civil rights

UPDATE Friends Honor Man Who Died after Being Held in Police Custody

By DAVID GREENE
More than two dozen friends of Justin “Gusto” Gidora, 36, gathered at Indian Field in Van Cortlandt Park just after sunset on Saturday, July 22, to remember a good-natured and apparently troubled, young man who died under mysterious circumstances after being held in police custody, as previously reported.

Inquiring Photographer: Thoughts on the Former and Interim Police Commissioner

By DAVID GREENE
This week, we asked readers their thoughts on the abrupt departure, as reported, of former Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell and the naming, as reported, of Bronxite, Eddie Caban, as interim police commissioner.   “I think cops are bad; I’m not a fan of policing. So, I didn’t think it matters as much if she’s a woman. Like there was still cops coming into our communities. I didn’t see a change with the police on the ground, no. I think there’s still too many of them and they’re still coming in and acting like they own the place, and they don’t. I


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Olinville: Six People Injured in Bronx Partial Wall Collapse at Construction Site

By SÍLE MOLONEY
FDNY officials said following what was described as a major technical rescue from a Bronx construction site in the Olinville section of the borough, six people suffered injuries, including three who were hospitalized.   FDNY officials said they received a call at 4.07 p.m. on Tuesday, July 11, and units responded to 3073 Barker Avenue for reports of a partial wall collapse. “Members were able to determine that the incident had occurred at a construction site a that location,” FDNY officials said. “There were six patients.”   They said three were treated at the scene but refused transportation to hospital,


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Local School Hosts 2nd Annual Juneteenth Celebration in the Williamsbridge Oval Park

By MIRIAM QUIÑONES
  A Juneteenth celebration hosted by the social justice committee of Bronx Community Charter School in Norwood was held at the Williamsbridge Oval park in Norwood on Monday, June 19.   The school, located at 3170 Webster Avenue in Norwood, first launched what they intend to be an annual celebration last year, as reported. Held from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., the event included musical performances, reading, arts and crafts, and reflections on the meaning of the holiday.   One little girl seated on a beanbag was seen lost in a book during the event.   Other children were assisted


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Diocese of New York Launches NY Episcopal Federal Credit Union on Ascension Day

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Just days before the consecration of Bishop Coadjutor-elect Matthew Heyd on Ascension Day, Thursday, May 18, the New York Episcopal Federal Credit Union (NYEFCU) was officially launched at the campus of St. James Church in Fordham Manor. A coadjutor is a bishop appointed to assist a diocesan bishop and is also often designated as the bishop’s successor. The Rt. Rev. Andrew ML Dietsche, the 16th Bishop of New York, and Heyd were present on the day to launch the credit union and ceremonially open the first accounts. They said it marked a major milestone in enhancing financial inclusivity for those


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Art Exhibit Celebrates “Friendship & Activism” of Puerto Rican and Irish LGBTQ+ Activists

By SÍLE MOLONEY
In honor of LGBTQ+ Pride 2023, Fordham University Lincoln Center’s Quinn Library and NYPL Belmont Branch, in partnership with the Bronx County Historical Society, opened Have a Heart, an exhibit that celebrates Bronx-born Puerto Rican activist Jesús Lebrón and his central role in struggles for LGBTQ+ rights, including marriage equality.   Twenty years ago, in 2003, Jesús, with fellow activist and close friend, Brendan Fay, co-founded The Civil Marriage Trail Project, an organization that helped bring same-sex couples across borders for legal marriage. Among the couples were Edie Windsor (1929–2017) and Thea Spyer (1931–2009) who married in Toronto on May


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