Two-time Grammy Award-winning R&B singer Lucky Daye released his fourth album, “ALOUD!,” last month on Oct. 16, marking his first album since leaving RCA Records. Now via Warner Records, the album debuted at No. 1 on the iTunes R&B/Soul Albums chart. Aura 57 NYC hosted a private celebration and listening session of Daye’s new album earlier this fall. The nighttime lounge provided an ideal space for the deep red and blue color tones to harmonize with “ALOUD!”

Daye arrived at the event wearing a silk shirt, jeans, studded loafers, and his edgy frohawk. He spoke exclusively to the AmNews about how his bold hair correlates well with inspiration from his new album. “[I’m] standing on business, standing on scalp, I’m bold — I’m just myself now,” said Daye. “I have nothing to hide, nothing to run from. Everything to run to.”

According to Apple Music, “ALOUD!” is a play on words, accentuating the homophones “aloud” and “allowed” to reject the idea that artists need industry permission to take risks. Daye’s confident stance is firm as the singer’s writing is displayed on all 15 tracks, including sole writers’ credit on four. He stated that his album is inspired by real-life situations. “I can’t even start my album if it’s not real,” he candidly shared. “I just want to extract the consequence of falling in love, the thing you get after falling in love — I guess they call it wisdom … I just want to cancel all of that out.”

Songs like “Nowhere Fast,” “Fly U Out,” and “Mouf Say” were well-received by attendees during the album listening event. Daye aspires for his fans and all listeners of “ALOUD!” to reminisce on their favorite firsts, especially the first time falling in love, living in happiness, and dancing through life. He acknowledges the information overload one can experience while many people navigate hardships. “The worst thing you can do is to have more things to think about,” said Daye. “That’s why the album is simple enough for you not to think — just ride.”

Brenika Banks photos

Additionally, Daye was asked how this fourth album reflects who he has grown into as a human, a professional, and a man. “A Black man, most importantly,” he specified. “I want people to take away the joys of life. Life doesn’t have to be complicated all the time — sometimes it could be simple and still mean the same thing.”

Daye emphasized the project’s first track, “Nowhere Fast,” as it captures the essence of people who move quickly through life and look for outside validation. “But everything is inside,” Daye cited. “People that’s looking for something on the outside, you’re not going to find ‘it’ until you look at yourself.” Daye’s openness about the importance of looking into oneself reveals his authentic desire for love, even if he must fly his lady out. “Fly U Out” featuring Leon Thomas may sound like a man showing off. With the full album context, it’s a man bringing his lady in person because, “feelings get lost in the distance,” as Daye sings.

Other featured artists on “ALOUD!” include Pusha T, Muni Long and Akeem Ali. Lucky Daye’s ALOUD! Tour hits Brooklyn Paramount on March 18, 2027.

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An era is coming to an end: On Monday, Nov. 2, Kool DJ Red Alert announced his plans to retire from his radio career. The renowned hip-hop legend, who currently has gigs at WBLS 107.5 and Hot 97, will be signing off for the final time on Nov. 30, preceded by an all-star farewell gala on Nov. 24.

Red Alert made the announcement via a video post on his social media accounts. “I stand before you to announce that I’m saying farewell to radio,” Red Alert said, thanking the listeners and his former co-workers. “It has been an honor in my life to share the airways with the community for over four decades.”

The music legend also disclosed that he is capping off his retirement with a music gala at Sony Music Hall in Manhattan on Nov. 24. Although the gala was initially announced in July to celebrate Red Alert’s 70th birthday, Nov. 27, the digital flyers are now updated to include his retirement for the occasion.

Grammy-winning music producer Teddy Riley is set to serve as co-host of the gala. The festivities will include an all-star list of DJ performances, including DJ Jazzy Jeff, Kid Capri, DJ Spinna, and Rashad “Ringo” Smith. The announcement also promises performances from special surprise guests.

While Red Alert is closing this chapter of his illustrious career, he states he still has more work to do elsewhere. “Although I am stepping away from radio, my passion for music and entertainment remains strong,” Red Alert continued in his video post. “I will continue to bring the sounds, the energy, and the vibe to the people through DJing special events, and community celebrations.”

Red Alert, whose real name is Fred Crute, has been a professional DJ for 50 years. Recognized as a pillar from the dawn of hip-hop culture, he has held stints with nearly every major radio network in New York City. Red Alert began his radio career in 1983, DJing for 98.7 Kiss FM in New York City. It was during his stint with Kiss-FM where he gave hip-hop a platform and radio home in a time when rap was still seen as just a passing fad. Red Alert broke several records on radio, introducing the world to many hip-hop heavyweights, from A Tribe Called Quest to Queen Latifah. From 1994 to 2001, he mixed on Hot 97 for “The Five O’Clock Free Ride” as well as “The Twelve O’Clock Old School At Noon.” Since 2012, he’s been working at WBLS 107.5.

Tickets to “The Red Alert Experience Gala” can be purchased at sonyhall.com. General admission tickets are $50 and V.I.P. tickets are $150. The gala will enforce a black formal attire dress code for all attendees.

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The Blue wave that many political pundits and prognosticators predicted arrived Tuesday evening with a resounding boom, and a clear rebuke of Donald Trump and his damaging agenda.

