BP Adams To Honor Trailblazing Educators In Celebration of Black History Month
Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams will host his sixth annual Black History Month celebration today, where he will honor the borough’s Black educators.
The event will honor non-traditional teachers, who have demonstrated commitment to making an impact on borough’s youth.
The festivities will feature African dance performances, an art exhibition curated by Groundswell, and keynote remarks delivered by David C. Banks, president and CEO of the Eagle Academy Foundation, Inc. (EAF), which has educated more than 3,500 young men of color across six Eagle Academy schools since 2005.
Last year, Adams and EAF launched the Eagle Academy Mentoring Program, a groundbreaking multi-year initiative connecting hundreds of sixth-grade male students of color at middle schools across central and east Brooklyn with positive male role models. Adams is the first African-American elected to serve as Brooklyn’s chief executive.
The event is slated for 6 p.m., today, Feb. 27, at Brooklyn Borough Hall, Courtroom, at 209 Joralemon Street in Downtown Brooklyn.
Levin’s Bills On Marijuana Justice To Get City Council Hearing
City Council member Stephen Levin’s (D-Williamsburg, Vinegar Hill, Brooklyn Heights, Carroll Gardens, Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill, DUMBO, and parts of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Clinton Hill, Greenpoint, Downtown Brooklyn, Gowanus, Park Slope) two resolutions focused on marijuana justice will be part of a package of marijuana legalization bills set to be heard before the Council’s Committees on Public Safety, Criminal Justice, Civil and Human Rights, and Consumer Affairs today.
Levin’s two resolutions, introduced alongside Progressive Caucus members, call for measures that ensure those most impacted by the criminalization of cannabis are at the forefront of the solutions.
The first measure Resolution 741 calls on the state legislature to grant priority to individuals with prior marijuana arrests or convictions when issuing licenses or permits to engage in the production, sale and distribution of marijuana. The bill encourages those who receive licenses to hire individuals who were arrested for and/or convicted of marijuana related offenses, with a particular focus on formerly incarcerated individuals who served time based on marijuana violations, as well as hire locally and provide living wages for individuals employed by marijuana businesses.
While the second measure, Resolution 75 calls on the state to pass the marijuana regulation and taxation act. The bill calls for reinvestment of revenue into the communities most harmed by the war on drugs and the creation of a social equity plan to promote diversity in ownership and employment in the marijuana industry.
The hearing is slated for 10 a.m., today, Feb. 27, in Council Chambers, at City Hall in Lower Manhattan.
Clarke To Introduce Medicare For All Act Of 2019
Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (D- Brownsville, Crown Heights, East Flatbush, Flatbush, Kensington, Midwood, Prospect Heights, Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Park Slope) will join Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and other members of Congress and advocates in introducing the Medicare For All Act of 2019.
According to the group of federal lawmakers, the measure aims to improve on the current healthcare system that fails to provide quality, affordable healthcare as a right to all people living in the United States. Nearly 30 million Americans are uninsured and at least 40 million more cannot afford the costs of their co-pays and deductibles.
The Medicare for All Act of 2019 improves and expands the Medicare program, so that every person living in the United States has guaranteed access to healthcare with comprehensive benefits.
The announcement is slated for 11:15 a.m., today, Feb. 27, at the House Triangle in Washington D.C.
Felder Hosting Free Cholesterol/Glucose Screening Event
State Senator Simcha Felder (D-Boro Park, Midwood) will host a free Cholesterol and Glucose screening event this week.
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), high levels of cholesterol and glucose are harmful to good health. One in three Americans has high cholesterol and more than one in three has high blood sugar, which heightens the risk of heart disease, diabetes or stroke.
High cholesterol and glucose do not present signs or symptoms before they manifest in a serious health condition. In the early stages however, they are easily treatable. Screening is an easy and effective way to monitor and safeguard long-term good health.
“The test is quick and painless, requires no fasting, and delivers results on the spot. Don’t procrastinate any longer. To be the healthiest person you can be you have to take the time to be proactive. Health screenings are vital and I encourage you to take this positive step,” said Felder.
The event is slated for 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 28, at Felder’s District Office, at 1412 Avenue J in Midwood. Select appointments still available, call 718-253-2015.
Savino, New York Conference of Italian-American State Legislators Announces 2019 Scholarship
State Senator Diane Savino (D-Bensonhurst, Brighton Beach, Coney Island, Dyker Heights, Gravesend, Sunset Park, Staten Island) and The New York Conference of Italian-American State Legislators announced yesterday that they are now accepting applications for college scholarships for the 2019-2020 school year.
Two Academic and Two Athletic Scholarships are offered in the amount of $3,500 each. The winners will receive their awards at this year’s Italian American Day on June 3rd, in Albany.
Requirements for the Academic Scholarship are the student’s grade point average, higher education interest and goals, community involvement and individual need. Students who apply for the Athletic Scholarship have to demonstrate athletic involvement, achievements and interest in continuing those activities in college.
The Conference of Italian American State Legislators has awarded these scholarships for over 15 years.
“The dream to pursue a higher education should not be marred by the inability to pay, and it is truly my honor to commend such well deserving students from my district,” said Savino.
To obtain an application, those interested need to call Savino’s District Office at (718)-727-9406. Applications are due no later than March 29th, 2019.
Cornegy to Host Black History Month Celebration, “12 Years Of Freedom”
City Council Member Robert E. Cornegy, Jr. (D-Northern Crown Heights, Bedford-Stuyvesant) in partnership with the NYC Human Rights Commission and Carver Federal Savings Bank, will host a Black History Month celebration entitled “12 Years of Freedom” today.
The event will invite attendees to consider the time between President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation and the beginning of Jim Crow, when African Americans experienced some of the most significant freedoms of any time in our country’s history.
The event will feature a panel discussion between Dr. Divine Pryor, Brian Favors, Lord Jamar (Brand Nubians), and Kings County Civil Court Judge Dena Douglas.
There will also be performances courtesy of Green Earth Poets Cafe, Vibe Theater, the Noel Pointer Foundation, and the Dwana Smallwood Performing Arts Center. The event is free and open to the public. Over 200 people are expected to attend.
The event is slated for 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., today, Feb. 27, at the Weeksville Heritage Center, at 158 Buffalo Avenue in Crown Heights.
