Governor Hochul Calls on the Trump Administration to Stop Defunding the Police and Deliver the $87 Million in Federal Counterterrorism Funds Still Owed to New York

Trump Administration Recklessly Cut New York’s Counterterrorism Funding by $187 Million Last Year

President Trump Promised to Fully Restore New York’s Funding After Governor Hochul’s Relentless Advocacy and Direct Outreach

But the Trump Administration Restored Only $100 Million – Leaving New York Without $87 Million in Vital Counterterrorism Funding

Funding Directly Supports Intelligence Operations, Transit Hub Security, as well as Equipment Purchases, Training and Preparedness Efforts for Counties, Sheriffs and Police Departments

Governor Kathy Hochul today called on President Trump and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin to fully fund New York’s counterterrorism efforts by releasing the $87 million in federal funds still owed to New York. Last year, the Trump Administration cut critical counterterrorism and homeland security funding in New York State by 86 percent, or $187 million. Governor Hochul fought this reckless cut by appealing directly to President Trump, who promised to fully restore New York State’s funding. After nearly one year of waiting, New York State is still owed $87 million to support intelligence operations, transit hub security, and equipment, training, and preparedness for sheriffs and police departments across the state.

“By holding this funding hostage, the Trump Administration is defunding the police,” Governor Hochul said. “New York State continues to be the nation’s number one terrorist target – and if President Trump and Secretary Mullin really care about public safety, they should stop playing games and fully fund our vital counterterrorism efforts.”

The funding, provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) through its Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP), supports local law enforcement and regional homeland security preparedness efforts, including intelligence operations, mass gathering security, planning, equipment purchases, and training critical to sustaining and improving community prevention, protection, response and recovery capabilities. HSGP was created in 2003 in the aftermath of 9/11 and comprises three separate grants –– the State Homeland Security Program (SHSP), the Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) and Operation Stonegarden. Under SHSP and UASI, 80 percent of the funding is allocated to local entities while 20 percent is reserved for state projects. New York State received cuts to both its SHSP and UASI allocations.

Following an extended delay in 2025, DHS released the 2025 Notice of Funding Opportunity for HSGP, giving states the ability to access this critical funding. However, despite being the nation’s number one terrorist target, New York’s allocation was cut by 40 percent ($87 million). Then, without notice nor explanation, New York was cut an additional $100 million when DHS issued the awards on September 27, 2025. After dogged advocacy by Governor Hochul, President Trump committed to reversing these misguided cuts in October of 2025, when he stated on Truth Social that he was “…pleased to advise that [he] reversed the cuts made to Homeland Security and Counterterrorism for New York City and State. It was [his] Honor to do so. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Almost one year later, New York State has only received $100 million of the amount owed following an order by a federal judge, with nearly $87 million outstanding.

Specifically, access to the remaining $87 million would ensure full funding of:

• The NYPD’s intelligence analysts and counterterrorism unit;
• The FDNY’s interoperable communication and radiological response capabilities;
• Joint Task Force Empire Shield which is responsible for the New York National Guard presence in transit hubs.
• New York State’s 12 certified bomb squads; and
• Equipment purchases, training, exercises and preparedness efforts for counties, sheriffs and local police departments.

New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Terry O’Leary said, “Governor Hochul has made record investments in the State’s emergency preparedness and counterterrorism efforts, but New York State cannot do this alone. Having a commitment from our federal partners to fight terrorism is critical when it comes to the State's preparedness capabilities, and any further delay in fully funding these efforts is putting the safety and security of all New Yorkers at risk.” 

UASI Funding Cut

In New York, UASI funding is reserved for jurisdictions within the New York City metropolitan areas to sustain and enhance critical anti-terrorism and intelligence sharing programs. Allocations are determined by New York’s Urban Area Working Group (UAWG) which is comprised of New York City, Nassau County, Suffolk County, Westchester County, the City of Yonkers and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Estimated UASI Cuts by UAWG Member:

City of Yonkers	-$947,959
Nassau County	-$947,959
NYC	-$55,671,592
Port Authority	-$3,814,724
Suffolk County	-$947,959
Westchester County	-$947,959
Total	-$63,278,152

SHSP Cut

In New York, SHSP funding is directed to every county and the City of New York to support planning, equipment purchases, training, and other homeland security initiatives. Funding distributions are formula based and ensure funding goes to every county in New York State.

