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Vol. 27 No. 1 January 9 – January 15, 2020 website: NewYorkBeacon.com

‘FLY JOCK’ FLIES AWAY

Living legend
Tom Joyner
leaves a void
in the fight
for civil rights
as he ends
50 years of
radio.
The voice that registered millions of new voters, raised $65M for HBCUs,
held drives for victims of Katrina and prompted companies to stop
discriminating in advertising, hangs up the mic, page 6
 2 Report: More people are leaving
Black men walk the
streets of Baltimore to
BEACON, January 9 – January 15, 2020 newyorkbeacon.com
combat violence
Newyorkbeacon.com
A
 group of Black men
from Baltimore is on a
mission to address the
violence that plagues some of
the neighborhoods throughout
the city. According to The Bal-
timore Sun, local community
leaders have joined forces to
host walks that were started
to spread awareness about
violence and provide support
for residents who have felt the
wrath of its negative effects.
The group—a collective
comprised of activists, church
leaders, and residents—has
been gathering for months to
walk the streets of Baltimore
and interact with locals. To
offer solutions to issues faced
by the community, they pro-
vide resources for employ-
Fourth inmate dies in
Mississippi prison
Newyorkbeacon.com
J
ACKSON, Miss. (AP)
— Another Mississippi in-
mate has died at the hands
of a fellow inmate, bringing the
death toll to four in disturbances
over the past week in the state
prison system. The violence
comes even as a federal judge
has rejected claims that condi-
tions in one Mississippi prison
are unconstitutionally harsh.
Sunflower County Corner
Heather Burton told The As-
sociated Press a 32-year-old
Soleimani’s daughter: Father’s death ‘will bring darker days’ for the US, Israel
Newyorkbeacon.com
I
ranian Gen. Qasem Solei-
mani’s daughter warned
that her father’s death “will
cause more awakening in the
resistance front” and “will
bring darker days” for the
United States and Israel.
Speaking in front of a large
crowd at her father’s funeral
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ment, drug treatment, and other
forms of support along their
walks. Baltimore ended 2019
with one of its worst homicide
rates to date, and the men are
determined to prevent another
individual from becoming a
statistic. They want to me-
diate situations in the streets
that could potentially result in
violence.
“We have to be at the center
of the change of saving lives,”
said Dr. Andrey Bundley who
serves as the Director of Afri-
can American Male Engage-
ment, a division of the Mayor’s
Office of Children and Family
Success. “If the state of Black
men is going to change, it’s
going to take Black men to
inspire and guide Black men,
first, and then other people of
good will.”
male prisoner died before noon
Thursday at the Mississippi
State Penitentiary at Parchman.
Burton said the inmate, whom
she declined to identify pend-
ing notification of relatives,
had multiple stab wounds.
   Sunflower County Sher-
iff James Haywood said other
inmates were injured. Depu-
ties from multiple counties and
state agencies responded to the
sprawling and isolated Parchman
prison, Haywood said. Inmates
in a different unit than the one
where the stabbing occurred set
their cell block on fire, the sheriff
said, speaking by cell phone from
the prison. Haywood said the fire
was put out and the inmates were
under control.
“Everybody is up here and
everything is calm and cool
right now,” he said.
New York than any other state
By Victor Omondi
W hen it comes to states
that have been greatly
hit by the recent exo-
dus, New York City takes the
lead. While some states have
seen a significant rise in their
overall population, New York
seems to be tailing in this sector.
According to the most recent
census report released Monday,
about 76790 cleared out of the
sate between July 2018 and July
2019. This represents a loss of
0.4%, which isn’t healthy for a
state of its caliber.
Again, looking at the pop-
ulation lost through domestic
immigration in New York, the
situation is even worse. The
state is among the three states
that lost more than 100000 to
other states between July 2018
to July 2019.
According to the census
data, at least 1860649 more
residents left the state be-
tween the two years than
those who moved in. Now,
looking at the population
data between 2010 and 2019,
the state has seen a loss of at
least 1.4 million residents to
domestic migration.
  Based on an analysis of
Weinstein charged with new sex
crimes during court appearance in
separate rape case
Newyorbeacon.com
A
man who was once
arguably the most pow-
erful person in the film
industry got another crushing
legal punch to the gut as he
was attending a court hearing
in New York City.
Harvey Weinstein (pic-
tured, center) appeared in court
on Monday (January 6) as jury
selection occurred in a crimi-
nal case against the disgraced
film executive, which is being
prosecuted by the state of New
York.
Weinstein, 67, faces multi-
ple aggravated sexual assault
charges in this case related to
allegations made by two dif-
ferent women who claimed he
raped them in 2006 and 2013.
  In the 2006 case, the Mira-
procession at Tehran Univer-
sity on Monday, Zeinab Solei-
mani said President Trump’s
“evil plan to cause separation
between two nations of Iraq
and Iran” by killing Solei-
mani and Iraqi militia leader
Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis “has
failed.”
“Trump, you compulsive
gambler, your evil plan to
the census data by the Empire
Center, New York’s population
currently stands at 19453561,
which is below the 19530351
recorded in 2018. Despite the
major population crisis facing
the state, it’s still the fourth
most populous state after Cal-
ifornia, Texas, and Florida. The
states have a population of 39.5
max Films co-founder alleged-
ly performed a sex act forcibly
on an unwilling woman in the
New York City area. Another
woman alleged that Weinstein
raped her in a hotel room in
Manhattan, New York. Page
Six reported that protesters
angrily chanted outside as
Weinstein entered the NYC
courthouse where jury se-
lection ahead of his trial was
scheduled.
The movie mogul has
pleaded not guilty to all the
criminal charges he faces in
Manhattan Criminal Court. If
convicted, Weinstein faces a
life sentence with parole eli-
gibility after 25 years.
Meanwhile, on Monday,
in Los Angeles County, Cali-
fornia, the District Attorney’s
office in that jurisdiction an-
cause separation between two
nations of Iraq and Iran with
your strategic mistake in as-
sassinating both Haj Qasem
and Abu Mahdi has failed and
it has only caused historical
unity between two nations
and their mutual eternal hatred
for the United States,” Zeinab
Soleimani said.
  “Hey crazy Trump, you
million, 28.9 million, and 21.4
million respectively.
While New Jersey and
Connecticut experienced net
outflows of about 4000 each,
in the record, New York expe-
rienced the biggest loss. The
4000 decline in these states is
way below the 76790 recorded
in New York.
nounced new charges that
Weinstein faces. According
to National Public Radio, Los
Angeles County District At-
torney Jackie Lacey held a
news conference on January
6 announcing the charges her
office filed that day against
Weinstein.
“We believe the evidence
will show that the defendant
used his power and influ-
ence to gain access to his vic-
tims and then commit violent
crimes against them,” Lacey
said at the news conference.
are the symbol of stupidity
and a toy in the hand of inter-
national Zionists,” she added
in front of a large crowd at the
procession.
“This heinous crime com-
mitted by the Americans ex-
presses the spirit of criminality
and bullying that covers all
crimes of bloodshed, especial-
ly on the land of Palestine.”
Mayor Pete Buttigieg: Generational
wealth has been stolen from Black
America
Newyorkbeacon.com
V ideo footage of Demo-
cratic presidential can-
didate Mayor Pete Butt-
igieg saying Black Americans
had its generational wealth
stolen was shared today.
When asked his stance on
reparations, Buttigieg not only
voiced his support for HR
40, but also said the wealth
disparity between Blacks and
whites is a result of “systemic
racism in this
“Now I support HR 40 …
but I don’t think we have to
wait for that commission to do portunities to build up wealth.”
its work to do other things,” The video was captured and
Buttigieg said. He added if shared by a Twitter user iden-
generational wealth is “true tified as Jameion B. Fowler,
for a dollar that’s been saved, who identifies as an outspoken
that’s also true for a dollar member of the American De-
that’s been stolen – and what scendants of Slavery (#ADOS)
has been stolen from Black movement.
Americans is generational op- “So we shouldn’t be sur-
Two kicked out of National Guard
over white supremacist ties
Newyorkbeacon.com
A TLANTA (AP) — Two
men have been kicked
out of the Army Nation-
al Guard after liberal activists
uncovered their membership
in a religious group with white
supremacist ties.
Brandon Trent East told
The Atlanta Journal-Constitu-
tion that the Alabama National
Guard sent him a separation
notice on Dec. 14.
   A spokeswoman for the
Georgia National Guard said
Dalton Woodward is no lon-
ger a member. She declined
to comment on the terms of
Woodward’s separation.
Woodward didn’t respond
to a request for comment left
with his friend East.
Earlier in 2019, the At-
lanta Antifacists group pub-
lished a report saying East
and Woodward were leaders
of the Norse pagan group group is part of the Asatru
Ravensblood Kindred. The Folk Assembly, which re-
Protests across US condemn action
in Iran and Iraq
W
ASHINGTON (AP) — Demonstra-
tors in dozens of cities around the
U.S. gathered Saturday to protest the
Trump administration’s killing of an Iranian
general and decision to send thousands of ad-
ditional soldiers to the Middle East.
More than 70 planned protests were orga-
nized by CODEPINK and Act Now to Stop
War and End Racism, a U.S.-based anti-war
coalition, along with other groups.
   From Tampa to Philadelphia and San Fran-
cisco to New York, protesters carried signs and
chanted anti-war slogans.
President Donald Trump ordered Friday’s
airstrike near Baghdad’s international airport
that killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of
Iran’s elite Quds Force who has been blamed
for attacks on U.S. troops and American allies
going back decades. Iran has vowed retribution,
prised that when slavery end-
ed… less than two lifetimes
ago, that we continue to see
the consequences of that, in
addition to things that are
not from some distant far off
point past but happened within
living memory,” Buttigieg
continued.
searchers say endorses white
supremacy.
raising fears of an all-out war, but it’s unclear
how or when a response might come.
Protest organizers said the Trump adminis-
tration has essentially started a war with Iran by
assassinating Soleimani.
Black, Jewish leaders unite
in NYC after wave of anti-
Semitic attacks
Newyorkbeacon.com
A
fter a violent few days
in New York City and
one far-out suburban
community in which Jewish
people were targeted, Black
and Jewish leaders planned to
come together Monday morn-
ing in Harlem to denounce the
attacks.
The coalition planned to
speak out at the National Ac-
tion Network House of Justice,
headquarters for the National
Action Network civil rights
organization headed by Rev.
Al Sharpton.
  Along with Sharpton,
other leaders slated to speak
are: Donna Lieberman, exec-
Border stops for people
of Iranian descent
spark outrage
Newyorkbeacon.com
R
eports of Iranians and
Iranian-Americans be-
ing detained for ques-
tioning upon entering the U.S.
kicked off a furor on Sun-
day from Washington state to
Washington, D.C., marking
a new domestic blowback to
the Trump administration’s
targeted killing of a key Iranian
leader.
The Washington state chap-
ter of the Council on Ameri-
can-Islamic Relations, a prom-
inent Muslim civil liberties
group, said on Sunday that
more than 60 people of Iranian
descent, including American
citizens, were held for hours
long periods of questioning
over the weekend at the Peace
Arch checkpoint in Blaine,
Wash., along the border with
Canada. CAIR noted that many
Iranian-Americans would con-
tinue to approach the port of
entry over the weekend as
some return to the U.S. after at-
tending an Iranian pop concert
Saturday in Vancouver.
    The initial reports and the
3
BEACON, January 9 – January 15, 2020 newyorkbeacon.com
utive director of the New York
Civil Liberties Union, Ha-
zel Dukes, president of the
NAACP New York State
Conference, and Rabbi Marc
Schneier, president of the
Foundation for Ethnic Under-
standing.
The greater New York area
was reeling after five people
were stabbed at a Hannuk-
kah celebration at a private
residence in Monsey, N.Y.,
over the weekend, and several
more attacks took place in
the five boroughs throughout
the month of December. The
violence comes on the heels
of a fatal attack at a Kosher
supermarket in New York City
that left six people dead.
backlash they triggered — with
references to the internment
of Japanese-Americans during
World War II — highlighted the
potential risks inside the U.S.
even before the fierce retaliation
promised by the Iranian govern-
ment for the killing of Qassem
Soleimani, the leader of Iran’s
elite paramilitary forces, by a
U.S. military drone on Thursday.
CAIR said in its statement
that a source at U.S. Customs
and Border Protection had re-
ported that the agency received
a national directive from the
Department of Homeland Se-
curity to “‘report’ and detain
anyone with Iranian heritage
entering the country who is
deemed potentially suspicious
or ‘adversarial,’ regardless of
citizenship status.”
“We are working to verify
reports of a broad nation-
wide directive to detain Ira-
nian-Americans at ports of
entry so that we can provide
community members with ac-
curate travel guidance,” Masih
Fouladi, executive director of
CAIR’s Washington chapter,
said in a statement.
 4 Danielle Outlaw is Philadelphia’s
first Black woman Police
Commissioner
Newyorkbeacon.com

T he city of Philadelphia
has a new police com-
missioner, and she’s a
BEACON, January 9 – January 15, 2020 newyorkbeacon.com

Black woman.
Ex-fiancé of Bobbi On Monday, Mayor Jim
Kenney named Danielle Out-
law as the new head of the
Kristina Brown, Nick city police department, making
her the first African-America
woman to hold the position.
Gordon, dies at age 30 Outlaw, former police chief
of Portland, Oregon, is now
in charge of the fourth-largest
Newyorkbeacon.com   “Despite all of the incredi- police department in the U.S.,

