News from the BLACK, LATINO, AND ASIAN CAUCUS

BLACK, LATINO, AND ASIAN CAUCUS APPLAUDS ADOPTION OF FY’17 BUDGET

  The Members of the Black, Latino, and Asian Caucus celebrate the successful adoption of the FY 2017 budget, which represents the Council’s commitment to equity and support for all New Yorkers.

  New York City’s stature in the global arena is in large part due to its wonderful level of diversity, with more than two-thirds of New Yorkers identifying as Black, Latino, or Asian/Pacific Islander. As the largest Caucus of the Council and the only Caucus dedicated to uplifting communities of color, the BLAC takes this responsibility very seriously, and is proud of the thousands of working hours invested by the Council to contribute to this mission. We especially thank Speaker Mark-Viverito and Finance Chair Julissa Ferreras-Copeland, both proud BLAC Members, for their tireless work in championing fair and progressive funding choices for our great city.

   The Caucus’ top FY 17 priority was securing 60,000 slots for the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) and 6,000 slots for year-round youth employment, as well as a commitment from the Administration to implement universal youth employment by 2019. The BLAC is pleased with the funding of the 60,000 summer job slots and the creation of a youth jobs task force to address the growing need for the program’s expansion.

  The BLAC also amplified the voices of thousands of students and education advocates by prioritizing the funding of the CUNY Merit-Based Scholarship program. The Council allocated over $17.3M for the scholarship program, helping to alleviate the financial burdens of many undergraduate students across the city.

   “Unemployment and educational inequality are two issues that affect far too many New Yorkers,” said Council Member Robert Cornegy, Co-Chair of the BLAC. “This year’s budget has secured $54.5 million for 60,000 slots in the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), with an additional $1.5 Million allocated for career training and job readiness. After much advocacy, we kept our promise to CUNY students by securing $16.5 million for CUNY merit based scholarships. Also, the Council has allocated $32 million in total for youth services with $1 million for community education programs that supplement and complement classroom teaching for NYC students.”

   Other successful Caucus priorities include the NYCHA Family Reentry Pilot Program, anti- violence community programs, language access and adult literacy solutions, foreclosure prevention assistance. More details on the BLAC’s advocacy in the FY 17 budget can be found in the accompanying report.

  “The BLAC was instrumental in advocating for and securing funding in the FY17 budget for programs that will have significant impact in communities of color throughout the City. The funding for 60,000 SYEP slots, including 6,000 year-round slots, will ensure that youth have access to summer-jobs that will enhance job skills and training for future employment opportunities. Another important program, NYCHA’s Family Reentry Pilot Program, will continue receiving funds in order to keep families intact in public housing. These are real wins for all New Yorkers, and we’re proud of the role the BLAC played,” said Council Member Ritchie Torres, Co-Chair of the BLAC.

BLACK, LATINO, AND ASIAN CAUCUS STANDS AGAINST POLICE VIOLENCE IN BATON ROUGE

   The Members of the Black, Latino, and Asian Caucus extend their deepest condolences to the family of Alton Sterling, who was tragically killed yesterday by police in Baton Rouge, LA.

   Our national landscape is peppered with the bodies of countless unarmed people of color who are being routinely killed by police simply for “looking suspicious” or for engaging in everyday behavior that would otherwise not warrant such extreme and lethal responses by police. As members of our respective communities, many of us easily forget that police violence and misconduct are not unique to specific localities. Rather, it is undeniably clear that the use of excessive force by police is a systemic issue across our nation, and we cannot allow this to continue happening anywhere, because injustice in one community threatens justice in all communities. We stand in solidarity with the people of Baton Rouge during this difficult time, and pledge to continue fighting against all forms of police violence whenever and wherever they occur.

BLACK, LATINO, AND ASIAN CAUCUS DENOUNCES VIOLENT ACTS BY RECKLESS OFFICER

   The Members of the Black, Latino, and Asian Caucus are outraged at the reckless violence that took place over Independence Day weekend when Delrawn Small was needlessly killed by an NYPD officer’s unnecessary use of deadly force. Mr. Small was involved in an interaction with the off-duty officer and Mr. Small was unarmed. Nevertheless, he was gunned down in front of his family, including his infant daughter.

   The Caucus has long advocated for the use of a special prosecutor in cases like this one. We are cognizant of the fact that Attorney General Eric Schneiderman will have jurisdiction in this case. However, we have grave concerns. We believe it is grossly inappropriate that the NYPD take any part in the official investigation, especially in the collection and retention of evidence. As an entity that has demonstrated that it prioritizes personnel over process, the NYPD has repeatedly hidden behind the “blue shield” to protect bad officers and allow them to continue harming communities of color. Officer Wayne Isaacs has already been the subject of claims of racially- charged violence—exactly two years ago today, Isaacs was alleged to have used racist slurs while beating a civilian, for which the NYPD paid a $20,000 settlement in the resulting lawsuit. We are deeply disturbed that the NYPD goes to such great lengths—at taxpayers’ expense—to keep dangerous officers on the streets.

   Each time we fail to hold police accountable for their misconduct, New Yorkers lose more faith in a system they see as irreparably broken. Without trust in law enforcement, our city becomes more polarized and less confident in the government’s ability to protect its most vulnerable residents.