In the heart of bustling Harlem, on the vibrant intersection of W. 119th Street and Claremont Avenue, lies a hidden gem from the past. A relic of the bygone era that once quenched the thirst of a growing community. Enter Lynch’s Well (see above), a testament to the interconnected network of wells and springs that…
In the heart of Harlem, amidst the vibrant tapestry of culture and history, a photograph captures a poignant moment that transcends time. It unveils the dignified presence of F.S. York’s horse-drawn hearse, parked resolutely on West 145th Street in 1914, a testament to the elegance and reverence that accompanied the final journeys of loved ones.…
In the bustling metropolis of Harlem, amidst the splendor of the Gilded Age, a magnificent steamboat took center stage. Captivating the imaginations of those fortunate enough to witness its grandeur. Step aboard the esteemed “Harlem,” a floating masterpiece that epitomized the luxury and sophistication of an era of lavish indulgence. The year was 1891, and…
NEW YORK (AP) — New York Mayor Eric Adams has hailed his city’s right to shelter as a hallmark of compassion for its most destitute. Now he must decide if he will extend that compassion by bestowing homeless people with the right to sleep outside.
The City Council unanimously approved a “Homeless Bill of Rights” last month that would make New York the first big U.S. city to establish an explicit right to sleep in at least some public places.
If Adams, a Democrat, allows the measure to become law, it could be a notable departure for the city, which has for years sent police and sanitation crews to clear homeless encampments as they arise.
It also would run against the prevailing political headwinds in other places that have struggled with large numbers of people living in tents and other makeshift shelters.
The Los Angeles City Council passed a broad anti-camping measure two years ago. Then last year, the city outlawed tents within 500 feet (150 meters) of schools and day cares and banned sitting, lying, sleeping or storing personal property that would disrupt the flow of traffic on sidewalks, streets and bike lanes.
The changes were billed as a compassionate way to get homeless people off the streets and restore access to public spaces for other people. Sonja Verdugo, an organizer with the Los Angeles advocacy group Ground Game LA, called the measure “inhumane.”
“Basically, you can’t rest anywhere outdoors if you’re unhoused,” she said.
Earlier this year, a “Right to Rest” proposal in Oregon died quietly after its sponsor could not muster support. It would have granted the right to use public spaces “without discrimination and time limitations that are based on housing status.”
Attempts to establish a similar Homeless Bill of Rights in California, including a right to sleep outdoors without fear of being confronted by police, also have faltered.
Some hope Los Angeles’ newly elected Mayor Karen Bass will make good on a campaign promise to move people out of tents and cardboard shanties and into permanent housing.
Bass vowed to eliminate encampments lining entire blocks and have made the city’s notorious Skid Row the embodiment of the country’s homeless crisis. Bass also promised to house 15,000 people by the end of her first year in office. The number comprises more than a third of the estimated 42,000 Los Angelenos without permanent shelter.
The increasing visibility of homeless camps has fueled public frustration and prompted politicians, including some moderate Democrats, to push to reduce their prevalence — to the chagrin of some advocates for homeless people.
“More and more, it’s simply illegal to be homeless all across the country — in Republican and Democratic cities,” said Mark Horvath, CEO of Los Angeles-based nonprofit Invisible People. “But it’s not like we can arrest our way out of this crisis.”
Aside from establishing the right to sleep outdoors, the Homeless Bill of Rights passed in New York would also codify the city’s longstanding right to shelter, the only one of its kind among the country’s biggest cities.
Among the nine rights in the measure are safeguards against being forced into facilities that don’t correspond to a person’s gender identity. It also gives people the right to apply for rental assistance and requires parents staying in shelters be given diapers for their babies.
“This is a sensible and compassionate policy response to unprecedented homelessness,” said Taysha Milagros Clark, a policy and data analyst for the Coalition for the Homeless in New York City.
“The bill of rights really encompasses an understanding that homeless people do have rights. They haven’t violated any laws or anything of the sort just by virtue of their homeless status,” she said. “It is a stark departure from what this administration has done.”
Fabien Levy, a spokesperson for Adams, said the mayor was still evaluating the measure.
“Since Day One of this administration, Mayor Adams has been focused on helping New Yorkers experiencing homelessness and connecting them with a clean, safe place to rest their heads at night,” Levy said.
The mayor’s subway safety program has resulted in more than 4,600 New Yorkers experiencing homelessness being connected to the help and shelter they need “to stabilize their lives,” Levy said.
It is uncertain how the proposed right to sleep outdoors might work in practice.
New York City has rules limiting the ability to set up a campsite. Most city parks close at 1 a.m. Privately owned spaces are off limits. Sidewalks and roads are required to be free of obstructions.
People are forbidden from lying down on benches or seats on the city’s subway trains, though enforcement is lax.
New York City is required by law to guarantee space in its huge shelter system to anyone who needs it, but the system has been bursting partly due to an influx of migrants, many of whom crossed into the U.S. along the southern border.
Nearly 81,000 people were housed in the shelter system in the past week. City officials scrambled to find more space, including renting out entire hotels for families without permanent housing.
Some people choose to live on the streets because they find the city’s shelters dangerous or too crowded, don’t like their rules or curfews, or have trouble being around other people.