N
ick Gordon, the ex-boy-
friend of Bobbi Kristina
Brown, died Wednesday
of a suspected drug overdose in
Florida reports CBS News. He
was 30 years old.
Gordon’s death was con-
firmed via a statement by his
attorney, Joe S. Habachy.
“While I cannot speak to the
specific circumstances of his
death, I can say that it’s been
truly heartbreaking to have
witnessed first hand the total
ble challenges Nick faced over
the last few years I can honest-
ly say that he worked hard to
hold his head up and stay sober
and that he genuinely wanted
a happy healthy life with his
family more than anything
else,” the attorney continued.
“We are devastated by the
loss of my beautiful broth-
er, He leaves a void in the
hearts of my family and his
friends. Nick’s battle in life
was not an easy one. I will be
forever grateful that my God
with 6,300 sworn officers,
according to the agency’s
website.
In her new role as Phila-
delphia police commission-
er, Danielle Outlaw said she
will work on tackling crime
and gun violence in the city.
(Photo: Mark Makela/Getty
Images)
“I think constantly about
what it takes to be a police
officer,” Kenney said in a
statement. “I am appointing
Danielle Outlaw because I am
convinced she has the convic-
tion, courage, and compassion
needed to bring long-overdue
reform to the Department.
After meeting and speaking
with her at length, I came
away confident that Danielle
Outlaw possesses the strength,
integrity, and empathy vital to
the tasks ahead.”
Outlaw’s appointment
concluded an extensive four-
month search in which over
30 candidates were considered,
including several from within
the department.
Kenney wrote that “while
I have tremendous respect for
our officers, the Philadelphia
Police Department needs re-
form.”

devastation that drug addiction
has wreaked upon a group of
young friends, all of whom
were loved and had immense
Annual Kwanzaa
afforded a small moment at the
very end of Nick’s life, and I
was able to hold his hand as he
journeyed on,” Jack Walker Jr.

crawl brings $250,000

potential,” Habachy stated. said according to People.

to Black businesses
in New York City
Newyorkbeacon.com crawl that takes place in New people of the African diaspora

L
et’s support black busi-
nesses through libations!
According to The Root,
the annual Kwanzaa Crawl
helps generate $250,000 for
NYPD Sgt. Cyress Smith says he developed a chronic cough, black businesses in Brooklyn
asthma and other illnesses after sifting through debris in the and Harlem in New York City.
aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks. (Photo: Henry Ray Abrams/ Kwanzaa, the week-long
AFP via Getty Images) holiday celebrating black cul-
York City in the neighborhood
of Harlem and the borough of
Brooklyn. New York’s fourth
annual Kwanzaa Crawl kicked
off with a ceremony recogniz-
ing the holiday’s seven core
principals of African heritage
that include unity, self-deter-
mination, and purpose.
  As listed on the Kwanzaa
together to support Black-
owned businesses in their
communities. Heading into our
4th annual year, we have host-
ed over 8,000 crawlers. We’ve
expanded from 17 Black-
owned businesses in Brooklyn
in our inaugural year to over
30 businesses in Brooklyn and
Harlem, last year, cumulatively

Black NYPD sergeant says ture, heritage, and family, is

the theme for the yearly bar
Crawl website, The crawl is
“a one-day event that brings
raising over $250,000 for these
businesses.”

he was suspended after

seeking treatment for
9/11-related health issues
Newyorkbeacon.com appeared in the paper. You

A
New York City police
sergeant who claims
he faced retaliation
for seeking treatment for his
9/11-related health issues has
since been suspended.
Sgt. Cyress Smith spoke
with the New York Post about
how he was reportedly forced
out after leaving work to pick
up his daughter from the hos-
pital earlier this month.
“I am being forced off the
job,” Smith told the outlet.
I believe “what made them
come after me was the lawsuit
and the fact [that] an article
know what? They crossed the
line with my daughter.”
  The-52-year old law en-
forcement officer says he
suffers from a chronic cough,
asthma, and sleep apnea, con-
ditions he developed after sift-
ing through debris at the Fresh
Kills Landfill following the
9/11 terrorist attacks on the
World Trade Center in 2001.
In a lawsuit filed in June,
Smith accused the NYPD
of exiling him to the depart-
ment’s outcast assignment, the
VIPER Unit, for three years
after attending treatment for
his ailments.
 5

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BEACON, January 9 – January 15, 2020 newyorkbeacon.com

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high school hasn’t even started preschool.

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by texting FINISH to 97779 or by visiting FinishYourDiploma.org.

6
BEACON, January 9 – January 15, 2020 newyorkbeacon.com
By Marc H. Morial
“I learned so much about
building a community around
content from Tom Joyner. That
show was so good at finding
commonality within a diverse
audience — yes, there is diver-
sity within blackness — and
serving many wants and needs
simultaneously. It’s hard to
be entertaining, informative
and educational without ever
talking down to your audience.
Tom did that day after day for
decades. I wish him and ev-
eryone who’s worked on that
show the best. They’ve done a
lot for a lot of people.” – Sports
Will money rule in this presidential race?
By Julianne Malveaux
D
emocrats started this
Presidential campaign
season with more than
20 candidates.  Eventually,
it dropped to about a dozen,
with, so far, only five of those
“qualified” to appear on the
next debate stage.  But debate
performance doesn’t seem to
matter much. Both Senator
Kamala Harris and former
Obama cabinet member Julian
Castro having had excellent
debate performances, and yet
they have still dropped out of
the race.
It’s a money thing.   ocratic party set for debate
  With just $9 million in
the bank, Senator Harris said
she couldn’t see her way clear
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Editorial
‘Living legend’ Tom Joyner’s career
has transformed black media
journalist Bomani Jones.
Even as we enter 2020
with optimism and a sense of
renewed purpose, there will
be a huge void in our cultural
life without the daily voice of
radio legend Tom Joyner, who
retired last month after nearly
50 years on the air, the last 25
as the host of the iconic Tom
Joyner Morning Show.
It’s hard for me to imagine
the last 16 years of my life as
President and CEO of the Na-
tional Urban League without
Joyner’s enthusiastic support
and clear-sighted analysis.  has been a passionate advo-
Reach Media, the company
he founded in 2001, has long
been one of the National Urban
League’s most valued media
partners.
Whenever the National
Urban League has launched
a new initiative or announced
a campaign, the Tom Joyner
Morning Show was always one
of our first stops.  There was
no better forum for reaching
to the nomination given her
extremely limited resourc-
es.  Castro, matching Harris in
grace and reflectiveness, said:
“It just wasn’t our time.”  He,
too, felt he did not have enough
money in the bank to com-
pete.  It almost certainly would
have helped these candidates
qualify if they had the resourc-
es, say, of former New York
Mayor Michael Bloomberg,
who pumped $100 million
into his campaign in just one
month!
  In fairness, though, it is
essential to note that Senator
Bernie Sanders raised a whop-
ping $34.5 million in the fourth
quarter of 2019 alone.  Mayor
Pete Buttigieg and former VP
Joe Biden raised more than
$20 million in that quarter,
and Senator Elizabeth Warren
came close.  The deadline for
filing finance reports is later
this month, so I’m cautious in
concluding based on news arti-
cles and partial reports.   Still,
generally, those who have
something to crow about put
their numbers out there early.
   And for some, money
isn’t the only issue.  Did they
meet the thresholds the Dem-
qualification?  Do they and
their advisors think they can
win?  What are the polls say-
Joyner’s devoted and sizeable
audience, or for thought-pro-
voking analysis of the issues
of the day.
In 2015, the National Urban
League honored Joyner with
our “Living Legend” at our
Conference in Fort Lauderdale.  served as one of the elite Tuske-
His live broadcast from the
Conference was a highlight of
the week.
Our most important part-
nerships with Joyner have
been around our education
initiatives. A third-generation
alumnus of a HBCU, Joyner
cate, with his Tom Joyner
Foundation raising more than
$65 million since 1998 to sup-
port more than 29,000 students
attending HBCUs.
Joyner’s deep respect for
education, and for HBCUs in
particular, stemmed from the
experience of his grandfather,
Oscar “Doc” Joyner, a Pullman
porter who attended Meharry
Medical College and became
ing?  So even though Kristen
Gillibrand had $14.9 million
in the bank when she dropped
out of the race last August, she
was not polling well and failed
to qualify for the September
debate.  Meanwhile, Senator
Corey Booker did not qualify
for the last debate, but he is
hanging in there.
Although Booker and en-
trepreneur Andrew Yang are
still in the race, the Demo-
cratic field is mostly white,
and the January debate stage
on January 14, 2020, in Des
Moines, Iowa is likely to be all-
white.  The white folks on the
stage may be “qualified”, but
I find them no more qualified
than, say, Julian Castro and
Kamala Harris.  Their greatest
flaw was the inability to com-
pete in this multi-million dollar
cacophony of voices.
  Neither Harris nor Castro
will suffer much for dropping
out of the race.  Some say that
Castro will run for governor of
Texas.  Harris has three years
more of a Senate term, and
she is an effective presence
in Capitol Hill.  I didn’t like
seeing either of them drop-
ping out of the race, but the
loss is ours, not theirs.  The
way the election cycle works,
candidates can get a big boost
if they can win either Iowa or
one of only 3,000 Black doctors
in the United States in 1909.
Joyner and his father, Hercules
Joyner, were featured in the
documentary, “Rising from the
Rails: The Story of the Pullman
Porter.” Hercules Joyner, who
gee Airmen,  earned a degree in
chemistry from Florida A&M
College and spent most of his
career as an accountant.  The
Tom Joyner Foundation’s “Her-
cules Scholarship” is named in
his honor.
“The Fly Jock” – a nick-
name he earned during the
eight years he commuted be-
tween a morning show in Chi-
cago and an afternoon show
in Dallas – told CBS News he
got his big break after a protest
march in his hometown of Tus-
kegee, Alabama. “
“I’m out there protesting
the fact that our radio station
in this all black town didn’t
play any black music. And
this guy who owned a radio
New Hampshire.  But with
the debate qualification set
so high, voters in those states
will not have the opportunity
to see some great possibilities
in action because they don’t
qualify for the debates.
   To be sure, it was useful to
narrow the field of candidates
from an unwieldy number to
a more manageable one.  And
candidates all appreciate the
fact that they have more time
to go in-depth answering ques-
tions.  Still, if it’s an all-white
debate stage, what does that
say about progress in this na-
tion?  What does it say about
the Democratic Party, which
presents itself as a big-tent par-
ty that has embraced diversity?
 
  For Democrats, there are
three keys to winning this
election.  First, Dems must en-
gage “new voters,” including
young people and first-time
voters.  Next, Dems must mon-
itor the rules around elections
so that they do not discrimi-
nate and scrutinize the ways
people are removed from the
voting rolls.  Finally, and most
importantly, Democrats must
place significant effort on get-
ting out the vote in November
(and during the primaries),
and new voters and especially
communities of color, must be
station, which was inside a
Ford dealership, came out and
said I don’t need this, I’m try-
ing to really sell some cars,”
Joyner said. “Tell you what,
it’s a sun-up sun-down station.
Every Saturday, I’ll let one of
you play all the Aretha and
Temptations that you want.”
In a career spanning nearly
five decades, Joyner has never
altered his focus on serving
Black listeners.
“Don’t worry about cross-
over. Just super serve, super
serve, super serve,” he told
CBS News. “Anything that
affects African Americans,
that’s what you do,” he said.
“Just worry about connecting
to people and their needs.”
We offer Joyner our grati-
tude for his many years of en-
tertainment and commentary,
wish him well in retirement
and look forward to lending
our support to his efforts to
uplift the community through
education.
targeted.  
  Election protection orga-
nizations have the monitoring
issue covered, and there are
likely to be massive GOTV
(get out the vote) efforts led
by civil society organiza-
tions.  But what engages new
voters?  They must feel that
the political process reflects
them.  Already Latino voters
are concerned that Demo-
crats aren’t vying for their
vote.  And African American
voters think that the Democrat-
ic Party takes them for granted.
   To engage new voters,
perhaps Democrats need to
examine their rules to embrace
more candidates of color.  And
they need to fight for leg-
islation that makes it easier
to vote.  Democrats like to
call themselves candidates of
the “underdog.”  But when
billionaires like Steyer and
Bloomberg come sauntering
through the door, concern for
the underdog seems to go out
of the window.
   Dr. Julianne Malveaux is
an economist, author, media
contributor and educator. Her
latest project MALVEAUX! On
UDCTV is available on you-
tube.com. For booking, whole-
sale inquiries or for more info
visit www.juliannemalveaux.
com
NFL is working to improve diversity in Apps tracking students 7

its coaching ranks location leads to debate

Newyorkbeacon.com
about privacy on
W college campuses
hile the National Football League has
plenty of diverse talent on the field,
you’d be hard pressed to see that re-
flected in the sidelines.
The New York Times reports that in the Newyorkbeacon.com

S
2019 off-season the number of minority head
coaches shrunk from eight to four. When it came yracuse University pro-

BEACON, January 9 – January 15, 2020 newyorkbeacon.com

to general managers, that number went from
four to two. This led to Richard Lapchick, the
director of the Institute for Diversity and Ethics
in Sport, giving the NFL it’s lowest grade in
16 years in the annual report he puts out that
tracks the hiring of minorities and women in
the league. The only minority head coaches at
the moment are Mike Tomlin of the Steelers,
Anthony Lynn with the Chargers, Brian Flores
with the Dolphins and as of today Ron Rive-
ra with the Washington Redskins.
This drought of talent is partially explained
by the process of which head coaches are se-
lected, one that tends to favor offensive coor-
dinators and coaches for quarterbacks. Many
black coaches are typically selected for jobs
involving the defensive line. When it comes to
coaches for quarterbacks, there were only two
black coaches in the 2019 season.
This is a problem the NFL is working to
solve. In 2003 the league introduced the Rooney
Rule to help increase diversity across coach-
ing staffs and front offices. The rule requires
that each team interview at least one minority
candidate from outside the organization when
hiring a head coach, assistant coaches or senior
executives. This rule hasn’t led to much change,
though, with there never having been more
than eight minority head coaches at anytime in
the league. Additionally, the NFL has seldom
penalized teams for violating the rule.
fessor Jeff Rubin’s Intro-
duction to Information
Technologies class has multi-
ple Bluetooth beacons hidden
around the lecture hall that
connects with an app on stu-
dents’ smartphones to boost
their “attendance points.” Ru-
bin uses the Spotter app which
according to their site is used
at “over 30 schools.”
It may seem odd, but it is
just the latest in a technologi-
cal trend on college campuses
across the nation that use of students using the cam-
smartphones to track students pus’ WiFi network is Virginia
more precisely than ever be- Commonwealth University in
fore. The technology also Richmond, and students have
allows schools to monitor their begun to speak out against the

Mountain lions killed after they

students’ academic perfor- changes.
mance, analyze their conduct “We’re adults. Do we really
and assess their mental health. need to be tracked?” Robby

ate human remains near a popular

“They want those points,” Pfeifer, a sophomore at VCU,
Rubin said to The Washing- said to The Washington Post.
ton Post. “They know I’m “Why is this necessary? How

hiking trail
watching and acting on it. So,
behaviorally, they change.”
One school that recently
began logging the attendance
Newyorkbeacon.com
does this benefit us? … And is
it just going to keep progress-
ing until we’re micromanaged
every second of the day?”