For Black Americans, several political firsts made this midterm election particularly eventful: Keisha Lance Bottoms becomes the first Black female governor in the U.S.; Byron Donalds, a Republican, will be Florida’s first Black governor; David Crowley is the first Black governor-elect of Wisconsin; Aaron Ford becomes governor-elect of Nevada; Stacey Plaskett will be governor-elect of the U.S. Virgin Islands; and there’s a possibility that Scott Colom can become the first Black senator from Mississippi since the Reconstruction era. In addition, Hakeem Jeffries is slated to be the first Black Speaker of the House.

We should also note that Abdul El-Sayed is the senator-elect from the hotly contested race in Michigan, making him the first Muslim senator in the nation’s history. Chris Pappas, a representative from New Hampshire, is set to be the first gay man elected to the U.S. Senate. Deb Haaland, former U.S. Secretary of the Interior, was victorious in her bid to be the first Native American governor of New Mexico. Another Native American woman, Peggy Flanagan, who was Minnesota’s lieutenant governor, is now the first to be elected to the Senate.

Plus, two Latin Americans achieved firsts: Xavier Becerra won his race to be California’s governor and Gina Hinojosa accomplished the same feat in Texas, upsetting Greg Abbott and his huge war chest.

Oh, and topping off the stunning results, Democrat Amy Acton defeated Vivek Ramaswamy and will be the first female governor of Ohio, overcoming controversial issues during the final weeks of the campaign.

With such an overwhelming night of victories, gaining control of Congress, and a severe repudiation of President Trump and his inane policies, the Democratic winners now face the daunting task of reversing such critical issues as affordability, putting a check on spiraling inflation, rolling back Trump’s tariff measures — particularly the impact on farmers, and ending the “forever war” with Iran.

During the runup to the election, we placed a lot of emphasis on such key states as Iowa, Ohio, Texas, and Alaska, calling them the IOTA factor, which mostly swung our way, although we are still waiting for the senatorial outcome in Alaska. We were also concerned about the Senate race in Maine, Kansas, and Michigan, and they all flipped in our favor. To a great degree, it seems to be a new political horizon that augurs well for 2028.

How the Democratic Party, especially the Democratic National Committee, marshals the momentum and constructs a platform going forward will continue what has been defined as consequential.

We are also overjoyed that Mayor Mamdani’s slate, so to speak, was exceedingly victorious: Governor Hochul was reelected, and others such as Brad Lander, Claire Valdez, Letitia James, Diana Moreno, Aber Kawas, Illapa Sairitupac, and Darializa Avila Chevalier were all successful.

While it’s no time for the Dems to gloat, they can rejoice and take a breath after delivering a massive blow to the GOP and the billionaires who forked over tons of cash in an attempt to buy the elections across the country and right here at home.

Gov. Kathy Hochul, who handily won re-election for a second full term, bringing in former NYC City Council speaker Adrienne Adams with her as lieutenant-governor–elect, probably relished the moment. “Just a few weeks ago, Donald Trump came to New York and told voters to pretend that he was on the ballot,” Hochul said in her victory speech. “Well, Mr. President, you got your wish.”

In an ironic way, the voters made America great again.

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Knicks head coach Mike Brown might as well wear a lab coat and latex gloves instead of casual athletic attire while leading his team on the sidelines. He has become part scientist and part coach in tinkering with schematic formulas and lineup combinations in real time during games.

The Knicks were a middling 3-4 when they hosted the young 1-6 Chicago Bulls at Madison Square Garden last night. A week earlier in Chicago, the Bulls pushed the Knicks for a full 48 minutes. It took heroics by point guard Jalen Brunson and his game-high 38 points for the Knicks to eke out a 133-127 win. Then on Monday at MSG, the Brooklyn Nets, who were also a one-win squad when they faced the Charlotte Hornets at Barclays Center yesterday evening, tested the Knicks’ mental focus and mettle in New York’s 103-90 victory.

“I’ve been doing that quite a bit,” said Brown regarding his lineup shifts in his postgame press conference following the win against the Nets. “The sheet [pre-determined game lineups and substitutions] is just something that gives me a little direction or guidance going into the game for different combinations.

“Just have to go with your gut, who you think is playing well, and see if you can find the right combination. We ended up finding it, I think we had started taking off, we had Tyler Kolek on the floor, Landry [Shamet] might have been on the floor, OG, maybe Jordan Clarkson and KAT, they did a great job.”

The Knicks’ execution and attention to detail has been uncharacteristically spotty in the opening two and a half weeks of this season. Removing individual performances from the calculus, collectively, the Knicks have at once been disjointed and overpowering — the latter far less often than the former for a team with a standard of being a championship contender.

Brunson and center Karl-Anthony Town have All-Star numbers. Brunson was averaging a team-leading 24.6 points per game (12th in the league prior to last night) and Towns (20.3 points and 13.9 rebounds) led the NBA in double-doubles (7) prior to playing the Bulls. Additionally, do-it-all forward OG Anunoby was posting 16.4 points per game, only 0.3 points less than his 2025 regular season average.

Yet, the product thus far doesn’t approach the proficiency or efficiency that was established during the waning weeks of the 2025-2026 regular season and through the Finals. But reinforcements such as veteran guard Jordan Clarkson have been vital in grinding it out.

“I’ll say this about [Clarkson], I’ve been around some good teammates when it comes to players. He’s gotta be the best. He’s the definition of ultimate pro,” Brown passionately noted.

“You have a veteran that’s been there, done that, and he’s willing to accept the role that most guys wouldn’t accept. If he’s willing to accept it, which is what he did last year, and still try to uplift everybody and connect everybody while he’s going through what he’s going through, that’s the ultimate team player.”

The Knicks play the Cleveland Cavaliers on the road on Saturday and then face the Milwaukee Bucks at MSG next Tuesday.

