After years of struggling to make ends meet in various jobs, my life changed when I joined the New York City Carpenters Union. Through the Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW) and the BuildingWorks pre-apprenticeship programs, I’ve gained access to a stable career path with great pay and benefits that allows me to provide for my family. Without and the union, I wouldn’t be able to afford to live in the city I’m building. To maintain the lifeblood of New York City, we need to keep it livable for working people. I am proud to say that and the union and working for a union contractor are helping make that goal become a reality.

I’m a proud second year apprentice now, gaining all the skills I need to be the best in the industry. The great wages I receive as an apprentice allow me and my family to afford living in New York, the city where I work and help build. The solid benefits I receive through my paid apprenticeship are also crucial for my ability to thrive here, as I finally have quality healthcare for my kids and I. Thanks to the union, I was able to finally go to the primary care doctor for the first time in years. My level of gratitude for the union is high because I know that such strong benefits are unfortunately not the industry norm.

A recent study found that 41% of construction workers and their families in New York need government assistance just to make ends. To make matters even worse, 25% also have no healthcare whatsoever, due to nonunion construction being rife with exploitative practices. Union carpenters and contractors combat this by providing good wages and benefits for their workers, along with advocating for fair wages for all construction workers, union and nonunion alike. The more construction workers we bring into the union and the more fair wage standards we achieve, the more we can relieve the taxpayer burden of providing government assistance programs. I am proud to be a part of the  union working to make this happen.

I am also grateful for the supportive work environment within the union and on the job. I’ve had the opportunity to be part of a great mentorship program with the union’s Sisters in the Brotherhood. They’re always there to help with any issues or questions I may have. One day, I hope to become a mentor as well by becoming an instructor. I’ve seen the value that female instructors bring to aspiring female carpenters like myself. I can’t wait until I’m able to inspire the next generation, just like I was inspired.

Along with great instructors, a diverse working environment, and mentorship opportunities, the union also makes it a point to prioritize safety whether in the classroom, in training, or on the job. We’re always equipped with the right protective gear, safety trainings, and knowledge about the safety considerations for every project we work on.

All New York City carpenters and construction workers deserve good-paying, rewarding careers. I’m happy to say that I’ve found exactly that thanks to the Carpenters Union and look forward to building my career and a better future for New York alongside my union brothers and sisters.

The post Union Carpenters and Contractors Deliver Affordability for New Yorkers appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here

Lynn Nottage always creates work that teaches us, as Black people, lessons that hit hard but have to be learned. With her production of “Fabulation or the Re-Education of Undine,” she teaches that we should never forget where we came from when we are successful: Don’t be that Black person who has financial success, treats people like garbage, and gloats in your own sense of importance, because it can all be taken away from you in a moment. 

I love the fact that the Billie Holiday Theatre used this work as its first full production re-opener after being closed for renovations since 2019. This theater is a treasure in Brooklyn, and is much appreciated.

Nottage’s play presents us with Undine, and we quickly get to know how shallow she is and then watch as her world turns upside down. When Undine reaches rock-bottom, all of her “friends” abandon her immediately. As the creditors come to take all she has, even her “best friend” watches, does nothing, and feels Undine should understand. Undine finds herself needing to go back to her family, of whom she has said unbelievable things, and she gets into situations with family members that are very much off the beaten track for her. The play follows as she pays the consequences for her actions and theirs.

She realizes that she has angered the Orishas and will have a heavy price to pay. What happens to her should be a lesson to all: Never turn your back on your history, your family, your neighborhood, or your African name. Don’t strive to be something you’re not. And never be ashamed of the people who knew you before all the education, fame, money, and notoriety.

The cast delivers Nottage’s work in a 100-minute torrent of emotions. Felicia Curry is captivating as Undine. She takes the audience through an emotional rollercoaster that is needed for her character to realize what truly is important in life. 

The rest of the ensemble cast perform at least two roles each—as ensemble members and a particular character. Mariyea is dynamic as Stephie, Undine’s much-abused assistant. Kimberlee Walker is gripping as Mother. Tito Livas brings the heat as Undine’s sexy, unscrupulous husband Herve/Guy. Evander Duck Jr. is intriguing as Father. Sharon Hope is enthralling as Grandma. Roland Lane is riveting as Flow, Undine’s brother. Alex Gibson does well as her Accountant.

The production has intriguing direction by Martavius Parrish, set design by Rodrigo Escalante, costume design by Christopher Vergara, lighting design by Amara McNeil, sound design by German Martinez, and hair and wig design by Nikiya Mathis.This production runs through May 19, so make plans to go on this journey with Undine soon. For ticket information, visit thebillieholiday.org.

