 and 2018 Golden State Warriors. Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.
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THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS S P O R T S
HBCU GO and P&G present an HBCU campus life tour By LOIS ELFMAN Special to the AmNews Football season has brought back revered traditions well known to HBCU students and alumni. It also marked the return of the P&G HBCYOU Tour, powered by HBCU GO, a sports media provider that not only showcases the athletic excellence at HBCU institutions but also highlights their rich history and cultural depth. The HBCYOU tour included stops at Southern University, Texas Southern, Howard, Spelman, Morehouse, Hampton, Florida A&M and North Carolina A&T. The goal of the tour is the shared mission of P&G and HBCU GO to celebrate students and create memorable experiences. P&G generously shared its brands in the P&G House of Everyday Essentials. “We have a booth that we took out to a certain amount of schools starting in the latter part of August. We had a DJ in there and merchandise,” said HBCU GO President
sors,” said Symonds. The original docuseries went behind the scenes of campus coronations. “People hadn’t seen what it takes to become a king and queen on an HBCU campus.” Symonds noted that HBCU culture includes incredible halftime shows at football games. Some people just attend the tailgate festivities outside the stadiums, and HBCU GO wants to make people excited to go into the stadium, watch a game and see the amazing entertainment. “In these five years I’ve worked hard on bringing the tailgate into the stadium,” Symonds said. “We’ve been able to start moving slowly some of that traffic into the stadiums. … Another thing, the games The P&G HBCYOU Tour, powered by HBCU GO, visited Texas Southern and Howard among other historically have gotten better and better over black colleges and universities. (P&G photos) the years. That’s driving more and Co-founder Curtis Symonds. went on with at least 2,000 to 3,000 these institutions, he kept promot- people into the stadiums. “Then we had another phase kids coming by.” ing the concept, which in 2021 was “Each university has a story,” he where they were giving gift bags. Symonds is a graduate of Cen- acquired by Byron Allen of Allen added. “We started with sports, but The last phase of it was at some tral State University, an HBCU in Media Group. the overall premise of the network football games. … We got a good Ohio. Wanting to share not only “We created a show called was about the history, the legacy, and response on each campus that we HBCU sports but also the culture of ‘Crowned’ with P&G as the spon- the HBCU culture.”
The Protect College Sports Act aims to suppress athletes’ agency By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor
The economic system of capitalism is manifestly premised on social order and hierarchy. Those who control the vast amount of riches seek to limit its distribution and dictate its fundamental utilization. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the 32nd president of the United States, posited: “The liberty of democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than the democratic state itself.” Federal legislators, compelled largely by college administrators and coaches, who represent the private power FDR noted, have moved to reverse the liberty of college athletes through the Protect College Sports Act (PCSA) — with an implicit emphasis on Black athletes. - The federal bill stridently pushed h by President Donald Trump was passed on Monday by a Senate vote of 77-22. It now moves for consideration to the House of Representar tives, a 435-member body that is in recess until after next month’s midterm elections. If passed by the House, which as of today is dubious, President Trump has guaranteed he will sign the . bill and make it law. Among other
University of Mississippi quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, celebrating his team’s 32-24 win over LSU on Sept. 19, is one of college football’s highest paid players. (Credit Image: © Austin Mcafee/Cal Sport Media) (Cal Sport Media via AP Images)
guidelines, the PCSA will grant the NCAA a circumscribed antitrust exemption, defenses against student-athletes unionizing, restrict the amount of money student-athletes can receive from NIL (name, image and likeness) deals, and limit the number of times they can transfer to another school. In reality, the Protect College Sports Act is a misnomer. It should be more aptly named the Protect The Power Of Coaches And Administrators Act. It is essentially designed to suppress the agency of
