Election 2021: Abigail Martin on Housing, Schools & A Living Wage

By Síle Moloney

An educator and social worker, Abigail Martin, candidate for City Council in the 11th District points to equality in education as being key to breaking the cycle of generational poverty. As a student advisor and adjunct professor at Columbia University’s school of social work, she helps train the City’s next generation of social workers. “I mentor them throughout their first year of social work school, and work with them in their placements,” she said. “All my students are usually placed in the Bronx so, I’ve been in a lot of public schools in the Bronx, meeting with my students

By Síle Moloney

As record numbers of New Yorkers vote by absentee ballot in the upcoming Nov. 3 election, many have been dismayed to learn that they need to pay for postage in order to return their ballot. Legislators and advocates gathered virtually on Thursday, Oct. 22, to criticize what they call another de facto poll tax on voters. The discussion was led by State Senator James Sanders Jr., Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, and Dr. Hazel N. Dukes from the NAACP NYS Conference. Prior to the passage of the 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, citizens in some states had to pay a

By Síle Moloney

Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernandez received the endorsement of former presidential candidate and United States Senator Elizabeth Warren in her re-election bid for the New York State Assembly, it was announced Thursday, October 22nd. “I am proud to endorse Nathalia Fernandez for re-election to the New York State Assembly. She is the fighter The Bronx needs in Albany,” said Senator Elizabeth Warren. “Since taking office, she has been a powerful voice for progressive values, and I know she will continue to build on the work she has done in her next term.” “This endorsement is very close to my heart,” said

By Síle Moloney

Jessica Haller, Democratic candidate for New York City’s 11th Council District, announced a further endorsement of her candidacy for the June 2021 primary election on Wednesday, Oct. 21. The grassroots organization, 21 in ‘21, founded in 2017 which is working to elect at least twenty-one women to the New York City Council by 2021 has thrown its support behind Haller. The Board of 21 in ‘21, and membership comprises a diverse range of women and allies. Among others, these include Amelia Adams, president of Adams Advisors LLC and former political director to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio,

By SÍLE MOLONEY

New York Attorney General Letitia James announced on Monday, Oct. 19, that a federal court yesterday granted a motion for summary judgment, permanently blocking the Trump Administration’s attempts to deny food assistance to hundreds of thousands of Americans by changing the rules for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). “At a time of national crisis, this decision is a win for common sense and basic human decency,” said James. “This Trump Administration rule was cruel to its core and ran counter to who we are and what we represent as a nation. If implemented, this rule would have not

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Staff members of the Office of New York City Public Advocate, Jumaane D. Williams, announced on Oct. 19 that they have formed a union and will be represented by the Campaign Workers Guild. They said their unionization drive has the support of Office staff, with more than two-thirds of eligible workers signing authorization cards with the Campaign Workers Guild. The union covers all non-managerial staff in the Office, and it has formally submitted a demand for voluntary recognition to the Public Advocate. “Our groundbreaking union is made up of grassroots community organizers and advocates who live in a City

By SÍLE MOLONEY

With the deadline for the U.S Census now set for Oct. 16 at 6 a.m., several Bronx public charter schools are encouraging communities throughout the Bronx to ensure they fill out the census and get counted. Across the country, there are attempts to undercount communities of color and the most vulnerable. The future of the Bronx and of New York City depends on an accurate count of its residents, which will determine how much federal support it receives for the next decade. Now more than ever, the stakes of being counted have never been higher: Nearly $1 trillion in

By DAVID GREENE

A “Justice for Breonna Taylor Rally” was scheduled to be held in the Riverdale section of the Bronx on Tuesday, Sept. 29, but was postponed at the last minute due to expected rainfall. The rally was due to take place at the Bell Tower Park at West 239th Street and Riverdale Avenue in tribute to Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency medical technician. Taylor was shot and killed by police in Louisville, Kentucky when they executed a search warrant on her home earlier this year, on March 13. One police officer was charged with firing recklessly into her apartment, but no

By SÍLE MOLONEY

At noon on Wednesday, Oct. 14, NYC Census 2020 and partners hosted an emergency virtual press conference to raise awareness about the shortened timeline for the completion of the census which now ends Oct. 15, and to mobilize the community in a final sprint to respond and encourage their neighbors, friends, and family to do so also. On Friday, Sept. 24, U.S. District Court Judge Lucy Koh had ordered the Census Bureau to keep conducting the census count until Oct. 31 but a subsequent Supreme Court ruling allowed the Trump administration to end the 2020 Census on Oct. 15.