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There can be few people more excited than I am by plans afoot for New York’s oldest African American journal. Ms. Elinor Ruth Tatum, its publisher, is leading the New York Amsterdam News into an invigorated future as corporate and foundation headquarters, coupled with a national center of African American journalism history, replete with educational exhibitions, a research library, an inviting cafe, and a community forum.

Embarking on this project will improve and restore both the newspaper and its 138-year-old building. Utilizing, to capacity, a facility currently underused offers a world of as many possibilities as opportunities. Each is infinite.

In our time when Black contributions to intellectual life are ever increasingly ignored, denied, or erased, the Amsterdam News’ proposed national center will underline the historical significance of Black media and the professionals who document what’s happening around us.

In a time when news is, mostly, no longer communicated on paper or produced by a printing press, it projects the AmNews far into the future. Reimagining the offices as a place of pilgrimage, a storehouse of knowledge and learning, it’s also a reiteration of Harlem’s place as America’s Black Cultural Capital forever.

Then

Now

“In our time when Black contributions to intellectual life are ever increasingly ignored, denied, or erased, the Amsterdam News’ proposed national center will underline the historical significance of Black media and the professionals who document what’s happening around us.”

— Michael Henry Adams, Harlem-based preservationist and writer

What makes me so certain of my unsurpassed enthusiasm? It is knowing already all I’ve gained from the AmNews’ treasure trove of goodies. In graduate school at Columbia 38 years ago, except for exceptionally devoted and brilliant students, there was no internet, with cellphones occupying every idle hour. Instead, in Butler Library or at the Schomburg Center, we had the voluminous Readers Guide to Periodical Literature and reels of the Amsterdam News on microfilm. Not unlike scrolling along on Insta, I enjoyed otherwise empty hours, unspooling roll after roll of the AmNews, pausing here and there whenever some headline or another caught my eye.

Today, I take the same delight in searching the paper in the ProQuest database of Historic African American Newspapers. I’ve included just three stories, pretty close together time-wise, to illustrate the wide variety of interesting topics that await a willing explorer.

From the archive

New Year’s Eve, 1923“Race Superiority Bunk, Says Boasts Noted Anthropologist.”

April 1, 1923Mother Zion Church “Unable to Seat Members”

Aug. 25, 1926Georgia spends $36.29 per white child, $4.59 per Negro child

On New Year’s Eve of 1923, a headline blared, “Race Superiority Bunk, Says Boasts Noted Anthropologist.” The reporter went on to tell how the Columbia professor, “the foremost scholar in his field nation-wide,” had related this, addressing an appreciative audience at the 135th St. Library.

By Easter Sunday, the AmNews reported how on April 1, 1923, Mother Zion Church [New York State’s oldest African American denomination ], was “Unable to Seat Members…[due to], the largest overflowing congregation in the history of the church…present at the 11:o’clock service.” This occurrence was seen as proof positive of how urgently the Black membership, who had moved to an existing church edifice from downtown in 1914, needed to build a new structure to better serve their mission and worship. Engaging Black architect George Washington Foster, soon after, they did.

Aug. 25, 1926, citing a study published in the Crisis, it was shown that, “In the State of Georgia, …the average amount expended yearly on each white child [was],… $36.29, and the average amount on each Negro child [each year was]… $4.59. Although Negro children [formed] 43 percent of the children of school age, only 9 percent of the educational funds are spent on them and 91 percent on the white.”

This, along with Black debutantes, drag balls, pilots and doctors (male and female), good Samaritans and corrupt politicians (Black and white), is but a tiny foretaste, along with amazing images unseen for decades, of the AmNews banquet in store. And, what a compelling story it has over an epic evolution too. Wow!

Founded on Dec. 4, 1909, the venerable New York Amsterdam News was first published by James H. Anderson with but a $10 investment. Anderson’s paper began in his home at 132 West 65th Street, in the African American San Juan Hill neighborhood. It was near Amsterdam Avenue, hence the name. New York’s oldest surviving Black journal was one of only 50 nationwide then.

With the confluence of Blacks fleeing Southern oppression and terror Downtown following New York’s anti-Black rioting in 1900, Harlem beckoned. Helping to establish what was envisioned as an autonomous, largely self-reliant Black enclave, the year after its founding, the Amsterdam News moved uptown to burgeoning Black Harlem’s Main drag, at 17 West 135th Street. Outgrowing this spot in just six years, the AmNews moved next to 2293 Seventh Avenue. This office occupied the top floor of a converted brownstone row house. Clinton Moore’s notorious ‘buffet flat,’ offering distinguished whites bootleg gin, reefer, and beautiful young Black companions for an evening (mostly male, for mostly men) was, recalled Amsterdam cartoonist and columnist Bill Chase, in 1940 “just next door.”

When the Amsterdam News expanded to 2271 Seventh Avenue in 1938, this old facility at first remained active. The building where the paper relocated, the building in question, at 2340 Eighth Avenue (Frederick Douglass Boulevard), was built in 1888.

The paper’s homes

1. 1909132 West 65th StreetSan Juan Hill — Anderson’s home
2. 191017 West 135th StreetHarlem
3. 19162293 Seventh AvenueTop floor of a brownstone
4. 19382271 Seventh AvenueExpansion
5. Today2340 Frederick Douglass Blvd.Built 1888 by Ferdinand W. Geiler

Emigrating from Germany at seven and residing with his family at 101 Anderson Avenue in the Bronx, Ferdinand W. Geiler was the builder of this structure. Subject to financial difficulties after the Great Depression, before these troubling times he had shrewdly, routinely advertised his firm, F. W. Geiler, Inc. Paints, Oils, Varnishes, Wall Papers, in the AmNews.

