New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and Black Gotham Experience Launch "Battle in the Margins” Theatrical Project

 

New plays and writing workshops will examine Black experiences in New York City during the American Revolution

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) in partnership with Black Gotham Experience (BGX) today announced the launch of “Battle in the Margins” a new theatrical project exploring Black life in New York City during the American Revolution. Developed through a series of original ten-minute plays, this project centers the African Diaspora’s experience, resistance, and role in shaping early American history, shining a light on stories often left out of the nation’s founding narrative.

The productions will premiere on September 19 at FDR Four Freedoms State Park from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

“Black history is American history,” said New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Acting Commissioner Kathy Moser. “Through the Our Whole History initiative, we are committed to illuminating the experiences of Black New Yorkers on both sides of the American Revolution who lived, fought, and made consequential choices during this defining period of our past. We invite the public to explore this work through these writing workshops, which create a space for meaningful dialogue around one of the Revolution’s most complex and enduring questions: what did freedom mean to those for whom it was not guaranteed?”

OPRHP New York City Regional Director Leslie Wright said, “Battle in the Margins brings to life the stories of Black New Yorkers during the Revolutionary War. While the revolution raged around them, people were engaged in an urgent fight: for autonomy, dignity, and survival in a city transformed by war. Through these performances, audiences will discover how freedom was both deeply personal and a matter of survival. We are excited to partner with Black Gotham Experience, the Four Freedoms Park Conservancy, and many others to bring this important history to light."

Black Gotham Experience Founder and Creative Executive Office Kamau Ware said, “New York City holds some of the most important American Revolutionary history. People of African descent were not only participants on both sides of the conflict, but their very presence and cries for freedom in the Americas, before and after the war, were central to both the British and American story. In true revolutionary fashion, we invite New Yorkers to put pen to paper in consideration of what the Declaration of Independence means in the United States of America 250 years after its initial publication in the summer of 1776.”

The project launches on June 15 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the South Street Seaport Museum. This launch event will introduce the playwrights behind this new Revolutionary-era theatrical project and also kick off a citywide series of writing workshops running through July hosted by Black Gotham Experience and SYNTAX – including at Denny Farrell Riverbank State Park on June 27 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and FDR Four Freedoms State Park on July 15. To learn more about these workshops and registration information, click here.

Open to students, emerging writers, and professionals, this series of workshops invite New Yorkers across all five boroughs to grapple with the Revolution’s contradictions – a fight for liberty in a society where enslavement remained legal. Through thought-provoking prompts and community dialogue, participants will explore themes of freedom, displacement, and identity in Revolutionary-era New York.

South Street Seaport Museum President & CEO Jonathan Boulware said, “Illuminating the role of African-descended people during and after the American Revolution is in the brilliant conception of Black Gotham Experience. 'Battle in the Margins' brings that bright light to founding documents and ideas including those in The Promise of Liberty: Words That Shaped a Nation. The Seaport Museum is honored to be in conversation with New Yorkers about the Declaration of Independence and the people it sought and seeks to represent.”

The launch coincides with the South Street Seaport Museum’s The Promise of Liberty: Words That Shaped a Nation exhibition which examines foundational documents and evolving ideas of liberty in American history. Anchored by the Declaration of Independence’s promise of “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness,” the exhibition traces how America’s founding ideals have evolved over time. The exhibition is on view at the A.A. Thomas & Co. Warehouse from May 27 through August 9, 2026.

Through performances, workshops, and public dialogue, “Battle in the Margins” invites New Yorkers to reconsider the American Revolution through the perspectives of the African Diaspora and to engage with the enduring questions of liberty, identity, and belonging that continue to shape the nation today. 

New York State is leading the nation in the commemoration of the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution. Information on commemorative events statewide this year can be found on the I Love New York “Path Through History website, which can be found here. The New York State Park system includes many parks and historic sites associated with the Revolution. More information can be found here.  

OPRHP

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, and welcomes over 86 million visitors annually. For more information on any of these recreation areas, visit parks.ny.gov, download the free NY State Parks Explorer app or call (518) 474-0456. Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, the OPRHP Blog or via the OPRHP Newsroom.  

BLACK GOTHAM EXPERIENCE (BGX)

Black Gotham Experience (BGX) is an award-winning creative intervention that elevates the impact of the African Diaspora by establishing space to revisit untold and suppressed stories through a practice that invites people to walk, talk, and reimagine the past to expand public consciousness. BGX was founded in 2010 and in this 16th year, will include national and international activations in addition to citywide programs from May through November. Connect with us at blackgotham.com, LinkedIn, and Instagram.  