Estimated SHSP Cuts by County:

Albany County	-$352,119
Allegany County	-$22,243
Broome County	-$115,981
Cattaraugus County	-$50,841
Cayuga County	-$49,252
Chautauqua County	-$63,551
Chemung County	-$54,019
Chenango County	-$34,953
Clinton County	-$47,663
Columbia County	-$28,598
Cortland County	-$19,066
Delaware County	-$31,775
Dutchess County	-$213,709
Erie County	-$699,608
Essex County	-$38,131
Franklin County	-$22,243
Fulton County	-$27,009
Genesee County	-$36,542
Greene County	-$36,542
Hamilton County	-$15,888
Herkimer County	-$28,598
Jefferson County	-$41,308
Lewis County	-$17,477
Livingston County	-$47,663
Madison County	-$39,720
Monroe County	-$358,760
Montgomery County	-$38,131
Nassau County	-$677,634
New York City	-$11,218,482
Niagara County	-$155,659
Oneida County	-$84,171
Onondaga County	-$242,307
Ontario County	-$63,552
Orange County	-$344,180
Orleans County	-$33,365
Oswego County	-$61,962
Otsego County	-$34,953
Putnam County	-$87,383
Rensselaer County	-$178,292
Rockland County	-$236,729
Saratoga County	-$92,150
Schenectady County	-$178,505
Schoharie County	-$30,187
Schuyler County	-$17,477
Seneca County	-$19,066
St. Lawrence County	-$58,785
Steuben County	-$41,309
Suffolk County	-$439,316
Sullivan County	-$66,729
Tioga County	-$22,243
Tompkins County	-$36,542
Ulster County	-$85,794
Warren County	-$25,420
Washington County	-$25,420
Wayne County	-$54,019
Westchester County	-$509,223
Wyoming County	-$22,243
Yates County	-$12,710
Total:	-$17,687,197

NEW YORK STATE CELEBRATES RECOVERY MONTH WITH STATEWIDE OBSERVANCE

 

Landmarks Across New York State to be Lit Purple to Recognize the Importance of Recovery and Honor Those Affected by Addiction

Landmarks across New York State will be illuminated purple tonight to celebrate the beginning of Recovery Month, an observance held every September. Recovery Month highlights the importance of having recovery resources available and recognizes those in recovery from addiction.

“Overdose deaths in New York State have dropped 45% since 2022. That’s more than just a number. It reflects real people – friends, family, loved ones - who now have the opportunity to seek treatment and pursue life in recovery,” OASAS Commissioner Dr. Chinazo Cunningham said. “Recovery is an individual, lifelong journey that should be celebrated, and New York has made a commitment to ensure the estimated 2.9 million New Yorkers living in recovery are fully supported in every community.

The following state landmarks will be illuminated purple on the night of September 1^st, which marks the start of recovery month.

1. 1WTC
2. Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge
3. Kosciuszko Bridge
4. The H. Carl McCall SUNY Building
5. State Education Building
6. Alfred E. Smith State Office Building
7. Empire State Plaza
8. State Fairgrounds – Main Gate & Expo Center
9. Niagara Falls
10. The “Franklin D. Roosevelt” Mid-Hudson Bridge
11. Grand Central Terminal - Pershing Square Viaduct
12. Albany International Airport Gateway
13. MTA LIRR - East End Gateway at Penn Station
14. Fairport Lift Bridge over the Erie Canal  
15. Moynihan Train Hall
16. Roosevelt Island Lighthouse

New York State recognizes four essential pillars to recovery, and has built a nation-leading system of services around these:

• Health: Making informed, healthy choices that support physical and emotional well-being, and address the symptoms of addiction.
• Home: A stable and safe place to live.
• Purpose: Taking part in meaningful daily activities and having the independence and resources to participate in society.
• Community: Relationships and social networks that provide support, friendship, love, and hope.

The state continues to make significant strides in expanding recovery services across the state. Recently, OASAS awarded nearly $6 million to expand youth-focused recovery services at recovery centers across the state. This funding supplements youth clubhouses, which offer services similar to recovery centers but with a focus on young people. In addition, through opioid settlement funding, the state has provided more than $31 million to support services at all recovery centers in New York.