O fficials in Arizona killed three mountain

lions who ate human remains close to a
popular hiking trail.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department dis-
Barnard murder investigation
takes ‘Racist’ turn with white
supremacist robocalls
covered the human remains Tuesday during an
investigation at Pima Canyon Trail near Tucson
and closed the trail, the department said. The

Arizona Game & Fish Department said in a state-
ment Wednesday the lions were killed overnight.
The mountain lions are not suspected of
killing the victim, Game & Fish officials said.
Authorities are trying to determine what hap-
pened on the trail, the sheriff’s department said.
“Mountain lions are not routinely scaven-
gers. A mountain lion eating human remains
is abnormal behavior. Those that do are more
likely to attack a human being in the future,”
Game & Fish Department Regional Supervisor
Raul Vega said in a statement provided to CNN
affiliate KGUN.
Vega added: “In addition, they did so 50
yards from a popular hiking trail and within
sight of homes, and repeatedly showed no fear
of responding officers.”
He said the mountain lions “were a clear and
present danger to public safety.”
The mountain lions are being preserved as
possible evidence in the death investigation,
officials said.
T
he murder investiga-
tion into the killing of
a young college student
in New York City took a de-
cidedly “racist” turn for the
worse after it was reported that
white supremacists have been
targeting school officials.
Tessa Majors, an 18-year-
old freshman at Barnard Col-
lege, was found clinging to life
before succumbing to knife
side Park in upper Manhattan
on Dec. 11.
   According to a new report
from the New York Times on
Thursday, robocalls were left
at Barnard College and Colum-
bia University, Barnard’s sister
school, on Christmas Day.
The report came hours after
the NYPD announced it had
“located” the prime murder
suspect — a 14-year-old who

DC students forced to portray wounds sustained during an

apparent mugging in Morning-
had been on the run for more
than two weeks.

slaves for history lesson, principal D O N AT E Y O U R C A R

Wheels For Wishes
apologizes Make-A-Wish ®
benefiting

Metro New York

Newyorkbeacon.com * 100% Tax Deductible

T
* Free Vehicle Pickup ANYWHERE
he principal at an ele- * We Accept Most Vehicles Running or Not
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ents of all its students after a * Car Donation Foundation d/b/a Wheels For Wishes. To learn more about our programs or

racially-charged and totally

financial information, call (213) 948-2000 or visit www.wheelsforwishes.org.

inappropriate incident.
According to CNN, Black
fifth-graders at D.C’s Lafay-
ette Elementary School were
required to portray the role
of slaves, which was part of a
history lesson about America’s
Civil War and Reconstruction
Era. The fifth-graders were
assigned the task of dividing
themselves up into groups as
prescribed by their “teaching
teams” after the students read
an article called “A Nation
   “The teaching team had
students further engage with
the material by having them
either put on a dramatic read-
ing, create a living picture
or create a podcast in small
groups, according to a separate
letter addressed to families of
fifth-graders from the school’s
fifth-grade teaching team,”
reads a portion of the CNN
report, which further explains
To reenact these “living
pictures” created by some of
the groups of students, Cauca-
sian fifth-graders asked their
Black peers to portray the role
of slaves during these group
projects. This was assigned
for the history lesson. Two
days before Christmas of 2019,
Lafayette’s principal, Carrie
Broquard, sent a letter home
with all students to their par-
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8
Getting diabetes as we get older–there is good news!
By Glenn Ellis(TriceEdneyWire.
com)
More and more, I am finding many
BEACON, January 9 – January 15, 2020 newyorkbeacon.com
people who as they enter their 6th de-
cade, are finding new aches and pains
that never existed before. Increasingly,
many are finding something else that
never existed before: diabetes. For
most of these people, after a lifetime
of enjoying reasonably healthy lives,
seemingly out of nowhere, they are
told they are now diabetic, and pre-
scribed medication. Needless, to say,
this comes as a shock!
However, consistent with many
other changes in the body as we age,
your body becomes more susceptible
to diabetes.
Of course, seniors (those over 65)
are not the only people to be affected
by diabetes. According to the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), over 30 million people in the
United States have diabetes. The CDC
also notes that 90 to 95 percent of cas-
es involve type 2 diabetes. More than
one-quarter of the US population aged
65 and older has diabetes,1 including
type 1 and 2, and approximately one-
half of older adults have prediabetes.
In this population, age-related insulin
resistance and impaired pancreatic islet
function increase the risk of developing
the disease.
Many older people also have other
conditions as well as diabetes, and this
can complicate diabetes management.
For example, high blood pressure or
high levels of certain fats in the blood
can speed up the progression of com-
mon complications of diabetes, such as
kidney problems, eye problems, foot
NO
ONE
GETS A
DIPLOMA
ALONE.
If you’re thinking of finishing your high school diploma, you have
more support than you realize. Find teachers and free adult
education classes near you at FinishYourDiploma.org.
Health
problems and heart and blood vessel
problems. People with diabetes whose
blood glucose levels are high are more
prone to infections than people with
normal blood glucose levels.
People with poorly controlled dia-
betes are also at greater risk for dental
problems. They’re more likely to have
infections of their gums and the bones
that hold their teeth in place, because
diabetes can reduce the blood supply
to the gums.
Not only that, but when we age, loss
of teeth and poor dental health becomes
more and more common. As a result,
what we eat, and how we eat (along
with age-related poorer appetite). We
don’t, and can’t, chew like we used to.
That means things like crunchy fruits
and vegetables are off-limits. We end
up gravitating towards softer chewy
foods that tend to be more processed,
and bad for our health in the long run.
A poor diet of soft and processed
foods can have serious long-term ef-
fects, especially on the seniors or those
with systemic health issues like heart
disease and diabetes. Specifically, a
poor diet can lead to either unhealthy
weight loss or unhealthy weight gain,
high blood pressure, high cholesterol,
malnutrition, dehydration, jawbone
loss, osteoporosis, stroke, and some
cancers. Poor nutrition can also cause
even more oral health issues, including
gingivitis and tooth decay.
If we look, honestly, at all the things
that go along with aging, we find that it
makes sense that the risk of becoming
diabetic increases as we get older. In
addition to their many physical chal-
lenges, elderly diabetes patients often
are socially isolated and have financial
problems that negatively affect their
care. They may forget to eat, be unable
to afford medications or quality food,
or skip medication doses to extend a
prescription. They also may experience
changes in taste and a lack of interest
and ability to shop for food and prepare
meals at home.
An additional concern with blood
sugar being too high, is the danger of
blood sugar dropping too low (hypo-
glycemia). This creates the conditions
for many serious issues that wreak
havoc in the lives of the elderly; partic-
ularly falls and fractures. Instead of, or
in addition to, sweating and tremors, el-
derly diabetes patients should be taught
to look for symptoms of hypoglycemia,
such as dizziness, weakness, delirium,
and confusion. Often, the low glucose
will cause them to fall, resulting in a
head injury and death.
There is good news! Despite the
high rates of diagnosis, there are ways
the disease may be delayed and even
prevented. Your best options include
regular exercise; losing 5 to 10 percent
of your body weight if you’re over-
weight or obese; and reducing your in-
take of sugar and sweetened beverages.
If we are all honest with ourselves, one
or more of these risk factors is a part of
who we are, and how we have grown
accustomed to living.  By losing just 5
to 7 percent of your body weight, you
can slow the development of type 2
diabetes.
You may not be able to prevent
diabetes entirely. But taking steps now
may prevent related complications and
improve your quality of life.
Remember, I’m not a doctor. I just
sound like one. Take good care of
yourself and live the best life possible!
The information included in this
column is for educational purposes
only. I do not dispense medical advice
or prescribe the use of any technique
as a replacement form of treatment
for physical, mental or medical prob-
lems by your doctor either directly or
indirectly. Glenn Ellis, is Research
Bioethics Fellow at Harvard Medical
School and author of Which Doctor?,
and Information is the Best Medicine.
Ellis is an active media contributor on
Health Equity and Medical Ethics. For
more good health information visit:
www.glennellis.com

Guilty of corruption,
Sudan’s ex-president is
sent to reform center
F
(GIN) –
rom a cell inside the court
in Khartoum, Sudan’s
former President Omar
al-Bashir heard the judgement
against him – two years in de-
tention for money laundering
and corruption.
  It was a dramatic fall for
the former regional power
broker who rose through the
ranks from paratroop officer to
colonel in the Sudanese Army,
from Chairman of the Revolu-
tionary Command Council for
National Salvation to finally
all the posts of chief of state,
prime minister, chief of the
armed forces, and minister of
defense. He served as president
of Sudan for 30 years.
  As a brigadier in the Su-
danese Army, he led a group
of officers in a military coup
that ousted the democratically
elected government of Prime
Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi.
  He ruled with an iron
fist–his 30-year dictatorship
was marked by oppression,
genocide, and human rights
abuses.
  In the Darfur region, he
fought a war against south
Sudanese that resulted in
death tolls estimated between
200,000 and 400,000, accord-
ing to the U.N., from either
combat, starvation or disease.
This produced an arrest war-
rant in 2010 for the crime of
genocide but it was dismissed
by the Sudanese government
and opposed by the African
Union, League of Arab States
and the Non-Aligned Move-
ment as well as the govern-
ments of Russia and China.
  Eight years later, price
increases in fuel and bread set
Corruption fighter freezes bank account of
Angola’s pampered rich  
(GIN) –
S
ome called her Princess.
Others labeled her the
beautiful face of the dicta-
torship–always beaming from
the pages of Fortune, Forbes and
other high-finance magazines
which flattered her as Africa’s
“First Woman Billionaire.”
Today, the daughter of Angola’s
ex-president is in a messy fight
over millions siphoned from
state funds, now frozen as part of
the current president’s anti-cor-
ruption drive.
  As Ms. Isabel dos Santos
tells it, she made her first mil-
lion selling eggs on the street
on her way to school. Soon, she
International
O. al-Bashir
off angry protests and finally
a demand for Mr. Bashir’s
removal from power. After
months of unrest, Sudan’s
military stepped in and toppled
Mr Bashir on April 11, 2019.
  Al Bashir was finally done
in by corruption. Millions of
dollars were discovered stuffed
in suitcases and a large hoard
of foreign currency was found
at his home.
  As Mr. Bashir is over 70,
he will serve his 2-year sen-
tence in a state-run reform
center. An appeal is being
mounted, say his lawyers
who called the verdict ‘po-
litical.’
  Still, many are unsatisfied
had a share in lucrative state
contracts and became head of
Angola’s state-owned oil firm,
thanks to her father’s generous
decrees. Her assets swelled
to $2 billion, the Bloomberg
news service reports.
  Last month, an Angolan
court froze the assets of dos
Santos, her husband Sindika
Dokolo, and one of her exec-
utives and seized their shares
in local companies, including
the Unitel telecommunications
firm, the BFA bank and the ce-
ment company Cimangola, ac-
cording to Angola’s state news
agency. The nation’s Attorney
General accuses the three of
engaging in transactions with
with the short sentence. “It’s
just a slap on the wrist,” said
a spokeswoman for the Suda-
nese Professionals Associa-
tion. “Bashir needs to answer
for his role in the 1989 coup,
torture and killings including
crimes against humanity in
Darfur.”
  Jehanne Henry of a Hu-
man Rights Watch who focuses
on Sudan, added” “The trial
for these charges of financial
crimes does not address the
human rights violations that
so many Sudanese have expe-
rienced. So the sentence will
not likely satisfy the many
thousands of victims of abuses
under al-Bashir’s 30 year rule.”   deportation after President
state-owned companies that
led to the government incur-
ring losses of $1.14 billion.
  Jose Filomeno, Isabel’s
brother, was fired as head of
Angola’s sovereign wealth
fund and accused of illegally
transferring $500 million from
Angola’s central bank to the
U.K. Their sister, Welwitschia
dos Santos, recently lost her
seat as a member of parliament
after leaving Angola.
  These moves mark another
step in President Joao Lourenco’s
bid to battle graft and dismantle
the influence of his predecessor’s
family over key industries.
  Dos Santos says she will
“use all the instruments of
Liberians rejoice over
a promised path to US
citizenship
(GIN) –
A s the Trump adminis-
tration turns down an
ever-growing number
of applications for asylum,
it surprised many that some
5,000 Liberians in the United
States have been granted a path
to citizenship.
  In fact, it was the product
of decades of effort by the
Liberian community and its
allies.
  “This has been a 20-plus-
year fight where people have
not known their fate,” said
Abena Abraham, co-founder
of the Black Immigrant Collec-
tive, speaking to Sahan Journal
in Minnesota. “The passage
of this is a relief. It assures
Liberians that the U.S. is their
home.”
The provision was buried
in the $738 billion defense ap-
propriation bill for fiscal year
2020 under “Other Matters.” It
will allow Liberians to apply
for green cards under the Na-
tional Defense Authorization
Act titled “Liberian refugee
immigration fairness”.
  Under the provision, about
4,000 Liberians living in the
U.S. can apply for permanent
residence within one year of
the legislation’s enactment.
Qualified Liberian nationals
will have lived in the U.S.
continuously since Nov. 20,
2014 and not absent for more
than 180 days in total.
  Anyone convicted of a
violent crime, or an individual
who has participated in the
persecution of any person on
account of race, religion, na-
tionality or political opinion
would be prohibited.
  Only one year ago, scores
of Liberians in the U.S. feared
I. dos Santos (center)
Angolan and international
law at my disposal to fight
this order and ensure the truth
comes out.” But political an-
alyst Paula Roque calls the
arrests an indication that An-
gola is “finally moving in the
direction of accountability
and reversing decades of im-
punity, nepotism, patronage
and corruption.”  Opposition
9
BEACON, January 9 – January 15, 2020 newyorkbeacon.com
Trump set an expiration date
of March 2019 for Deferred
Enforcement Departure.
  But just days before the
deadline, the administration
quietly issued an executive
order extending the program
until Mar. 30, 2020. And now,
Liberians can apply for perma-
nent residency before the expi-
ration of their current statuses.
  “This breakthrough is
a testament to the power of
organizing, and what a fo-
cused movement can do,” said
Patrice Lawrence, the National
Policy and Advocacy Director
for the UndocuBlack Network.
  “Our pleas have been
heard,” Democratic Council-
woman Debi Rose of North
Shore said. “When this bill is
signed by the President, hun-
dreds of our neighbors will no
longer be living in limbo.”
  Meanwhile, back in Li-
beria, thousands turned out
to protest the deepening eco-
nomic crisis under President
George Weah with more than
half of the 73,000 public ser-
vice workers not receiving
their full their full salaries in
November and December.
spokesman Marcial Dachala
concurs. “This confirms what
we’ve been saying since 1975,
that this country is a victim of
kleptocracy.”
  Angola is the second big-
gest oil producer in sub-Saha-
ran Africa. Nonetheless, 36%
of its citizens live in extreme
poverty, according to the Unit-
ed Nations. 
BEACON, January 9 – January 15, 2020 newyorkbeacon.com

