With “Mary Jane,” Amy Herzog has written one of the most moving plays you will see on Broadway this season. Playing at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (W. 47th Stree), this Manhattan Theatre Club drama beautifully, tenderly, and powerfully reveals the trauma that women can endure when they have severely ill children. 

Imagine if your child was unable to speak to you, unable to sit up, or had to be attached to medical equipment while in their stroller. Imagine needing nurses in your home to take care of your child and not being able to have a “normal daily existence” out in the world, at a job or anywhere else, because you are always tending to your children at home or in the hospital. That is the life that Mary Jane has known for two years with her son Alex.

Rachel McAdams is dynamic in this intense role. She handles this character’s pain with a sense of respect and dignity, and beautifully embodies a mother’s love for and dedication to her sick child. You also see that there is a community of families out there who try to help one another. 

This play will touch you on many levels, through the sheer trauma that these women go through and their steadfastness when it comes to helping and advocating for their children. They see the beauty in their babies, but also admit to the toll they feel on their lives.

McAdams is part of a cast of five women who are versatile, distinct, and touching as they each play dual roles. April Matthis, as both Alex’s nurse Sherry and Dr. Toros, plays these characters with marvelous care, concern, and heart. Brenda Wehle is memorable as both Ruthie, the building super who has a great deal of empathy for Mary Jane, and Tenkei, a nun at the hospital who comforts Mary Jane while Alex is in surgery. Lily Santiago is engrossing as Amelia and Kat. Amelia is Sherry’s niece, a college student who is shy, sensitive, and caring. In the role of Kat, a music therapist, she is gentle and kind as she plays music to soothe Alex after a procedure.

Susan Pourfar is incredibly touching in her roles as Brianna and Chaya, both mothers of children who are experiencing severe illnesses. Brianna is new to this life and receives detailed tips from Mary Jane about how to get assistance and benefits for her son Seth. As Chaya, she is a mother of seven children, with one daughter who is severely ill and causes her to be in the hospital for months at a time.  

Direction by Anne Kaufmann is superb. You will know you have experienced something that is, sadly, a reality for many parents. The set design by Lael Jellinek is fantastic and detailed. Costume design by Brenda Abbandandolo, lighting design by Ben Stanton, and sound design by Leah Gelpe add to the intensity of this truly stunning play. 

“Mary Jane” is touching, moving, deep theater. For more info, visit www.manhattantheatreclub.com.

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Amid the daily news from Gaza and Palestine and the lives lost, there is finally some good news for Palestinians in the U.S. covered by Deferred Enforced Departure (DED).

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently posted a Federal Register notice establishing procedures for DED Palestinians to apply for Employment Authorization Documents (EADs), aka work permits. Those work permits will be valid through Aug. 13, 2025. 

The April 15 notice describes eligible Palestinians and acceptable documentation, such as a Palestinian Authority passport or identification card. 

USCIS has reiterated that “it adjudicates each EAD application fairly, humanely, and efficiently on a case-by-case basis to determine if they meet all standards and eligibility criteria.” Over the past year, USCIS has reduced EAD processing times overall and streamlined adjudication processing.

The news comes almost two months after President Biden issued a memorandum about DED for Palestinians on Feb. 14, 2024, deferring the removal of certain Palestinians present in the United States at the time of the announcement through Aug. 13, 2025. The memorandum directed the Department of Homeland Security to take appropriate measures to authorize employment for Palestinians eligible for DED and to consider suspending certain regulatory requirements for Palestinian F-1 non-immigrant students. 

There is no application for DED. Palestinians are covered under DED based on the terms described in the president’s directive. Eligible Palestinians can apply for an EAD by filing Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization with USCIS. The cost is $470 if filing online and $520 for a paper filing. 

Individuals who wish to travel outside of the United States based on DED must file Form I-131, Application for Travel Document with the USCIS. The cost is $630.

Remember that when submitting applications, photos must be “unmounted” and “unretouched.” Unretouched means the photos must not be edited or digitally enhanced. The submission of any mounted or retouched images will delay the processing of an application and may prompt USCIS to require an applicant to appear at an Applicant Support Center to verify their identity.

EAD cards will be mailed via U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Priority Mail. The time it will take to receive an EAD card may vary, depending on USPS delivery times. Allow a total of 30 days from approval before inquiring with USCIS and use the Case Status Online and your USPS tracking number for EAD card delivery time. Anyone who has not received their EAD card within this time frame should visit the e-Request – Self Service Tools at uscis.gov for instructions about how to submit an inquiry.

Palestinians who entered the United States after Feb. 14, 2024, are not eligible for DED and therefore cannot apply for an EAD. 

Meanwhile, the Biden administration threw another bone to Palestinian students: Palestinians on F-1 non-immigrant student visas may now also request employment authorization, work an increased number of hours while school is in session, and reduce their courseload while continuing to maintain F-1 status through the DED period.  

Felicia J. Persaud is the publisher of NewsAmericasNow.com, a daily news outlet focusing on Black immigrant issues.

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* This article was originally published here

Joseph J. Thomas, a trailblazing retail executive, has died at the age of 85 at NYU Langone Hospital.

A viewing and funeral mass took place on Tuesday, April 23 starting at 9:00 a.m. at Cathedral Basilica of St. James (250 Cathedral Place, Brooklyn). In lieu of flowers a donation can be made to the J.J. Thomas Memorial Scholarship Fund, High School of Fashion, 225 W. 24th St. NYC 10011.

Mr. Thomas worked for Bloomingdale’s for 43 years. He was a buyer,  before rising to become the store’s operating vice president for diversity and community service.
Mr. Thomas was Bloomingdale’s first Black buyer and the company’s first Black corporate, operating vice president.

He supported the careers of numerous Black professionals at Bloomingdale’s, in the industry at large and as a board member and president of the Black Retail Action Group (BRAG), the oldest active retail and fashion organization devoted to Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) equity and inclusion

This year, the High School of Fashion Industries in New York, renamed its annual career fair the JJ Thomas Career Day in recognition of his impact and devotion to the school. The Black Retail Action Group named an award after him: The JJ Thomas Innovators Award for new businesses.

Born April 26, 1938 in Opelousas, Louisiana, Mr. Thomas served in the Army before joining Bloomingdale’s in 1965 at the height of the Civil Rights Movement.

Five years later, he joined BRAG and was appointed to the board of directors in 1974. He became president and served until 1995. During his tenure, the organization raised thousands of dollars from retailers, and awarded college scholarships to hundreds of Black students from around the country.                                                                                 

In 2005, he wed Halcyone Bullen.

Mr. Thomas remained with Bloomingdale’s until his retirement in 2008 and retired from the BRAG board two years later, moving to the advisory board.

He was never without his camera. With it, he captured a lot of the history and memories of diversity groundbreakers in the industry. Many of his photographs date back to the ‘70s—a time when African Americans were just starting to be included in the industry at management and executive levels.

Mr. Thomas lived in Brooklyn Heights, New York. He is survived by his wife, stepson Jamal Lanham, sister Elizabeth Lazard, and a host of nieces and nephews.

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* This article was originally published here