Earlier this year, OASAS launched a new voluntary certification program for recovery residences, which is designed to expand recovery options and ensure that these programs meet a specific standard of care.

Peer support is also an important part of the addiction recovery services offered in New York. These peers are people with lived experience related to addiction, who can offer support to those experiencing similar challenges, and help them navigate their journey to recovery.

More information about OASAS recovery services is available here.

The New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports oversees one of the nation’s largest systems of addiction services with approximately 1,700 prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery programs serving over 731,000 individuals per year. This includes the direct operation of 12 Addiction Treatment Centers where our doctors, nurses, and clinical staff provide inpatient and residential services to approximately 8,000 individuals per year.

New Yorkers struggling with an addiction, or whose loved ones are struggling, can find help and hope by calling the state’s toll-free, 24-hour, 7-day-a-week HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY (1-877-846-7369) or by texting HOPENY (Short Code 467369).  Available addiction treatment including crisis/detox, inpatient, residential, or outpatient care can be found on the NYS OASAS website. 

Mayor Mamdani Releases New York City’s First Citywide Racial Equity Plan

 

Plan sets eight citywide goals to address racial disparities across employment, maternal health, child care and more

Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and the Mayor’s Office of Equity and Racial Justice today released the final Citywide Racial Equity Plan (REP), New York City’s first government-wide framework for advancing racial equity.   

  

The final plan follows a 30-day public comment period after the preliminary plan was released in April. During that period, the Mayor’s Office of Equity and Racial Justice (MOERJ) gathered feedback from New Yorkers across the five boroughs and worked with 45 City agencies to strengthen the plan’s goals, strategies and indicators.  

  

Alongside agency-level commitments finalized this year, the plan sets eight citywide goals that New Yorkers can use to track the City’s progress:  

  

•    Housing: By 2034, address racial disparities in rent burden and homelessness by dramatically increasing the production of affordable housing across New York City.  

•    Early Childhood Education: By 2034, reduce achievement gaps and racial disparities in literacy, numeracy and social-emotional development by expanding and improving early childhood education while advancing job quality for child care workers – the majority of whom are women of color.  

•    K-12 Education: By 2034, increase the number of integrated New York City public schools with stable enrollment, equitable access to academic programs and services, and culturally responsive leadership that improves belonging, engagement and academic outcomes for Black and Latino students, multilingual learners, students with disabilities and other historically underserved communities.  

•    Unemployment: By 2034, reduce unemployment rates among Black, Latino and Asian American New Yorkers relative to 2026 rates, including by improving workforce development outcomes.  

•    Justice System: By 2034, reduce the jail population, which is disproportionately made up of New Yorkers of color, while operationalizing smaller borough-based jail facilities.  

•    Health: By 2034, improve pregnancy-related health outcomes for Black New Yorkers, including by reducing Black maternal mortality, with progress tracked by race and ethnicity.  

•    Transportation: By 2034, reduce racial disparities in transportation access by prioritizing faster, more reliable and accessible bus service in Task Force on Racial Inclusion and Equity (TRIE) neighborhoods and communities experiencing the greatest transportation burdens.  

•    Connectivity: By 2034, increase home broadband adoption in the city’s most under-connected neighborhoods, with data disaggregated by neighborhood.  

  

“New Yorkers told us what mattered to them, and this plan is built around those demands,” said Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani. “For too long, government has been willing to acknowledge inequality without setting goals for ending it. This plan changes that. These commitments are specific, measurable and public, and New Yorkers should hold us accountable for delivering on them. Whether it means narrowing disparities in unemployment, reducing Black maternal mortality or making sure every child has access to a great public education, this is what it looks like to govern with equity in mind.”  

  

“This plan sets targets we intend to meet and gives New Yorkers a way to check our work along the way,” said Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su. “The goals around unemployment and housing speak directly to what we hear from working New Yorkers every day: They want a fair shot at a job and a home they can afford in the neighborhoods they call home.”  