10
 Wednesday's Woman
Chase's Thasunda Brown Duckett to
receive UNCF’s Leadership Award
T hasunda Brown Duck-
ett, Chief Executive Of-
ficer of Chase Consumer
Banking, will be the recipient
of the coveted Leadership
Award presented by the United
Negro College Fund at its 2020
“A Mind Is …” Gala to be held
Thursday, March 20, 2020, at
Cipriani 42nd Street, 110 East
42nd Street, New York City. The
always elegant event will begin
with a reception followed by
dinner and the program.
The celebrated banking
executive is a member of the
Chase Consumer & Com-
munity Banking Leadership
Committee. Chase is one of the
largest U.S. providers of bank-
ing, lending, treasury, wealth
management and investment
services. Duckett oversees a
banking network with more
than $750B in deposits and
investments, 5,100 branches,
16,000 ATMs and more than
47,000 branch employees –
including more than 3,000
financial advisors – serving
23 million households nation-
wide.
From 2013 – 2016, Duckett
was the CEO of Chase Auto Fi-
nance, one of the leading bank
providers of auto financing in
the country with a portfolio of
more than $60 billion in assets
and relationships with 75% of
U.S. franchised automotive
dealers.
Under her leadership, Chase
Auto Finance moved from #27
in the JD Power Dealer Fi-
Dining With the Divas 2020 sweetheart affair
T he Apollo Theater ’s
annual Dining With the
Divas Luncheon led by
Jonelle Procope, President
and CEO, Apollo Theater, will
be held on Thursday, Febru-
ary 13, 2020. The anxiously
awaited gathering will begin
with a sisterhood networking
reception at 11:30am followed
by the luncheon which will
actually take place on the
legendary Apollo stage. The
2020 presenting sponsor is Citi
and the Divas Luncheon Event
Chairs are Terri Borden, Joan
Haffenreffer and Carolyn
Minick Mason. Dining With
the Divas is a special luncheon
advancing women’s leader-
ship through art education.
This unique event highlights
extraordinary women from
many industries who serve
as role models and mentors.
The sweetheart event attracts
more than 350 guests and
is an important networking
opportunity for a diverse and
influential group of wom-
en. Proceeds from Dining
Thasunda Brown Duckett
nancing Satisfaction Survey
to #1 in Prime and Non-Prime.
She broadened its dealer part-
nerships and launched Chase
Auto Direct, the bank’s new
direct-to-consumer business.
Prior to Auto, Duckett
served as National Retail Sales
Executive for Chase Mortgage
Banking, where she managed
4,000 mortgage bankers who
provide home financing to
customers across the nation.
Jonelle Procope
With the Divas will benefit the
Apollo Theater’s year-round
education, community, and
performing arts programs
serving New York City stu-
dents and families. The Apollo
Theater is a not-for-profit
501(c)(3) organization. The
non-tax-deductible portion of
She was previously Mortgage
Banking’s East Region Sales
team for three years. She has
also served as the Channel
Executive of Bank Branch
Integration and as Director
of Affordable Lending and
Emerging Markets.
Before joining JPMorgan
Chase in 2004, Duckett was a
Director of Emerging Markets
at Fannie Mae, where she led
the implementation of national
each ticket is $75. All tickets
and contributions are final and
non-refundable. For further
assistance, please contact spe-
cial.events@apollotheater.org
by Friday, January 24, 2020.
Following the lovely luncheon,
the ladies meet at The Red
Rooster for more fabulous fun
and frivolity.
About The Apollo
Theater
The legendary Apollo The-
ater -- the soul of American
culture -- plays a vital role in
cultivating emerging artists and
launching legends. Since its
founding, the Apollo has served
as a center of innovation and a
creative catalyst for Harlem,
the city of New York, and the
world. With music at its core,
the Apollo’s programming ex-
tends to dance, theater, spoken
word, and more. The Apollo
Theater is a commissioner
and presenter; catalyst for new
artists, audiences, and creative
workforce; and partner in the
projection of the African Amer-
strategies designed to increase
homeownership among Afri-
can Americans and Hispanics
across the country.
Duckett has been recog-
nized widely as a leading exec-
utive in the financial industry.
She was named as a “Top 100
Leading Female Executive”
by Automotive News; one of
the most powerful women in
banking by American Banker
magazine; one of the 50 most
powerful women in corporate
America by Black Enterprise
magazine and among the top
most influential Blacks in
corporate America by Savoy
magazine.
Duckett is a founding
member of the firm’s Women
on the Move initiative and
an Executive Sponsor of The
Fellowship Initiative in New
York City. The enrichment
program, run by JPMorgan
Chase, offers young men of
color academic, social and
emotional support to help
them achieve personal and
professional success.
Duckett is originally from
Texas. She holds a Bachelor’s
degree in Finance and Mar-
keting from the University of
Houston, and an MBA from
Baylor University.  She is
married and has four children.
She and her family live in
Connecticut.
The 2020 “A Mind Is…”
New York Gala raises funds
for UNCF and honors those
who have made a difference
Dining With the Divas on the legendary Apollo stage
ican narrative and its role in the
development of American and
global culture. The Apollo The-
ater envisions a new American
cannon centered on contribu-
tions to the performing arts by
artists of the African diaspora,
in America and beyond. Since
introducing the first Amateur
11
By Audrey J. Bernard
BEACON, January 9 – January 15, 2020 newyorkbeacon.com
through their support of our
mission and education. Pro-
ceeds fund UNCF programs
and help support our 37 mem-
ber-historically Black colleges
and universities.
Duckett will be joined
by Dave Yawman, EVP,
Government Affairs, Gen-
eral Counsel & Corporate
Secretary who will accept
the distinguished Corporate
Partner Award on behalf of
PepsiCo. PepsiCo and Del-
ta are presenting sponsors
of this event. Help UNCF
celebrate its contributors
and students at this black tie
optional social event of the
year, and help area students
get to and through college
by contacting Event Planner
Diego Aviles, Vice President,
Development, Northeast at
(212) 820-0153.
About The United
Negro College Fund
The United Negro College
Fund (UNCF) is the nation’s
largest and most effective mi-
nority education organization.
Since 1944, UNCF has raised
over $4.6 billion for higher
education.
To serve youth, the commu-
nity and the nation, UNCF sup-
ports students’ education and
development through schol-
arships and other programs,
strengthens its 37 member
colleges and universities, and
advocates for the importance
of minority education.
Night contests in 1934, the
Apollo Theater has served as a
testing ground for new artists
working across a variety of art
forms and has ushered in the
emergence of many new mu-
sical genres -- including jazz,
swing, bebop, R&B, gospel,
blues, soul, and hip-hop.
 Beacon on the scene
12

Golden Globes rich with glitz, glamour and grandeur!

talented people of color were
snubbed in major categories.
Unfortunately, there’s nothing
we can do about that because
BEACON, January 9 – January 15, 2020 newyorkbeacon.com

the Hollywood Foreign Press

Host Ricky Gervais
By Audrey J. Bernard
are all very, very racist.” He
brazenly added, “We were
going to do an In Memoriam
tonight but when I saw the list,
it wasn’t diverse enough. It
was mostly white people and I
thought nah, not on my watch.”
Although his remarks drew
wild laughter and applause, I
don’t think he’ll ever be invit-
ed back. Some 3 hours later
top winners included: Ellen
DeGeneres received the Carol
Burnett TV Achievement Award
and Tom Hanks received the
Cecil B. DeMille Award for
lifetime achievement. “1917”
won Best Motion Picture in
drama, while “Once Upon A
Time In Hollywood” won Best Beyonce, Jay-Z

B
EVERLY HILLS, CA
— The 77th Annual
Golden Globe Awards
presented by the Hollywood
Foreign Press Association
took place on Sunday, January
5, 2020 at the Beverly Hilton in
Beverly Hills. Ricky Gervais
returned as host and proceeded
to roast the star-studded au-
dience as well as lambast the
Hollywood Foreign Press for
their lack of diversity in their
2020 nominations. “Many
Motion Picture in comedy or
musical. And in the TV awards
categories, “Fleabag,” “Succes-
sion,” and “Chernobyl” won
top honors in comedy, drama
and miniseries, respectively.
Brad Pitt accepted the award
for Best Supporting Actor–Mo-
tion Picture for “Once Upon A
Time...In Hollywood.” In his
acceptance speech, he thanked
his co-star Leonardo DiCaprio
mentioning that he “would have
shared the raft,” a joke in refer-
ence to DiCaprio’s character’s
fate in 1997 film, “Titanic.”
Awkwafina accepted the award
for Best Actress–Motion Pic-
ture, Musical or Comedy for
“The Farewell. The 31-year-old
actress and rapper makes histo-
ry as the first woman of Asian
descent to win the award for
lead actress in a movie comedy/
musical. Bong Joon Ho accept-
ed the award for Best Motion
Picture, Foreign Language for
“Parasite.” The South Korean
director’s drama is the first
South Korean movie to ever
win this award in the 77-year
history of the Golden Globes.
Quentin Tarantino accepted
the award for Best Screenplay–
Motion Picture for “Once Upon
A Time... In Hollywood.” Other
big winners included: Best ac-
tor in a motion picture, drama:
Joaquin Phoenix, “Joker”;
Best actress in a motion pic-
ture, drama: Renée Zellweger,
“Judy”; Best actor in a motion
picture, musical or comedy:
Taron Egerton, “Rocketman”;
Best director: Sam Mendes,
“1917”; Best supporting actress
in a motion picture: Laura
Dern, “Marriage Story”; Best
original song: “I’m Gonna Love
Me Again” from “Rocketman,”
music by Elton John, lyrics by
Bernie Taupin; and Best orig-
inal score: Hildur Gudnadot-
tir, “Joker” . (See Page 13 for
additional coverage) (Photos by
Paul Drinkwater/NBC, Getty
Images and Just Jared)

Tiffany Haddish, Salma

Bong Joon Ho Awkwafina Quentin Tarantino Tom Hanks Hayek Pinault

Wesley Snipes, Robert De Niro, Marty Scorsese Brad Pitt Ellen DeGeneres Joaquin Phoenix
 Beacon on the scene
13

BEACON, January 9 – January 15, 2020 newyorkbeacon.com

Billy Porter Beyonce, Jay-Z Yara Shahidiy Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio Da’Vine Joy Randolph

Paige Butcher, Eddie Elisa Pugliese, Kee-

Murphy gan-Michael Key Laverne Cox Jennifer Lopez Priyanka Chopra Cynthia Erivo Kerry Washington

