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Peacock Celebrates Star-Studded Premiere Of Fight Night In New York (Photos)

The #1 source in the world for all things Harlem.

Last night, Wednesday, September 4, 2024, Peacock celebrated the premiere of limited series Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Followed by an exclusive after party in The Appel Room overlooking Columbus Circle and Central Park. Coinciding with the eve of NY Fashion Week, the red carpet kicked off with a surprise fashion show in partnership with…

The post Peacock Celebrates Star-Studded Premiere Of Fight Night In New York (Photos) appeared first on Harlem World Magazine.

* This article was originally published here

Everything You Need To Know Before Adopting A Pet

The #1 source in the world for all things Harlem.

Adopting a pet is a life-changing decision that brings immense joy, companionship, and responsibility. Pets offer unconditional love and loyalty, making them cherished members of any household. However, the journey of pet adoption requires thoughtful consideration and preparation to ensure a smooth transition for both the pet and the new owner. This article will guide…

The post Everything You Need To Know Before Adopting A Pet appeared first on Harlem World Magazine.

* This article was originally published here

Yankees need stability from Torres and Volpe to secure AL East title

Gleyber Torres and Anthony Volpe, both relatively young and athletic, are important pieces of this year’s Yankees team. Torres, 27, at second base and shortstop Volpe, 23, in only his second season in the major leagues, must provide offense, defense, and speed — elements that are crucial for this Yankee team to reach their championship goal. 

As with most young players, they both have had ups and downs this season, but their performances will go a long way to determine their and the team’s future. Both Torres and Volpe have been slightly above average offensively this year. They have each hit first in the lineup this season and have shown speed on the bases in front of the heavy hitters Juan Soto and Aaron Judge.

But Torres and Volpe have been inconsistent. After Monday’s game, an 8-4 victory over the Rangers, Torres and Volpe had 92 walks and 250 strikeouts combined. Volpe does have a team-high 25 stolen bases, but he has been moved down in the lineup by manager Aaron Boone. Torres has four this year and is presently the leadoff hitter by default. 

Neither gets on base enough to take advantage of their speed or force teams to pitch to Soto and Judge, who were No. 1 (Judge, 112) and No. 2 (Soto, 110) in walks in MLB when the Yankees played the Rangers on the road again on Tuesday. Not an ideal situation. Torres was batting .244 with an on-base percentage of .319 and Volpe was at .254 with an OBP of just .303 for a Yankees squad that was 80-58, only a half a game ahead of the Baltimore Orioles. The Os were 80-59 in the race for the AL East title.

Defensively, the youthful combo has been virtually equally effective. They rank high in fielding percentage for their positions, with Volpe fifth and Torres seventh. Viewing their defense from a different perspective, their range can be a blessing and a curse: Both players are in the top five in errors. Volpe had 14 before Tuesday’s game and Torres 15.  

Like all pitchers, the Yankees’ staff rely on defense from their fielders for optimal results. If Torres and Volpe aren’t firm in the field, it could be the difference in winning the division and making it deep into the playoffs. 

Strength up the middle is a key for most championship teams. Having Torres and Volpe feel comfortable with each other on the field and have set slots in the lineup can only be beneficial to the team. 

Torres will be a free agent after the season and it’s unsure if he will return next season. He has been criticized for not hustling, even removed from a game this year by Boone. 

Volpe, however, was a Gold Glove winner at shortstop last year. His future with the team seems secure. Letting them grow together could be a good thing. Stability brings consistency.

The post Yankees need stability from Torres and Volpe to secure AL East title appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here

AmNews Roving Camera: Can Kamala Harris win the election?

AmNews Roving Camera: Can Kamala Harris win the election?
AmNews Roving Camera: Can Kamala Harris win the election?
AmNews Roving Camera: Can Kamala Harris win the election?
AmNews Roving Camera: Can Kamala Harris win the election?

Question: “What do you think Kamala Harris’s chances are for winning the election in November?”