  

“The public feedback sessions gave New Yorkers the opportunity to make this plan stronger and more intentional,” said NYC Chief Equity Officer and NYC Mayor’s Office of Equity and Racial Justice Commissioner Afua Atta-Mensah. “We heard a clear demand for baselines, accountability and structural change. Training sessions and outreach alone are not enough to change people’s lives. The final Racial Equity Plan reflects the input from New Yorkers of all backgrounds. New Yorkers should be able to see and feel the impact of this work, and government must be accountable for closing these disparities.”  

  

The final citywide Racial Equity Plan builds on the NYC True Cost of Living (TCOL) Measure, also released in April, which found that 62% of New Yorkers cannot meet the true cost of living and that the burden falls disproportionately on Black and Latino households.   

  

MOERJ will report every two years on progress toward each of the eight citywide goals, alongside the plan’s broader set of agency-level goals, strategies and indicators. The NYC Commission on Racial Equity (CORE) will continue to serve as an independent accountability partner on implementation.  

  

“SBS is proud of our role in addressing systemic inequities and connecting New Yorkers from all backgrounds to free business and workforce services that build real economic security,” said SBS Commissioner Kenny Minaya. “I want to thank Mayor Mamdani, Deputy Mayor Su, and our sister agencies for their partnership, and recognize the Mayor’s Office of Equity and Racial Justice for its leadership in bringing this plan together and ensuring that race is never a barrier to success in New York City.”  

  

“This racial equity plan will be our guide to ensuring that every New Yorker can fully participate in the cultural life of our city as artists, cultural workers, and audiences,” said Cultural Affairs Commissioner Diya Vij. “New York's vibrant cultural ecosystem was shaped by generations of advocates who fought for inclusion through public investment, but funding and resources remain uneven for communities that have experienced generations of underinvestment. This plan recognizes that cultural equity, racial equity, and economic justice are inseparable, and will shape how DCLA distributes public resources, designs programs, and measures success.”  

  

“For far too many New Yorkers, a stable, affordable home remains woefully out-of-reach, particularly for communities of color who have borne the legacy of discriminatory housing practices. The Citywide Racial Equity Plan is a significant step in addressing this disparity,” said Department of City Planning Director Sideya Sherman. “By creating more income-restricted housing across all five boroughs, we can level the playing field for low-income families and give more New Yorkers the opportunity to live in the neighborhoods of their choice, remain in the communities they call home, and build a future in our city.”  

 

“ACS is committed to eliminating racial disparities across New York City’s child welfare, juvenile justice, and childcare assistance systems and advancing equitable outcomes and well-being for children, youth, and families,” said Rebecca Jones Gaston, Commissioner of the NYC Administration for Children’s Services (ACS). “This racial equity plan builds on our ongoing work to address disparities in both people’s involvement with and experiences of our systems, from expanding access to concrete resources that help families thrive, to strengthening mandated reporter training and reducing unwarranted reports of suspected child abuse, to ensuring the lived expertise of families and young people informs our strategies and solutions. We will continue to work in close partnership with families, youth, communities, providers, and other system partners to advance this work. We applaud the Mamdani Administration for prioritizing these efforts and for its commitment to ensuring that race or ethnicity does not determine whether or how a child, young person, parent, or family experiences ACS.”  

  

“The Department of Finance is committed to administering the City’s tax and revenue laws fairly, efficiently, and transparently, and ensuring that every New Yorker has equitable access to the services we provide,” said Finance Commissioner Richard Lee. “Under Mayor Mamdani’s leadership, we are advancing policies that reduce barriers for historically underserved communities and expand access to benefits, tax relief programs, and other resources that support all New Yorkers. With the launch of the Mayor’s Office of Deed Theft Prevention, we are also bringing agencies and stakeholders together to protect vulnerable homeowners and confront the growing threat of deed theft and fraud. I thank the Mayor’s Office of Equity and Racial Justice for its work on this initiative and look forward to advancing equity and making New York City a fairer and more just place to live.”  

  

“DSNY is committed to placing racial equity at the center of critical programs around diversion, cleanliness, containerization, and commercial waste reform, building on recent waste equity and environmental justice initiatives,” said NYC Sanitation Commissioner Gregory Anderson. “This report lays out plans to identify disparities, make improvements, and expand partnerships with local organizations — not just for awareness, but for real changes in how programs are implemented in historically underserved communities.”

