Brewer, Adams Shine Spotlight on Foster Children Amid Pandemic
Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer
Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer (D) and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams (D) wrote an op-ed for the New York Daily News about the plight of children in foster care during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The article cites the experiences of Neyla Sassi, a coach from the foster youth advocacy coalition Fair Futures. Recently, there was a child under her care (named Maya) who was exhibiting all the symptoms of COVID-19. Neyla had to check in on Maya daily while she searched the city for a doctor who would give her the care she needed.
Neyla, they wrote, is just one of the hundreds of Fair Futures coaches who are currently supplying foster youth with wifi, food, medical supplies and other essentials.
“Without Neyla by her side, it’s hard to know where Maya would be today,” they wrote. “New York City is responsible for the health and safety of young people in foster care. If we do not take the initiative to support them amid the pandemic and afterward, no one will.”
Johnson, Kallos to Host COVID-19 Town Hall
Council Member Corey Johnson
Today, Council Speaker Corey Johnson (D-Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen) and Councilmember Ben Kallos (D-Yorkville, Lenox Hill) will be hosting a virtual discussion on the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The electeds will take questions on several related topics, including the city budget, resources for seniors, and unemployment relief.
The event will take place tonight at 6 p.m. on Zoom. To RSVP and submit your questions, click here.
Cuomo Makes Juneteenth a State Holiday
Governor Andrew Cuomo
Yesterday, Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) signed an executive order making June 19 – the anniversary of slavery’s end – a state holiday.
On June 19, 1865, Union general Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas to announce that the Civil War was over and that Texas’ slaves were officially free. The holiday, also known as “Juneteenth” and “Freedom Day”, commemorates that day. In addition to signing the executive order, Cuomo announced his intent to propose legislation to permanently make it a state holiday.
“It’s a day that’s especially relevant in this moment in history,” said Cuomo. “I think that this is a period where we could see monumental change. And I want to be a force for change; I want to help synergize this moment, whether it’s through reform on police department or an expanded racial understanding. If Juneteenth is part of that, and a recognition of what happened and an acknowledgement of that, great.”