college athletes, such as Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who reportedly makes roughly $6.5 million via NIL. It denies young stars the opportunity to maximize their earning potential, the ability to seek more favorable athletic and monetary circumstances through the NCAA’s transfer portal, and not be beholden to the coaches. Prior to the advent of NIL in July 2022 and unlimited transfers, coaches practically held athletes hostage by weaponizing playing time and threatening to revoke their year-to-
year athletic scholarships. The NCAA is in name only a nonprofit that regulates student athletics for over 1,100 colleges and universities. For the fiscal year 2024, the most recent period the AmNews was able to obtain data, the organization generated nearly $1.4 billion in revenue. Over a period of the past four decades, college athletes and their supporters fought exhaustive court battles to secure the right for student-athletes to benefit from this country’s capitalistic system by leveraging their ability and value to
earn money. Now, that it is in danger of being retracted through government regulation. The hypocrisy of it all was illuminated this past Tuesday at the White House when President Trump hosted a lunch attended by nearly 20 of the wealthiest and most powerful people in the world — almost exclusively white men. Tech giants including Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, and Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, are at the forefront of the race to be the leaders of AI (artificial intelligence) development, which President Trump is endeavoring to rename super intelligence. A growing concern among many AI experts and the general United States population is that the technology, which has the increasing capability to be an existential threat to society, is lacking the necessary guardrails that would provide requisite security. But unlike the proposed federal bill to contain the capitalistic aspirations of college athletes, Trump said he subscribed to “tremendous selfregulation” for tech titans literally holding the future of the world at their fingertips. What that means is esoteric but it reaffirmed the inherent classism and racism of America’s economic machine.
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Despite a 1-2 record, the Jets have the look of trending upwards By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor The Jets are 1-2. Their former coach Bill Parcells, who won two Super Bowls with the Giants, famously said, “You are what your record says you are.” Both things can be true at once. Yes, the Jets have a losing record going into their Week 4 road matchup against the 2-1 Chicago Bears this Sunday. However, they have the elements of a team that is rising. After a 23-10 seasoning opening road win over the Tennessee Titans (0-3), the Jets relinquished a 10-point lead in Week 2 at Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and lost to the Green Bay Packers (1-2) 20-17 in overtime. Last Sunday, they went toe-to-toe with the Lions (2-1) in Detroit, but ultimately took a 31-24 defeat. Still, the signs are evident that the Jets possess the tools to build a strong foundation to become a playoff contender. It’s unlikely they’ll reach that level this season, but an eight- or nine-
aration after the Lions game. Glenn was the defensive coordinator for Detroit from 2021 to 2024 prior to being hired by the Jets in January 2025. “These guys are going to fight, and it’s a belief system also,” Glenn added. “Our guys believe all the work that was put in in OTAs and training camp, man. We’re right here and our guys know it’s this gap right here that we got to close.” With veteran Geno Smith having stabilized the quarterback position, throwing for 321 yards while connecting on 31 of 37 pass attempts against the Lions, the Jets finally have a signal caller who instills confidence that the offense can manufacture enough production and points to be consistently competitive. The defense currently is New York Jets’ tight end Kenyon Sadiq is surrounded by his teammates after a touchdown catch in a 31-24 second in the league in yards alloss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) lowed per game at 258.3. The Jets win campaign is achievable. the players in all three phases “Right here, it’s this gap we still have 14 games remaining in Better in-game decisions by the of the game — offense, defense have to close, and that’s from the regular season and a long coaching staff, led by second- and special teams — will in- a coaching and players’ per- and grueling path ahead. Neveryear head coach Aaron Glenn, crease their probability of win- spective,” said Glenn, using his theless, there is plausible reason and more precise execution by ning close games. fingers to illustrate a small sep- for optimism from their fans.
