News — New York City

A 36-year-old Guyanese man was arrested at the John F. Kennedy Airport on Monday after he allegedly attempted to smuggle 35 live finches he obtained from his native country for “singing contests” in New York City,  a complaint from the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York said.

The suspect, identified as Kevin Andre McKenzie, was approached and searched by Customs and Border Protection officers while he was going through formalities after arriving. Upon searching his jacket and the upper side of his shoes, officers found the birds placed in individual hair rollers that were covered with perforated nets.

McKenzie, who was subsequently taken into custody on a charge of illegally importing the birds, was later released after posting a $25,000 bond. During interrogation, McKenzie reportedly told officers he received an advance payment of $500 to smuggle the birds to New York before boarding his flight in his native Guyana. Had he been successful with his attempt, he said he would have received an outstanding balance of $2,500.

Kathryn McCabe, a special agent for the US Fish and Wildlife Service, said finches are typically used for “singing contests” in Brooklyn and Queens neighborhoods, adding that the Guyanese species are the most sought-after as they are believed to have better-singing prowess, CNN reported.

“In such contests, often conducted in public areas like parks, two finches sing and a judge selects the bird determined to have the best voice,” McCabe said in the complaint.

“Many who attend the singing contests wager on the birds. A finch who wins these competitions becomes valuable and can sell for more than $10,000. Although certain species of finch are available in the United States, species from Guyana are believed to sing better and are therefore more valuable.”

Many people take their jobs seriously and commit to serve till their last breath and that is a brave thing to do regardless of the risks. Sadly, a man died while trying to help his passengers escape a burning train. The No. 2 train which he was operating blew up last Friday leaving its operator, Garrett Goble lifeless after he tried helping the passengers.

According to the New York Post, there were 16 injuries during the fire of which five were firefighters. Investigators found a badly burnt grocery basket in the ruins and believe that it could be the starting point of the fire.

“As [the train] reached 110th Street here, an employee that was on the train reported to the motorman that there was heavy smoke and fire coming from the second car,” NYPD Deputy Chief Brian McGee said during a press conference. “The train stopped, and many people got off because there was a large, large fire on that train.”

The NYPD say they will investigate the incident as arson. Goble and another conductor who was not on duty assisted other passengers caught in the fire to escape the burning train.

Tony Utano, president of the Transport Workers Union Local 100, told the Post the conductor “is a little traumatized.”

“He was happy that what he did to save the passengers made him feel that he did a good thing,” Utano added. The 36-year-old was found unconscious and helpless on the train tracks. He was then taken to the local hospital where he was pronounced dead. Investigators seem to think he died of a cardiac arrest triggered by the smoke.

Delilah Goble and the deceased had two sons, a 10-year-old and a five-month-old. She said she knew something didn’t add up when Goble’s usual call didn’t come through during his usual shift. No wife wants to see the police at their doorstep when they feel something unusual is going on with their husband.

However, when Delilah heard how he stayed to help the other passengers she said she was not surprised. “It doesn’t surprise me that this is how he lost his life,” she told The New York Daily News. “He would do anything to help… He was a great guy. He was funny. He was the best father. He loved his kids so much.”

However, she admits pulling through the tragedy has not been the easiest for her and her boys. “I’m just numb. Actually, it feels like a dream. I feel like he’s going to come through the door. I don’t think I’ll ever accept this,” she told Post. “I’ll just learn to live with it. I don’t know how I’m supposed to go on without him.”

Her eldest son cannot seem to cope. “It comes in waves. Sometimes he just sits, looking out the window crying, ‘I want to see my dad,’” she said.

His mother, Vicky Goble is devastated by the accident as well. “The whole thing doesn’t make sense. Set a fire! For what reason? A good man was taken from this earth and the rest of us just have to continue on as best we can. I’m too shell-shocked to be angry,” she said.

Planning a funeral amid the coronavirus pandemic is hard because New York has been hit hard by the virus. “We are looking at funeral homes and what we are allowed [to do]. If we can’t do what we want to do, once this is over, we will have a memorial for him,” Vicky said.

His co-workers including his boss Utano is also torn by Goble’s demise. “This is a sad day for our entire city. We’re devastated,” he told reporters. Goble had been with MTA for six years. “He was starting a whole new career. He was family, and now it’s over. It’s over just like that.”

MTA Chairman and CEO Patrick Foye grieved Goble and are offering a $50,000 cash reward to any witnesses or anyone with information that could help catch the perpetrators.

 “The entire MTA family mourns [Goble’s] death alongside a grateful city,” Foye said. “Our hearts break for his family, loved ones and all those who knew him.”

A suspect was taken in by the NYPD and later released after questioning. Nonetheless, no arrests have been made yet, and the department is also offering a reward totaling $52,500.

