Maloney Releases Statement Commemorating End of Black History Month
U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens) released the following statement on Feb. 28, the penultimate day of Black History Month.
“As 2020’s Black History Month comes to an end, I feel that it is incumbent on all of us to recognize that Black history is American history. Our nation’s strength, creativity, and innovation are driven by our diverse experiences and backgrounds and that is something to be celebrated.
“It was Black Americans whose voices were stifled, blocked, and silenced for centuries and it is Black Americans who are still being disproportionately targeted in shameful efforts to prevent them from exercising their rights under the Constitution; including through obstacles to register to vote and purging their names from the voter rolls.
“It is in the name of those we celebrate throughout the month of the February every year that we must rededicate ourselves to the mission of leaders like former Chairman Elijah E. Cummings, Congressman John Lewis, and the members of Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in ensuring a more perfect union for all Americans.”
Nadler Demands DOJ Provide Information Regarding Political Interference in Roger Stone Case
Last Friday, U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-Manhattan, Brooklyn) sent a letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) demanding that they release information concerning improper intervention in the Roger Stone prosecution case.
In February, the DOJ incited backlash when it decided to withdraw a sentencing recommendation for Trump associate Roger Stone, cutting his sentence from nine years to just over three. In addition to the Stone case, the letter also cites several other recent cases of personal interest to President Donald Trump (R).
“The Judiciary Committee needs to examine a range of recent actions that smack of political interference, including the Department’s withdrawal of the Roger Stone sentencing recommendation; intervening in the handling of the Michael Flynn prosecution; overruling the decision to relocate Paul Manafort to Rikers Island; opening investigations into career officials involved in the Russia investigation; and a series of controversial interventions into sensitive antitrust matters,” said Nadler. “Our democracy is founded on the notion that no one is above the law, and strict adherence to the rule of law has separated us from all other nations.”
Read the letter here.
Schumer Requests Emergency Grant for MOCA
Last Thursday, U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer (D) urged the National Endowment for the Humanities to award a Chairman’s Emergency Grant for the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA).
On Jan. 23, a fire broke out at 70 Mulberry St., a community center in Chinatown that housed tens of thousands of historical documents and artifacts from MOCA. The fire severely damaged most of the artifacts, less than half of which had digital backups. A NEH Chairman’s Emergency Grant would provide vital funds to help MOCA clean, restore, and transfer artifacts.
“The contributions of Chinese-American immigrants to New York and the nation are inestimable and the Museum of Chinese in America is a precious repository of that history,” said Schumer. “MOCA has preserved the rich legacy of these contributions through its number of invaluable artifacts, but after the devastating fire in Chinatown last month, the collection is now in jeopardy. That’s why I’m urging the National Endowment for the Humanities to assist in the recovery efforts of this collection by awarding emergency funds to MOCA and to work with the museum to help prevent another emergency.”
Rosenthal, Steinem to Demand Reform of NYPD’s Special Victims Division
Today, Council Member Helen Rosenthal (D-Central Park, Lincoln Square) and feminist icon Gloria Steinem will be rallying at City Hall to call for reform of the NYPD’s Special Victims Division.
The rally comes on the heels of a New York Times report regarding the misconduct of a Special Victims detective. According to the report, the detective refused to believe a rape victim, encouraged her not to come forward, and closed the case. The rape suspect was not arrested even after the NYPD found fingerprint evidence that he was present at the crime scene. He assaulted three more women before the NYPD finally apprehended him.
The rally will take place today at 12 p.m. on the steps of City Hall.