Siyaka Taylor-Lewis photos

Jacob – Bed-Stuy, 72

“Good chances, because the women are already behind her. But once the Black men get behind her, she can’t lose. We’ve been waiting. Her family is like my neighbors back in St. Anne Parish [Jamaica]. KAMALA CAN’T LOSE!”

Asiyah – Mother of 4

“If she had spoken to us [the community leaders in Bed-Stuy] at Restoration Plaza, she would have had better chances, but you haven’t talked to the community or store owners, so how do you know what we want? I want to speak to her. I have been a community organizer for 36 years.”

Shawn – Bed-Stuy, 49

“I don’t align with politics. Can’t stand for her ’cause she stood for prison reform a few years back. I was locked up for 22 years. There’s a bridge between that reality and my reality.”

Amir – 32

“Slim. A lot of Black men have ended up in jail under her watch. I don’t like that she said no to reparations. As a member of an activist family, that’s a problem.”

The post AmNews Roving Camera: Can Kamala Harris win the election? appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here

Inga O’Neale campaigning for Kings County Supreme Court

Civil Court Judge Inga O’Neale is one of a bench of judges nominated to run for a seat on the Kings County Supreme Court this year.

Judge O’Neale’s name will be on the ballot this November 5. She was nominated as one of seven Democratic Party contenders for the Brooklyn-based Supreme Court at the Judicial Convention on August 8.

The recognition and nomination are honors, she says, and if she wins the judgeship it will give her the opportunity to continue her family’s tradition of working in service to the community. “I worked in the Supreme Court for 19 years as an attorney before I ran for office,” O’Neale told the AmNews. “So I’ve dedicated my entire 22-year legal career to public service.

“What we do in the courts system, regardless of title, is public service,” she said. “The people coming to court don’t come because they want to. They come because something has happened in their lives. Our responsibility is to make sure that we address whatever that issue is. So, it’s important for the bench to be diverse because it helps so that we –– as the bench –– are making decisions that are in tune with the community appearing before us.”

Born in Antigua, O’Neale and her family moved to Grenada when she was young. She was raised there among extended family members who mostly took on jobs as nurses and teachers.

“Being that I am someone who moved here as a young adult from the Caribbean, I understand what it is to feel unfamiliar with being able to navigate the [New York State court system] process.”

Her grandmother was the first in the family to come to the United States looking for better economic opportunities. Later she encouraged her children, O’Neale’s aunts and uncles, to make the move as well. But her parents initially remained in the Caribbean because her father had a secure job. What she and her brother came to understand was that both of their parents came from large families where they had not been afforded the opportunity to attend college. Still, their parents instilled in them the importance of education, having a strong work ethic, getting a good job, and being committed to community.

Their father was involved in the Rotary Club, a community service organization, and their mother took on a job as a nurse while working with groups that aided their school and helped local children’s homes. O’Neale grew up seeing her parents as community builders and from an early age started doing things like serving as a Girl Guide (a British equivalent to the Girl Scouts) to follow their model.

“I guess for me, I always wanted to help and to serve. I wanted to either be a doctor or a lawyer –– I know it sounds cliché, but I wasn’t sure which one I wanted to do. So, when I moved here, I ended up at Stony Brook thinking, okay, I’m going to do medicine. I did my first semester of the sciences. And you know, I think it was chemistry: it’s not that I couldn’t do it, but it just didn’t give me joy. I love English and history, because I love stories, I love reading, I love learning about people and what I do every day at work, it’s the same thing: I’m listening to people’s stories. I’m listening to each side before I make a decision. … I thought this was a way that I could help people by being a lawyer and being a teacher. I love to teach people, to share my knowledge and to help. So that’s how it led me into the path of me going to law school. I didn’t know what I wanted to do in law, but I knew I wanted to be a lawyer.”

O’Neale began working as an attorney in the court system in 2002. She eventually worked as a criminal court judge for one year before being transferred to civil court, where she’s been assigned for the past two years. She is a member of the Equal Justice in the Courts committee, Metropolitan Black Bar Association, Judicial Friends Internship Committee, Brooklyn Women’s Bar Association, the Brooklyn Bar, Caribbean American Lawyers Associations, and of the Brooklyn Canarsie Lion’s Club. If O’Neale becomes a justice in the Kings County Supreme Court, she will serve a 14-year term.