SYNTAX 

SYNTAX is a literary archival project that honors the aesthetics and arrangement of the written word. SYNTAX supports the writing process from the inception of marks on a page to programs connecting powerful writing to audiences.  

Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson - JOIN US: A BRONX YOUTH CAREER FAIR

STATEMENT FROM JAMES WHELAN, PRESIDENT OF THE REAL ESTATE BOARD OF NEW YORK (REBNY) - RE: Mayor Mamdani’s Newly Released Housing Plan

 

“Mayor Mamdani has put forward a wide-ranging housing plan that we look forward to reviewing and assessing how its pieces come together to drive production and improve affordability. At a time when we need to build as much housing as possible, we question why the city would choose to make projects more expensive to build and finance through the addition of costly and inflexible Project Labor Agreements.  New York won’t solve its housing supply crisis by undercutting its own laudable production goals.”  

Mayor Mamdani Releases “Block by Block: The Housing Plan for A New Era”

 

Plan sets path to build 200,00 new affordable homes and preserve another 200,000 over next decade

 

Plan also outlines aggressive code enforcement reform, crackdowns on negligent landlords, and largest City capital investment in NYCHA in recent history   

Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani released Block by Block: The Housing Plan for a New Era, a sweeping blueprint to tackle New York City’s deepening housing crisis with the urgency and scale the moment demands.

Spanning the full breadth of housing policy, from new construction to tenant protections to public housing, homeownership and worker protections, the plan lays out a comprehensive strategy to make New York City more affordable for working people.

“At a moment when working people are being pushed out of the city they built, New York cannot afford half-measures or delays,” said Mayor Mamdani. “This plan meets the housing crisis with the urgency it demands. We are setting the most ambitious housing production and preservation targets in the city’s modern history – and backing them up with investments to match – while also protecting tenants and homeowners, investing in public housing and ensuring the workers building that housing have good-paying, safe jobs. We must fight for both the tenants of today and the tenants of tomorrow. Block by Block shows how New York City can do exactly that.”

“Block by Block meets the housing crisis with the ambition and urgency that New Yorkers deserve. This plan will deliver a fairer, more affordable city for everyone – whether you are a renter seeking repairs, a growing family seeking a new apartment, or a would-be homeowner,” said Leila Bozorg, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning. “From building 200,000 new affordable homes and preserving 200,000 more, overhauling how we enforce housing codes, investing in public housing, and making sure the workers building our city's future earn a fair wage, this administration is using every tool at its disposal to meet the moment.”

Block by Block details how the City will build 200,000 new affordable homes and preserve another 200,000 affordable homes over the next decade, backed by a historic $22 billion capital investment in housing over the next five years. This investment is paired with an ambitious land use agenda to boost housing production across the five boroughs and innovative new financing tools to build and preserve affordable housing more quickly and efficiently.

The Mamdani administration will also double the size of the Open Door program to expand affordable homeownership opportunities and launch a new program, “Our Home,” to create permanently affordable co-ops for working class New Yorkers.

The plan includes a major overhaul of the City’s responds to code and heat complaints, including allowing tenants to schedule some HPD inspections and coordinating “roof-to-cellar” inspection days at buildings with organized tenants. The City will also launch an interagency planning effort in the Bronx to proactively address persistent issues around housing quality, public health and economic inequality in the borough.

Block by Block also lays out the administration’s vision for NYCHA, including the largest City capital investment in NYCHA in recent history. The plan expands resident participation in decision-making through stronger participation in Resident Associations, “NYCHA in Your Neighborhood” events and deeper tenant involvement following conversion to the Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) program.

The administration will also pursue a renewed role for NYCHA as a public developer, using new financing and development tools to bring in revenue, improve campuses and build new housing across the city.

The plan also centers the workers building New York’s future. The Mamdani administration will implement the Construction Justice Act to establish a $40 per hour minimum wage and benefit standard for construction workers on City-financed projects and explore project labor agreements (PLAs) for targeted affordable housing developments. The administration will also establish the City’s first Mayor’s Committee on Construction Safety.

In addition, Block by Block includes policies to help move New Yorkers out of shelter and into permanent housing, improve government efficiency and public excellence, support for operating affordable housing, advance innovation in construction and expand opportunities for homeowners to add accessory dwelling units and legalize basement apartments safely.