His 1935 foreclosure had made Geiler’s building affordable for the paper’s new owners. Fellow physicians with Caribbean heritage, Dr. Cielan Bethan Powell and Dr. Phillip M.H. Savory were among the most savvy African American entrepreneurs of their era. Forming the Powell Savory Corporation, they helped to take the AmNews to the next level. From a local journal established to counter Booker T. Washington’s accommodationist conservatism, expounded by their rival at the New York Age, they transformed the paper into a peerless record, championing a Black world view.

The New York Amsterdam News had also suffered because of the depression’s disaster. Harlem in general was particularly hard hit. The strife felt by the paper’s staff culminated in an 11-week strike. Forced into bankruptcy and receivership, the Amsterdam was only saved in 1936 by the good doctors partnering to effect a purchase at a bankruptcy auction. Bid-in at $5,000.00; technically, this alliance resulted in a bargain. But it had also required their agreeing to absorb over $30,000.00 of indebtedness. More importantly, in a milestone of labor advancement, gaining control, Savory and Powell agreed to unionization by the American Newspaper Guild, making the Amsterdam News the first Black-owned newspaper that allowed workforce organization.

After Dr. Savory’s death in 1965, in 1971, his associate announced his retirement. He sold the paper to the Amnews Corporation, which still maintains ownership. In August of 1982, Wilbert A. Tatum, who was chairman of the board of the Amnews Corporation and publisher, expanded its reach still further with a broadened perspective on politics, both at home and abroad. By July of 1996, Tatum also amassed complete ownership of the Amsterdam News, himself stepping down just a year later.

Who has led the paper

1909James H. Anderson founds the paper with a $10 investment

1936Drs. C.B. Powell and P.M.H. Savory buy it at a bankruptcy auction; staff unionize

1971Sold to the Amnews Corporation

1982Wilbert A. Tatum becomes publisher

1997Elinor Tatum takes the helm

Relinquishing control to his daughter, Elinor, a 26-year-old, seemed questionable to some. But the way she has sustained America’s Black paper of record, with the same impassioned integrity of all those before her serving as publisher and editor-in-chief, all while taking care of her widowed mother and a young daughter, beyond exemplary, is extraordinary.

It is her vision that has developed this project, which fosters the excellence of Black journalism while enhancing Harlem as a world destination for tourists and scholars alike. Supported by a grant from the Mellon Foundation, the old space will operate in a new way as an archival research center, public gathering hub, and cafe.

A time capsule of how things used to be, the newsroom will showcase retro furniture, typewriters, metal photo-engraving plates, and chalkboards. Framed front pages from the archives will show the results that were possible by such antique means. Chronicling generations of civil rights reporting, a repository of Black history and excellence, this resource can only challenge youth to appreciate how anything is possible.

A timeline projecting completion by the end of 2027 is perhaps optimistic. However, the endeavor is off to a resoundingly positive start with encouraging input and support from the community and philanthropic foundations alike; along with your help, we cannot fail.

In the months ahead, there will be other stories explaining more fully both the paper’s mission and our progress. Stay tuned, and for additional information about how you can get involved, email Siobhan Bennet at sam.bennett@amnewsfoundation.org or text at 484-560-2810. To learn more, visit amnewsfoundation.org.

1 / 6The AmNews’ offices at 2340 Frederick Douglass Boulevard.

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2 / 6The AmNews offices are due to be remade into a national center for the history of Black journalism.

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3 / 6The group of Brownstones encompassing the Amsterdam News’ second home at 2293 Seventh Avenue.

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4 / 6The stairs up to the AmNews offices.

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5 / 6The AmNews’ late publisher and owner, Wilbert Tatum.

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6 / 6The AmNews’ current CEO and owner, Ms. Elinor Ruth Tatum.

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There is still a lot of football remaining in the NFL season. Fortunes can change in a moment of misfortune, exemplified by Lamar Jackson, the Baltimore Ravens’ two-time league MVP, suffering a debilitating thumb injury on his right hand, his throwing hand, on the Ravens’ first offensive play from scrimmage in last Sunday’s 36-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Jackson had just returned from missing the 4-4 Ravens’ previous three games with an ankle injury.

The injury likely ends the Ravens aspirations of playing in the Super Bowl, a realistic goal entering this season. The Giants weren’t Super Bowl contenders by any measure at the start of this season and they are still a long shot on most major sportsbooks. Yet they are the favorites to win the NFC East division title going into their Week 9 road matchup versus the Philadelphia Eagles, the defending division champions.

But nothing is a certainty even if the Giants have a high probability of capturing their first division title since 2011, when they went 9-7 (we’ll get into the parallels of that record with this season in a minute) and won the Super Bowl. The Giants are in first place at 4-2-1, followed by the 3-5 Dallas Cowboys, the 2-4-1 Washington Commanders, and, in last place, the 2-6 Eagles. Applying reason, the team that ultimately wins the NFC East will finish the regular season with 10 wins tops, likely nine. Let’s do the simple math.

The Giants have 10 more games to play. If they go 6-4 that’s a record of 10-6-1. Five more wins — 5-5, and averting any more ties — will give them an ending mark of 9-7-1. For context, last season, the Carolina Panthers won the NFC South on the final day of the regular season with an 8-9 and hosted a playoff game. So, like the 2011 campaign, the Giants could conceivably be a division champ with nine wins.

