1. A Senior’s Tale Of How The City Duped Him Out Of His Property
Link: https://politicsny.com/a-seniors-tale-of-how-the-city-duped-him-out-of-his-property/
This particular story is one of my favorites that I have ever written as a reporter. I wanted the story to capture not only Mr. Dorce’s frustration with the city’s Third Party Transfer (TPT) program, but I was able to convey the back-and-forth run around the city gave Mr. Dorce in his quest to not lose ownership of his property.
The KCP investigative series on the Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s (HPD) TPT program is still ongoing. For the most recent story in the series, check here.
The series is of particular importance due to the program’s targeting of black and browned owned properties across Brooklyn. In particular, KCP has found that the owners who most recently lost their properties to the program tend to be older, own their properties free and clear and live in a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood.
2. DOE Reconsiders Name Change At Crown Heights School
Link: https://politicsny.com/doe-reconsiders-name-change-at-crown-heights-high-school/
The name change of a historically significant African-American school is a serious decision that should not be taken lightly. As a result,when news broke that the W.E.B. Dubois High School in Crown Heights was facing a name change, many local residents and lawmakers made sure to voice their dissent.
Additionally, this story was a follow-up to the school’s shuttering that was eventually halted after pressure from the local community to keep the only transfer school in the area open. Eventually the school was renamed but with the inclusion of the seminal figures name.
This particular school was also important to the local community for its history of serving academically challenged students and for being critical in the predominantly Black community of Crown Heights in giving second chances to any student willing to earn their high school diploma.
3. Politics, Art & Action Mix Bay Ridge’s Solidarity Space
Link: https://politicsny.com/politics-art-action-mix-bay-ridges-solidarity-space/
This was a really nice story to cover because when people think of NYC politics, it can be a very competitive and “mud slinging” sport. Being able to highlight the fact that a candidate who didn’t win the vote still had the vision to see the need for a community and political space was refreshing.
Additionally, the space reminds people that a loss doesn’t mean that a difference can’t be made or that people still can’t be active in their communities. The new space in Bay Ridge seeks to be a true community hub and is open to the public and local organizations.
The spaces mantra: Politics+Art+Action–hopes to keep local residents engaged in civic activities while using art and media as a form of political response.
4. Brownsville Teacher Issues SOS For Student Trip To Japan
Link: https://politicsny.com/brownsville-teacher-issues-sos-to-take-local-students-to-japan/
Sometimes in covering politics, getting an opportunity to highlight community work is few and far between, so when I got the chance to help students from Brownsville’s Frederick Douglass Academy VII to fund a trip to Japan, I jumped at the chance.
Bijoun Eric Jordan, a teacher at the school was hoping to inspire and expand the minds of possibility and knowledge on 17 scholars from the student body earlier this year with a week-long trip to Japan but was just a couple hundred dollars short of the necessary funding to go.
Being able to highlight Mr. Jordan’s aim to broaden the minds of children across Brownsville which is one of the most economically impoverished neighborhoods in Brooklyn, and sees some of the highest rates of incarcerations across the city, was an honor.
Eventually the group was able to surpass their goal and head to Japan this past summer.
5. The KCP Interview With City Council Speaker Corey Johnson
Link: https://politicsny.com/kcp-interview-city-council-speaker-corey-johnson/
This was one of the most fun, I’ve had in an interview. Speaker Corey Johnson (D-Manhattan) had just been announced as the head of the New York City Council, and having the opportunity to sit down with him regarding his vision for the future of the city was an honor.
Johnson is a very charismatic and welcoming lawmaker, not to mention he has a very clear understanding of the needs of the city’s millions of residents. In our brief sit down, Johnson was able to articulate his vision for his office and I have to say since then he has kept true to his word.
Additionally, Johnson is the first openly gay speaker of the New York City Council, and has been open about his HIV status as well as his battles with addiction. In person, he is affable and sharp, exhibiting a strong grasp of both politics and issues confronting the city.
