Adams Applauds Statewide k-12 Black History Education
Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams applauded the efforts by State Senator Jesse Hamilton (Central Brooklyn) and Assembly member Diana Richardson (D-Crown Heights, Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Flatbush) in demanding mandatory Black History education in schools across the city yesterday.
On Wednesday, Hamilton and Richardson called on state lawmakers to support bill S. 5454, requiring black history studies in every school and at all grade levels in the state.
“I stand with State Senator Hamilton and Assembly Member Richardson in calling for statewide K-12 instruction of Black history. Recent events have shown it is more important than ever to ensure every student, from Brooklyn to Buffalo, is culturally informed,” said Adams.
“Sadly, we are not past the days in which blackface performance or racially-charged teaching practices are somehow deemed acceptable. Our children deserve fully-rounded educational experiences that prepare them for living and working in diverse communities. History matters, and those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat the worst of it,” added Adams.
Savino Decries Lack Of Legislation Against NYPD Sexual Assault
State Senator Diane Savino (D-Coney Island, Staten Island) pushed for sexaul assault legislation regarding New York Police Department (NYPD) detainment cases yesterday.
Savino’s push for legislation protecting detained New Yorkers comes in the wake of a controversial case late last year in which an 18-year-old woman was allegedly raped by two former NYPD detectives. According to initial reports, the cops eddie Martins and Richard Hall, have reportedly claimed the sex was consensual.
Currently, according to reports, New York State law outlines that incarcerated individuals are unable to give sexual consent to corrections officers (and the same for those on parole to their parole officers). However, there is currently no law that bans sexual activity been officers and individuals under arrest or temporarily detained.
Alongside City Council member Mark Treyger (D-Bensonhurst, Coney Island, Gravesend), Savino hopes to hold NYPD officials accountable for their actions on the job. New legislation introduced by Treyger would make it illegal for an NYPD officer to engage in sexual activity with someone in police custody, in a police car, under arrest or during any police interaction whatsoever.
When I first learned that no state law exists to prohibit sexual conduct between a police officer and a person they have in custody I was shocked. It should be clear across the state for officers from every department, that when someone is in custody they do not have the ability to consent to sexual activity. I thank Governor Cuomo for taking on this issue and look forward to working together during budget negotiations to ensure that this loophole is closed,” said Savino.
Menchaca Celebrates DACA Court Ruling
City Council member Carlos Menchaca (D-Red Hook, Sunset Park) celebrated a recent decision by a U.S. judge to block President Donald Trump’s decision to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) this week.
On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis in Brooklyn ruled that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, cannot end in March as the Republican administration had planned. Late last year, Trump set a March deadline for the program, ordering the end of a five-year-old executive action protecting young undocumented immigrants from deportation and setting a March 25, 2018 deadline for it’s termination while leaving the future of the program in Congress’ hands.
There are currently nearly 800,000 young DREAMers now at risk for deportation as a result of President Trump’s decision to end the DACA program.
“Today, we are celebrating a second victory for our DACA recipients. Our American legal system once again keeps hope and democracy alive. A federal court ruled that Trump’s decision to end DACA was unlawful and arbitrary. Today’s ruling not only restores DACA and allows other DREAMers to submit new DACA applications; it also renovates our faith in the rule of law,” said Menchaca.
“We must continue putting pressure on Congress for a permanent solution that allows our DREAMers to remain in the only country they consider their home, without jeopardizing the unification of their families,” added Menchaca.
Cornegy Calls For NYCHA ‘State of Emergency’
City Council member Robert Cornegy Jr. (D-Bedford-Stuyvesant, Northern Crown Heights), Chair of the New York City Council Housing and Buildings Committee will call on Governor Andrew Cuomo to declare a “State of Emergency” on all New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) facilities city-wide today.
According to Cornegy, The Marcy Houses, located within the 36th Council District, have been experiencing significant heating, hot water, and lead concerns that are impacting the health, safety, and wellbeing of the over 4,000 residents.
In a letter to the Governor’s office dated Feb. 14, Cornegy expressed grave concerns about the imminent threat that these housing conditions posed on public health and requested New York State intervention.
“Citywide, 1-in-14 residents utilize the services of NYCHA. Late last year it was revealed that the city’s housing authority failed to provide proper heat this winter to some 320,000 of the 390,000 public housing residents on a lack of federal funding. Children and the elderly are especially susceptible to cold weather, as they lose body-heat at a faster pace than adults,” wrote Cornegy.
The event is slated for 10: 30 a.m., today, Feb. 15, at City Hall in Lower Manhattan.