“New York doesn’t work without housing that’s affordable,” said Housing Commissioner Dina Levy. “Block by Block is an ambitious vision for a more affordable city — balancing multiple priorities including production, preservation, and targeted enforcement — so New Yorkers can access the housing they deserve.”

“Block by Block is a bold roadmap for meeting the urgency of our housing crisis and building a fairer, more affordable, more livable New York City. At the Department of City Planning, we will help deliver on this plan by using new tools to advance affordable housing, working with communities to develop ambitious neighborhood plans, and updating zoning to unlock transit-accessible housing across the city. I’m proud to work with Mayor Mamdani, government partners, and communities across the boroughs to create a city where all New Yorkers can stay, grow, and thrive,” said Sideya Sherman, Director of the Department of City Planning.

“Mayor Mamdani's housing plan places renewed emphasis on the vital role of NYCHA in our city and the residents we serve,” said NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt. “The administration's plan, which represents one of the largest city investments in NYCHA in recent history, will directly support our shared commitment to strengthening resident engagement, improving service delivery, and accelerating long-needed repairs and improvements across our portfolio. We are grateful to the administration for its dedication to improving the lives of NYCHA residents and for advancing bold solutions that protect and expand housing affordability for New Yorkers.”

“A stronger, more affordable New York requires a housing strategy that matches the scale and urgency of the challenges facing our city today,” said Housing Development Corporation (HDC) President Eric Enderlin. “Block by Block lays out an ambitious plan to expand housing opportunity, strengthen public housing, and make our city more affordable for New Yorkers. HDC looks forward to working with our partners to deliver the housing and community investments envisioned in the Mayor’s housing plan.”

“The Mayor's Block by Block Housing Plan is a dynamic new approach to building and preserving more housing faster while proving that ambitious growth and strong safety standards can go hand in hand,” said Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani. “Importantly, this plan calls for a targeted code reform effort aimed at lowering construction costs and reducing development timelines, which will make a real difference in getting shovels in the ground on more residential projects citywide. We are grateful to be led by a Mayor and Deputy Mayor whose unwavering commitment to protecting tenants, construction workers, and the public is foundational to the plan to build the housing our city needs. DOB is excited to move forward and get to work!”

“The Mamdani Administration’s historic housing plan will tackle the urgency of the housing crisis from multiple angles, all while unlocking and preserving hundreds of thousands of units of housing across New York City,” said NYCEDC Interim President & CEO Jeanny Pak. “From utilizing our assets to launching new programs, NYCEDC is tapping into every tool in our toolbox to deliver affordable housing across the five boroughs and make the city a more affordable place to live.”

“As part of Block by Block, Mayor Mamdani’s housing plan, LPC will support housing creation in historic districts with a range of tools to encourage the creation of ADUs and help property owners unlock opportunities for individual landmarks  — work that will help advance the administration’s bold vision to deliver both additional housing and a more affordable city,” said Landmarks Preservation Commission Chair Lisa Kersavage.

"Reducing homelessness requires more than temporary shelter — it requires permanent homes. This plan charts the course for creating housing at the speed and scale that meets the urgency of the moment,” said Department of Social Services Commissioner Erin Dalton. "By dedicating unprecedented numbers of housing units for New Yorkers experiencing homelessness, cutting red tape, and accelerating placements into those units, this plan will expand and strengthen access to deeply affordable housing, reduce supportive housing vacancies, and help New Yorkers move out of shelter more quickly while keeping at-risk New Yorkers from losing their homes.”

“New Yorkers are facing a housing crisis that is pushing families out of their neighborhoods, straining working people, and making it harder for too many to see a future in the city they love,” said Comptroller Mark Levine. “Setting a goal of 200,000 new affordable homes and 200,000 preserved homes over the next decade, while making major investments in NYCHA, affordable homeownership, homelessness prevention, and faster, more cost-effective housing production, reflects the kind of comprehensive approach our city needs. I am committed to using the resources and powers of my office to address our housing crisis, and I applaud Mayor Mamdani’s commitment to tackling this crisis block by block.”

Join Assemblymember John Zaccaro, Jr. For Our Innaugural Summer Skate Party

Friends,

I am pleased to invite you to the first event in our summer event series in partnership with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation.

Join me on Friday, June 5, 2026, at 5:30 PM at Loreto Playground for a FREE community skate party.

Skates, equipment, and beginner lessons will all be provided free of charge.