Kevin Livingston is the Founder and CEO of 100 Suits for 100 Men. Founded in 2011, the organization was created to serve the needs of men and women in need of business attire in New York City.

In 2015, the organization obtained 501 (c)(3) non-profit status and expanded its programs beyond suits. 100 Suits has tackled socio-economic issues and has been an integral part of the communities they serve. Recently, the organization shifted to food delivery work to support seniors and others in need during the pandemic.

“No one could have told me that when I started the senior delivery in the first week of March…that it would turn into a Cutlery program,” says Livingston. “And we would hire several young people from our community people to run it. Truly amazing!”

100 Suits Supporting Families During Pandemic

When the pandemic hit in March 2020,  millions of Americans were faced with unexpected challenges. Livingston decided to step up to the plate, organize a team of individuals, and make a difference where it was needed most.

On March 6th, Livingston created a senior delivery program to help those most vulnerable to the woes of the pandemic. Since March, 100 Suits has delivered over 22,000 home groceries and meals to seniors in Queens, New York. Through the 100 Soups Program, the organization provided weekly home-cooked soups to families in homeless shelters. The organization also developed the #Feed500 initiative to provide fresh produce boxes.

Livingston created a culinary program for youth to fuel these initiatives. During the summer, the youth came together and cooked meals to be delivered to seniors. This program created 12 new jobs for youth who were impacted by the cancellation of traditional jobs.

100 Suits was also there to provide personal protective equipment (PPE). The team distributed 30,000 PPE which included masks and sanitizer.

Building the Next Generation of Leaders

100 Suits has been on the move since the pandemic started. The organization has been able to help the most marginalized individuals in Queens, ranging from underprivileged youth to seniors.

“As I look back we have done a lot and one of the proudest moments I have is our senior program is supervised by an 18 yr old,” says Livingston in an email to Black Enterprise. “I love my team because they along with myself put our lives on the line to help others.”

Even during the pandemic, 100 Suits has stayed true to its core mission: providing resources that create employment opportunities. Before the pandemic, this outreach came in the form of suits, free haircuts, and salon referrals. Colin Kaepernick has been an instrumental supporter, donating custom suits to prepare more men and women for job interviews.

Now, the organization has been a part of the job creation process. 100 Suits provided 10 jobs to formerly incarcerated men and women to become Social Distance Community Ambassadors. The team handed out PPE masks and sanitizers, They also encouraged testing to ensure the safety of residents.

“Children, young men, and men of color need to see people like themselves represented in a positive light by “ordinary” people. Furthermore, it provides a framework for them to understand that dreams coupled with hard work lead to success and empowerment. It speaks to possibility, demonstrates hope, and has the capacity to spur someone else to pursue their dreams despite the lack of initial support.”

Sheila Brown walked out of WUFO in Buffalo, New York, after working at the radio station for 14 years. She left after the station changed management and their operations were not in line with her vision. Brown however plans of returning to the station had but was not sure in what capacity. After eight years, she came back and purchased the station. Today, she is the first Black woman to own a radio station in Buffalo, New York.

According to reports, she started her career at the station in the ’80s. True to her vow, Brown returned and bought the station. “I looked at the building and I waved and said, don’t worry baby, I’ll be back,’” Brown told reporters. 

It was not an easy journey for the Buffalo native who grew up in Hamlin Park. The banks did not believe in her vision and at a point, she was told to revise her business plan. Her church and Bishop had faith in her from the onset.

“I went through everything, we had banks say no like three times before they said yes, and credit unions said no your business plan needs to be updated, but True Bethel and Bishop Daris Pridgen, and they had faith in me.”

Not only has Brown taken over the station which she worked hard to get, but she has also elevated their frequency and added an FM channel to it in partnership with Power 96.5. Now the WUFO brand is reaching more folks than it has over the years.

This has made it more attractive and lucrative because advertisers know they can reach millions with the new visibility. Also, many influencers and popular DJs have walked through their doors for business.

WUFO is certainly going places under the leadership of Brown. Prominent figures are interviewed at the station and the station hosts a weekly talk with the mayor. The station runs the WUFO history collectible containing about 60 years of WUFO memorabilia.

Brown admits that being the youngest of three siblings and growing up in an extremely supportive family gave her the confidence she needs to take on the world.

She grew up wanting to pursue greater exploits. “My uncles coming to see us would go hey here comes our superstar,” she said. “Not saying it to boost me but just positive affirmation, so I never was afraid of anything I was going to do.”

Her only reservation is, it has been a long time coming for her to own the station but that should not have been the case. This only goes to show there are many aspects of our potential as Black people and women to be precise that we are yet to explore.

Vice President Kamala Harris is certainly proud to be the first Black-Asian female second in command in the country and she certainly has made it clear she does not want to be the last. The same goes for Brown who intends on using her platform to open more doors for many who aspire to step into their greatness.