  

“Racial inequity, historic and continuing, is a stain on American society,” said NYC Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams. “It wastes enormous talent and beauty that exists, but is not always allowed to flourish, in our Black and Brown communities. I am proud to be a citywide elected official of New York City at this time, when frank, measurable commitments to increasing racial equity are being made, at long last. It will be a privilege for my office to track and advocate for progress toward these goals and support New Yorkers citywide in doing the same.”  

  

“Today’s release of New York City’s first-ever Final Racial Equity Plan is a historic and long-awaited milestone,” said Deputy Speaker Nantasha Williams. “This plan represents years of advocacy and a commitment made directly by New Yorkers to embed racial equity into how our city plans, budgets, and delivers for our communities. I want to thank Mayor Zohran Mamdani for his commitment to seeing this work through, MOERJ Commissioner Afua Atta-Mensah for her leadership, and CORE Chair and Executive Director Linda Tigani for her steadfastness throughout this process. The release of the plan is an important achievement, but ultimately its success will be measured by implementation and whether New Yorkers can see and feel meaningful change in their neighborhoods and their lives. As Deputy Speaker, I look forward to working with the Administration, MOERJ, CORE, and my colleagues in the Council to ensure we turn the commitments in this plan into measurable and lasting progress.”  

  

2026 BlakTinX Performance Series at BAAD! September 15 to November 21, 2026

 

BAAD! continues to center Black and Latinx queer art in its annual festival

The Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance (BAAD!) proudly announces the 2026 edition of its BlakTinX Performance Series, running from September 15 through November 21, 2026. This multidisciplinary festival celebrates the convergence of Black and Latinx artistry through dance, theater, music, literature, ritual, and performance. This year’s programming uplifts ancestral legacies while spotlighting bold, contemporary expressions that resonate with the Bronx and beyond.

“BlakTinX honors our histories and cultures and also offers new artistic expressions,” says BAAD! Co-Founder Charles Rice-González. “The festival invites audiences into intimate stories, radical imaginings, joyful expressions, and community-centered celebrations of Black and Latinx life and creativity, holding fast to the values of these perspectives and shining against attempts of erasure.”

The 2026 BlakTinX Performance Series showcases an energetic lineup of queer perspectives and intergenerational storytelling. Highlights include collaborations with Angela’s Pulse’s Dancing While Black, celebrating its 10th Anniversary, as well as Pepatián’s annual Dancing Futures Residency. Other festival events include dance commissions, Underground Transmissions by André M. Zachery’s Renegade Performance Group, and choreographer j. bouey’s The Living Ancestors. BAAD! will also celebrate the 15th anniversary of Charles Rice-Gonzalez’s renowned queer Latino novel, Chulito, and the NYC book launch of Courageous Heart: The Power of Transformation, a book that aims to transform lives through love and self-reliance. Explore the full program of events in the Festival Schedule below.  

Most events take place in person at BAAD! (2474 Westchester Ave, Bronx), with select performances offered virtually. Tickets range from free to $25, with sliding scale options available. BAAD! continues its commitment to accessibility by offering free admission to residents of Bronx zip codes 10474 and 10461.

BlakTinX 2026 Festival Schedule

Tuesday, September 15 @ 7PM | FREE

Happy Birthday, Vamir!

Join BAAD! as we celebrate the life, love, artistry, and joy of our beloved Vamir, an artist and theater technician, on what would have been his birthday, over a year after his passing. Together we'll honor his incredible spirit with some of his favorite foods, stories, birthday cake, a community altar of photos and memories (bring things to include), and performances by artists inspired by the creativity, connection, and joy he brought into the world. Whether Vamir was your friend, colleague, chosen family, or someone whose legacy you wish to discover, come gather in celebration and remembrance, and hear a special announcement!

Saturday, September 19 @ 11AM - 4:30PM | FREE

Dancing While Black 10th Anniversary Public Masterclasses with Adia Whitaker, Rashida Bumbray, Tyrone Bevans and j. bouey

Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the DWB Fellowship. DWB Alumni and stellar, award-winning artists Adia Whitaker (11am), Rashida Bumbray (1pm), Tyrone Bevans and j. bouey (3pm) will lead a day of vibrant workshops centering Black dance praxis. Open to all.