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 In the community
14

East River Plaza surprises families at Holiday Festival

Posted By Don Thomas

E
BEACON, January 9 – January 15, 2020 newyorkbeacon.com

ast River Plaza on be-

half of the Blumenfeld
Development Group,
Inc. (BDG) and Brookfield
Properties presented an early
Christmas gift to 12 families
by raffling off free Christmas
trees that were used by the
Plaza for the one-day event.
Plaza visitors had the oppor-
tunity to enter the free raffle
when visiting the festival,
which included performances
by nationally renowned Vy
Higginsen’s Sing Harlem and
pictures with Santa.
“We are committed to al-
ways incorporate and give
back to the local communities
of our properties. We were
honored to host for the ninth
year in a row the very talented
and celebrated Vy Higginsen’s
Sing Harlem Choir at our An-
nual East River Plaza Holiday
Festival, who were inspiring,
entertaining and put smiles on
everyone’s face. What better
way to culminate the day’s
activities than to surprise 12
lucky families with a free
Christmas tree from our festi-
val set,” said Ed Blumenfeld,
President, Blumenfeld Devel-
opment Group.
The raffle delivered a very
special moment when Keith Keith Carlson, Marek Dulka and Angel Sorey Perez 10
Carlson and Marek Dulka
who were two of the lucky tree This was going to be the first special events throughout the and currently controls over local communities in which it
winners, traded their 5 foot Christmas Angel would spend year, which have included, a five million square feet of real develops.
tree with 10 year old Angel without her grandmother and mural painting exhibit, Save estate. With a primary focus on
Sorey Perez who won one of was very grateful that she the Gates presentation and a BDG services include leas- the New York City region,
the smaller trees. could go home with a large Fall Festival. ing, acquisitions, property it redevelops obsolete, aban-
What Keith and Marek tree her grandmother would Blumenfeld Development management, construction, doned properties into via-
didn’t know was that Angel’s be proud of. Group is a full service real land use, architecture, en- ble projects that create job
grandmother who passed away The Holiday Festival is a estate development firm with gineering and design. BDG growth, investment, and new
in March, loved celebrating continued effort by East River a diverse portfolio in the New not only supports a host of opportunities for residents
Christmas, her favorite hol- Plaza to give back and incorpo- York metropolitan region. charitable based initiatives, in historically disadvantaged
iday with Angel and family. rate the local community into BDG develops all asset types but regularly invests in the neighborhoods.

Vy Higginsen’s Sing Harlem Choir

 Audrey's society whirl
American Black Film Festival to honor Hollywood
Trailblazers Louis Gossett Jr. and Lena Waithe
Posted by Audrey J. Bernard
T he American Black
Film Festival (ABFF)
Honors announced to-
day the recipients of two of
their most prominent awards–
Hollywood Legacy Award
and Industry Renaissance
Award–which each honor out-
standing accomplishments in
film and television. Academy
Award winner Louis Gossett
Jr. (“Watchmen,” “An Officer
and a Gentleman”) will be
honored with the Hollywood
Legacy Award for his contri-
butions to the entertainment
industry. The Hollywood Leg-
acy Award honors a legendary
artist whose trailblazing work
has inspired generations and
made an enduring contribution
to film and television. Addi-
tionally, Emmy Award-win-
ning producer, writer, and
actor, Lena Waithe (“The
Chi,” “Boomerang,” “Queen
& Slim”) will receive the pres-
tigious Industry Renaissance
Award, which recognizes con-
tent creators whose exemplary
work in film and television
contributes to changing per-
ceptions of people of color in
the entertainment industry.  of color as well as promoting
  “We’re honored to celebrate
these two extraordinary talents,”
said ABFF Ventures CEO, Jeff
Friday. “These awards not only
recognize how Mr. Gossett’s
contributions have propelled
the industry forward but also
acknowledge a new generation
of trailblazers in people like Ms.
Waithe, who will continue to
create change and new opportu-
nities in film and television for
people of color.”
Louis Gossett Jr. has been
disrupting Hollywood for over
40 years making his film de-
but alongside Sidney Poitier
in the 1961 classic “A Raisin
in the Sun.” Gossett Jr. was
the first African American to
win an Academy Award for
Best Supporting Actor for his
unforgettable performance as
drill Sergeant Emil Foley in
“An Officer and a Gentleman.”
Additionally, he has been nom-
inated for seven Primetime
Emmy Awards, three Golden
Globe Awards, five NAACP
Images Awards, two Daytime
Emmy Awards and in 1992 he
received a star on the Holly-
wood Walk of Fame. Other
Lena Waithe
notable film and television
credits include “The Deep,”
“Blue Chips,” “Daddy’s Little
Girls,” Tyler Perry’s “Why Did
I Get Married Too?,” “Fire-
walker,” “Jaws-3D,” “Enemy
Mine,”“Iron Eagle,” “Ex-
tant,” “Madam Secretary,”
“Boardwalk Empire,” “Family
Guy,” and “ER,” among oth-
ers. Gossett Jr. is the founder
of The Eracism Foundation, a
non-profit organization ded-
icated to eradicating racism.  Writing for a Comedy Series.”
A triple-threat in the enter-
tainment industry, Lena Waithe
expertly taps into emerging
cultural sensibilities with a
sharp wit, speaking to a myriad
of experiences from her unique
perspective and challenging
audiences to think outside of
conventional norms. She has
become a champion for under-
served voices in the industry,
creating writing and develop-
ment opportunities for people
diversity and representation
on the screen through her
production company, Hillman
Grad. Currently, she serves as a
writer and executive producer
of two BET shows: the new
series “Twenties” which is
based off her own early years
in LA and the second season
of the “Boomerang” revival
which she created alongside
Halle Berry. Both shows are set
to air in early 2020. Waithe has
also received critical acclaim
for creating Showtime’s “The
Chi,’’ which will debut its third
season this year.
Waithe has proven herself
a talent to be reckoned with,
continuing to grow her body
of work which includes: an
overall deal to create and
produce original series for
Amazon Prime Video; Show-
time’s “How To Make Love
to a Black Woman,” which
she will executive produce;
the groundbreaking film, “The
40-Year-Old Version,” which
is premiering at Sundance
2020; the horror anthology
series “Them” for Amazon;
and Sundance darling “Dear
Deon Cole
White People,” among others.
Waithe first made headlines in
front of the camera as Denise,
in the critically acclaimed Net-
flix series “Master of None.”
In a role that was originally
intended for a straight, Cauca-
sian female, Waithe has made
Denise’s experience as a queer
black woman uniquely her own
and became the first woman of
color to win an Emmy award
in the category of “Outstanding
Waithe’s feature screenwriting
debut, “Queen & Slim,” is also
nominated for ABFF Honors
“Movie of the Year” Award.
ABFF Honors recently an-
nounced their nominees for
“Movie of the Year,” a com-
petitive award presented to
the best feature length film
of the year directed by and/or
starring a lead actor or actress
of African descent. Voting is
now open to the public at www.
ABFFHonors.com/vote. And
for the second year, American
Airlines will sponsor the ABFF
Honors “VIP Fan Experience,”
which is an opportunity for
one consumer to attend this
exclusive event and celebrate
Black excellence among the
most influential artists, exec-
utives, and stakeholders in the
entertainment industry. One fan
will be randomly selected by
the ABFF organization from
the pool of individuals who vote
for the “Movie of the Year”, and
receive two (2) tickets for the
ceremony, two (2) round trip
domestic economy-class tickets
on American Airlines, hotel
accommodations and a chance
to walk the “red carpet” on the
night of the ceremony. The an-
nouncement will be made on or
about January 20, 2020.  passion for entertainment,
Presented by ABFF Ven-
tures, the 2020 ABFF Honors,
hosted by Emmy-nominated
comedian and actor Deon Cole
(black-ish), will take place
February 23, 2020 in Los An-
geles. Previously announced
honorees include Cynthia Eri-
vo with the Rising Star Award
and “The Wire” with the Clas-
Louis Gossett Jr.
sic Television Award. Sponsors
to date include American Air-
lines, Cadillac and Hilton (Red
About ABFF Honors
ABFF Honors is an annual
awards season gala dedicated
to saluting excellence in the
motion picture and television
industry. The ceremony cele-
brates Black culture by recog-
nizing artists who have made
distinguished contributions
to American entertainment
through their work, as well as
those who champion diversi-
ty and inclusion. Individual
recognition awards include
Hollywood Legacy, Excel-
lence in the Arts, Rising Star,
Industry Renaissance and Pro
Hollywood. Recognition of
About ABFF Ventures
A B F F Ve n t u r e s L L C
(ABFFV) is a Los Ange-
les-based entertainment com-
pany founded by its CEO
Jeff Friday as a platform to
produce live events, tele-
vision and film focused on
African American culture.
Its mission is to entertain and
inspire communities of color
while promoting diversity and
inclusion in Hollywood. Its
tent-pole properties are the
American Black Film Festival
(ABFF), cited by Movie-
Maker magazine as “One of
the Coolest Festivals in the
World,” and “ABFF Honors,”
an annual awards ceremony
saluting career achievement
in film and television.
In creating ABFF Ven-
tures, Friday channeled his
as well as his discomfort
with the under representa-
tion of people of color in
Hollywood, into an organi-
zation with the ultimate goal
of advocating for diversity
within the industry. Through
his vision and perseverance,
ABFFV has become a highly
15
BEACON, January 9 – January 15, 2020 newyorkbeacon.com
Carpet), Accenture, Prudential
Financial and Sony Pictures
Entertainment (Supporting).
outstanding content awards
include Movie of the Year and
Classic Television Award. Pre-
vious honorees and presenters
include Denzel Washington,
Don Cheadle, Robert Downey,
Jr. Regina King, Will Packer,
Ryan Coogler, Ava DuVernay,
Tiffany Haddish, Issa Rae, Vio-
la Davis, Cicely Tyson, Octavia
Spencer, Armie Hammer, the
late Diahann Carroll and more.
To learn more about ABFF
Honors and to stay up-to-date
on upcoming announcements
for the 2020 ceremony, visit
www.ABFFHonors.com 
respected enterprise, generat-
ing goodwill throughout the
entertainment and corporate
communities.
ABFF’s momentum con-
tinues to build. In 2019, the
company expanded its inter-
national footprint with the
highly successful launch of
the ABFF London as part of
its Global Film Series. In ad-
dition, the National Museum
of African American History
and Culture (NMAAHC) in
Washington, D.C., acquired
ABFF photographs and oth-
er archival materials to be
included in its permanent
collection.
At the heart of the ABFF
organization is its commit-
ment to community – unifying
artists in appreciation of one
another’s work, to encourage,
uplift and come together. With
the support of the world’s
leading entertainment, media
and consumer product com-
panies, the ABFF continues
to lead the way promoting
diversity and inclusion in the
motion picture and television
industries.
 16

Audrey's reel whirl By Audrey J. Bernard

Michael B. Jordan brings his panther power to Just Mercy

BEACON, January 9 – January 15, 2020 newyorkbeacon.com

Scene from Just Mercy -- Destin Daniel Cretton directs Michael

Theatrical Release Poster B. Jordan Scene from Just Mercy with Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx

W arner Bros. Just

Mercy dapper su-
perstars Michael
B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx
along with Brie Larson were
joined by co-stars Tim Blake
Nelson, Karan Kendrick
and Rob Morgan, as well as
Bryan Stevenson at a special
New York screening at The
Edition on Sunday evening,
December 15, 2019. Just Mer-
cy shadows world-renowned
civil rights defense attorney
Bryan Stevenson (Michael
B. Jordan) as he recounts his
experiences and details the
case of a condemned death
row prisoner whom he fought
to free brilliantly directed by
award-winning filmmaker
Destin Daniel Cretton (“The
Glass Castle,” “Short Term
12”) from a screenplay he co-
wrote, based on Stevenson’s
bestselling memoir.
SYNOPSIS: Just Mercy
is based on the powerful and
thought-provoking true sto-
ry of young lawyer Bryan
Stevenson (Jordan) and his
history-making battle for jus-
tice. After graduating from
Harvard, Bryan had his pick
of lucrative jobs. Instead, he
heads to Alabama to defend
those wrongly condemned
or who were not afforded
proper representation, with
the support of local advocate
Eva Ansley (Larson). One of
his first, and most incendiary,
cases is that of Walter McMil-
lian (Foxx), who, in 1987, was
Scene from Just Mercy with Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx
sentenced to die for the notori-
ous murder of an 18-year-old
girl, despite a preponderance
of evidence proving his inno-
cence and the fact that the main
testimony against him came
from a criminal with a motive
to lie. In the years that follow,
Bryan becomes embroiled in a
labyrinth of legal and political
maneuverings, as well as overt
and unabashed racism as he
fights for Walter, and others
like him, with the odds—and
the system—stacked against
them.
ASSETS: Just Mercy stars
Michael B. Jordan and Oscar
winners Jamie Foxx (“Ray,”
“Baby Driver,” “Django: Un-
chained”) and Brie Larson
(“Room,” “Short Term 12,”
“Captain Marvel”). The main
cast also includes Rob Mor-
gan (“Mudbound”) as Herbert
Richardson, a fellow prisoner
who also sits on death row
awaiting his fate; Tim Blake
Nelson (“Wormwood”) as
Ralph Myers, whose pivotal
testimony against Walter Mc-
Millian is called into question;
Rafe Spall (“The Big Short”)
as Tommy Chapman, the DA
who is fighting to uphold Wal-
ter’s conviction and sentence;
O’Shea Jackson Jr. (“Straight
Outta Compton”) as Anthony
Ray Hinton, another wrongly
convicted death row inmate
whose cause is taken up by
Bryan; and Karan Kendrick
(“The Hate U Give”) as Wal-
ter’s wife, Minnie McMillian,
who stands by her husband.
DEETS: The film was
produced by two-time Oscar
nominee Gil Netter (“Life of
Rob Morgan, Tim Blake Nelson, Karan Kendrick, Michael B.
Jordan, Bryan Stevenson, Brie Larson
Pi,” “The Blind Side”), Asher
Goldstein (“Short Term 12”)
and Michael B. Jordan. Bry-
an Stevenson, Mike Drake,
Niija Kuykendall, Gabriel
Hammond, Daniel Hammond,
Scott Budnick, Jeff Skoll and
Charles D. King served as
executive producers. Cret-
ton’s behind-the-scenes cre- Jamie Foxx, Bryan Stevenson,
ative team included director Michael B. Jordan
of photography Brett Pawlak,
production designer Sharon nity/Participant Media/Macro, a
Seymour, editor Nat Sanders Gil Netter Production, an Outlier
and composer Joel P West, all Society Production, Just Mercy.
of whom previously collabo- Now Playing In LA and NY,
rated with the director on “The everywhere. Just Mercy will
Glass Castle.” They are joined be distributed worldwide by
by costume designer Francine Warner Bros. Pictures and has
Jamison-Tanchuck (“Detroit,” been rated PG-13 for thematic
“Roman J. Israel, Esq.”). content, including some racial
Warner Bros. Pictures pres- epithets. (Production images
ents, in Association with En- courtesy of Warner Bros.; Pre-
deavor Content/One Commu- miere photos by Just Jared)

