Adams Commemorates 400th Anniversary Of Enslaved Africans Arrival In Virginia
Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams today will host “400 Years of Fortitude,” a ceremony commemorating the anniversary of the first enslaved Africans’ arrival in Virginia in 1619.
The event will pay tribute to this solemn occasion through art, artifacts, dance, drums, fashion, songs, and spoken word. It will also feature a keynote address from Dionne Bennett, Assistant Professor of African American Studies at City University of New York (CUNY) City Tech, and an awards ceremony for notable attendees.
At the event, Adams will also officially announce a trip he is taking later in the month to Gorée Island in Senegal, a significant site in the history of the Atlantic slave trade, and declare a sister city partnership with the island. He will also present a Key to the Borough symbolizing the opening of the “Door of No Return,” a memorial to the victims of the Atlantic slave trade.
The event is slated for 3:45 p.m., today, Nov. 6 at Brooklyn Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon Street in Downtown Brooklyn.
Clarke to Host District Impeachment Inquiry Town Hall
U.S. Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-Brownsville, Crown Heights, East Flatbush, Flatbush, Kensington, Park Slope, Prospect Heights, Midwood, Sheepshead Bay, Marine Park, Gerritsen Beach, Prospect Lefferts Gardens) tomorrow will hold a district town hall focused on the impeachment inquiry of Donald Trump.
Clarke, an early supporter of the impeachment of Donald Trump (since 2017), will host national and local constitutional law experts to educate the community on the ins and outs of an impeachment inquiry, its impact on the nation and to give a breakdown of the President’s impeachable offenses.
The town hall will feature former U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Holtzman and a panel of U.S. Constitutional law experts. It will wrap up with constituent Q&A.
The event is slated for between 6:30-8:30 p.m., tomorrow, Nov. 7 at the Central Brooklyn Public Library, 10 Grand Army Plaza in Grand Army Plaza. RSVP: https://repclarkeimpeachmenttownhall.eventbrite.com.
Savino Announces Funding for Coney Island Anti-Violence Collaborative
State Sen. Diane J. Savino (D-South Brooklyn, Staten Island) will announce that she has secured $250,000 in SNUG money for the Coney Island Anti-Violence Collaborative. South Brooklyn will get money to fund SNUG, an outreach program meant to prevent shootings and retaliation in the aftermath.
Savino will be joined by City Councilman Mark Treyger (D-Coney Island, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach, Gravesend) Rabbi Moshe Wiener, Executive Director of Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island (JCCGCI), and Keisha Boatswain, Executive Director of Coney Island Anti-Violence Collaborative.
The announcement will take place at 11:30 a.m., today, Nov. 6 at Urban Neighborhood Services, Inc. 1718 Mermaid Avenue in Coney Island.
Cuomo Signs Law Requiring Death Certificates to Mention Opioid Connection
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed legislation S.1668/A.4915 yesterday that aims to amend public health law to better track the causes of and address the opioid crisis. The law requires that death certificates specify which opioid was involved in the death, in the case of an opioid overdose. This new law intends to improve the collection of data and information to better inform policies addressing the opioid crisis.
“New York has taken the most aggressive actions to combat the opioid crisis of any other state in the country,” Gov. Cuomo said. “This commonsense law will go a great length to ensure we have the most accurate information to be able to stop this public health scourge once and for all.”
Sen. John Brooks (D-Long Island, South Shore) said, “The opioid crisis we are facing has been a significant problem for far too long. Currently, there is no requirement that the death certificate include the specific opioid involved. This has led to a lack of information about which types of opioids are the most deadly. By recording this information, more data will be available to better track which opioids are causing the most deaths and more communities in need will be better equipped to combat this crisis. I applaud Cuomo for signing this bill and thank him for his leadership on this issue.”
Assembly Member Kimberly Jean-Pierre (D-Babylon, Long Island) said, “By requiring death certificates to list the specific types of opioids causing overdose deaths, we will have another tool in our arsenal to help combat and end the opioid epidemic once and for all. I thank Governor Cuomo for his support and for signing this critical legislation into law.”
The legislation signed yesterday took effect immediately.
Gillibrand Unveils Legislation to Support Family Caregivers
U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) unveiled the bipartisan Credit for Caring Act yesterday, legislation that would support family caregivers by helping to alleviate some of the financial challenges they may face.
The Credit for Caring Act would provide a tax credit of up to $3,000 for New Yorkers who care for loved ones that have a medical or behavioral condition or disability.
“When family caregivers take on the expenses associated with the life and well-being of their family members, the expenses can really add up and lead to significant financial stress. Family caregivers deserve to be supported for the extra responsibilities they take on in their role,” said Gillibrand. “I am proud to be a part of this first step toward providing some much-needed relief for caregivers from some of the financial challenges they face, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.”
Gillibrand’s new push comes after hosting roundtables and meetings across New York with older adults and disability rights advocates and hearing directly from them about their specific needs. According to the most recently available data, there are 2.6 million unpaid caregivers throughout New York State.
The tax credit would help families cover the myriad of expenses associated with caregiving, such as transportation, home modifications to accommodate a family member, and training or education for the caregiver. This legislation would help allow older adults and people with disabilities continue to live independently in their homes and stay in their communities with their families.
Rose Hosts Third Student Roundtable on Gun Violence Prevention
U.S. Rep. Max Rose (D-Staten Island, South Brooklyn) yesterday helped pass bipartisan universal background check legislation as a member of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force.
Rose is holding his third roundtable with students on preventing gun violence today at Curtis High School in Staten Island. Rose has previously held similar roundtables with students at Port Richmond and Fort Hamilton High Schools.
“This generation of students is living in a time where the threat of gun violence is not theoretical—it’s very real,” said Rep. Rose, an Army combat veteran. “Having these conversations and listening to students helps me continue to push this issue with urgency in Washington, because we can’t wait any longer to take action. I’m proud that we’ve taken bold steps in the House to help prevent gun violence and I won’t stop fighting until Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans follow suit and do their jobs.”
Earlier this year, Rose voted to pass the Bipartisan Background Checks Act, a long-overdue, commonsense gun violence prevention measure. Rose is also supporting legislation to ban the sale, manufacture, or possession of new military-style assault weapons to civilians.