Yankees broadcaster Rickie Ricardo makes magic on and off the mic By TONY PAIGE Special to the AmNews Part 3 of a three-part story While you may have heard Rickie Ricardo on the airwaves in English and Spanish on WBLS, WADO, Hot 97, WFAN, WIP (Philly), he’s more than just a silky voice. He also made his mark off the mic as a radio consultant for Spanish-language stations around the country, creating a music formula on a grand scale. Try La Mega 97.9 (WSKQFM). Simply put, Ricardo and Alfredo Alonso went to Spanish stations around the country to juice up their on-air sound. Miami was the last area that needed to be flipped to Mega. The (then Florida, now Miami) Marlins had just captured their second World Series (2003), and like the first time (1997), they rid their stars with another salary dump. Management wanted Ricardo to energize the unhappy fanbase by getting the players, the young Latinos, to be DJs and do other promotional ideas. He realized the Reggaeton style was
growing, and with Daddy Yankee’s hit “Gasolina” in heavy rotation, the station exploded. They also realized Ricardo was a special talent and told him they’d put him on the air doing Marlins games. “Once I got my feet wet in Miami, doing those games for a couple of years,” he states, “I caught the bug.” He heard the Phillies were interested in him, but he wanted the same deal. “If you let me do anything, you won’t let me out this booth,” he says to Bill Kulik, who had the Spanish language rights to 1680 AM, with typical East Coast bluntness. “About after the fifth inning, Kulik said, ‘Okay. It’s yours.’” Ricardo is also a savvy businessman. “In conjunction with some very talented salespeople and very shrewd management at Audacy,” notes Ricardo, “we’ve been able to take what was about a $250,000 a year revenue product, Yankees in Spanish, and make it a multi-million dollar revenue stream, a legitimate business, year after year.” Many broadcasters have a catchphrase, and Ricardo’s went viral in Sept. 2017 when Eagles
New York Yankees broadcaster Rickie Ricardo (left), with Hall of fame pitcher Mariano Rivera and current Yankees pitcher Fernando Cruz (background) at the Fourth Annual Hispanic Heritage Media Day at Yankee Stadium on September 9. (WFAN photo)
rookie kicker Jake Elliott hit a 61yard game-winning field goal. Ricardo screamed, “Si, Senor!” (Yes, sir!) about four times. It went national, and even WFAN played his passion. For those who might follow Ri-
cardo’s huge footsteps, he has three simple rules. “Treat the job, the profession, that it commands. Respect the position. It is a place of business,” he stated. “Realize that you’re dealing with multi-millionaire athletes
with different personalities. You’ve got to really know when to pick and choose how you treat these guys because they are the best at what they do.” And finally? “Be humble enough to realize that the audience is why you’re there.” On the other side, which athlete gets the media? “I came along at the tail end, and Derek Jeter got it,” remembers Ricardo. “Derek played the media instead of the media playing Derek. I’ve never seen anyone handle the New York media the way Derek Jeter did.” “The closest thing these days happens to be the other captain, Aaron Judge, because part of being the Yankee captain is handling the New York media and playing them instead of the other way around.” From an on-and-off-the-air talent, being on the ground floor when Frankie Crocker created the urban adult contemporary sound, to broadening the reach to the Latino market in sports and music, Rickie Ricardo has done it all. What’s next? “Hockey,” he said without missing a beat.
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Monroe University-Bronx volleyball aims for another national tournament By LOIS ELFMAN Special to the AmNews Odaly Aponte-Orta is adept at multitasking. In addition to being the head women’s volleyball coach at Monroe University-Bronx, she is a high school physical education teacher and coach at IN-Tech Academy in the Bronx, and a club coach. Growing up in Puerto Rico, she loved volleyball and played wherever she could. After moving to New York City, she started coaching, searching for young women who shared her love of the sport and a desire to compete. “If you love what you do, you are super committed to doing it,” Aponte-Orta said. “Some of the kids are immigrants. They’re trying to accomplish some of the dreams I had as a kid. That’s enough to give you the drive to try to make sure that these kids accomplish what they want.” Under Aponte-Orta’s leadership, the team has seen considerable success. Last year, the Express earned a trip to the NJCAA Division III Women’s Volleyball National Tournament in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. They started
go to play at their schools. I also go to Puerto Rico to recruit.” In addition to on-court success, Monroe University-Bronx volleyball has been developing a following on social media, much of it focused on sophomore middle blocker Sarai Hernandez (#1), who has excellent court skills and an impressive head of hair. “She went viral on social media,” said Aponte-Orta. “People are going crazy over her.” Monroe is a four-year university, but the sports compete against two-year programs. Despite constant turnover, there have been several returning student-athletes this year, which helps team chemistry. In addition, some of the first-years are friends with the sophomores. “We do a lot of team bonding at the beginning to make sure that everybody connects, not only in volleyball but in their everyday lives,” AponteThe Monroe Express women’s volleyball team has set its sights on reaching the NJCAA Division III Women’s Orta said. “Once they have that conVolleyball National Tournament again. (Monroe University – Bronx Athletics photo) nection, it translates to the court.” this season 6–2 (Saturday’s match dreams when it comes to educa- want to play. There are two girls on Next up for the Express are two was cancelled due to the weather), tion and at the same time play,” the team who used to play against matches on Saturday — first up is asserting a dominant presence in said Aponte-Orta. “Me working as each other in high school. Some of Fashion Institute of Technology Region 15. a coach also in high school, you these are kids who played for me in and then Borough of Manhattan “These kids want to fulfill their come around a lot of kids…who high school or kids I saw when we Community College.
