New York Amsterdam News

09/02/2024

Did you catch our latest article about the challenges gun violence survivors face accessing Social Security disability benefits? Check out the key takeaways from our reporting. https://bit.ly/472wNvv

09/02/2024

Vice President Kamala Harris’s nomination for president of the U.S. at this year’s Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago gave women leaders from all over the country the opportunity to highlight an array of issues, from reproductive rights to fundraising for fellow electeds.

The historic feat of having a Black and South Asian woman lead the DNC ticket has already galvanized women leaders, organizers, and younger voters.

Kamala Harris’s nomination for president at the DNC gave women in the Democratic Party the opportunity to highlight an array of issues.

09/02/2024

LABOR DAY: For most New Yorkers, high school doesn’t involve welding or building bathrooms, but for the hundreds of students at the Bronx Design and Construction Academy, and the many schools like it, what students learn in their teen years puts them on a direct path to lucrative, middle class jobs.

Career and Technical Education (CTE) is the modern evolution of what used to be called, sometimes derisively, vocational education. While more than 60,000 CTE students each year in NYC gain a practical education in a trade, they also learn advanced math and the skills that will power the Green Economy.

Students at the Bronx Design and Construction Academy learn skills that puts them on a direct path to lucrative, middle class jobs.

09/02/2024

LABOR DAY: From barbecues and getaways, to shopping the sales, many people across the U.S. mark Labor Day — the federal holiday celebrating the American worker — by finding ways to relax.

This year is the 130th anniversary of the holiday, which is celebrated on the first Monday of September. While actions by unions in recent years to advocate for workers are a reminder of the holiday’s activist roots, the three-day weekend it creates has become a touchstone in the lives of Americans marking the unofficial end of summer.

From barbecues and getaways, to shopping the sales, many people across the U.S. mark Labor Day — the federal holiday celebrating the American worker — by finding ways to relax.

09/02/2024

On this Labor Day we celebrate the many ways workers have supported our nation's strength, prosperity and well-being and recognize the Unions that help protect workers' health, safety and wages.

09/01/2024

BLACK HISTORY: Jean Baptiste Point du Sable was the first permanent non-Native settler of what would later become Chicago. From his settlement at the mouth of the Chicago River, he is regarded as the first permanent non-Native to establish a home and business in the region in the 1780s.

Jean Baptiste Point du Sable was the first permanent non-Native settler of what would later become Chicago.

09/01/2024

LABOR DAY: In early August of 1973, a short article titled “Judge Rules Steamfitters Must Admit Minorities” ran on page six of the Amsterdam News. It explained that the Steamfitters Local 638 “must admit Black and Spanish-surnamed applicants exclusively for ninety days effective August 6.” The brief story mentions that “Fight Back, Inc., headed by Jim Haughton, is a local community-based organization that has been effective in getting construction jobs for Blacks, Spanish-surnamed, and other minorities in New York City.”

In early August of 1973, a short article titled “Judge Rules Steamfitters Must Admit Minorities” ran on page six of the Amsterdam News.

09/01/2024

Social Security disability benefits are designed to provide a safety net for Americans with severe mental and physical disabilities who are no longer able to work. Yet recipients often find that the monthly cash benefits provided are not enough to cover their expenses or save for the future.

“Often when you’re applying for Social Security disability, you look at it as a beacon of hope. And then when you get approved, a lot of people do see it as, well, now I’m approved, but I still have a mortgage, or a car payment, or something. This is not going to be enough. And unfortunately, Social Security is not like an income replacement. It’s more like a safety net,” said Social Security disability attorney Shivam Patel.

Read more in our latest article on the financial impacts of gun violence. https://bit.ly/3Z9rCrT

09/01/2024

For some Christian progressives, the lack of acknowledgement by their churches or ministries of the 2020 racial reckoning was the final push to go elsewhere. Some women of color have been disappointed and upset by evangelical Christian churches—both predominantly white and multiracial—whose leaders failed to openly decry racism or homophobia.

Brandi Brown has yet to find a Black church near her Southern California home that feels right for her.

09/01/2024

EDITORIAL: Last week, the Harris presidential campaign announced the launching of a WhatsApp channel targeting Latino voters, hoping to minimize the glut of misinformation so pervasive on the platform.

That’s a good move because very little attention has been given to Latino voters, who represent a decisive factor in the turnout.

Last week, the Harris presidential campaign announced the launching of a WhatsApp channel targeting Latino voters.