The Kings County Supreme Court handles matrimonial actions, personal injury, breach of contract, labor and employment, felony cases, foreclosures, and elder law/guardianship cases. Judges are responsible for making decisions that are fair, after having listened impartially and to both sides of a case, O’Neale points out, because their decisions affect people’s lives. “So, it is important for the general population –– the voting public –– to be aware of who’s on the bench. Because we have to follow ethical rules.”

Many of the people showing up for court dates are coming there for the first time in their first exposure to the court system. That’s one of many reasons why it’s important for the bench to be diverse, Judge O’Neale contends, so that the judicial system remains sensitive to the issues that are faced by the people appearing before it.

“For me, regardless of what someone looks like or where they’re from or what language they speak, my responsibility is that I’m committed to treating everyone the way that I would want a friend, a family member, or even myself to be treated if I were appearing before a judge or in the court and interacting with court staff.”

The post Inga O’Neale campaigning for Kings County Supreme Court appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here

Alcorn State alum Brandon Rembert forges a career as an MLB scout

Brandon Rembert travels. A lot! Thousands of miles on a regular basis. At only 25 years old, it has become the essence of his life.

For some, this type of constant travel would be physically taxing and socially prohibitive, the antithesis of establishing a stable and routine existence. Yet, Rembert’s regular treks provide him deep meaning. A Midwest area scout for Major League Baseball’s Pittsburgh Pirates, he is experiencing a labor of love and forging a career that offers tangible and visceral fulfillment.

“I love what I do,” said Rembert to this writer on Monday speaking via cellphone. “I know this may seem like a cliche, but it is a dream come true. I don’t view it as work. Baseball is my passion. Each day is a new learning opportunity. To build my skills and hone my craft. Having played baseball my entire life it all [naturally] to me feels like this is where I belong.”

Rembert’s route to the Pirates is tinged with irony as it aligns with his circuitous scouting schedule.  

A native of Pensacola, Florida, Rembert attended Faulkner University in Montgomery, Alabama, upon graduating high school. He transferred to Coastal Alabama Brewton Community College, where he played for one season before matriculating to Alcorn State in Lorman, Mississippi, an HBCU whose football program has produced over 50 NFL players.    

Rembert was an impactful outfielder for the Braves, playing three seasons, being afforded the third after his 2020 senior season was shortened due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. While he was on the radar of MLB teams as a potential draft prospect, Rembert mentally grappled with the thought of spending years toiling in the Minor Leagues. 

Instead, shortly after graduating from Alcorn State in 2021, he accepted a position with the Pirates as a Minor League Baseball operations assistant.

Based at the Pirates’ baseball academy in Boca Chica, Dominican Republic, some of Rembert’s responsibilities included quantitative and qualitative data collection, video collection and administrative assignments.

Being in the Dominican Republic allowed me to build a foundation of understanding and learning many aspects of baseball, seeing it both through the lenses of player and administrator,” said Rembert.

During his time there, several members of the Pirates organization with whom Rembert was working suggested he explore Major League Baseball’s scout school held in Phoenix, Arizona, headed by Tyrone Brooks, senior director of the league’s Front Office and Field Staff Diversity Pipeline Program.
“It was a significant moment for me,” Rembert said, his tone shifting as he recalled the occasion. 

Next week in Part Two of this story, Rembert shares the details of life as a scout, his aspirations, and views on the declining number of African American baseball players on all levels of the sport.

