Dear Neighbors,
I want to once again thank all of you for your support of our administration, our team and your patience during this difficult week.
Early last week, on Tuesday, a gunman opened fire on a Manhattan-bound train at the 36th street station in Brooklyn shooting 10 and injuring 23. That same day, as our city worked to find the perpetrator, there were several shootings in the Bronx. All of this on the heels of the passing of 16-year-old Angellyh Yambo, who was struck by a ghost gun on her way home from school.
As I said during Congressman Ritchie Torres’ Press Conference on Friday, "This is only April. What will we do this summer?" We cannot allow this violence in our neighborhoods to continue and we must be proactive in our response to this issue. Last week, Congressman Ritchie Torres introduced federal legislation that will allow families to sue ghost gun manufactures and hold them accountable for the distribution of guns in our neighborhoods. My colleagues and I will not allow gun manufactures to profit at the expense of our community.
Despite all of the challenges, there were some beacons of light:
- This was the first time in 30 years that major spring holidays (Easter, Passover and Ramadan) for Islam, Christianity and Judaism coincided.
- I declared April 11 – 17th as Black Maternal Health Week in the Bronx and joined with birthing advocates in urging the state government to take immediate legislative action to address the high rates of Black Maternal Mortality and Morbidity in the borough.
- Our office also held a press conference declaring April 18th as National HIV Transgender Testing Day to bring awareness to the high rates of HIV infection within our TGNC community, and to announce the relaunch of our LGBTQIA+ Taskforce.
Our team is also excited to announce the relaunch of Bronx Week from May 5th - May 15th! Our office, in partnership with the Bronx Tourism Council, the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation and event sponsors, will host a series of events throughout the borough highlighting our residents, cultural institutions, art, culture, food, and so much more. Click here to subscribe for updates, and if you have an event you’d like to submit for Calendar inclusion consideration, please submit it here.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our office at 718-590-3500 or email us at webmail@bronxbp.nyc.gov.
In partnership,
Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson
 | BP Gibson attended the Street Co-Naming ceremony for beloved community leader and advocate, Eleanor Dowe. |
| | | BP Gibson attended the unveiling of a mural in honor of the victims of the Twin Parks fire. |
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| BP Gibson celebrated the birthday of Hip Hop legend Grand Master Caz. |
| | | BP Gibson attended Senior Appreciation Day at Baychester Senior Center. |
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| BP Gibson presented awards to the Neighborhood SHOPP Executive Staff and Senior Center Directors. |
| | | BP Gibson joined with elected officials and community leaders on Easter Sunday at Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church. |
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BP Gibson joined with Congressmember Ritchie Torres and other community leaders to attend the Ribbon Cutting for Waring Playground. |
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Black Maternal Health Week Press Conference
During our Black Maternal Health Week Press conference, we urged the state government to take action and aide in supporting doulas, birthing people and Black mothers throughout the birthing process. You can read the letter to Governor Hochul here.
- Roughly 50,000 women suffer from pregnancy complications.
- Black women are three to four times more likely than white women to die during childbirth.
- Maternal mortality in the US has been on the rise over the past 30 years.
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Ghost Guns Press Conference
Our city was shaken last week Tuesday by the shooting in the 36th Street Brooklyn train station. That same day, there were other instances of gun violence in our city.
This is unacceptable. Gun violence is a nationwide epidemic but we are seeing the worst of it in our city and borough. The easy access to weapons and the manufacturing of unserialized guns is waging a deadly war against our communities, against our neighbors, against our families, and against our children. We cannot allow this to continue. That is why I proudly stand with Congressman Ritchie Torres, who introduced new legislation that will allow individuals and families to pursue civil lawsuits against ghost gun manufactures
National Transgender HIV Testing Day Press Conference  I declared April 18th, 2022, Transgender HIV Testing Day in the Bronx.
Transgender women are 49 times more likely to be living with HIV compared to the general population.
According to the NYC Department of Health, the Bronx has the second highest number of new HIV diagnosis and THE HIGHEST percentage of HIV related deaths on the city.
HIV testing and early treatment options (like pre and post exposure prophylaxis, PrEP and PEP) save lives.
We cannot continue to allow the stigmatizing of people living with HIV and the marginalization of Trans people in our borough. |
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Health & Wellness Resources |
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News, Events and Resources |
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