They have the 11th toughest remaining schedule, on paper the hardest schedule in the division based on the combined winning percentages of upcoming opponents, followed by the Commanders (20th), Eagles (22nd), and Cowboys (23rd).

The Cowboys, the team closest to the Giants in the standings, have not shown any potential of reversing course. They have lost three of their last four games and would have to win five of the next nine just to reach eight. The math ain’t mathing for Dallas.

The Giants haven’t been immune to injuries. They have lost four critically important starters for the season: Quarterback Jaxson Dart (torn meniscus and MCL in his left knee); Pro Bowl edge rusher Brian Burns (torn right ACL); inside linebacker Tremaine Edmunds (shoulder/chest); and interior defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris (Lisfranc foot surgery).

Yet, they have persevered under head coach John Harbaugh, who is in his first season leading the Giants but his 19th as an NFL head coach. And with their third starting QB, 23-year-old former first-round pick J.J. McCarthy, who has sparked the team after being acquired in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 28.

So, for now, a path to the playoffs looks promising for the Giants. Or until it doesn’t. Such is the fluid and volatile nature of the NFL.

The post Is the NFC East set up for the Giants to seize the division title? appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

At an Oct. 28 oversight hearing, City Council members grilled the new director of the Mayor’s Office of Ethnic and Community Media (MOECM) about why the office, which is supposed to connect New Yorkers with public services while helping to fund community journalism, had gone months without a director, gone through repeated reorganizations, and suffered shrinking advertising support while city agencies funded influencer campaigns.

Members of the council’s Committee on Governmental Operations, State & Federal Legislation said the drop in city advertising support for ethnic and community media was troubling, since more than 4.1 million city residents get their news from these media sources.

Under Local Law 83 of 2021, NYC mayoral agencies are legally required to spend at least 50% of their annual advertising budget with ethnic and community media outlets.

“I mean, just to be clear, the law was incredibly successful,” Council Speaker Julie Menin told the administration’s witness. “It has now been gutted, so that is why we are having this hearing.”

That witness was Mazin Sidahmed, MOECM’s newly appointed executive director who is a co-founder of the non-profit news site, Documented. Sidahmed was appointed to his position on Sept. 18. Asked during the hearing about staffing for MOECM, he said, “I am the only person on the team,” while promising to hire at least one other person.

Menin asked why the office moved from the Office of Mass Engagement to the mayor’s communications operation after months without a director. Sidahmed responded, “Sorry, I cannot really speak to deliberations that happened before I started.”

“Okay, and you cannot comment on why the office did not have a director for eight months?” Menin asked. “I mean, that is very concerning as well — that no one was running this office while it was under mass engagement for eight months, and no one was running it, and then it was moved again and again with no director until you came on board.”

Sidahmed again replied that he could not answer Menin’s question. “As I said, I cannot really speak to deliberations that happened before I started, but I can say that it is a unique office. … This is the only one of its kind in the nation, and in my conversations upon joining the administration, I did sense a real desire to really get it right and understand what would be needed for this office.”

He also did not have a current citywide advertising total and said he was collecting agency and media buyer record information.

Councilmember Gale Brewer, who chairs the Committee on Governmental Operations, challenged the lag in even basic updates to the office. “I do not mean to be rude,” she told Sidahmed, “but you have to update the website before next year. It still says 2024. I read the whole thing this morning.”

The idea for MOECM grew from the fact that city advertising dollars were in the past rarely spent with smaller media outlets. In 2019, Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Executive Order 47 mandated that half of the city’s annual print and digital publication advertising funds be spent with immigrant, neighborhood-specific, or non-English media publications. Local Law 83, passed in June 2021, created the office and expanded coverage to radio and television.

A 2025 CUNY Center for Community Media report found the policy led to more than $72 million being spent with community media over five years. Menin said that it peaked at $23.1 million in 2022 and went down to near $7 million in 2024. The downturn in spending came prior to the Mamdani administration, but publishers said they did not want to continue to see losses in 2026.

“The executive order back in 2019 set the goal of a significant percentage of our ad spending going to ethnic and community media from city agencies, and the purpose there was in part to stabilize the struggling industry,” Councilmember Lincoln Restler said, as he questioned how the city counted its fiscal year 2025 spending. He said $31 million in advertising was reported as going to community and ethnic media, but $18 million was considered out of scope. That meant eligible spending was 24%, not 57%, he argued. Sidahmed said he would review the data and work with the council to clarify how spending should be counted.

Councilmember Althea Stevens asked why African outlets, like Little Africa News, had not received advertising dollars. “I represent one of the largest African communities in the city and they are growing fast. One of the questions that I have is why African outlets such as Little Africa and others have not received any advertising dollars for this year yet.” Sidahmed said he could not explain why agencies had not sent any advertising to them yet but would look into what the office had done previously and prepare a report by the end of the year.

Stevens got upset with that though, and said it was not fair for community media outlets to have to wait. “Because you just started, folks have to wait until the end of the year to figure out how they are supposed to access funds? So how do we ensure that these outlets do not collapse in the meantime?” she asked. “What was the transition like? Because that is unfair — because you just started, everyone has to wait? What does the transition look like? I am confused. Are you the only person there?”

AmNews Publisher Elinor Tatum testified how Local Law 83 is important to the survival of community media, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We have been around for 117 years, supporting and reporting on the communities in New York City. When Local Law 83 came about, it was very important to the survival of the Amsterdam News and community media all across New York City. It came at a time where we all needed that support more than I think a lot of us even knew at the time.”