The post Alcorn State alum Brandon Rembert forges a career as an MLB scout appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here

New school year for Columbia, same story for Harlem say anti-displacement advocates


New school year for Columbia, same story for Harlem say anti-displacement advocates
New school year for Columbia, same story for Harlem say anti-displacement advocates
New school year for Columbia, same story for Harlem say anti-displacement advocates
New school year for Columbia, same story for Harlem say anti-displacement advocates
New school year for Columbia, same story for Harlem say anti-displacement advocates
New school year for Columbia, same story for Harlem say anti-displacement advocates
New school year for Columbia, same story for Harlem say anti-displacement advocates
New school year for Columbia, same story for Harlem say anti-displacement advocates
New school year for Columbia, same story for Harlem say anti-displacement advocates
New school year for Columbia, same story for Harlem say anti-displacement advocates
New school year for Columbia, same story for Harlem say anti-displacement advocates
New school year for Columbia, same story for Harlem say anti-displacement advocates

As Columbia University kicks off another school year this week, the campus remains divided from the surrounding community, both literally and figuratively.

That community includes Harlem, where locals are pushing back against the institution’s planned development between 125th and 133rd Streets from Broadway to 12th Avenue. Meanwhile, recent pro-Palestinian protests led to restricted access on campus, further divorcing the university from its surrounding uptown neighborhoods.

“The relationship between the community and university right now is probably at an all time low,” said Dr. Dedrick Blue, vice chair of New York Interfaith Commission for Housing Equality. “Not since 1968 has the community been under more threat than what it is right now.”

Of course, 1968 similarly coincided with mass student demonstrations over issues abroad and at home, including a gym construction in Morningside Heights with a separate entrance for non-student locals.

When Nemat “Minouche” Shafik became university president last year, she made early efforts to connect with the neighborhoods surrounding campus. She credited Columbia’s “commitment to the notion that universities can and must engage beyond their walls,” a commitment which starts with the school’s neighbors.

Early on, Shafik followed up on such promises by meeting with local leaders including Council Member Shaun Abreu, Assemblymember Al Taylor, and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

But as pro-Palestinian student encampments persisted throughout Shafik’s first year as president, the university cut off public access to the campus. Today, those restrictions remain through a color-coded threat tier system as students, staff and guests can only enter through designated checkpoints with a valid campus ID or proper authorization. And the protests returned on the first day of school on Tuesday, Sept. 3. Two people, both aged 21, were arrested according to an NYPD spokesperson. It is unknown whether they were students at press time.

Kai Cogsville, founder of Young Atlas and Defend Harlem, pointed out the symbolism and sees the closed campus as a disservice for locals seeking exposure to the Ivy League institution.

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“It’s obviously very metaphorical of such a barrier and it’s a physical one,” he said. “[Columbia] is a landmark in walking through the campus, and it’s just a beautiful place and a place to embrace [for] younger people, or anyone that wants to go to school … for people not to even be able to walk through that just doesn’t seem fair. It just shows how divided we really are.”

“It’s interesting to me that people can grow up in a neighborhood with one of the premier academic institutions in the world in their backyard and not be able to walk through it, not be able to touch it, not be able to access it,” said Blue. “It’s like a child on the outside of the gates of Disney World with no money to get inside to take the ride.”

Cogsville and Blue advocate for State Senator Cordell Cleare’s bill that “essentially stops the Columbia University Education Mixed-Use Development Land Use Improvement and Civic Project Modified General Project Plan.” Locals rallied on Juneteenth to support the legislation, which they hope can curb the school’s “land grab” of Harlem and delay the historically Black neighborhood’s ongoing gentrification.

But it will no longer be Shafik’s problem. She announced her exit last month and almost immediately crossed the Atlantic for a role in the British government. Her interim successor is Katrina Armstrong, a leading official for Columbia’s medical school. Cogsville hopes whoever ends up as the next president will both be more mindful of the school’s local impact as well as reattempt to create dialogue.

“It starts with stopping [the] displacement of tons of residents,” he said. “And [then] more of a partnership and a way to use each others’ resources for the betterment of both community and university. I’m not anti Columbia at all. I think it’s a great institution, and they do great work. It just has to be done in a more thoughtful way.”

Tandy Lau is a Report for America corps member who writes about public safety for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1.