Friday, September 25 and Saturday, September 26 @ 7:30PM | $20

Underground Transmissions by André M Zachery

Underground Transmissions brings together two Afrofuturist multimedia choreographic works by Renegade Performance Group Artistic Director André M. Zachery—Webbed Fugues and Respiration (BX). These works explore how Black communities carry, transform, and reimagine knowledge across generations. Drawing from Black Atlantic cultural practices, Hip Hop, speculative fiction, and contemporary performance, the works celebrate the Bronx as a site of cultural invention where collective memory, embodied storytelling, and creative innovation generate new possibilities for the future.

Friday, October 2 and Saturday, October 3 at 8PM | Sliding Scale: $5, $10, $15, $20

Legacies in Action: 2026 Dancing While Black Fellowship Show

Don’t miss witnessing new works in development by the 2026 Dancing While Black (DWB) Fellows. These six artists gathered monthly since March to build community with one another and master teachers in the field. This showing of new works supports the ongoing innovation of their creative practice and process. Friday, October 2 features Elinor Kleber Diggs, Mai'yah Kau and Quaba Ernest, while Saturday, October 3 features Aryanna Allen, Imogene Williams, and Indigo Sparks. Each show will be followed by a Q&A with the artists.

Friday, October 9 @ 8PM | FREE

Making My Ballroom Story and the Three Ps

Experience an exclusive short screening and discussion of the documentary My Ballroom Story, directed by Felix Rodriguez.  An Afro-Boricua, gay coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of the 1990s New York City ballroom scene. Felix Rodriguez, the main videographer of ballroom in that era, uses some of his unseen ballroom footage archive to weave an intimate journey of self-acceptance. Followed by a discussion with Calixto Chinchilla, the Founder and Executive Director of the NY International Latino Film Festival.

Thursday, October 15 @ 7:30PM | FREE

Chulito’s Quince

Celebrate the 15th anniversary of Chulito, Charles Rice-González's award-winning, landmark gay novel, through chapters adapted for the stage, readings by noted actors, and a dance performance. Charles will read a chapter from Hunts Point, the unpublished follow-up to Chulito, and guests will receive a Spanish translation of Chulito's first chapter.

Friday, October 16th and Saturday, October 17 @ 7PM | Sliding Scale: $5–$20

The Living Ancestors by j. bouey

j. bouey, the prolific and mesmerizing performer, brings The Living Ancestors, a multimedia disco-funk space-opera dance that follows a futuristic liberation-minded band of performers guided by a poetic libretto and music mixed live. This work immerses audiences in the story of a future when our global society is at the precipice of abolishing oppression through SATURN, a multi-generational project.

Thursday, October 22 @ 7PM | FREE

NYC Book Launch: Courageous Heart by Myriam Laureano

Follow your heart! Myriam Laureano's Courageous Heart: The Power of Transformation is a groundbreaking book that guides readers to move beyond patterns rooted in fear, separation, and survival and embrace a heart-centered path rooted in love and wholeness. The event features readings, talks and performances to draw from Laureano's decades of clinical practice, spiritual wisdom, evolutionary psychology, and lived experience to explore the relationship and integration between ego and soul, intellect and intuition, and our human and divine nature. Event to be followed by a book signing by Laureano.

Saturday, October 24 @ 8PM | In Person: $20 | Virtual: $0–$20 (Sliding scale)

BlakTinX Dance Compilation

BAAD!’s signature evening of choreography spanning contemporary, experimental, and cultural dance forms. Featuring works by choreographers: Jennifer Acosta, Arielle Telfort, Shontè Jackson, Rathi Varma, Arthur Avilés, Darius Gregory, Elise Barnes, Moon Warner, Felix Ciprian, and Lela Carter.

Thursday, October 29 @ 7PM | In Person: FREE | Virtual: FREE

Courageous Conversations with DJ Sabine Blaizin and Rev. Liz Edman

Whether it’s a church with pews and incense, or a club’s dance floor with body’s moving to a groove, this Courageous Conversation series invites us to share what is a sacred space, a spiritual practice. DJ Sabine Blaizin, the founder of Oyasound Productions, and a cultural worker, and Rev. Liz Edman, author of Queer Virtue: What LGBTQ People Know About Life and Love and How It Can Revitalize Christianity and Priest in Charge of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, share what moves them and gives them life. BAAD! began Courageous Conversations: Strategies for Living and Loving in America in 2016 as a free facilitated/open community forum for queer people and allies on how to navigate and thrive under challenging social and political climates. 