“And over the next few years,” she continued, “it became even more and more apparent how much we needed that support, especially when COVID hit. And then the Adams administration came in, and we saw it weaponized. We saw it used to some people’s advantage and some people’s very much disadvantage … it really was used as a weapon. We saw advertising dwindle; we saw it cut nearly in half.”

The starving of ethnic and community media outlets started before the Mamdani administration, Tatum said. MOECM helps outlets navigate the system but does not place the ads, Tatum added. That work is handled by six advertising agencies with city contracts, she said, and she urged the council to examine their role.

“Those advertising agencies, those six agencies are the ones that I think we really need to be investigating. Because those six advertising agencies are the ones that have the contracts with the city.” Tatum said the agencies don’t take the time to cultivate relationships with small media outlets –– to reach the audiences they are supposed to they “usually go with the lowest hanging fruit, whatever’s easiest for them. And most times that is television and radio. And that’s where, a lot of times, the local press -–– both websites and print media -–– get left out.”

Tatum called for MOECM to be an independent office, with quarterly recipient-level reporting, protections against editorial retaliation, and a review of advertising allocations since Jan. 1.

The hearing also questioned why city payments between $500 to $20,000 were being made to influencers. “Why should taxpayer dollars be used to compensate someone for repeating government talking points when independent neighborhood newspapers are struggling to keep reporters employed?” Councilmember Frank Morano asked. “Taxpayer money is going to influencers. Should not every New Yorker know exactly who is being paid, how much they are receiving, and whether they are disclosing their relationship?”

Sidahmed answered that his focus was on MOECM’s directory of 293 publications: “I cannot speak to how agencies spend their money otherwise, but that is really my goal in this role.”

WBAI Radio general manager Bob Hennelly described free emergency alerts and news as essential services his radio station supplies, and Epicenter NYC publisher S. Mitra Kalita noted that her outlet helped more than 20,000 New Yorkers connect to COVID vaccines. She noted that she had been sounding the alarm about the decline in funding to community media outlets for more than a year.

“I have raised these concerns with council members, mayoral transition committee members, Gov. Hochul’s policy advisors, and members of the state senate and assembly. Last December URL Media, and the Center for Community Media tried to get in front of the issue, and we signed an open letter, signed by 51 outlets publishing in 14 languages, asking the incoming administration to restore spending and transparency.”

“We also made a number of recommendations around some of the issues that have been raised around press passes, access, spending by city-supported institutions on local and ethnic media,” Kalita said. “We laid out quite a number of issues [and] we are still today asking for a functioning, predictable and transparent system.”

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Brooklyn residents facing the loss of their properties are trying to come together and form a unified defense. Two separate gatherings over the past week brought different organizations together to talk about property loss disputes.

At Citadel Cathedral of Praise & Worship on Barbey St. in Cypress Hills, the People’s Coalition to Stop Deed Theft held a meeting to talk about how Black churches can be vulnerable to financially punishing property deals. At 964 Park Place in Crown Heights, the Black Homeowners’ Preservation Coalition and Crown Heights Tenant Union promoted efforts to keep the Robinson-Torain family in their home. Both were efforts to turn an often isolating experience into collective power while waiting to see if government protections will reach them in time.

The Oct. 27 Citadel meeting was hosted by activist Evangeline Byars and featured attorney Jacqueline McMickens and Charles Barron of Operation POWER. McMickens urged those in attendance to realize that debt can drain any of the value that comes with property ownership.

“Some of these cases are dead on arrival,” she said. “I want to tell you that you can overcome [a foreclosure debt]. You have to find a way for the bank to let you back in. But if you get back in and you can’t afford it, you’re wasting your time. You’re only digging a deeper hole for yourself and creating more pain for yourself. Because it is truly painful to give [thousands of] dollars because you think you’re buying a home, and all you’re buying is a place where you can sleep because you don’t own it.”

McMickens described the broader problem as “equity theft” and discussed possible loan modifications. Barron emphasized leverage when dealing with these kinds of issues, rather than pleading: “We’ve got to deal with power,” he said; that’s what can stop the forces of gentrification and subsequent deed theft cases from occurring, he insisted.

When Barron served as a city councilmember, he said he was often approached by developers who wanted to build in his community of East New York, but they were often not creating developments to empower the community. Barron said he was in a position of power with the developers.

“All I had to do was go to the zoning committee, seven members, in the city council and say, ‘I don’t want this project.’ And they will kill it,” said Barron. “That’s power! That’s power! I didn’t have to demonstrate. I didn’t have to call a press conference. All I had to do was use the power of the city council. I’m saying all of that to you because the worst thing a people can have is power, and either, one, don’t realize they have it, or two, be afraid to use it.”

Barron’s message was that collective organizing and relationships with decision-makers can strengthen a community’s negotiating position.

Citadel elder and administrator Edison Bond spoke about how the church had searched for a permanent sanctuary after years of worshipping in rented spaces. The congregation began as a basement Bible study, then moved to Downtown Brooklyn’s Marriott hotel, took space in other churches and even a school at one point. When they purchased a building of their own, it meant they finally had somewhere to hold services, baptisms, weddings, funerals and neighborhood gatherings.

Bond said the Barbey St. property’s asking price climbed from $1.1 million to $2.3 million, although an initial appraisal had valued it at $1.7 million. Congregants raised $1.8 million in cash, he said, and the seller financed the remaining $500,000 through interest-only payments with a balloon payment due after two years. Interest-only payments cover borrowing costs without reducing the principal; a balloon payment requires the remaining balance at once.