The post New school year for Columbia, same story for Harlem say anti-displacement advocates appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here

Rev. Sharpton, Al B. Sure!: Medicare to reinstate coverage for “lifesaving” post-transplant blood tests, particularly for Black and Brown patients

The Rev. Al Sharpton and singer Al B. Sure! were an unlikely pair of leaders at the Health Equity in Transplantation Coalition (HEiTC), but together they made major headway in getting Medicare to reinstate coverage of non-invasive post-transplant blood tests after months of advocacy.

For the last several years, blood tests that detected organ rejection were covered under Medicare and preferable to a surgical biopsy because they are non-invasive, can be done from home, and are less time-consuming. In March 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced sizable cutbacks for transplant patients and restrictions on these non-invasive tests. This was especially concerning for disproportionately impacted Black and Brown patients.

“Health equity is a treacherous mountain to climb, but today, Black and Brown organ transplant patients regained access to a blood test that helps determine their health outcomes,” said Sharpton, founder of the National Action Network (NAN), in a statement.

Steven Potter, M.D., is the kidney and pancreas transplant surgeon at Medstar Georgetown Transplant Institute, professor of surgery at Georgetown University School of Medicine, and former Chair of the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS) Legislative and Regulatory Committee. He explained that when a patient receives an organ transplant, they have to take immuno-suppressive drugs and need to be carefully watched for signs of “allograft injury,” or organ rejection. Prior to the advent of noninvasive molecular tests, organ rejection was monitored through “limited legacy tools” like checking for abnormal blood or urine tests, said Potter, which would lead to a sometimes painful and costly tissue biopsy.

“[A biopsy] it’s uncomfortable, expensive, and it carries significant risk to the patient and their kidney,” Potter said, pointing to the most common type of organ transplant. “There is a risk of bleeding, which may be massive, and risk of infection. So it’s naturally not something patients want to undergo. And if you talk to kidney transplant recipients, they’ll uniformly tell you how much they dislike biopsies and fear the idea that they might need a biopsy. Before the invention of these tests, we’d been doing things the same way for three decades, but the development of cell-free, donor derived DNA and gene expression profile testing allowed us to move us into a brighter future.”
The newer non-invasive blood tests allow earlier detection of organ rejection than legacy tests, like serum creatinine or urine protein levels, from previous decades. This advanced notice of injury or rejection in the transplanted organ is critical to saving lives and improving long-term health outcomes, said Potter.

The decision to limit access to these tests was made by a private contractor that reports to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). In response to a public outcry and months of advocacy on behalf of transplant patients, CMS recently reversed the Local Coverage Determination (LCD) decision, which did not cover the post-transplant blood tests under Medicare.

“The decision to reinstate Medicare coverage for the use of surveillance blood tests is a positive step toward health equity,” Sharpton continued, “and we thank CMS and Administrator Brooks-LaSure for returning to a Medicare coverage policy that aligns with the merits and facts presented by the transplant community. This decision ensures that all transplant patients, regardless of their socioeconomic status or geography, have access to the benefits of this critical tool.”

Al B. Sure!, née Albert Brown III, received a life saving liver transplant in 2023 after suffering from a sudden coma for two months and not knowing why. He had multiple surgeries to repair a hematoma/hernia and dealt with a fungal pneumonia, sepsis, infected lymph nodes, a tracheostomy, was placed on a ventilator for 38 days, and had over 50 blood transfusions. Once recovered, he went on to co-found HEiTC alongside Sharpton and NAN communications advisor Rachel Noerdlinger. He currently serves as executive chairman of the HEiTC.

“As any organ transplant recipient will tell you, the path to recovery is a steep, uphill, and daily battle,” Brown said. “What’s less known is that this journey poses even greater risks for Black Americans because we are biologically more likely to experience organ rejection, and are disproportionately represented in the transplant population.”

HEiTC actively engaged lawmakers, regulators, and other stakeholders to advocate for restored coverage of critical noninvasive blood tests.

“Our journey is far from over as we must now ensure that any future LCD reflects the voices of the entire transplant community before any coverage changes are implemented, but today’s results certainly get us a step closer to achieving real equity in healthcare,” the singer added.