Jumaane Williams, New York City’s elected public advocate and a sponsor of the homeless rights measure now before Adams, said he would like the city to focus less on preventing encampments and more on addressing what he says are the roots of the crisis: rising housing costs, joblessness, racism, addiction and mental illness.
“I think we’re in dire situations for things that have been decades in the making,” Williams said.
The concept of a bill of rights for homeless people dates back more than a decade. In 2012, Rhode Island was the first state to adopt one, soon followed by Connecticut and Illinois.
“So far none of them have explicitly protected the right of a person to be able to sleep outside,” said Eric Tars, the legal director of the National Homelessness Law Center.
Five years ago, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the city of Boise, Idaho, could not stop people from sleeping outside if there was nowhere else for them to sleep. Doing so, the court suggested, would criminalize homeless people. The right to sleep outside only exists, the court ruled, if there is no shelter space available.
Music legend Stevie Wonder performed from the Fordham Commencement stage, but not before offering the Class of 2023 some inspiration—and a challenge.
“The youth are going to make the difference. I believe in you. That’s why I sing, and that’s why I’m motivated,” he said at the May 20 ceremony, just after receiving an honorary doctorate from the University.
‘Stand Up and Be Counted’
“Fordham has given you the tools to achieve, to excel, and to do great things in this world. But that’s not gonna happen by sitting on your hands,” he said.
“You’ve got to be activists. You have to vote. You have to serve your communities and you must enlighten the unenlightened.”
Wonder—a winner of 25 Grammys, 32 No. 1 singles, 49 top 40 singles and worldwide sales of over 100 million units—was honored for both his artistry and his leadership on social and humanitarian issues, such as making Martin Luther King Jr. Day a national holiday and expanding the availability of published works in accessible formats such as Braille, large print, and audio books.
‘You Really Do Have To Be Woke’
He challenged the graduates assembled on Edwards Parade to use their education to respond to the realities of the world’s suffering.
“You really do have to be woke. Now, maybe some leaders in this nation don’t understand what being woke is. Let me tell you what it is. It’s being awake. And being awake means being aware…So stand up and be counted as one against oppression, hatred, and let’s keep the truth alive.”
To the crowd’s delight, Wonder performed “You Are The Sunshine Of My Life,” drawing more cheers from graduates and families.
Want to support small, local businesses? Amazon is home to thousands of products from small business brands around the block around the world. Here are some you should know about. At Amazon, you can find just about everything. That includes the brand names you already know and love, but also the many small businesses you haven’t encountered…
Harlem Stage, the nationally influential New York cultural institution that commissions and presents new work by visionary artists of color holds its 2023 gala on June 5, 2023. Taking place at the landmark Harlem Stage Gatehouse, 150 Convent Avenue in Harlem, the event kicks off the organization’s year-long 40th-anniversary celebration, which will feature performances from many of…
Good Black News wants to take a moment on this day to honor and remember the women who gave us life, who nurtured and raised us, and also offered us solace, counsel, wisdom, humility and humor.
To all the mothers out there – be they Aunties, Grandmothers, Cousins or Friends – thank you for all you do. It might not always feel like it, but you are deeply appreciated.
For those of us who aren’t able to be with our mothers or mother figures in person due to circumstance, distance or transcendence — we are with you in voice, online and always – in spirit!
Harlem Bespoke: The spring season will have more on the calendar for everyone and will feature local live events such as the 30th Annual African Film Festival at Maysles Cinema this weekend. Keep it all in the neighborhood and help support uptown’s small businesses!
Friday, May 19th, 7:00PM, Sisterhood, in-theater screening at Maysles Cinema, 343 Lenox Avenue by West 127th Street. Husinatu and Hassanatu, twin sisters living in Sierra Leone, decide to move together to the Middle East to find better lives for themselves, their children, and their parents. Despite Husinatu’s frustrating experiences in the Middle East in the past, both sisters are determined to achieve their goal. Faced with the coronavirus crisis, they search for money in order to obtain new passports, visas, and travel arrangements through legal and illegal migration agents. More details and purchase online tickets at the Maysles Cinema site: LINK
According to npr.org, U.S. Rep. Cori Bush (D, Missouri) has introduced new legislation calling for $14 trillion in reparations for Black Americans, in an effort to see the federal government atone and attempt to compensate for the practice of chattel slavery for over 250 years and the generations of racist policies that have followed.
“The United States has a moral and legal obligation to provide reparations for the enslavement of Africans and its lasting harm on the lives of millions of Black people,” Bush said in a Wednesday news conference attended by Reps. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., and Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., as well as other stakeholders.
“America must provide reparations if we desire a prosperous future for all,” Bush said.
Rep. Bush’s resolution is the latest in a long line of congressional efforts by Democrats to compensate Black Americans for centuries of racial inequity. Similar language about reparations has been introduced in every legislative session since 1989.
“We know that we continue to live under slavery’s vestiges. We know how slavery has perpetuated Jim Crow. We know how slavery’s impacts live on today,” Bush said, citing the racial wealth gap, voter suppression, infant mortality rates and other negative health outcomes for Black people.
U.S. Congressmember Cori Bush (D, Missouri)
“It’s unjust and it wouldn’t happen in a just and fair and equitable society,” Bush also remarked. “Those are not the natural consequences of human society… They are directly caused by our federal government’s role in the enslavement and exploitation of Africans and Black people throughout our history.”