Renovations, missed payments, and pandemic hardships put pressure on the church. And Bond said their creditor eventually refused further payments and foreclosed on them. The building was sold at auction in April 2025.

At the meeting, Bond said Citadel had gone to court to keep the property and was waiting on a judicial ruling while seeking community help. “And so the only way you’re going to get help is to open up your mouth and to be able to let people know that we need help,” Bond said: “There is no plan B for us.”

Several at the Citadel meeting talked about the need to connect pastors facing similar financial stress across New York City’s boroughs, so that they could share experiences and bring churches not currently in trouble into prevention work. One participant responsible for a family church said they attended to get ahead of potential problems.

In Crown Heights, Sherease Torain and her mother, Queen Afua, say a fraudulent 2015 transaction stripped them of the deed to the home her grandparents, Ephraim and Ida Robinson, purchased in 1951. Their supporters announced a round-the-clock stoop watch at 964 Park Place beginning Nov. 1 and an eviction blockade beginning on Nov. 6.

Torain-Robinson’s supporters gathered in a circle inside the brownstone on Nov. 1 to talk about the trauma many of them have been experiencing, trying to fight off deed and bank mismanagement issues that have threatened their ability to live peacefully in their homes. People who said they were victims compared disputed property transfers, displacement, and exhausting searches for assistance. “We are not protected,” one participant complained. “The reality is we are not protected. Look what just happened to my family. We are not protected.”

Another felt that more of Torain-Robinson’s neighbors should be helping the family to stay in their property: “Everybody on this block should be out here; everybody on this block should have been outside. …They know what’s happening here. They just don’t know it’s coming for them.”

The residents discussed the importance of documenting their testimonies about the financial challenges they face in trying to retain ownership of their properties. They said that having more of their testimonies in the public would help more people feel less isolated. Standing together in a circle, the group voiced their call to action, chanting, “Stop deed theft in New York now: enough is enough! Stop deed theft now: enough is enough! Stop deed theft in New York now: enough is enough!”

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Aloha! I had the honor of traveling to Maui to sous-chef for Harlem’s legendary Chef Melba Wilson of Melba’s at the Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival. I knew it would be special to watch her bring the spirit of Harlem together with Hawaiian mana — energy, spirit and power — in one dish.

Arriving a day before, Chef Melba gave me time to meet the legendary chef restaurateur and festival co-founder Chef Roy Yamaguchi and take in the island’s beauty. The festival, now celebrating its 16th year, spans multiple Hawaiian islands. It was my first return to Maui in more than 40 years, but this time I was there to work.

Our first night together, Melba and I attended the festival’s “Caviar, Pearls & Aphrodisiacs,” caviar-centered tasting of food, wines and spirits. There, NYC’s Chef Leah Cohen of Pig & Khao and Chef Jonathan Waxman of the iconic Barbuto were showing all the way out with delicious bites. But the next morning, it was back to the kitchen and the rhythm of service.

With our talented local culinary students, Magic and Kashmir, and the team of chefs, I helped prepare for an event called, “No EGGScuses, Let’s Brunch!” Our assignment was to use local ingredients wherever possible and incorporate eggs. There are no eggs in Melba’s signature shrimp and grits, a dish featured in her first cookbook, “Melba’s American Comfort,” so local fish roe became our inspired answer.

Then the shrimp arrived with a story none of us could have imagined. We learned that we received the final order of Kaua‘i Shrimp after their farm was devastated by a recent hurricane. Suddenly, these shrimp represented more than an ingredient — they were history. We cleaned them carefully, then decided to fortify our chicken stock with their shells, drawing every possible bit of flavor from a precious delivery.

Our grits honored Nalo orange corn, grown in Hawai’i. Since it is not milled for grits in the islands, festival chefs sourced it from the mainland. Atop these grits sat a pool of shrimp-fortified gravy, a plump Old Bay-seasoned shrimp cooked à la minute in butter, local chives and our “eggs” of smoked trout roe. The dish was a beautiful expression of place and tradition. Melba also carried with her individual serving vessels resembling tiny cast iron-pots — just right for our four-ounce tastings.

We served approximately 300 guests, alongside an impressive roster of chefs including the multitalented and fierce Chef Nyesha Arrington and chef restauranteur Susur Lee. The response to Melba’s shrimp and grits was extraordinary, several guests called it their favorite dish. Working beside the students, sharing the story of Southern cooking, and seeing Harlem’s food traditions embraced in Maui made every hour worthwhile.

Afterward came a well earned swim in the Pacific and a waterside dinner at Merriman’s, a fitting close to a rich culinary experience. I returned home grateful for the invitation, the people I met, and the opportunity to represent Harlem in Hawai‘i alongside Chef Melba.

Mahalo Melba for all you do and for always bringing your “born, bred, and buttered in Harlem” spirit wherever you go.

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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Kyle Marshall Choreography tops this month’s packed calendar. Marshall and company will premiere “Bound,” using text by Fredrick Douglass and visual design by KMC Creative Director Edo Tastic (set, costume, and projection). The cast of five performers — Justin Daniels, Khalid Dunton, Kyle Marshall, Kellye Smith and Syd Worthy — will explore (sub)text and subversive actions by embodying words, gestures, and rhythms that examine American ideals and realities. There will also be live sound design by Cal Fish and Kwami Winfield. Marshall writes, “‘Bound’ is a cryptic work, one layered with subtext, coded movement and subversive sound. It spans time through the words of Fredrick Douglass, voices of today and declarations for a future yet to be seen. Danspace Project at St. Mark’s Church provides a timeless space for ‘Bound’s’ world premiere.” Performances run Nov. 5-7. Find out more at https://danspaceproject.org.

