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Amayah Spence is a freelance journalist in New York

Articles by Amayah

The River •

New York Moves to Ban Delta-8 THC, In Blow to CBD Market

There are three main issues that people walk into Matt Tallarico’s CBD shop in Kingston hoping to solve: pain, anxiety, and trouble sleeping.

Tallarico can relate personally with his customers who struggle with anxiety. He’s dealt with it for as long as he can remember, trying every natural remedy imaginable other than CBD, a solution he assumed was trendy but ineffective. But a friend who works in the industry convinced him to try it a few years ago. Now, Tallarico says it’s the only thing tha
The River •

Nail Salon Workers Are Transforming Their Industry

When her boss told her it was finally time for her lunch break, Maritza Ovalles jumped out of her chair at the Bronx nail salon she worked at. Breaks were hard to come by during her 9am to 8pm shifts. It was 2019, but Ovalles says not getting a break was common during her 15 years working in salons across four boroughs.

On this day, Ovalles was grateful to get lunch. She put her food in the microwave, setting the timer between two and three minutes. But as soon as it beeped, her boss called to
The New Paltz Oracle •

Radical Self-Care: The Importance of Self-Care for Activists & Where to Start

If you aren’t angry, you aren’t paying enough attention. At least, that’s what most rhetoric about pro-Black activism says. As James Baldwin described, “To be a negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be in a perpetual state of rage almost all the time.”

But activists are urging people to try their best to challenge that. Anger is an important catalyst for social change and a normal and valid response to non-stop injustice; but consistent rage, frustration and sadness can be
The New Paltz Oracle •

Incidents of Gun Recklessness Spark Fear Among Residents

Casey-Quinn Kooistra had just driven past the intersection of Huguenot & Mulberry Street (across from Nyquist-Harcourt Wildlife Sanctuary) in New Paltz when the young mom noticed something suspicious on the side of the road. She pulled over to examine what turned out to be a loaded .38 caliber gun. It was on the ground in front of a park many frequent with kids. That was March 19.

On March 20, there was a shooting at New Paltz’s Órale Mexican Restaurant. It led to two hospitalizations. Fortunat
The New Paltz Oracle •

A Look At Passover Celebrations in Year 1 vs. Year 2 of the Pandemic

It’s March 28, the first day of Passover. You’ve decided to join a virtual seder service to honor the jubilous holiday honoring the exodus of enslaved Jewish people from Egypt. First step: kiddush, everyone must drink their first of four cups of wine for the evening. First problem: how do you drink wine that’s on the opposite side of the screen?

While this may just sound like a horrible riddle or a humorless joke, this was the reality for many Jewish people in years one and two of the COVID-19
The New Paltz Oracle •

“I Hate Men” is the New “Boys Will be Boys”

For a very long time, it’s been an understood social and comedic norm that you can target people with privilege as the butt of jokes or derision without it being considered politically incorrect or problematic.

For instance, our society highly values thinness. For that reason Nicki Minaj can rap, “F*ck the skinny bitches in the club / F*ck you skinny b*tches” and Meghan Trainor can sing “I’m bringing booty back, go tell those skinny b*tches that,” without a major outcry of people being offended
The New Paltz Oracle •

Temperance Tantrum Raises Money for Black Queer Lives

A newly formed social justice collective in New Paltz is contributing to the Black Lives Matter movement by making their presence as widespread — yet anonymous — as possible.

Temperance Tantrum, a collective of queer artists, sells art to fundraise money for Black queer people in need of support. The collective aims to uplift the efforts of Black activists and community members by helping them attain the financial stability necessary for them to continue their activism, follow their passions an
The New Paltz Oracle •

R3SET Stress Management Supplement Hits Market Amongst Crisis Concerns

R3SET is a stress-management supplement that hit the market just a few weeks ago with a goal to change the way you think about stress. Here’s why this is something you’ll want to look out for.

Especially as of late, stress seems to be as synonymous with life as is death and taxes. In fact, the World Health Organization declared stress the “health epidemic of the 21st century.” But a new supplement called R3SET intends to reshape the way we view and experience stress.

In what may come as a surp
The New Paltz Oracle •

Service During Solitude: Community Service Opportunities for COVID-19

Being stuck at home with no way of safely helping the countless people suffering around you can be disempowering — but this doesn’t have to be the case. There are various ways that you can help others get through this pandemic in a completely safe way. Most of them are free and can be done from home. All of them have immeasurable impacts on others. As it is with most acts of service, you’ll probably find that some of these tips will boost your own spirit in addition to helping others.

As Queen
The New Paltz Oracle •

Valor Woven Scrubs: My Dad’s Insight From the Frontlines of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Content Warning: The following article discusses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hospitals and their employees, and includes mention of heavy topics such as death and illness.

When I was much younger, my dad mentioned to me that when he was in high school, he came very close to joining the military. The thought of my dad enlisting terrified me because I imagined his safety being compromised again and again with each passing day.

Today, as my dad works as a respiratory therapist in a hig