To Assembly Member Walter T. Mosley (D-Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights, Crown Heights) marginalized people living in the shadows of Brooklyn – whether through poverty or as undocumented immigrants – all need to stay informed as they face common issues regarding human dignity.
And that is the reason that Mosley last night brought together U.S. Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-Central Brooklyn), State Sen. Jesse Hamilton, and Democratic District Leader Geoffrey Davis, who is also the executive director of the James E. Davis Foundation, for a panel discussion on civil rights at the Central Public Library in Grand Army Plaza .
The panel was titled “Love Yourself”, after the James E. Davis Foundation’s slogan, and marked the beginning of a year-long initiative to empower young, marginalized adults via education and the promotion of the values of peace and community.
“We need to infuse ourselves with the necessary information because we realize that this is a civil rights issue. Even though we all came here on different ships, we’re all in the same boat now,” said Mosley.
The evening began with some introductory words from the elected officials hosting the event, as well as César Vargas, the first undocumented lawyer in New York.
Mosley and Clarke gave a brief overview of the issues that the panelists would discuss, and reiterated the purpose of the panel – namely, to keep the most vulnerable people in New York informed about matters vital to their well-being.
“We have a man sitting in the White House who has put a price on human dignity,” said Clarke. “On that basic level, if you’re not infuriated, something is wrong.”
Meanwhile, Hamilton discussed some legislation he’s going to introduce in the coming months, including a bill that would allow residents with temporary protective status (TPS) to keep their driver’s licenses and stay eligible for Medicaid.
Finally, Vargas talked about his own experiences as an undocumented immigrant, hammering home how vital the subject of the panel is.
“I remember us being at the US- Mexico border, with the lights in the distance, the smell of wet terrain and wet dirt, and all of a sudden, us running,” recalled Vargas. “And throughout that time, if there’s one thing I remember from that night, it’s [my mother] holding my hand tightly, reminding me that she was there to protect me no matter what. She could’ve been killed, she could’ve been raped, but the love for her children was more powerful than anything.”
After Mosley, Clarke, Hamilton and Vargas spoke, the panel discussion – consisting of seven prominent artists and advocates for immigrant rights from across the city – began. WBLS radio personality Raqiyah Mays moderated the discussion.
DACA, as expected, was at the forefront of the conversation, but it wasn’t the only point of contention mentioned at the panel. The panelists made it clear that the plight of immigrants in America extends far beyond DACA, as they discussed New York’s DREAM Act, voting rights, initiatives to preserve temporary protected status (TPS), Census 2020, and child health care.
Dr. John Flateau, professor at Medgar Evers College, talked at length about how the Census 2020 is going to affect immigrants in New York. As he explained, the census count determines the federal programs and services provided to the communities of New York, based on population size and demographics. This, he said, could pose a problem to dreamers and undocumented residents.
“It ties directly into issues like DACA and TPS,” said Flateau. “If I were on the short end of DACA and TPS, I would not be inclined to cooperate with the federal government, walking around in my community or sending me mail, asking me to fill out information and tell them how many people are in my family, where I live, how much money I make… but if we’re not properly counted, our political power is going to shrink.”
Annette Harewood, from the NYC Commission on Human Rights, talked about the numerous anti-discriminatory laws standing in New York, particularly in regards to housing, employment and public accommodations. New York, she said, doesn’t just prohibit discrimination based on race, religion and national origin, but also immigration status and past arrest history, among others.
“There are 24 protected categories – more than any other city in the United States,” said Harewood. “The only other city that might come close is San Francisco.”
However, Lumumba Akinwole-Bandele of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund was quick to remind attendees that their self-preservation isn’t solely a matter of recognizing the rights they already have; it’s also a matter of preventing those rights from being taken away.
“We don’t have the luxury to contemplate whether or not to get involved at this point,” said Akinwole-Bandele. “We literally have to organize. Our lives depend on it. We’re past the point of having a conversation of if we can, should we can. There is entirely too much at stake for us to figure out who else is going to be the one to respond to this.”
