Education Equity
Secure high-quality laptops and tablets all students while ensuring access to adequate broadband. COVID-19 has forced many students to fall behind in their studies because they lack access to necessary technology. We must do better for our students and level the playing field, particularly for students with Individualized Education Plans and English Language Learners.
We must remove NYPD officers from schools and end harsh disciplinary processes like zero tolerance. Too often students of color are exposed to the carceral system in everyday life. Schools are institutions for learning, students should not feel like they are in prison by going through metal detectors every day.
Fund mental health professionals in every school so students have the resources to cope with stress and process the historic inequities of poverty that have existed in their communities.
Community-based groups like Community Education Councils should have veto-power over school closures and be an active voice in the agenda-setting for school culture.
Allow for a Board of Education that is more independent and subject to oversight from the City Council.
Open Parent Academies at schools that would offer parenting and skills workshops to increase institutional accessibility and better help their students
Provide professional certification courses and continuing higher-education opportunities for members of our community.
New York City is the most diverse city in the world, we must make sure our curriculum is diverse and representative of its students. We must overhaul the DOE budget and make space for minority and women-led contractors while also setting aside funds to actively recruit teachers of color.
Over 110K students in public schools are homeless. A child cannot learn if they do not have a plate of food or a bed to sleep in. We have a duty to provide housing and access to food for our city’s neediest.
Advocating for the repeal of Hect-Calandra at the state level, end all discriminatory screens in New York City public schools, and launch a community-led diversity plan for middle schools in Northern Manhattan.
- students within the DOE; add more staff to address the needs of our students.
Racial Justice Platform
- Reject the Borough-Based Plan to Replace Rikers. I support the expedited closure of Rikers, now we must ensure that city resources are spent to improve our city, not incarcerate our people.
- End Solitary Confinement. Khalief Browder’s tragic story reveals the horror of solitary confinement. I strongly support ending the inhumane practice of solitary confinement.
- Protester Rights. The Black Lives Matter Movement exposed deeply-rooted bias and loopholes in our policing system. We must end the deployment of tear gas and rubber bullets against protestors
- Support Police Residency Laws. 51% of NYPD officers do not live in NYC. We must put Residency Laws to ensure our police officers are members of the community they serve.
- Oversight of NYPD. NYC Council Investigations committee should have expanded investigative and oversight powers in cases of police misconduct and deadly use of force.
- The NYPD Commissioner must be confirmed by the City Council.
- Support a Truly Independent Civilian Complaint Review Board
- Comprehensive review of NYPD Budget and reallocation of resources
- End Qualified-Immunity for NYPD Officers.
- Support the removal of NYPD response in homelessness outreach, and mental health calls.
We must remove NYPD officers from schools and end harsh disciplinary processes like zero tolerance. Too often students of color are exposed to the carceral system in everyday life. Schools are institutions for learning, students should not feel like they are in prison by going through metal detectors every day.
Historically, rezonings have been used as a tool to segregate and displace communities. We need to examine land-use and ULURP processes in the city. I strongly support the requirement of Racial Impact Studies in rezoning and other land-use proposals.
I support #FreeCuny which would remove financial barriers to entry to a university education.
I also support expanding city-funded loans to encourage homeownership and the use of Community Land Trusts for community control of new development in their neighborhoods
I support the Small Business and Jobs Survival Act. 31% of small businesses are minority owned. The SBJSBA would empower small business owners which would grant business owners a right to renewal in the commercial lease process.
Expand access to loan programs and support for small businesses
- Millions of immigrants contribute to the economic vitality and culture of our city, we must allow undocumented residents to vote in City elections.
Black and brown people are more likely to feel the impacts of climate change and we must protect vulnerable communities. The Green New Deal would retrofit NYC1HA. The Green New Deal would create green jobs, end the fossil fuel infrastructure, and secure dignified living conditions for people across the city.
Disability Rights
With over 2,000,000 disabled people living in the Five Boroughs of NYC, many who struggle financially and live on fixed income, we must elevate the plight of people with disabilities and prioritize solutions to make our city the most inclusive and livable city in the world. Disabilities rights is critical to the fight for social justice in our communities.
The New York City Council must collaborate with cultural institutions across the city to allow free entry/ pay as you can for all disabled visitors to all city controlled Cultural Institutions Group (CIGs). Allow one Caregiver to accompany the disabled individual at free or discounted entry.
- We must expand the New York City Identification Card program for disabled New Yorkers so they too can enjoy the benefits and access of the program.
- Protect the disabled community from eviction, displacement in housing discrimination. We must ensure that disabled New Yorkers are easily able to request repairs and upgrades in their current apartments to allow manageability and accessibility.
Support all children with special needs and disabilities and their families. All children should have access to quality education and intervention services, including efficient transportation options and one on one support.
- All businesses adhere to ADA accessibility, there should be a process allowing initial 90 day building code upgrades and financial assistance for ensuring compliance followed by enforcement.