08/31/2024

As schools reopen for another year, they are focused on improving student attendance. But back-to-school is hitting just as COVID-19 cases are increasing, raising the question: When is a child too sick for school?

School absences surged during the pandemic and have yet to recover. Nearly 1 in 4 students remains chronically absent, defined as missing 10% or more of the academic year

As schools reopen for another year, they are focused on improving student attendance. But back-to-school is hitting just as COVID-19 cases are increasing, raising the question: When is a child too sick for school?

08/31/2024

Fatman Scoop, who topped charts in Europe with “Be Faithful” two decades ago and later contributed to hits by other artists, died after collapsing on stage at a show Friday in Connecticut, according to officials and his family. He was 53.

Fatman Scoop, who topped charts in Europe with “Be Faithful” two decades ago and later contributed to hits by other artists, died after collapsing on stage at a show Friday in Connecticut, according to officials and his family.

08/31/2024

Many gun violence survivors who apply for Social Security disability benefits feel betrayed when their applications are denied, according to Social Security disability attorney Shivam Patel. Learn more in our latest article on the financial costs of gun violence. https://bit.ly/3Z9rCrT

08/31/2024

LABOR DAY: The struggle to integrate the skilled and construction trades and the unions that represent them, and to ensure that they reflect America’s population, is deeply intertwined with the story of America itself; the story of the original sin of slavery and the legacy of institutional racism that followed and of the hard work by Americans of color and their allies to force our nation to live up to its own ideals.

Why, in one of the most diverse cities in America, with many highly skilled laborers, were many construction sites almost all lily-white?

08/31/2024

Our latest article reveals the challenges that gun violence survivors face accessing Social Security disability benefits if they cannot work. Social Security eligibility requirements are more stringent than most of America’s peer nations. To qualify, Social Security must determine that the applicant’s disability will prevent them from working for at least one year, or will result in death.

“There’s always the assumption that there is some sort of sit down work that can be done that could accommodate the limitations that a person has,” explained Ashley Sappenfield, a Social Security disability attorney. https://bit.ly/3Z9rCrT

08/31/2024

AFROPUNK BLKTOPIA BKLYN’s electrifying two-day event provided enthralling entertainment, music, food, fashion, and much more. Afropunk was held at the Lena Horne Bandshell in Prospect Park on Friday, Aug. 23, and Saturday, Aug. 24. Celebrating 19 years, its legacy of expressing Black individuality, as well as providing a haven for Black excellence, was evident.

AFROPUNK BLKTOPIA BKLYN’s electrifying two-day event provided enthralling entertainment, music, food, fashion, and much more.

08/30/2024

Catarina Guimaraes was born with cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder characterized by abnormal brain development affecting a person’s ability to control their muscles. She's looking to capture medals in the 100-meters and 400-meters and long jump at the Paralympic Games.

Catarina Guimaraes was born with cerebral palsy. She aims to leave her mark on the ParisThe Paralympic Games.

08/30/2024

Immigration once again looms large in this presidential race, with the issue continuing to serve as a flashpoint in American politics. Where does Kamala Harris, who was once given the tough assignment by President Biden in March 2021 to lead the administration’s diplomatic efforts to reduce problems at the border, stand now as a presidential hopeful?

Kamala Harris has said she backs immigration reform with “an earned pathway to citizenship,” but she has not spelled out the details.

08/30/2024

For our latest article, we spoke to a gun violence survivor whose Social Security disability application has been pending since last summer. Prior to being shot, he had worked as a truck driver for over 25 years. Now he and his family are relying on his wife’s income to support their family while he is appealing an initial denial. https://bit.ly/3Z9rCrT

08/30/2024

This year is the 130th anniversary of Labor Day, which is celebrated on the first Monday of September. While actions by unions in recent years to advocate for workers are a reminder of the holiday’s activist roots, the three-day weekend it creates has become a touchstone in the lives of Americans marking the unofficial end of summer. Here ’s what to know about the holiday.

From barbecues and getaways, to shopping the sales, many people across the U.S. mark Labor Day — the federal holiday celebrating the American worker — by finding ways to relax.

08/30/2024

Today is the last day to apply for our Fall Internship Program. Go to amsterdamnews.com/insternships to apply!

08/30/2024

The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame (LIMEHOF) held an induction ceremony for 3 hip hop DJ legends.

Hip-Hop Legend Kurtis Blow made a special appearance and performance to induct Davy DMX. Also, DJ Hurricane from The Beastie Boys was inducted.