The post Rev. Sharpton, Al B. Sure!: Medicare to reinstate coverage for “lifesaving” post-transplant blood tests, particularly for Black and Brown patients appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here

On 9/11, Clarence Singleton was retired from the FDNY. But he ran towards the fires


These days, Clarence Singleton spends life after the New York Fire Department (FDNY) taking scenic strolls, maintaining his garden and attending church services virtually. Such leisure wasn’t always the case.

A former fire lieutenant, Singleton retired from Bushwick’s Engine 218 in August 2000. Both his sons were in college and he was working part-time as a mortgage inspector. But on his way to the job on a September day that next year, he heard over his car radio that a plane had crashed into the Twin Towers. He initially assumed a small aircraft had veered off course.

But the broadcast reported a second plane had also hit the towers. Singleton realized it wasn’t a simple accident. And he was no stranger to heroics at the World Trade Center—while still in the FDNY, he and his unit responded to the 1993 bombing.

So he went back to the house, threw on his FDNY t-shirt along with boots and a pair of jeans and hopped onto the subway as he couldn’t get across the bridge due to traffic traveling from Flatbush. When Singleton arrived close to the scene, he saw commissioners of the uniformed agencies caked in dust. But it didn’t dawn on him yet that a tower had collapsed.

“My mind just wasn’t grasping the moment [and] the situation,” Singleton said. “So I came to an engine company and the chauffeur was trying to connect to the hydrant so he could put some water on some vehicles that [were] in proximity to the North Tower because it was still standing. As I walked past them, my intention was to go over to the opposite side of the tower—I assumed that’s where the command post was, and I was going to check in with the [fire] chiefs and tell them to use me in any way you want.”

Clarence Singleton keeps room in remembrance of 9/11. Credit: Courtesy of Clarence Singleton

But he heard the firefighters ask a civilian to open a fire hydrant valve. Seeing the perplexed civilian staring at the hydrant in bewilderment, Singleton knew then this was where he was needed, and went into action to help extinguish nearby ambulance fires. As the North Tower collapsed. Singleton dislocated his shoulder and was enveloped in dust.

He was treated for his short-term injuries. Long-term in the extended mourning period, there was mental and emotional damage to deal with. The day undoubtedly stuck with him, and he knew going back to a low-stakes job in mortgage inspections wouldn’t be enough. Singleton, a Purple Heart recipient, sought out the Brooklyn Veterans Affairs office to treat his depression brought on by the trauma of 9/11. He credits those meetings for helping him get out of bed.

In 2005, Singleton moved to Midlothian, a suburb of Richmond, Va. to ameliorate his post-traumatic stress. Early on, he was afraid to lie down for prolonged periods in fear of falling back into depression.
Today, storytelling keeps him grounded. Singleton says he enjoys speaking with young people about his experiences on 9/11. But woven into those accounts are conversations about mental health and vulnerability.

“We’ve had kids follow me [and] my wife out to the parking lot asking questions and they just want to know more,” Singleton said with a laugh.

He also wrote a book, “The Heart of a Hero,” to share his story in another medium, joking that he gives away more copies than he sells. Singleton also sits on the board for the Freedom Flag Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to the remembrance of 9/11 through a symbolic flag.

“It’s my belief that we don’t truly die until we stop being remembered,” Singleton said. “And if we can feed this information to our kids who weren’t born at the time, it keeps the memory of all who perished on Sept. 11 alive.”

Tandy Lau is a Report for America corps member who writes about public safety for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1.

The post On 9/11, Clarence Singleton was retired from the FDNY. But he ran towards the fires appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here

Fallon Ager-Norman to chair NYC Labor Day parade

As New York City’s annual show of union strength marches up Fifth Avenue from 44th to 64th Street this Saturday, Sept. 7, look out for Fallon Ager-Norman, the international vice president and region 1 director of the United Federation of Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) to be out front of this year’s Labor Day Parade.

Ager-Norman is set to chair this year’s spectacle. The young union advocate says that she was shocked and elated when the New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO, the organizers of the parade, asked her to join the march.