Michael B. Jordan, Bryan Jamie Foxx, Bryan Steven-

Stevenson son, Michael B. Jordan Karan Kendrick Jamie Foxx Brie Larson Michael B. Jordan

By Victoria Horsford
2020 COMMON ERA
A week ago, many people
observed Christmas, Hannu-
kah, the Festival of Lights
and Kwanzaa, all celebrations
of the human spirit and to
men of peace. New Year’s
Day 2020 arrives with news
of a war aborning in the
Middle East in response to
Trump’s nod to an American
drone strike which killed Ira-
nian Major General Qassim
Suleimani. Now all hell is
breaking loose. Did the im-
peachment motivate Trump’s
action? And in a part of the
world where so many Amer-
ican troops are scattered and
vulnerable. Iraq has requested
that US personnel exit. The
Middle East is hot as Hades.
Brinksmanship is not the way
to start the year. Iran vows
retribution for Suleimani’s
death. No one foretold the
BEST MOVIES/2010-2019
An Essence Magazine
essay, 20 BEST FILMS 2010-
2019, by Candace Frederick,
a well- researched piece with
spot-on analysis, about films
by Black writers, directors,
producers and actors.
The 20 Best Films are
1)PARIAH ¸20 )2 ;2011
FEET FROM STARDOM
about Black music stars like
Merry Clayton and Patti
Austin 3) BEASTS OF THE
SOUTHERN WILD, 2012,
about 6- year- old Quvenve-
shane Wallis and survival,
saving her dad, their home
and forestalling the world’s
end. 4) BELLE, 2013, a peri-
od drama about a mixed- race
aristocrat and her struggle for
love and dignity. 5) FRUIT-
VALE STATION, 2013, a
story about a young Black
man shot by Oakland police.
6) STRAIGHT OUT OF
COMPTON, about the rise of
NWA, Niggaz Wit Attitudes
and the rise of
HIPHOP as American pop
culture phenom. Today NWA
alum like Ice Cube and Dr.
Dre, of BEATS head phones
fame are American million-
aire/billionaire elites. 7) I AM
NOT YOUR NEGRO, 2016,
a tour de force piece directed
by Raoul Peck, which deals
with and resurrects the words
of James Baldwin. 8) FENC-
ES, adapted from the August
Wilson play, starring Denzel
Washington and Viola Da-
vis. 9) HIDDEN FIGURES,
2016, starring Tariji Henson
and Octavia Spencer, about
Black women, all NASA
mathematicians ,who were
Subscribe to the New York Beacon,
600 Third Avenue, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10016 $35.00 per year.
newyorkbeacon.com
A Harlem-based management consultant, Victoria Horsford can be reached at Victoria.horsford@gmail.com
What's going on
17
IN MEMORIAM/2019
world’s end by 2020. Harlem, New York born,
The 2020 calendar is rife Patricia Bath, 76, MD, was a
with less bellicose events, pioneer in ophthalmology was
like the US presidential elec- the first Black woman doctor
BEACON, January 9 – January 15, 2020 newyorkbeacon.com
tion, city and state primaries to hold patents for her devel-
and elections. And Japan opment of precise instruments
hosts the 2020 Olympics! for cataracts treatment.
Looking back: The big Diahann Carroll, triple
literary event was the August, threat, actress of TV stage and
2019 NY Times Magazine screen. She makes history in
single subject issue, THE prime time TV as Julia an RN,
1619 PROJECT, 80 pages not a stereotypical Black role.
of historical essays and in- Rep from Detroit, John Patricia Bath
sights about the genesis of Conyers, 90, longest serving
American slavery, its legacy, Khalil Muhammad Black Congressman who was
which endures and impacts a civil rights champion Afri-
contemporary race relations, Virginia. The brainchild of can American in Congress
by Black journalists and NY Times staffers headed by Rep from Baltimore, Eli-
scholars like Harvard’s Khalil Nikole Hannah-Jones, THE jah Cummings, 68, a 12-term
Muhammad, Wesley Morris, 1619 Project exceeded all congressman, who chaired the
and Jamell Bouie, Last year expectations. The Pulitzer House Oversight Committee
was the 400 th Anniversary Center has free PDF and les- which held pre Donald Trump
of the arrival of the first ship son plans. NYT should have impeachment hearings. The
carrying 20 -30 enslaved a book deal signed for the son of sharecroppers, Cum-
Africans to the colony of special edition. mings was a lawyer and advo-
cate for the poor before going Robert Mugabe
to DC. He was the first African
American Congressman to
lie in state in the dome of the
raphy are BELOVED, SONG
OF SOLOMAN, THE BLU-
Capitol His widow. Maya EST EYE She is getting the
key players in the USA space Rockeymoore will run for his lion/s share of year- end cov-
program. Spenser’s film pro- congressional seat. erage in memoriam columns.
duction company owns rights Ken Gibson, 86, was first Robert Mugabe, 95, revo-
to life of the late Madame CJ African American to become lutionary who became Zim-
Walker, hair products entre- a mayor in a major USA babwe Prime Minister from
preneur who was America’s northeastern city. . Elected in 1980 to 1987 before his as-
first self-made woman mil- 1970, Mayor Gibson served cension to the Presidency
lionaire. four terms. from 1987 to 2017. Mugabe
10) QUEEN OF KATWE, Richard Hatcher passed returned land to indigenous
2016, starring Oscar winner last month. He became mayor Blacks, whose property was
Lupita Nyong’o in a true of Gary Indiana in 1967 and confiscated by the British
life story about an Uganda served five terms. He was colonists. Was that action a
girl who became a chess one of the nation’s first Black curse or blessing!
master. 11) MOONLIGHT, Octavia Spencer mayors of a major city. He Jessye Norman, soprano
the film by writer-director organized the 1972 National opera diva extraordinaire, is a
Barry Jenkins, Oscar winner Vance Ford about how race Black Political Convention minion of the NY Metropoli-
film, an industry shifting ar- impacts the criminal jus- in Gary and was the chair of tan Opera and European opera
chetype of Blac k love , self tice system 15) WIDOWS, Jesse Jackson’s 1984 Demo- houses. The Met Opera House
identity and gay Black male starring Viola Davis is and cratic Presidential campaign. hosted her NY memorial.
narratives. 12) GET OUT, by Cynthia Erivo, aggrieved “ Toni Morrison,, 88, inter- Frank Robinson, 83, Ma-
writer/director Jordan Peele’ women who got justice after nationally acclaimed Amer- jor League Baseball Hall of
s “meet- the- parents night- the death of their criminal ican literary icon, first Af- Famer, who became and the
mare in the horror genre,” husbands.” 16) IF BEALE rican- American woman to first Black manager in MLB.
starring Daniel Kaluuya.13) STREET COULD TALK, win Nobel Prize in Literature. He was the only player to win
MUDHOUND, 2017, Black 2018, an adaptation of the Prominent titles in her bibliog- MVP status in both leagues.
male mental health issues, James Baldwin novel of the
particulars among veterans same name about a Black man INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
who had to fight racism after sentenced to murder which he
returning home from WWII, didn’t commit. 17) SORRY The republic of Haiti cele- 1804 declared their indepen-
14) STRONG ISLAND 2017. TO BOTHER YOU. 2018. brates its 216th Independence dence from France Emancipa-
Documentary directed by Film shines a light on what it Anniversary on January 1, tion and independence were
is like “ to be Black and have 2020. Known as the oldest the outcomes of the Haitian
to constantly choose between Black nation and the second Revolution, 1791-1804, un-
your own principles and the oldest republic in the New der the leadership of Haitian
white man who pays you.” World, enslaved Haitians Black generals Touissant
18) BLACK PANTHER a declared their emancipation Louverture and Jean-Jacques
super hero, set in Wakanda, from slavery in 1795 and in Dessalines.
Africa where Blacks have ev-
erything. Black super heroes LOCAL CALENDAR
have box office clout topping
$1 billion in grosses. 19) HARLEM: Robert Hors- ed at 325 Lenox Avenue,
BLINDSPOTTING, 2018, a ford, Lee Brathwaite, and Harlem. Sponsors are eli-
story about “ Black and white Alyah Horsford- Sidberry gible for an open bar and
male friendship, race the lies will co-host a Community VIP reception at 5:30 pm.
we tell ourselves” and 20) Development Networking Supporters networking
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Black teen male, accused of Senator Brian Benjamin Personal checks only. Call
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18
One Night Only
Darrian Ford sings Sam Cooke’s songs
BEACON, January 9 – January 15, 2020 newyorkbeacon.com
Darrian Ford
M ulti-talented Darrian
Ford brings his cel-
ebration of the late
great Singer Sam Cooke to The
Cutting Room in Manhattan
for an exciting one-night only
experience. Ford, along with
the horns of Brass Illusion,
will bring Cooke’s mastery of
Gospel, Pop, Jazz and Blues to
life in “The Cooke Book: The
Music of Sam Cooke on Wed.,
Jan., 22, 2020, on what would
have been Cooke’s 89th birth-
day. Doors will open at 7:30
pm with an 8:30 pm showtime.
The production is not a
musical theater piece, nor is it
a concert. It is an entertainment
experience that traces Cooke’s
music from the singer’s Gos-
pel roots to his all too brief
career as an international Pop
sensation. The show has re-
ceived critical acclaim across
the country and has created a
new generation of fans for the
singer. The engagement marks
the return of the show to New
York City since its earliest days
of development back in 2006.
“The catchy melodies, natu-
rally human lyrics and honesty
make his music approachable
to everyone,” Ford said on
Subscribe to the New York Beacon, 600 Third Avenue, 2nd Floor,
New York, NY 10016 $35.00 per year 212-213-8585
www.newyorkbeacon.com
Entertainment
what makes Cooke’s music so
enduring.
The idea to develop a stage
show about Cooke was nur-
tured when Ford was doing
a workshop of a new musical
centered on the music of the
late 40s, 50s and 60s. Crooners
such as Nat King Cole, tight
harmony groups like The Mills
Brothers, and Sam Cooke
were among Ford’s research
subjects.
“I grew up listening to Sam’s
Pop hits but when I discovered
his Jazz interpretations during
the course of my research, I
was impacted by the fact that
this was the same guy who
sang “Cupid” and “Twistin.”
I thought his range of artistic
offerings, not to mention his
business accomplishments,
were compelling and deserve
exhibition,” said Ford.
The upcoming engagement
of The Cooke Book will be the
biggest version of the show
yet, showcasing a company of
10 (ten) musicians and singers.
Additionally, public television
will film the performance for
broadcast and a live album will
be recorded and released in the
Spring of 2020.
By Don Thomas
Considered “the freshest
in vocal jazz,” Darrian Ford
is a Chicago native and a true
triple-threat. He released his
debut album New Standards in
the Spring of 2018. It charted
#1 on Debut Jazz Albums on
the NACC (North American
College and Community Radio
Chart/ naccchart.com), and
finished the year at #11 on the
Vibe UK Top 20 Jazz Albums
for 2018.
Ford began his career as a
dance prodigy, eventually per-
forming with internationally
renowned companies such as
Alvin Ailey American Dance
Theater and Donald Byrd/The
Group.
He made his Broadway
debut in Rodgers and Ham-
merstein’s State Fair and went
on to perform with the first
national tours of The Color
Purple, Smokey Joe’s Cafe,
and The Who’s Tommy. Ford
also co-starred as Fayard Nich-
olas of the legendary dance The late great Sam Cooke
duo the Nicholas Brothers in
HBO’s Introducing Dorothy York/New Jersey area, playing an Ford‘s “The Cooke Book”
Dandridge with Oscar-winning the timeless R&R of great horn event and his debut album
Halle Berry in the title role. bands including Chicago and (available on iTunes, Amazon,
Brass Illusion is a musical Blood, Sweat and Tears. For Google Music and CDBaby),
powerhouse based in the New more information about Darri- visit www.darrianford.com.
 19

