Author: turnkeywp

In rezoning, a tale of two cities

Nov 6, 2016 | ,

In rezoning, a tale of two cities: Poorer, black and Latino neighborhoods and wealthier, predominantly white ones still get treated very differently by the city Photo: James Keivom/New York Daily News BY: ONLEILOVE ALSTON NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Monday, September 12, 2016, 5:00 AM Ever since Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez rejected a proposed rezoning in the Inwood section of Manhattan that, in the name of supposedly creating affordable housing, would have increased the value of the site — owned by private equity developer Acadia Realty Trust — by millions of dollars overnight, council member opposition to local rezonings is growing.Jimmy Van Bramer has announced his plans to vote no on a rezoning in Sunnyside Queens. And a few weeks ago, Corey Johnson hinted he would reject a rezoning in Tribeca unless it “adequately serves” the community he represents. Last fall, Brad Lander announced his opposition to a rezoning of the Long Island College Hospital site in Brooklyn.Mayor de Blasio wants these rezonings to sail through, claiming they are vital to his plans to create more affordable housing. That’s deeply misleading. While it is encouraging to see council members respond to community opposition and stand up to profit-hungry real estate developers in their districts, racial disparities continue to exist in how zoning tools are applied across our diverse city. In white communities, rezonings are typically used to protect neighborhoods from new development,...

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UN Working Group: The Impact of Mass Incarceration & Police Brutality on Black Women and Girls

Nov 6, 2016 |

UN WORKING GROUP OF EXPERTS ON PEOPLE OF AFRICAN DESCENT – SUBMISSION ON THE IMPACT OF MASS INCARCERATION & POLICE BRUTALITY ON BLACK WOMEN AND GIRLS   January 25, 2016 INTRODUCTION  Dear UN Working Group on Experts of People of African Descent:   I serve as the Executive Director of PICO-Faith in New York, a multi-faith, multi-race federation of over 70 congregations in New York dedicated to grassroots community organizing to build a more equitable New York through ending mass incarceration and police brutality, fostering economic dignity and gaining comprehensive immigration reform Personally, I am a African-American woman who was born and raised in East New York, Brooklyn one of the seven neighborhoods that sends the highest numbers of people to New York state prison’s, the average age of a girl who is sex trafficked in East New York is thirteen years old. Faith in New York’s membership is over 60% women reflecting the average membership of faith institutions, in light of this I am personally concerned about how mass incarceration and police brutality impacts African-American women and girls and how race, class and gender intersect to disproportionately bring Black women into the criminal justice system.   Enclosed are a printed copy of my testimony, my presentation Mass Incarceration and The Culture of Violence: The Role of Gender, Implicit Bias and Colorism in the Mass Incarceration Crisis (presented at...

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