The post BK’s Billie Holiday Theatre reopens with Lynn Nottage’s ‘Fabulation or the Re-Education of Undine,’ on through May 19 appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here

Members of the international Sigma Lambda Beta fraternity invite the community to attend a fundraiser at downtown Manhattan’s S.O.B. (Sounds of Brazil) on Tuesday, May 21. 

The fundraiser is to support the I Need an A organization.

Sigma Lambda Beta’s local alumni chapter won an $8,000 educational foundation award, which will help the group create an event that would aid with abortion access and in dismantling machismo. 

“The brothers—we got together, and we started compiling ideas and we landed at our event, ‘Breaking Down,’” Karl Michael Iglesias said about his fraternity’s decision to try to create programming focused on cultural awareness. 

Sigma Lambda Beta’s event is meant to create a gathering at S.O.B. Doors will open at 7 p.m. for a salsa dance workshop led by world champion professional salsa dancer Selena Tornez (who appears in the musical film “In the Heights”). Attendees can purchase tickets for the night’s raffle. 

From 7:45–8:30 p.m. the Lulada Club, New York City’s all-woman salsa orchestra, will play their first set. DJ Ace Fusion will serve as the DJ between sets, and during those times, there will be an education station where organizations like the New York Foundation for the Arts and the NY Abortion Access Fund will provide information about abortion access, artist career support, and voter registration resources. 

From 9:15–10 p.m., the Lulada Club will play their final set.

At the end of the night, all funds raised will be turned over to the I Need an A.com organization. 

I Need an A, which accepts tax-deductible donations, operates a website that was created by a team of people in the tech sector who have had abortions. Many of the site’s creators found it difficult to find information about reproductive care services when they really needed it, so they decided to design and build I Need an A to make it easier for other people to obtain access to abortions.

“We started in 2016, really with me and my co-founder-and-spouse building the thing that we wished we’d had when I googled how to get an abortion and the information online was a mess,” said Rebecca Nall, founder of I Need an A. “There was a lot of information about fake clinics, there was a lot of outdated information about the real clinics, and there wasn’t one list to find every clinic near me. Everything was really fragmented, so we started building a database of all the abortion clinics, all the abortion funds, and built a user experience that enables abortion seekers to find just the information that’s important to them based on their location and how long they’ve been pregnant. 

“Since Roe v. Wade was overturned,” Nall added, “we’ve become even more of a critical piece of infrastructure for both abortion seekers and the abortion movement, and we’ve been fundraising to continue investing in the innovation of our tool.”

When the brothers of Sigma Lambda Beta came up with the idea to work with an abortion-related organization, they said they also had trouble finding one on the internet. “We truly started off in the same way, with a Google search and trying to find an abortion-access advocate in our area or in the nation,” Iglesias said. “It was very noticeable how googling that kind of information was very hard in some ways. 

“What stood out was I Need an A coming right up there to the top of our search. Looking through it and seeing what they were standing for and the fact that they are a 501c3 project, we thought that the intersection was right on the nose between our two organizations, so we’re on the path to raise somewhere around $2,000 to $2,500.” 
For more information about the “Break It Down: Featuring LULADA CLUB” event, check out Sigma Lambda Beta’s Eventbrite page or contact S.O.B. at 212-243-4940.

The post Fraternity holds night of Afro Latin music to support abortion access appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here

Construction scaffolding and fencing are a ubiquitous part of New York City. In fact, there are nearly 9,000 sidewalk sheds in NYC, and they typically last for more than a year, according to city data. That adds up to a staggering two million linear feet. 

Now, 220 feet of that massive total looks a lot prettier thanks to local artists as part of NYC’s City Canvas program, which turns construction fencing into canvases. Next time you’re in East Harlem, keep an eye out for two newly unveiled murals on Second Avenue between 97th and 99th Streets. 

RECOMMENDED: These trippy sculptures of people in Manhattan will make you do a double take

You’ll see pieces by two artists, JR and Dario Mohr, that have taken over the construction scaffolding outside of NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan. 

JR presents a collection of black-and-white portraits of East Harlem residents, especially residents of NYCHA’s East River Houses. It is part of his Inside Out Project, which grew out of his TED Talk about using “his camera to show the world its true face.” So far, more than 600,000 people across 152 countries have participated in the Inside Out Project. The project is intended to spark conversations and collaborations that lead to social change.

As for Mohr, he collaborated with youth from East River Houses on his monumental works titled Adinkrahene. The collection is tied together through Adinkra symbols, which originated from the Asante Kingdom, and have recently become a ubiquitous symbol of the greater African Diaspora. Kids from the East River Houses contributed their own Adinkra symbols. The piece also features elements of works by Knii Shippie Afotey of Ghana and Faith Omole of Nigeria.