Saturday October 31 @ 8PM | FREE

HalloKween

Celebrate Halloween in BAAD!’s 19th-century chapel with open mic, karaoke, costume contest, and dance party hosted by Bronx drag queens Appolonia Cruz and Viveka Westwood Mugler.

Friday, November 6 and Saturday, November 7 @ 8PM | Sliding Scale: $5–$20

Zainab Floyd | Dancing Futures

Rituals for the Black Caribbean is a cross-cultural and political production of solidarity through the quest of movement with the underlying beat of resistance, rebellion, romance and liberation using movements from Haiti, Jamaica, Cuba, and Suriname.

Friday, November 13th and Saturday, November 14 @ 8PM | Sliding Scale: $5–$20

Jeevika Bhat | Dancing Futures

Miyan explores the magical music of Tansen, a legendary 16th century musical prodigy who pioneered the Hindustani Gwalior Gharana. Born mute, it is mythologized that Tansen was mystically gifted with the ability to sing, and grew up to master magical raagas which calmed rogue elephants, caused lamps to spark and burn, and summoned sweet rain from the sky.

Friday, November 20th and Saturday, November 21 @ 8PM | Sliding Scale: $5–$20

Wendy Ann Powell | Dancing Futures

Wendy Ann Powell’s The Portal Within is an exploration of memory, lineage and voices of the past to forge the future. It is the Black spiritual dance practices where strength, joy, resilience, love and pain all converge. The realms of the past, present and future meet to share history, wisdom and destiny.

About BAAD!

The Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance (BAAD!) is a nationally-recognized arts organization co-founded in 1998 by award-winning dancer/choreographer Arthur Aviles and writer/activist Charles Rice-Gonzalez. Through its arts programming, BAAD! presents cutting-edge works in dance and all creative disciplines that bring a queer perspective to the socio-political/cultural dialogue of The Bronx and New York City to empower women, people of color and the LGBTQ+ community.

NEW YORK DEPARTMENT OF STATE ANNOUNCES NEW TEXTURED HAIR TRAINING REQUIREMENT TAKING EFFECT TODAY, SEPTEMBER 1

 

New Law Ensures Cosmetology Students Receive Training to Work with All Hair Types and Textures

The New York State Department of State today announced that a new requirement ensuring cosmetology students receive training in all hair types and textures take effect today, September 1, 2026.

Under the new law, signed by Governor Kathy Hochul, New York’s cosmetology and natural hair styling education programs must include instruction on textured hair and other hair patterns. Training will cover hair and scalp properties, hair care, treatments and styling techniques and other techniques commonly used with textured hair.

The updated curriculum is designed to ensure New York’s future licensed cosmetologists and natural hair stylists have the skills needed to serve all New Yorkers, regardless of hair type or texture. The new instruction will be incorporated into existing training requirements and will not increase the total number of hours required to obtain a license.

“Traditional cosmetology courses historically ignored textured hair, leading salons to turn away clients or undertreat Black customers, but everyone deserves to walk into a salon and know they can receive quality, professional care,” said New York Secretary of State, Walter T. Mosley. “Thanks to Governor Hochul, this new training requirement is an important step toward making sure New York’s beauty enhancement professionals are prepared to work with all hair types and textures. By giving students the skills they need to care for textured hair, we are helping create a more inclusive industry and expanding opportunities for both consumers and professionals.”

The Department of State oversees licensing and regulatory standards for the appearance enhancement industry in New York State.

To apply for a Cosmetology license, you must:

1. Be 17 years old
2. Complete a 1,000 hour approved course of study and pass both the New York State written and practical examinations. The affirmation of New York State Approved Schooling section of the application must be completed by your school director as proof of successful completion.
3. Be examined by a physician, physician's assistant or nurse practitioner. The physician, physician's assistant or nurse practitioner must complete and date the Health Certification section of the application. You must submit your application within 30 days after the health certification is signed and dated.

For more information on requirements visit dos.ny.gov/natural-hair-license.