• WHEN: Friday, June 5, 2026
• WHERE: Loreto Playground (1111 Van Nest Ave.) 
• TIME: 5:30 PM

Come skate into a beautiful Bronx evening with friends, family, and neighbors.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Yours Truly,

John Zaccaro, Jr. 

New York State Assembly

Memorial Day Ceremony at Peace Plaza

 

The rain stopped as the crowd gathered on the corner of Williamsbridge Road and Pelham Parkway North at the Peace Plaza Memorial for the annual Memorial Day ceremony honoring the members of the Armed Services who did not return home. About seventy-five people gathered at Peace Plaza as Veteran Joseph Ronda opened the ceremony with the raising of the flag and Pledge of  Allegiance. Then he called up Rabbi Fuchs to give the Invocation followed by the line of Veterans from the various armed forces to speak about Memorial Day.

After the last veteran spoke the elected officials spoke led by Bronx Borough President Vanesa Gibson, then Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark, and City Councilwoman Shirley Aldebol. The Peace Plaza Memorial Day ceremony ended with the playing of Taps. 

A view of the crowd as the flag is being raised.

Veteran Joseph Ronda opens the Peace Plaza Memorial Day Ceremony.

Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson speaks.

Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark speaks.

A group photo of the veterans, elected officials, and cadets. 

Governor Hochul Directs State Landmarks to Illuminate Red, White and Blue in Observance of Memorial Day

Seventeen Landmarks To Be Lit Across New York State on the Evening of Monday, May 25 To Remember Service Members Who Made the Ultimate Sacrifice

Governor Kathy Hochul today directed New York State landmarks to illuminate red, white and blue this evening, Monday, May 25, in observance of Memorial Day.

“Today, we remember and honor the New Yorkers who served in the armed forces and made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of their state and country,” Governor Hochul said. “It takes courage, strength and bravery to serve in the military, and in New York, we reflect on the incredible valor and willingness of those who fought and died for our freedoms to put the safety of their fellow citizens ahead of their own.”

The following 17 landmarks will be lit red, white and blue in recognition of Memorial Day:

• One World Trade Center
• Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge
• Kosciuszko Bridge
• The H. Carl McCall SUNY Building
• State Education Building
• Alfred E. Smith State Office Building
• Empire State Plaza
• State Fairgrounds – Main Gate & Expo Center
• Niagara Falls
• The “Franklin D. Roosevelt” Mid-Hudson Bridge
• Grand Central Terminal - Pershing Square Viaduct
• Albany International Airport Gateway
• Lake Placid Olympic Center
• MTA LIRR - East End Gateway at Penn Station
• Fairport Lift Bridge over the Erie Canal
• Moynihan Train Hall
• Roosevelt Island Lighthouse

 

Regions Bank to Pay $4. 9 Million to Resolve Civil Liability in Connection with Ineligible Paycheck Protection Program Loan

 

Regions Bank, headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, has agreed to pay the United States $4,919,631 to resolve allegations that Regions received payments it should not have received from the United States in connection with Regions approving forgiveness of a customer’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, despite the fact that the PPP loan was not eligible for forgiveness. 

“The PPP was intended to provide critical assistance to eligible businesses during the economic uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department is committed to ensuring that PPP lenders are held accountable for failing to comply with applicable program requirements, including approving forgiveness of PPP loans that were not eligible under program rules.”

Congress created the PPP in March 2020 as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act to provide federally guaranteed loans to small businesses suffering economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) administered the PPP. The CARES Act authorized private lenders to approve PPP loans for eligible borrowers who could later seek forgiveness of the loans so long as they used loan funds on employee payroll and other eligible expenses. Upon forgiveness of a PPP loan, the SBA paid the lender the forgiven principal loan balance and any accrued interest. SBA also paid to lenders who originated PPP loans a fee calculated as a percentage of the loan amount. 

The United States alleged that, on or about Aug. 3, 2021, Regions Bank approved forgiveness of a PPP loan obtained by an individual through Regions Bank, but the PPP loan was not eligible for forgiveness. The United States further alleged that Regions Bank was unjustly enriched by the payment the SBA made to Regions Bank upon forgiveness of the PPP loan. 

The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri, with assistance from the Small Business Administration’s Offices of the General Counsel and the Inspector General as well as from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s Office of Inspector General. 

Trial Attorney Gavin Thole of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and Assistant U. S. Attorney Matthew Sparks of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri are handling the matter. 

The claim resolved by the settlement reflects allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.