“It feels good, but it’s sad in 2021 we’re still talking about the first if anything, but I’m just proud that the lord used me to be the first woman of color to own a radio station,” shared Brown. “The Vice President said she might be the first but not the last so my goal is to prep other people.”

A 29-year-old New York man who was arrested for allegedly attacking women unprovoked at a subway stop in Brooklyn is facing a 52-count indictment and could be sentenced to up to life behind bars if found guilty.

According to New York Post, Khari Covington allegedly attacked five women at the Morgan Avenue subway station somewhere between November and January. He also allegedly assaulted two other women around the vicinity on August 5 and January 4 respectively. Covington faces a slew of charges including burglary as a hate crime, strangulation as a hate crime and assault as a hate crime. Asked about the motive behind his attacks, Covington allegedly told investigators he targeted the women because they were light-skinned.

“This defendant’s alleged violent and unprovoked attacks endangered the women he targeted and caused widespread fear in the community,” Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said in a statement on Wednesday. “I am committed to prosecuting all hate crimes where victims, including as alleged in this case, are targeted because of their gender, skin color or race.”

One of the victims who earlier spoke to the news outlet condemned the police for not doing enough to warn women of Covington’s unprovoked attacks at the subway when they got to know about the pattern.

“I was stunned that this had happened so many times. I didn’t see any police stationed there. There were no flyers,” Bianca Fortis said in January. “There’s not enough security. After it happened the first time, or certainly the second, there should have been more information. Even just a flyer saying be on alert.”

Elizabeth Wakefield, another victim, also narrated her ordeal to NBC New York, saying: “He was coming down behind me, and he must have — from the angle and from what I’ve gathered — kicked me in the side of the face and head from behind. My immediate thought after it happened to me was, I really hope this doesn’t happen again to somebody else.”

And though police did not confirm to NBC New York if the attack on Wakefield was connected to the other incidents, she said it was possible Covington was behind them following conversations she had with the other victims.

“It sounds like similar descriptions of what he looked like and pretty much the exact same style of attack, and the same exact subway stop,” Wakefield said.

Covington was arraigned in court on Wednesday and his bail was continued at $150,000.

Isaac Wright Jr. was a convicted felon who learned the ropes of the legal system to free himself and became a lawyer in the process. He is the inspiration for ABC’s ‘For Life’. On Tuesday, December 1, Wright announced his candidacy to run for mayor as a Democrat in New York City.

In 1991, Wright was wrongfully accused of being the main deviser behind a drug conglomerate in the New York and New Jersey area. Subsequently, he was convicted under New Jersey’s drug kingpin law. Wright served as his own lawyer and was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Wright constructed the legal tactic and formulated a defense pro se brief as a counter to the king-pin jury instruction in State v. Alexander, 136 N.J. 563 (1994); this method was instrumental in reversing his conviction.

While conducting a cross-examination during his own case, Wright was able to extract a confession of police misconduct from a veteran police officer, James Dugan. This is what solidified his freedom.

“I understood law enforcement in such a way that I was able to get a law enforcement officer, a veteran, to actually come clean and admit fault, even though he was facing prison time,” Wright told People.

“The years of dealing with those issues allowed me to take that experience and individually turn an officer around. I think I could do the same thing with the NYPD.”

While he was incarcerated, Wright continued to study law and became a prison paralegal. He was instrumental in lowering the sentences and overturning convictions of over twenty inmates.

After Wright’s release from prison, he pursued law and graduated in 2002 with his undergraduate degree. In 2007, Wright graduated from Saint Thomas University School of Law. In 2008, he passed the New Jersey bar examination.

Wright was granted admission to the bar by the New Jersey Bar’s Committee on Character after a nine-year investigation and he is currently a Counselor with one of the biggest Black-owned law firms in Newark, New Jersey, law firm Hunt, Hamlin & Ridley.

According to the firm’s website, he focuses on “defending the wrongly accused and going after corrupt institutions.”

He is banking his candidacy on his experience which by all standards is different from his counterparts. He did not fully disclose his plans for the city, though he has pledged to “address the racial, economic, environmental, and educational injustices that plague our city’s institutions.”

“I don’t consider myself a true activist,” Wright said, adding that the core of his makeup is to fight for what is right.

Many friends and colleagues had pushed Wright to stand for this very position many years ago. He feels now is the right time because this year, many people have decided not to be silent anymore on issues pertaining to institutional racism and police brutality.

He however believes that there is more everyone can do aside from the protests, and that is, to get into the real fight. Wright said he is the man to lead that fight for real change.

“In my experience in life, nothing good happens, most of the time, without a fight,” he said. “You can scream, you can holler, you can protest — which are all good things, because we have to be heard — but no real, significant changes occur without rolling up your sleeves and getting into a fight.”