The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame inducted hip-hop legends Davy DMX, DJ Hurricane, and DJ Jazzy Jay on Aug. 24.

08/30/2024

Many applicants for Social Security disability endure a months-long application process that ends in denial. On average, it takes applicants about seven and a half months to receive an initial decision. Appealing a denial adds months or even years to the process. During that time, applicants must get by on limited income, because working hurts their chances of being awarded benefits.

Our latest article explores how these long wait times have hurt gun violence survivors who can no longer work because of their injury.

“They need to speed this process up,” said one gun violence survivor whose disability application has been pending since last summer. “You can’t have people waiting like this. Livelihoods are on the line, bills are coming like clockwork.” https://bit.ly/3Z9rCrT

08/30/2024

BLACK NEW YORKER: Katrell Lewis, principal in the Public Strategies subsidiary of the Cozen O’Connor law firm, is a highly regarded public policy strategist and lobbyist who advocates on behalf of the firm’s clients in Albany and New York.

The law firm was established in 1970 and broadly represents global corporations; its Public Strategies subsidiary works to build local and national government relations, provide policy analysis, advocate for legislation, and secure funding for programs in multiple areas.

Katrell Lewis, principal in the Public Strategies subsidiary of the Cozen O’Connor law firm, is a public policy strategist and lobbyist.

08/30/2024

Gun violence in New York spiked in 2020, with the burden falling heaviest on New York’s most under-resourced neighborhoods. In this intense environment, researchers at the Center for Justice Innovation provided a calm space for young Black residents of Crown Heights to answer a question crucial to understanding the root causes of gun violence: why did they carry guns?

The researchers recently published the results of these interviews in a new study, detailing how a generalized atmosphere of fear made a majority of those interviewed feel they needed to carry guns. 75% said they carried a gun because they feared their own death, 72% said they feared harm coming to their family, and 35% said they feared the police.

How and why do these fears manifest, how can they be addressed, and who should be involved in these solutions?

CJI recently published its second study examining the reasons why Black young men in Brooklyn's Crown Heights neighborhood carry guns.

08/30/2024

OP-ED: "In May, a state legislator introduced a similar bill that would ban face coverings specifically at public gatherings, like protests. Governor Kathy Hochul has also expressed support for a mask ban on New York City’s subway.

Supporters of these bans claim they are necessary to protect public safety and point fingers at pro-Palestinian activists who cover their faces at protests—but these bans aren’t about public safety at all. They’re about suppressing speech." Jessica Lynn, Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.)

When I was going to visit my 93-year-old grandfather earlier this summer, I donned my N95 mask in the grocery store and on public transit in the days leading up to the trip.

08/30/2024

New York City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) is putting the word out about an upcoming filing deadline for developers taking part in the 421-a (16) program.

The 421-a program is a partial tax exemption for developers that are building multi-family residential properties on vacant lots. Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprises (MWBE) and small firms taking part in the program may not be aware that there is a deadline to submit a letter of intent to qualify for the tax reduction.

The 421-a program is a partial tax exemption for developers that are building multi-family residential properties on vacant lots.

08/29/2024

The Garifuna people have resisted for more than 300 years in a prolonged struggle to conserve their cultural system, although the governments of the Garifuna diaspora have not understood the demands of this people and have caused many to migrate to other countries such as the United States due to evictions from their lands on the Caribbean coast.

The Garifuna people have resisted for more than 300 years in a prolonged struggle to conserve their cultural system.

08/29/2024

As the initial frenzy about the COVID-19 pandemic has subsided, fears still persist among pregnant people regarding the vaccination and its subsequent booster. Many took to social media to express their concerns or even dissuade others from receiving the vaccine. One myth that has been circulating is that the vaccine increases the risk of miscarriage. According to experts, this is not true.

One myth that has been circulating is that the COVID-19 vaccine increases the risk of miscarriage. According to experts, this is not true.

08/29/2024

Well over 4,000 athletes with various disabilities from more than 150 countries are gathered in fellowship at the 2024 Summer Paralympics.

The Paralympics will close on September 8, and by then will have seen medals awarded in 549 events in 22 sports, among them swimming, sitting volleyball, judo, 5-a-side adaptive football (men only) for athletes with visual impairments, track and field, and wheelchair basketball.

Over 4,000 athletes with various disabilities from more than 150 countries are gathered in fellowship for the 2024 Summer Paralympics.