“I know that there are so many champions for workers’ rights and labor heroes who have served in this position before me. So for my name to be held in such high esteem is really just extremely humbling.”

Ager-Norman grew up in Queens Village and attended Jamaica High School. Her plan at the time was to attend Hunter College after graduation. However, a casual conversation with a neighbor about looking for summer employment changed her trajectory. She wanted to earn money to buy school clothes, and the neighbor told her there was a position open where she worked. Ager-Norman jumped at the opportunity for an interview. Thinking it was simply going to be a quick gig she could use to make some cash, she confesses she didn’t ask any questions about the employer.

At the interview, Ager-Norman was told it was a job working for a union, which still confused her.

“I had no idea what a union was,” she said. “When I heard ‘union,’ I thought ‘credit union.’ because my mother used to always take us with her to the credit union.”

Ager-Norman’s parents were self-employed, so she learned little about organized labor from them. But she comes from a two-generation strong New York City born-and-bred family. Her maternal grandparents moved to New York from Savannah, Georgia and her paternal grandparents came from Cocoa, Florida. Ager-Norman witnessed her mother’s father doing work as a window washer on Manhattan skyscrapers: he was a member of 32BJ SEIU for over 40 years. Ager-Norman’s grandmother worked two jobs for most of her life, having worked in a hospital for years before finally retiring from work after a career with the post office.

The couple had been forced to work hard to support seven children, but because they had secure jobs, Ager-Norman reflects, they were able to pool their funds and purchase a home. “I would say that those union jobs are what afforded them the ability to move their family from the projects in Brooklyn and purchase a home in the middle-class neighborhood of Cambria Heights, Queens.

“They still lived in it till the day we lost my grandfather during the pandemic. But my grandmother still lives there. And yeah, she’s still living off of that hard-earned union pension. So yeah, I do realize the difference that a union makes,” she said.

“I wish my grandparents would have told us. Because with my involvement in the movement, I wish they would have told us that it was because of the union that they got to move their family and give them a good life and take them on vacations and things like that. Because that definitely is what afforded them the ability to do that.”

Helping workers build careers

As a high school graduate, Ager-Norman accepted the offer to work as a filing clerk with Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) Local 338. She started out filing medical claims in the medical department and worked her way up through various other departments. “I always wanted to learn new things and challenge myself,” she said. “So whenever there was an opportunity to try something in a different department, I would do that while working as an assistant to the executive assistant to the president. I learned a lot of things that way. I moved through there and then there was an opportunity to help on an organizing campaign in the city –– they were looking for young folks to help out and so they asked me to help on that campaign. My last role at Local 338 was as the field director, overseeing all of the field staff and that’s before I moved on to work for the international union in 2015.”

For 23 years now, Ager-Norman has been organizing workers and promoting labor unity. She’s proud of the actions UFCW has taken to elevate the jobs of its 1.2 million members who work as grocery workers, in meatpacking and food processing plants, as retail, bookstore, pharmacy and health care workers, winery, distillery and chemical industry employees, and as workers in the newly emerging cannabis industry.

“Cannabis is our biggest focus right now. That’s an emerging industry where we are holding employers accountable and making sure that those workers are able to build careers and have apprenticeship programs,” she said. “We’re just making sure that those are jobs that workers with families can sustain as careers, not just jobs. We’re excited about the role that we’re playing there, making sure that these employers are doing the right thing by these workers.”

The UFCW represents workers across the country. In New York they have been working on legislation to grant the state’s farm workers the right to collectively bargain. “Those are some of the world’s most vulnerable workers –– most exploited workers –– who were left out of the [National Labor Relations Act] back in 1935, so we were extremely proud of the fact that we were able to get that law passed and able to organize the first farm workers in New York State.”

Ager-Norman’s work with UFCW, an international labor union, has reinforced her advocacy for workers to hold jobs that can help sustain themselves and their families, while simultaneously altering the mindset that they’re not just jobs – they’re careers.

The post Fallon Ager-Norman to chair NYC Labor Day parade appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here