STILL RUNNING:

Sept. 15 – Nov. 21: The multidisciplinary festival that celebrates the convergence of Black and Latinx artistry through dance, theater, music, literature, ritual, and performance, The BlakTinX Performance Series returns to BAAD! Find out more at baadbronx.org.

Sept. 22, 2026 – May 30, 2027: New York City Ballet’s 2026-27 Season at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center with repertory works, premieres, plus additional works by Kyle Abraham, Jamar Roberts and more. Find out more at nycballet.com.

ALSO THIS MONTH:

Nov. 4 – 7: Cynthia Oliver returns to BAM with “Turn. Turning. TURNT,” a three-part evening of dance constructed before, during, and after the 2020 pandemic. “Tether,” an afrofuturist experiment germinated in 2019, meditates on Black girls’ creativity and play; “Fallow” is the most explicit response to the pandemic: through a facade of stillness, it holds the myriad pressures of that extraordinary time; and “Summon. Sow. Reap.” follows as a companion piece, exploring re-emergence from isolation through deep rhythm and spiritual patterning. Find out more at bam.org.

Nov. 5: “Trikāyā (Three Bodies),” the latest solo by Bijayini Satpathy explores desire, transformation, and identity beyond binaries, and draws from the Mahabharata story of Brihannala, the archer Arjuna’s transgender form. Find out more at asiasociety.org/new-york.

Nov. 5 – 7: At NYU Skirball, Sankai Juku will perform “TOTEM — Void and Height,” the final work created by the company’s late founder, Butoh legend Ushio Amagatsu. Find out more at nyuskirball.org.

Nov. 6 – 7: Japan Society presents Reisa Shimojima and her company KEDAGORO in “The Age is Yours, My Liege! A Tale of Proto-Japan,” “…a frenzied international premiere that hurls audiences headfirst into an ancient Japanese festival eating itself alive,” notes the release. Find out more at japansociety.org.

Nov. 7: For this family friendly day, the Asia Society hosts “Diwali Lights Up Asia Society 2026” filled with music, dance and many more events. Find out more at asiasociety.org.

Nov. 8: Dance Theatre of Harlem “Sunday Matinees” will present performances by Dances Patrelle under the leadership of Artistic Director Christopher Charles McDaniel, a former DTH Company member, plus offerings by the Limón Dance Company. Find out more at dancetheatreofharlem.org.

Nov. 11 – 14: At BAM, Okwui Okpokwasili and Peter Born will present “adaku, part 2,” the continuation of “…a speculative trilogy exploring one family’s entanglement with the transatlantic slave trade, set in a near-future United States,” according to the release. Find out more at bam.org.

Nov. 12 – 14: Triskelion Arts presents Resident Artist Christian A. Warner’s premiere of “WE GATHER HERE,” an ensemble performance and community activation project exploring the intimate spaces where we retreat to confide, rehabilitate, ground, and re-strategize. Find out more at triskelionarts.org.

Nov. 13 – 15: At The Riverside Theater, the Harlem-based VISIONS Contemporary Ballet will present an evening titled “We People,” choreographed by Ranardo-Domeico Grays, and set to music by Missa Cooper with a poem by Kathy Rufus. Find out more at visionscontemporary.com.

Nov. 13 – 15: ALPHA OMEGA THEATRICAL DANCE COMPANY presents “STUDIO TO STAGE: A Choreographer’s Showcase.” Find out more at alphaomegadance.org.

Nov. 14: In the evening titled “A Collection,” at The Apollo Stages at The Victoria, HopeBoykinDance promises: A Collection… of works, ideas, and thoughts, unpacked and translated through movement, voice, and sound and more. Find out more at apollotheater.org.

Nov. 19: Triskelion Arts presents Kayla Farrish’s “A Beast that Came Apart Mid-Air (pt. 1) Work In Process.” The release calls the production, “…an Afrosurrealist dance-theater performance taking shape as a visual mixtape through movement, voice, narrative, film, folktale, and spiritual during a reckoning.” Find out more at triskelionarts.org.

Nov. 19 – 21: Shamel Pitts and TRIBE present a 10th-anniversary performance of “BLACK VELVET” at The Flea Theater. Created by Pitts and performed by Channce Williams and Ke’ron J. Wilson, this anniversary production returns to a work whose original international journey helped lay the foundation for TRIBE. Find out more at itsatribe.org.

Nov. 19 – 21: At Danspace Project, DonChristian Jones’ “I’ve Been Waiting for This Moment for the Rest of My Life,” a new work, “…will begin as a staged reading, dissolving into a performance of Black Quantum Physics — a non-linear chronicling of a life of art making, addiction, and attempts at repair,” notes the release. Find out more at danspaceproject.org.

Nov. 20 – 21: Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE, A Dance Company returns home to The Billie Holiday Theatre with a season of repertory works. Find out more at thebillieholidaytheatre.org.

Nov. 19 – 21: BAC and the Merce Cunningham Trust continues their ongoing collaboration with “In Conversation with Merce: New RainForest(s).” Conceived by choreographers Claude “CJ” Johnson, Chalvar Monteiro, Chaery Moon, and filmmaker Alex Munro, the program revisits Cunningham’s landmark work “RainForest” through newly commissioned choreography and video design. Find out more at baryshnikovarts.org.

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