Jamel Herring is eager for his upcoming first BKFC title defense by DERREL JOHNSON Special to the AmNews Former WBO junior lightweight boxing champion Jamel Herring, a native of Rockville Center, N.Y., in Hempstead, Long Island, became the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) World Bantamweight champion in May by convincingly defeating Michael Larrimore 50-44 on all three of the judges’ scorecards. On October 17, in the main event of a seven-fight card at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, Herring (2-0) will make his first title defense against former mixed martial arts competitor John Dodson (4-0-1). “It was a great honor, a great achievement, and also just another milestone, not in my career, but just in life in general, for me to go out there and set a goal and actually go out there and complete the task, so it was a great night,” the 40-year-old former Marine said to the AmNews. With his victory against Larrimore, Herring became the second former boxing champion to win a BKFC title, joining Austin Trout, who made his indelible imprint by taking down Luis Palomino in
Long Island native Jamel Herring lands a right hand against Michael Larrimore on his way to winning the BKFC World Bantamweight championship in May in Palm Desert, California. (Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship)
February of 2024 to capture the organization’s welterweight title. It came in the same year Herring had his last professional fight as a boxer, retiring with a 24-5 record. “They say in boxing, you’re not a real world champion until you defend your title, and right now, I have a real good opponent in front of me and that’s where my focus is at.”
Herring explained that his training camp for BKFC bouts differs from his regimen during his boxing days. “In terms of sparring, sometimes we use a lot of guys... not just boxers, but MMA fighters as well, to get used to the rough tactics, especially with the BKFC — how you can hold and clinch and still be allowed to fight, which they call dirty
fessional boxing title fight, which is 12 three-minute rounds. Herring assessed how the difference between the two impacts his fight strategy. “The pacing for starters. You always have to be aware, and you can’t block with your gloves (because there are none); and even if you try to tie (up your opponent), if the guy has a free hand, they can still let their hand go and hit you wherever they please,” he said. “I feel like you have to be aware of your surroundings the entire matchup, whether it’s 12 rounds or five. Again, you can be up three rounds, and you could get hit by one solid punch, and that can turn the whole fight around.” Herring shared that he has a vision for his BKFC career. “The next goal is basically to get on their pound-for-pound list and in boxing,” he described. also, after being successful at the “But for the most part, for me in Dodson fight, I want to continpreparation and my mentality, I ue to fight better competition,” he still look at it as a world champion- confidently put forth, already asship level camp; I’m just putting in suring he’ll defeat his impending more work and adding new tools challenger. to the arsenal, but overall I still “Maybe (fight) other champigo in there like I’ve done at other ons from other weight classes as camps in the past.” well, but just to continue to push A BKFC championship is five myself and move forward. Never two-minute rounds, unlike a pro- stay stagnant.”