Audrey's reel whirl By Audrey J. Bernard

Chadwick Boseman stars in riveting crime drama

BEACON, January 9 – January 15, 2020 newyorkbeacon.com

Theatrical Release Poster Chadwick Boseman in scene from 21 Bridges Chadwick Boseman, Sienna Miller, J. K. Simmons in 21 Bridges

S TX Entertainment thrilled
audiences with its release
of the action-packed crime
drama 21 Bridges starring
Chadwick Boseman, Sienna
Miller, Stephan James, Keith
David, Taylor Kitsch and J.
K. Simmons, which was an
early Thanksgiving treat for
thrill seekers. The stars were
joined by director Brian Kirk
at the New York City premiere
screening held at the Lincoln
Square Theater on Tuesday, Stephan James in scene from 21 Bridges Keith David, Chadwick Boseman in scene from 21 Bridges
November 19, 2019 where
onlookers feasted their eyes citywide manhunt for a pair of taken to prevent the killers from tor); Anthony Russo, Joe Russo, MWM Studios, H. Brothers;
on Boseman’s longtime love cop killers (Stephan James and escaping Manhattan, which is Mike Larocca, Robert Simonds, AGBO Films, X-Ception Con-
Taylor Simone Ledward. The Taylor Kitsch) after uncovering locked down for the first time in Gigi Pritzker, Logan Coles (pro- tent (production companies). 21
evening was deelicious from a massive and unexpected con- its history — as the authorities ducers); Adam Mervis, Matthew Bridges was released nationwide
beginning to end! spiracy. As the night unfolds, close all 21 Bridges to prevent Michael Carnahan (screenplay); by STXfilms on Friday, No-
SYNOPSIS: 21 Bridges lines become blurred on who he any entry or exit from the iconic Adam Mervis (story); Henry vember 22, 2019 to favorable
follows an embattled NYPD de- is pursuing, and who is in pursuit island. The movie was distribut- Jackman, Alex Belcher (music); reviews from thrillists. (Produc-
tective Andre Davis (Chadwick of him. When the search inten- ed by STXfilms last year. Paul Cameron (cinematogra- tion photos courtesy STXfilms.
Boseman), who is thrust into a sifies, extreme measures are DEETS: Brian Kirk (direc- phy); Tim Murrell (editor); and Party photos by Just Jared)

Stephan James, Sienna Miller, Chad-

Winnie Harlow Stephan James Chadwick Boseman Brian Kirk wick Boseman, Taylor Kitsch

Taylor Simone Ledward,

Keith David Sienna Miller Taylor Kitsch Stephan James, Brian Kirk, Chadwick Boseman Chadwick Boseman

20
Best of ADIFF 2019 announced!
Posted By Don Thomas
T
he Best of the African
BEACON, January 9 – January 15, 2020 newyorkbeacon.com
Diaspora International
Film Festival (ADIFF)
is back from Jan. 10 to 12 with
a selection of some of the most
popular films showcased in
2019. Screenings will be held
at Teachers College, Columbia
University in Manhattan.
Several films that made
the cut go back into history.
Opening Night film, Ali’s
Comeback: The Untold Sto-
ry by Art Jones, a fascinating
documentary that recounts the
unsung saga that broke the
boxing’s blacklist status of
Muhammad Ali, the champi-
on who said “no” to war and
racism.
Paul Laurence Dunbar:
Beyond The Mask by Fred-
rick Lewis explores the life
and legacy of Paul Laurence
Dunbar (1872-1906), the first
African American to achieve
national fame as a writer.
Wagner Moura’s Marighel-
la, currently censored in Bra-
zil, is a new Brazilian action
drama set in 1969 based on the
life of Afro-Brazilian politician
and guerrilla fighter Carlos
Marighella. Facing a violent
military dictatorship and with
little support from a timid
opposition, writer-turned-pol-
itician Carlos Marighella orga-
nizes a resistance movement.
Mama Africa: Miriam
Makeba the powerful docu-
mentary about the South Af-
rican singer and activist Mir-
iam Makeba is back again by
popular demand. Coming from
ADIFF NYC 2019 Spotlight
on Nigerian Cinema are two
films: the romantic comedy 2
Weeks in Lagos by Kathryn
Fasegha, a turbulent and thrill-
ing journey into the lives of
Ejikeme and Lola which cap-
tures the excitement, vibrancy,
Marighella
Flick chat
Ali’s Comeback: The Untold Story
Made in Bangladesh
and complexity of everyday
life in Lagos, a dynamic city
where anything is possible in
2 weeks.
Sundance 2019 Official
Selection, The Last Tree by
Shola Amoo, a moving com-
ing of age story about Femi, a
British boy of Nigerian descent
who, after a happy childhood
in rural Lincolnshire with his
white foster mother, moves
to inner London to live with
his Nigerian mum. As an ad-
olescent, Femi goes back to
Nigeria with his mum to find
his roots and internal peace.
From NYC 2019 Spotlight
on Egyptian Cinema is Sins of
the Flesh by Khaled El Hagar
who establishes a parallel nar-
rative, in which an erotic and
symbolic struggle for freedom
plays out on a farm while the
2011 urban revolt in Tahrir
Square serves as a backdrop.
Winner of ADIFF NYC
2019 Public Award for the Best
Film Directed by a Woman of
Color, Made in Bangladesh
by Rubaiyat Hossain is about
a young woman working un-
der very poor conditions in
a factory in Bangladesh who
decides to fight to set up a
union despite threats from
management and disapproval
of her husband.
Also directed by a woman
of color is Dhaliniaro/Youth,
a rare drama from Djibouti
that follows Amina and her
two best friends, as they must
choose their paths into adult-
hood.
For more information about
the Best of ADIFF 2019, or to
receive the complete line up,
screeners and high resolution
images e-mail pr@nyadiff.org.
Festival web site: www.nya-
diff.org. The African Diaspora
International Film Festival is
a 501(c)(3) not for profit or-
ganization.
 Theater talk
21

By Audrey J. Bernard

Iconic musical — West Side Story – continues to break records

N ow in previews, pro-
ducers Scott Rudin /
Barry Diller / David
Geffen recently announced
that the Broadway return of
raphy, for the first time ever on
Broadway by the internation-
ally acclaimed Anne Teresa
De Keersmaeker. Playing the
doomed lovers crossing lines
Cruz  (debut), Kevin Cso-
lak, Alexa De Barr (debut), Is-
rael Del Rosario (debut), Jor-
dan Dobson (debut), Tyler
Eisenreich (debut), Arman-

BEACON, January 9 – January 15, 2020 newyorkbeacon.com

the Jerome Robbins / Arthur
Laurents / Leonard Bernstein
/ Stephen Sondheim master-
work, West Side Story, has
once again broken the all-time
Broadway Theatre house re-
cord for a single week, with
a gross of $1,807,025.94.  In
7 performances the previous
week, West Side Story broke
the record (with a gross of
$1,497,319) held by Rodgers
and Hammerstein’s Cinderella
($1,479,889.97, established on
12/29/13, for an 8-performance
week). This new record also
represents an all-time box of-
fice high in the storied 62-year
life of West Side Story. The
newly conceptualized produc-
tion began performances on
December 10, 2019, ahead
of its official opening night
on Thursday, February 20,
2020.
When the original pro-
duction of West Side Sto-
ry first premiered at the Winter
Garden Theatre on September
26, 1957, it utterly changed
the face of the American mu-
sical theater.  A career-de-
fining milestone for every
single member of its towering
creative team — Laurents,
Bernstein, Sondheim, and
Robbins — West Side Story re-
imagined the most enduring
love story ever written as a
contemporary musical, com-
plete with form-shattering
stagecraft and a score for the
ages.
The show is based on a con-
ception by Jerome Robbins.
The entire original produc-
tion was directed and choreo-
graphed by Mr. Robbins. Now,
more than six decades later, the
legacy of that original produc-
tion, along with subsequent
stagings around the globe and
the iconic cinematic adapta-
tion, has cemented West Side
Story’s place as one the most
significant cultural achieve-
ments of the 20th century.
The upcoming Broadway
revival which is a radical
reimagining for the 21st cen-
tury will be directed by Tony
Award winner Ivo van Hove
and features all-new choreog-
of prejudice and hate, Juilliard
discovery Shereen Pimentel,
who made her Broadway debut
at age 9 in The Lion King, will
star as Maria, opposite Isaac
Powell, seen in the recent re-
vival of Once on This Island,
as Tony.
The part of Maria’s brother
Bernardo, leader of Puerto
Rican street gang The Sharks,
will be played by Amar Ra-
masar, the New York City
Ballet principal who made his
Broadway debut in 2018 in
Carousel. The plum supporting
role of Bernardo’s girlfriend
Anita has gone to Yesenia
Ayala, who appeared in the
same Carousel revival. The
other key role of Riff, Tony’s
best friend and leader of rival
gang The Jets, will be played
by Ben Cook, one of the orig-
inal Broadway cast of Mean
Girls. Both Ayala and Cook
also will appear in Steven
Spielberg’s screen remake of
West Side Story.
Premiered on Broadway in
1957, West Side Story retells
the tragic Romeo and Juliet
tale of young lovers from feud-
ing families against the back-
drop of ethnic gang violence
on New York’s Upper West
Side in the pre-gentrification
1950s. It features a book by
Arthur Laurents, music by
Leonard Bernstein and lyrics
by Stephen Sondheim. The
original production ran for
732 performances, with a 1960
return engagement running an
additional 249 shows. The mu-
sical was revived on Broadway
in 1980 and 2009.
Van Hove’s production
will be the first major staging
in the U.S. to depart from the
classic template of original
director-choreographer Je-
rome Robbins’ iconic dances,
immortalized in the 1961 film
version that won 10 Oscars,
including best picture. The
Broadway revival will feature
all-new choreography by Bel-
gian modern dance luminary
De Keersmaeker. It began
previews December 10 at the
Broadway Theatre, with an
official opening night set for
Dharon E. Jones (front, center) and the cast of West Side Story
(Photo by Julieta Cervantes)
February 6, 2020.
“This is not like any West
Side Story anybody has seen,”
Rudin told The Hollywood Re-
porter. “It is being treated as a
new work — and being made
by a group of artists who have
made a remarkable amount
of visionary theater for their
whole lives. Having done two
shows with Ivo that I loved do-
ing, this is a hugely important
show for us. We’re honored to
have the opportunity to do it.”
The West Side Story reviv-
al marks the formation of a
new powerhouse producing
triumvirate of industry heavy-
weights. While Diller has been
involved in several of Rudin’s
Broadway productions since
2013, including The Humans,
Three Tall Women and To Kill
a Mockingbird, among others,
this marks Geffen’s return as
a principal Broadway produc-
er for the first time since the
1980s, when he was a lead
producer on hits like Cats,
Dreamgirls and M. Butterfly.
He also was one of the original
producers on the off-Broad-
way cult musical Little Shop
of Horrors, which ran for five
years in its 1982 premiere run.
“This is, in fact, the begin-
ning of an ongoing partner-
ship,” explained Rudin of the
new producing team. “It comes
out of long friendships and long
working relationships that are
enormously important to me,
and have been for many years.
Barry and David are the two
smartest people I know. We
like each other, we like mak-
do Eleazar (debut),  Mar-
lon Feliz (debut),  Satori
Folkes-Stone (debut), Zuri
Noelle Ford (debut),  Ui-
Seng François (debut), Yesy
Garcia  (debut),  Carlos E.
Gonzalez, Jennifer Gruen-
er (debut),  Jacob Guz-
man, Matthew Johnson (de-
but), Dharon E. Jones (de-
but),  Jarred Manista (de-
but), Michaela Marfori (de-
but), Ilda Mason (debut), Mi-
chelle Mercedes (debut), Paul
Morland (debut), Daniel Ore-
skes, Pippa Pearthree, Mia
Pinero (debut), Gus Reed (de-
ing work together, we’re good but), Thomas Jay Ryan, Mi-
friends and good collaborators chael Seltzer (debut), Ah-
— it’s a very natural and easy mad Simmons, Corey John
fit, and we all bring something Snide,  Sheldon True (de-
different to the table. They are but), Ricky Ubeda, Madi-
both much, much smarter than son Vomastek (debut), Tony
me — and frankly, I’m just Ward, Bridget Whitman (de-
happy to be in the room.” b u t ) ,   D a n n y Wo l o h a n ,
“There are very few musi- and Kevin Zambrano (de-
cals that were written 60 years but). 
ago that feel like they were cre- The production also fea-
ated this morning,” concluded tures scenery and lighting
Rudin. “This is that show.” design by Mr. van Hove’s
Marked by a record-set- longtime collaborator, five-
ting 32 Broadway debuts, time Tony Award nominee Jan
the cast of West Side Sto- Versweyveld, with costume
ry includes Isaac Powell as design by An d’Huys, sound
Tony, Shereen Pimentel as design by Tom Gibbons, vid-
Maria, Yesenia Ayala as Ani- eo design by Luke Halls, and
ta, Ben Cook as Riff, Amar orchestrations by Leonard
Ramasar as Bernardo, Ma- Bernstein, Sid Ramin, Irwin
rissa Brown (debut), Gabi Kostal and Tony and Academy
Campo, Adolfo Mena Ce- Award winner Jonathan Tu-
jas (debut), Daniel Ching (de- nick.  Alexander Gemignani
but), Audrey Collette (de- is music supervisor / musical
but), Lorna Courtney, Marc director. Casting is by Telsey
Crousillat (debut), Stephanie & Company. DKC/O&M is
Crousillat (debut), Roman the Press Representative.
Dharon dazzles in Broadway debut
Dharon E. Jones, a Brooklyn native,
is making his Broadway debut in West
Side Story. This aspiring thespian
counts his credits to date: (Theater)
First Site-Specific Little Shop of Hor-
rors at Bool’s Flower Shop, Ithaca, NY
(2019), 1776 and Newsies at Connecti-
cut Repertory Theatre (2017). Televi-
sion: “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”
Season 4 Episode 12 (2019); and
(Film) Champions as “Kenny” (2018
NYU short film), Saturday Church as
“Julius” (2017). Jones is a student of Dharon E. Jones (Pho-
Ithaca College BFA Acting ‘20. to courtesy O&M)

