[[link removed]]Dear John,


We did not need to see the horrific video of the shooting of Jacob Blake this week to know that abuse of force by police against Black men is a national emergency.

Jacob Blake’s three young children will never be able to forget the trauma they experienced this week, watching their father be shot in the back, 7 times, at point blank range, only barely escaping with his life, now paralyzed from the waist down. And we cannot forget either.

I voted against the City budget this year because it failed to respond to the urgent demands of the movement for racial justice and the need for a fundamental rethinking of how we work to secure public safety for everyone in our city.

Now, two months later, the police department and the police unions are fighting hard against accountability, trying to undo even the modest reforms we passed this spring. They’re fighting in the courts to undermine the release of misconduct records enabled by the state legislature’s repeal of 50A. They are pressuring the City Council to weaken the law banning police chokeholds that we passed in June. And as shootings rise across the city, police are blaming our effort to secure cuts to the NYPD budget -- cuts that did not occur [[link removed]] -- for their own low morale and work slow down.

We aren’t going to end police violence or undo systemic racism overnight, but there are steps that each of us can take towards racial justice in our communities every single day.

The Milwaukie Bucks showed us that last night, when they went on strike during the NBA playoffs to protest police brutality and demand their state legislature take action. They sparked collective action across the NBA that quickly spread to other sports, teaching an inspiring lesson about racial justice and worker organizing to millions of fans.

We may not all be sports stars, but we too are more powerful when we act together, to reject business as usual and demand change.

Here are two ways I’m taking action this week:

Today, I’m working with a coalition of advocates and colleagues to call on the Department of Education to drop screens for middle school admissions, which we know deepen segregation and inequality in our schools. The pandemic requires that we do things differently this year. We cannot use last spring’s grades, attendance, or test scores, all of which are nonexistent or meaningless, to sort the life-chances of the 9-year-olds who are living through this crisis.

Right here in our district, we have the model of D15's ranked lottery system, which has resulted in markedly more integrated 6th grade classes. While the coming of school this year is full of anxiety, it’s worth remembering that the first incoming middle-school class under the program was one of the most encouraging things to happen in our city [[link removed]] last fall. Let's drop the screens for 2021-2022 middle school admissions citywide, and commit to a plan to engage parents, students and educators in a process to make longer-term policy changes to advance fairness and equity. Read more about what we are calling for here [[link removed]] .

Tomorrow, I’ll be heading to DC for the day to join the “Get Your Knee Off Our Necks” March on Washington, on the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Visit [link removed] [[link removed]] to watch the livestream and learn more about participating virtually.

Next week, next month, next year? Over 30 years ago, reflecting on his 60 years, and the 400 years of people of African descent on this continent, James Baldwin searingly asked, “You always told me ‘It takes time.’ It’s taken my father’s time, my mother’s time, my uncle’s time, my brothers’ and my sisters’ time. How much time do you want for your progress?”

The pandemic has torn open deep fault lines in our city, striking hardest the communities that already suffered the most from the ways that racism and inequality structure our economy, our healthcare, and our schools. Going forward, the grounding principle of NYC’s recovery must be a deeper commitment to equality and shared prosperity.

We all have a part to play in that, in every one of our communities.

Brad

In this email:
Updates and Resources
Upcoming Events

Updates and Resources

*
Latest
Virus
Data:
There
were
315
new
cases
identified
yesterday,
and
5
more
New
Yorkers
died
from
the
virus.
We
have
lost
23,674
people
in
NYC
from
the
virus,
and
233,140
total
cases
have
been
identified
in
the
city.
Currently,
the
7-day
rolling
average
percent
of
tests
that
came
back
positive
citywide
remains
low,
0.8%
as
of
yesterday,
although
we
know
that
the
infection
rate
varies
widely
across
neighborhoods.


*
Schools
Can
Apply
for
Outdoor
Space:
Schools
in
our
district
and
around
the
city
are
submitting
requests
for
street
closures
and
permission
to
use
open
space,
thanks
to
the
advocacy
so
many
of
you
were
part
of.
Priority
will
be
given
to
schools
in
neighborhoods
hardest
hit
by
COVID-19
and
those
that
lack
existing
outdoor
space.


*
Survey
on
Childcare
Needs:
The
DOE
is
working
to
provide
the
child
care
they
promised
for
100,000
families
on
the
days
their
children
will
not
be
in
school.
There’s
a
survey
available
now
to
express
interest
in
the
program.
The
form
asks
if
you
are
a
teacher,
essential
worker
or
low-income
family,
who
are
likely
to
be
prioritized
in
the
program
as
it
scales
up.
Fill
out
the
survey
here
[[link removed]]
.


*
Pandemic
EBT:
We
got
our
Pandemic
EBT
card
in
the
mail
this
week.
It
comes
in
a
plain,
easy-to-miss
envelope
so
keep
an
eye
out
for
yours,
and
use
it!
All
New
York
public
school
families
should
receive
p-EBT
this
summer.
If
you
have
not
received
your
benefits,
call
the
Pandemic-EBT
helpline
at
1-833-452-0096.
If
you
want
to
share
your
pandemic
EBT
with
others,
read
our
guide
for
how
to
do
so
here
[[link removed]]
.


*
Reminder
to
Fill
Out
Your
Census:
Fill
out
your
Census
at
my2020census.gov
[[link removed]]
if
you
haven’t
already
and
remind
your
friends
and
neighbors.
We’ve
heard
reports
that
Census
enumerators
have
had
trouble
getting
access
to
buildings,
if
you
see
or
hear
of
that
happening
let
us
know
and
please,
let
them
in!
Making
sure
all
New
Yorkers
are
counted
is
critical
to
our
city’s
future
and
constitutionally
mandated.


*
Unemployment
Update:
New
York
was
approved
[[link removed]]
by
the
federal
government
for
a
$300
a
week
supplemental
payment
for
unemployed
residents,
though
the
timeline
for
those
payments
is
uncertain.


*
Mental
Health
Support
Available:
During
this
stressful
time,
New
Yorkers
can
call
the
state's
hotline
at
1-844-863-9314
to
get
free
emotional
support,
consultations
and
referrals
to
a
provider
or
visit
headspace.com/ny
[[link removed]]
for
free
meditation
and
mindfulness
resources.



Upcoming Events

Wednesday, September 2, 11 AM at P.S. 15: Outdoor Learning Demonstration

Parents are organizing an “Outdoor Learning Demonstration” to show how elementary schools can use outdoor space for learning this year. All are invited to attend.

456 Fifth Avenue, 3rd Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11215
718-499-1090
[email protected]

[link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]]

unsubscribe: [link removed]
Was this forwarded to you? Sign up here. [[link removed]]