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Sports Liberty make history sweeping the top-seeded Lynx to open WNBA playoffs By DERREL JOHNSON Special to the AmNews The Liberty and Las Vegas Aces were the betting favorites to reach the WNBA Finals entering this season. But a regular season below the Liberty’s stated standards and expectations — finishing 26-18 and claiming the last playoff spot — didn’t foreshadow what took place at the Barclays Center on Tuesday. The No. 8 seed Liberty, after stunningly beating the No. 1 seed Minnesota Lynx 91-75 with relative dominance Sunday on the road in Game 1 of their best-of-three quarterfinal series, imposed their will again in Game 2, eliminating their shell-shocked opponent with another convincing 16-point victory — this time 87-71. It was a historic series win for the Liberty as they are now the only WNBA No. 8 seed ever to defeat a No. 1 seed in a series. The Lynx, guided by Cheryl Reeves, and first-year sensation and New Jersey native Olivia Miles, who this week were named the 2026 WNBA Coach of the Year and Rookie of the Year, respectively, will go into the offseason assessing what went wrong following a league-best 33-11 regular season mark.
One of the answers should be that the Liberty possess championship DNA. They won the franchise’s first title two seasons ago and follow the lead of the team’s superstar, forward Breanna Stewart, who is a three-time WNBA champion and, last month, was named the MVP of the FIBA World Cup as part of the United States’ gold medal squad. Stewart was spectacular in Game 1 against the Lynx, posting 34 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and two blocks. In Game 2, it was the Liberty’s 2024 WNBA Finals MVP, center Jonquel Jones, who stepped to the forefront with 21 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. Stewart registered 21 points and five rebounds, and point guard Sabrina Ionescu, a four-time WNBA All-Star, added 18 points and seven assists. The 23-year-old Miles, from Blair Academy High School in Blairstown, New Jersey, a top league MVP candidate this season, scored just five points on 1-8 shooting after a 3-12 performance for 11 points in Game 1. “We just wanted to come out and really set the tone at the beginning of the game and really understand how important it is that we did that,” Jones said. “I think for me See NEW YORK LIBERTY on page 36
New York Liberty players Sabrina Ionescu (No. 20) and Jonquel Jones flex as the team heads into the WNBA semifinal round after eliminating the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx Tuesday at the Barclays Center. (Jamir Dickens/FBMProductions1 photo)
Back to the grind: The Knicks are now the hunted after winning NBA title By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor
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After celebrating winning the NBA championship in June, the franchise’s first since 1973, the Knicks are back at training camp preparing to defend their title. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
them in sports lore. They became a global news story, transcending sports. Brunson, the Finals MVP, has attained Uneasy lies the head that wearsAM theNews A-list celebrity status —- certified when crown.The famous line from Henry IV, Part he hosted the 52nd season premiere of the 2 by William Shakespeare, written over09/10/26 400 iconic sketch comedy series Saturday Night years ago, is still an ominous caution to those Live last weekend. Fellow starters Karlwho sit atop a throne. Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart Henry IV was the king of England. The and Mikal Bridges, and head coach Mike Knicks are the kings of the NBA. Brown, are deservedly feted at every venue AMinNews After defeating the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 and every street corner that they appear at. the Finals in June, winning the franchise’s first Brooklyn native Jose Alvarado, who lived 09/17/26 league title since 1973 — 53 long, agonizing out a boyhood dream earning a title with years — the Knicks will now experience the his hometown team, will forever be rememweight of the crown they wear until they get bered and beloved by his city. dethroned. The Knicks galvanized the masses, bring“Obviously, we know what it takes, but just ing together people of various ethnicities, going into this with the same mindset forAM thisNews religious faiths, political and social ideoljourney. It’s a new journey, it’s a different jour- ogies, under one massive, inclusive sports 09/24/26 ney, the approach has to be the same, if not tent. They emerged as a much-needed, rare better,” said Knicks guard Jalen Brunson on See KNICKS on page 36 Monday at the team’s Media Day. The euphoria they elicited in New York, their rapturous parade down the Canyon of Heroes, AM News and gatherings at locals hundreds and thousands of miles away from the city where their 10/01/26 expansive fan base celebrated, rightfully linger going into the 2026-2027 season. The Knicks’ championship run etched
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