“The mural was originally inspired by my ancestry research beginning with a trip I took to Grenada,” Mohr said in a press release. “I really hope this resonates with the community in terms of the Black experience being beyond words, and I hope this piece makes us feel safe and connected to each other.”

I hope this piece makes us feel safe and connected to each other.

Mohr, a first-generation Grenadian-US citizen, is the founder and director of AnkhLave Arts Alliance, a nonprofit organization that presents BIPOC artists in public spaces. You may have seen art by AnkhLave fellows at Brooklyn Botanic Garden last summer.

Core Scaffold Systems sponsored the East Harlem art projects, but even after the scaffolding disappears, the art will remain on permanent display at Metropolitan Hospital.

“I really love that this mural was done in collaboration with the residents in the East River Houses, many of whom receive their care at Metropolitan,” NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan’s CEO Cristina Contreras said in a press release. “I think that it’s important for these residents, who are part of the fabric of this community, to see themselves reflected in this mural.”

I think that it’s important for these residents, who are part of the fabric of this community, to see themselves reflected in this mural.

The City Canvas program became official in late 2023, though its partner ArtBridge has been beautifying scaffolding since 2009. City Canvas acknowledge that the fencing and scaffolding are parts of the urban landscape, but “in most instances they are unappealing and represent the inconvenience of construction projects,” they say.

“City Canvas is a program designed to allow the installation of temporary visual art on eligible temporary protective structures in an effort improve the pedestrian experience for NYC residents and visitors across the five boroughs,” per the organization’s website.

These murals are proof that you can find art in the unlikeliest places in NYC, so so keep an eye out for this project and others from City Canvas when you’re walking around town. 

* This article was originally published here

In a world of online tools that let you make banking transactions with the touch of a button, the idea of visiting a branch might seem unnecessary. 

 
However, if you haven’t visited your local branch recently, you might be surprised by what it has to offer. Your branch is much more than a place to deposit and withdraw money – it can offer the opportunity to build valuable relationships with people who can help you achieve financial independence.

Diedra Porché, Head of Community and Business Development at Chase, talks about how the bank model has evolved to maximize the branch experience for customers; how connecting with your local branch team can help you think differently about money and investing for your future. 

Q: How can a customer feel connected to a bank branch?

I love that question because we ask ourselves the same thing every day. Being part of the community means meeting with local leaders to find out what they need from us and then designing our branches around that. For example, at some of our community branches we have what we call a living room where we can host financial workshops, small business pop-up shops or nonprofit organization meetings. We also hire locally. You feel much more connected talking about financial aspirations with people from your community who went to the same high school, place of worship or maybe frequented the same recreation center down the street when they grew up.  

Q: How can I build a relationship with my bank?  

Customers should feel comfortable sharing their goals, needs and wants with their banker. Also, it helps to remember the Community Manager is there to help solve your finance challenges and build a roadmap for success. You might have a short-term or long-term goal to open a business, build your credit, become debt-free, buy a home, or save for retirement, and our community team can help. At Chase, we strive to make dreams possible for everyone, everywhere, every day. Your financial future starts with building those relationships. 

Q: How can customers change negative perceptions they have about managing their money?

Far too often, customers are intimidated when they visit a bank. Our goal is to demystify banking and money myths empowering people to make the right decisions. For example, a big myth is assuming you need a lot of money to have a bank account. You don’t! Another myth is you need to carry a balance on your credit card to build credit —  actively using your credit card can demonstrate that you can use credit responsibly, but carrying a balance won’t necessarily improve your credit score. Finally, having an understanding of mobile and online banking safety is key. There are so many safeguards and protections in place to guard your personal information and funds. 

Q: What’s an easy step one can take to shift their financial behavior right now?

Cultivating self-awareness is a good first step. Start by taking inventory of your spending. Be honest with yourself about what you need and what you want. Too often, people confuse the two, which leads to bad decisions. Rent is something you need to pay. An extra pair of shoes is something you may want but before you buy them ask yourself if that’s the best use of your hard earned money. Too often, our beliefs and our fears shape our financial realities. If any of those beliefs are limiting your financial behavior, it’s important to question and examine them, and then decide you’re open to learning something different. 

Q: What’s one perception about banking that you’d like to change? 

I think folks are surprised there are so many resources available and accessible both at our branches and online, it’s always a good idea to visit a nearby branch and speak to a Community Manager or banker. Outside of what we offer in-branch, our teams also work with local neighborhood partners who provide a variety of  services to support the community, businesses and residents. I had a unique piece of feedback from an employee who started with the bank and had lived in the same community his whole life. When he visited his local community branch, he said, “Diedra, when I walked in, I felt dignified.” Every time I recount that story, it warms my heart because that’s what we want — we want our centers to belong to the community. 

The post Maximizing Your Bank Branch Experience appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here