Lillias White spends holiday at The Green Room

S anta came early for
guests who attended Tony
Award-winner Lillias
White all-new holiday concert
“A Lillias White Christmas” at
The Green Room 42 for three
resplendent performances (De-
cember 13-15, 2019) – and this
show was a gift that kept giving.
The intimate venue with its quiet
elegance was the perfect setting
for this joyous occasion. From
the stage, the Broadway veteran
renown for her show-stopping
numbers and bringing acclaim
to many popular watering holes,
Lillias White James Sampliner Will Nunziata
illuminated in a sparkling red proceeded to bring the house
dress adorned with a boa made down with a spectacular show
of Christmas tinsel. She was jam-packed with holiday cheer
accompanied by music director and classics. Gloriously directed
James Sampliner (Legally by Will Nunziata, this show
Blonde, Honeymoon in Vegas, had something for everyone –
Prince of Broadway) and they whether you’ve been naughty
or nice! White performed classic
Christmas favorites — sprinkled
with lots of Jamaican merriment,
soul, jazz and blues and topped
off with her signature scats
— including “Jingle Bells,”
“Christmas in My Pocket,”
“Gee Wiz Its Christmas,” “Let
It Snow,” “Christmas Night in
Harlem,” “Blue Holiday,” “A
Christmas Love Song,” and the
soulfully sassy “Santa Baby.”
Other memorable standouts
included: “My Favorite Things,”
“My Christmas Song for You,”
“Merry Christmas Baby,” “Blue
The Green Room
Holiday,” “Through the Eyes
of a Child,” and the hallowed
“Silent Night,” which was the
appropriate closer. Throughout
the show, White thanked the au-
dience several times expressing
how blessed she is and grateful
for her God-given gifts. (Photos
courtesy The Green Room)
 Off-Broadway
22
BEACON, January 9 – January 15, 2020 newyorkbeacon.com

Actress Rhonda “Passion” Hansome (left) accepts award from Andrea J. Fulton (right). Actor Rome Neal congratulates Ms. Hansome

Actress Rhonda “Passion” Hansome lauded

Posted By Don Thomas also performed at the event As a standup comedian, Everything” on Siriusxm. To to begin or advance a career

V
eteran Actress/Direc-
tor Rhonda “Passion”
Hansome received the
Longevity in Multi Disci-
plinary Artistic Achievement
award presented by Andrea J.
Fulton of The Anderson and
Bert Cade Fulton Foundation
at their 2nd annual awards ben-
efit recently held at the Sugar
Hill Restaurant/Supper Club in
Brooklyn.
The Bedford-Stuyve-
sant-born entertainer who
was congratulated by fellow
ABC Fulton Foundation Ben-
efit performer Actor/Producer/
Vocalist Rome Neal.
Hansome has appeared on
“Saturday Night Live” and as
(Bermuda) in the film “Pretty
Woman.” A VIV AUDELCO
Award winner Hansome has
directed 35 productions, in-
cluding “American Captives:
Lena Baker and Sandra Bland”
which was recently in the Unit-
ed Solo Festival on Theatre
Row in Manhattan.
Hansome has opened for the
late great Aretha Franklin,
Grammy Award-winner Anita
Baker, the late great James
Brown and living legend Di-
ana Ross in venues including
Radio City Music Hall to LA’s
Greek Theatre.
Rhonda tells stories at Gen-
eration Women, Yum’s The
Word, Tale: NYs Finest Story-
telling, Rose Valley and Bady
House Storytelling Concerts.
She can currently be heard on
John Fugelsang’s “Tell Me
keep up with Rhonda’s future
projects and appearances, go
to: www.rhondahansome.
com.
Established in 2014, The
Anderson and Bert Cade Ful-
ton Foundation is a Brook-
lyn-based non-profit per-
forming arts organization
founded by Veteran Play-
wright/Producer, Andrea J.
Fulton which focuses on
nurturing and cultivating the
performing arts interests of
adults who later in life seek
in the performing arts or one
of the allied arts required
to produce performing arts
event.
It has provided a forum
for hundreds of new and es-
tablished artists and interns
primarily via the production
of original, award winning
plays performed in schools,
churches, theatres and court-
yards throughout NYC and
beyond. For additional ABCFF
information, visit onerightan-
swer@aol.com

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NAME CHANGE
Notice is hereby given that
an Order entered by the Civil
Court, New York County on
12/16/2019, bearing Index
Number NC-002257-19/NY, a
copy of which may be exam-
ined at the Office of the Clerk,
located at 111 Centre Street,
New York, NY 10013, grants
me the right to: Assume the
name of Aaron Wu. My pres-
ent name is Guixu WU. The
city and state of my present
address are Brooklyn, NY. My
place of birth is Gulou District,
Fuzhou City, Peoples Republic
of China. The month and year
of my birth are December 2011
Notice is hereby given that
an Order entered by the Civil
Court, New York County on
12/17/2019, bearing Index
Number NC-002702-19/NY, a
copy of which may be exam-
ined at the Office of the Clerk,
located at 111 Centre Street,
New York, NY 10013, grants
me the right to: Assume the
name of Mikko Centurion
Aslan My present name is
Mikko Godwin. The city and
state of my present address are
new York, NY. My place of
birth is NY, NY. The month
and year of my birth are Jan-
uary 1969
Notice is hereby given that
an Order entered by the Civil
Court, New York County on
12/18/2019, bearing Index
Number NC-002729-19/NY, a
copy of which may be exam-
ined at the Office of the Clerk,
located at 111 Centre Street,
New York, NY 10013, grants
me the right to: Assume the
name of Melody Cashia My
present name is Shi Yun Mel-
ody Koh AKA Melody Koh,
Melody Cashia, Melody Koh
Shi Yun, Koh Shi Yun Melody.
The city and state of my pres-
ent address are new York, NY.
My place of birth is Singapore.
The month and year of my birth
are April 1990
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NFL player
BEACON, January 9 – January 15, 2020 newyorkbeacon.com
of the decade
By Andrew Rosario
D
ue to the violent nature
of the game, it is very
rare that a player can
last and be productive for 10
years. The average shelf life is
3. That's what makes the New
York Beacon NFL player of the
decade so special. Rob Gron-
kowski, tight end for the New
England Patriots was as just
as big on the team as was the
golden boy quarterback Tom
Brady. The Patriots would not
have added three more Super
Bowls to their organization if
not for the contributions of the
man they call "Gronk".
Coming out of the Univer-
sity of Arizona, he established
himself after only playing
two seasons where he aver-
aged 18.8 yards per catch and
1,1197 receiving yards setting
school records. Gronkowski
was the 42nd pick by the Patri-
ots in 2010. The following year
is when he began going nation-
al recognition as he became the
first tight end in league history
to lead the in receiving touch-
downs (17). When he decided
Rob "Gronk" Gronkowski
Photo: Special to the NY Beacon
Boxer of the decade
By Joshua Garcia
O
ver the past decade the
sweet science through
its controversial highs
and lows and changes in tra-
ditional coverage to streaming
services continued to provide
historical feats never seen in
the sport of Boxing. For the
first time in the fight game
there is a champion in four
different decades.
Released last month was the
Forbes list of the athletes who
made the most money over the
last 10 years, Manny Pacquaio
came in 8th with $435 mil.
Lebron James (#4) and Kevin
Sports
The decades best
to hang up his cleats last year,
Gronk set records for most
receiving yards (1,327) and
no other player at his position
has caught more touchdowns
in the post season (12). Gron-
kowski had two seasons where
he caught more than 50 passes
and more than 11 touchdowns.
injuries were a big part of
his career as well. When the
Patriots had the epic come-
back victory against the At-
lanta Falcons, Gronkowski
was relegated as a spectator
after having surgery to repair
a herniated disk. He won his
last Super Bowl in 2018 after
the Patriots defeated the Los
Angeles Rams. He announced
his retirement last March.
Just one look at how the Pa-
triots played this past year and
more recently getting eliminat-
ed from the playoff in last Sun-
day's wild card game against
the Tennessee Titans showed
just how much Gronkowski
was missed. The NFL put him
the 100 greatest players of all
time. The New York Beacon
names Rob Gronkowski the
NFL player of the decade.
Durant (#9) joined Pac Man as
they all looked up at Pacquaio's
rival Floyd Mayweather at
#1 with $915 mil. The duo's
2015 mega-fight sold over 4
million pay per view buys and
Pacquaio has over 20 million
total ppv views in his impres-
sive 71 fight career. No NFL
or MLB players made Forbes
top 10 list.
Throughout the decade there
are a couple forgettable nights
for the General Santos City kid,
but two of his four legendary
battles against Juan Manuel
Marquez in 2011-2012, revenge
for a bad decision against Tim
Bradley, and three straight
Baseball players of the decade
By Andrew Rosario
G oing back to 1900 and
every subsequent de-
cades, a list would be
released as to who were the
best players of their era. 1900
saw players like Honus Wag-
ner, Christy Mathewson and
Cy Young. 1910 saw Ty Cobb
and Walter Johnson.1920 in-
cluded the Babe with 1930
through 2010 adding Lou
Gehrig,
Ted Williams, Joe Di Mag-
gio, Mickey Mantle, Willie
Mays, Hank Aaron, Sandy
Koufax, Frank Robinson, Bob
Gibson, Juan Marichal, Rober-
to Clemente, Joe Morgan, Rod
Carew, Rickey Henderson,
Reggie Jackson, Pete Rose,
Ken Griffey, Jr, Barry Bonds,
Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez,
Derek Jeter and Mariano Ri-
vera.
This past decade produced
some of the games best talent
who many argue could have
played in any those eras. From
2010 thru 2019 we saw the
emergence of players who
dominated both offensively as
well as dominating from the
pitchers mound. That said, the
New York Beacon has selected
the most explosive player and
the one person fans would like
to see on the mound with the
game on the line.
When you look at the num-
bers that Los Angeles Angles
right fielder Mike Trout put
up over the last decade (285hr,
752rbi, .305ba, 200sb) you
would think that is impressive.
Imagine what his numbers
would be if he didn't miss the
first two years working his way
up to the show. Aside from his
offensive prowess, his defense
is stellar with a cannon of an
arm. Trout won three MVP
awards (the 11th player to win
three), seven Silver Slugger
Awards and was voted to the
wins against Lucas Matthysse,
Adrien Bronzer, and Keith
Thurman to finish the decade
are a strong optic for Pacquaio's
current career state.
Senator Manny Pacquaio
living the life he could've only
dreamed of as a kid in the
Philippines won his first title
in 1998 as a flyweight and is
currently the third ranked wel-
terweight in the world at 41,
the oldest man to ever be wel-
terweight champion. Although
being elected as a Senator of
the Filipino governement has
stunted the amount of fights, if
its true you're only as good as
your last fight, PacMan's still
Mike Trout. Photo: Special to the NY Beacon
Matt Scherzer
Photo: Special to the NY
Beacon
All Star game every year since
coming on the scene. The
Vineland, NJ product who
attended Millville Senior High
School turns 29 years old in
August. He has proved to be
durable as well playing an
average of 149 games a year
after only playing in 40 game
during the 2011 season. Mike
Trout can be a free agent after
the 2020 season. You can bet
he will be the most sought af-
ter player in recent history. He
could become the first $400-
$500 million dollar athlete.
The New York Beacon names
Mike Trout the best offensive
player of the decade.
Your team has one game to
at the top of his game.
Pacquaio dominated the
tough champion Keith Thur-
man in 2019 and if he can
continue to defy father time
possible bouts with Terance
Crawford, Mikey Garcia, and
a rematch with Floyd May-
weather would not only be
great fights in the works but
huge paydays rivaling any of
them have seen yet. PacMan as
the only eight division cham-
pion ever is one of the best of
all-time, of course he's fighter
of the decade, and don't count
him out of the 2020's. The New
York Beacon names Manny
“Pac Man” Pacquaio the Boxer
of the decade.
Next Week: Basketball, Tennis, MMA
Andrew
Rosario,
Sports
Editor
win for all of the marbles. Over
the last decade, three pitchers
can arguably could claim they
could be that man. Clayton
Kershaw, Justin Verlander
and Max Scherzer averaged
162 regular season wins over
that time. It is what they have
done in post season that sep-
arates them. Verlander is 0-6
in the World Series. Kershaw
is 4-7 with an era close to 5.
That leave us with Scherzer.
The Washington Nationals
were looking to win their first
World Series in team history
when they sent Mad Max to the
mound in game 7 against the
defending champion Houston
Astros. He woke up the morn-
ing of the game and needed
his wife's assistance just to get
dressed. Getting much needed
pregame assistance from the
training staff, Scherzer gave up
only 2 runs in 5 innings as the
Nats sprayed champagne and
hoisted the Commissioner's
Trophy. It was the first time
the road team won every game.
Unlike Trout, Scherzer is in
the twilight of his career as he
will turn 36 in July. His career
stats (170-89) over the decade
shows why he is the best pitch-
er over the last 10 years. That
is why the New York Beacon
names Max Scherzer the pitch-
er of the decade.
Manny Pacquiao
Photo: Special To The NY
Beacon