We must ensure our city’s workforce is inclusive and develop a pipeline of life sustaining employment opportunities available to the disabled community who would like to engage in full time, or part time employment.
- We need to ensure access to quality health and mental health care for the diisabled community. We support access to care for all especially those who are struggling with access to care due to financial hardship.
New York City should prioritize true accessibility in our public mass transit system. In addition, we must guarantee investment in our city’s infrastructure and sidewalks to ensure our streets are accessible to all.
Environmental Justice and Infrastructure
- Pass a Green New Deal for New York City.
- Support a Green New Deal For NYCHA.
- Divest From Fossil Fuels. NYC pensions and any other support of the fossil fuel industry.
- Move Ownership of the energy supply from the private sector to the public
- Enact a Carbon Tax that will fund capital projects and green infrastructure
- Fortify Harlem River Esplanade in our District and other vulnerable waterfront areas
- Make the language around Climate Justice movement more accessible to all, keeping New York’s immigrant community in mind
- Reduce car dependency, support sidewalk expansions/street closures, prioritize development of green recreational spaces in POC neighborhoods
- Fight for Increased Federal and State funding of the MTA
- Address food insecurity and food waste in New York City. Support food-share and expansion of Health Bucks initiative.
- Uptown Food Co-Op
- Support Renewable Rikers
Housing Justice
Counteract the forces of gentrification with a housing policy that deters displacement and empowers low-income renters to become home-owners.
Guarantee community interests and voices are heard in land-development projects.
Home ownership is a primary method of building and maintaining wealth, we must create city sponsored programs to encourage homeownership, particularly for low-income families.
Create a community-based platform to ensure accountability.
Expand legal services and create emergency funds to protect tenants from eviction and homelessness.
I will also oppose any privatization efforts of public housing. Support community-led efforts.
Empower members of the community to organize against landlord abuse
Historically, rezonings have been used as a tool to segregate and displace communities. We need to examine land-use and ULURP processes in the city. I strongly support the requirement of Racial Impact Studies in rezoning and other land-use proposals.
Support a city-level Homes Guarantee campaign by preserving existing affordable public and social housing (including NYCHA), building new social housing units, and advocating for a comprehensive plan.
Workers, Jobs, Economic Development, and Small Business Protection
- Higher Heights Initiative: developing pipeline for our community to access green careers that have not been traditionally accessible to them.
- Support partnerships with merchants associations
- The Small Business & Jobs Survival Act has been ignored by the city council for over 30 years. COVID-19 demonstrates the urgency to support our small businesses in the lease renewal process
- Support for a minimum wage that automatically matches the rate of inflation
- Support scheduling transparency and emergency paid-time off
- Encourage expansion of small business instead of big-box stores
- Support hazard pay for essential workers and benefits for excluded workers
- End predatory schools and job-placement programs
- Support small businesses and vendors by fighting for commercial rent control,
- Support Street Vendor and micro-entrepreneurs
- Support vendor plazas and pedestrian-friendly marketplaces
Immigration
- Immigrants Bill of Rights
- Formation of the Council of Immigrants
- Reimagining NYC as a true Sanctuary city. Support the NYS Liberty For All Bill.
- Preservation of Adult literacy programing and funding
- Work to end deportations. Support legal representation for detained immigrants
- Support of Municipal Voting Legislation
- Support of Citizenship classes & ELL
- Access to healthcare and mental health care services regardless of immigration service
- Increase language accessibility around municipal programming.
Reproductive Rights & Gender Equality
I will continue to be a fierce champion of reproductive rights for all. Continue to expand reproductive health services in communities of color to deal with
- Standing up for the civil rights of the LGBTQIA+ community including the decriminalization of the trans community.
- Expansion of workplace protections for LGBTQIA+ community and fair compensation.
- Support medical and reproductive services for incarcerated women
- Protection of reproductive rights, including abortion access, and preventative care
- Closing the Income inequality Gap for women/ women of color.
- Expanding protections against sexual harassment in the workplace
- Expanding preventative services to combat Maternal Mortality for women of color.
- Reproductive Services need to get the funding they deserve
COVID-19 & Health
- Ensure Equitable Testing and Vaccination rollout. Support citywide education programs to encourage vaccination and prioritize development of vaccination centers in vulnerable communities.
- Cancel Rent. When COVID-related eviction moratoriums are lifted, New Yorkers will owe thousands of dollars in backrent, we must cancel rent to avoid a tragic eviction crisis.
- Free COVID-19 Treatment. Nobody should go into debt due to this deadly pandemic. Free COVID-19 Treatment will make sure no lives are lost due to financial concerns.
- Expand Mental Health Programs. Mental health has been an untreated problem in communities of color for decades, stress and trauma exacerbated by COVID-19 must be treated so we can all properly heal. We must also decriminalize and de-stigmatize people suffering from mental health crises.
- Protect Incarcerated People. We must ensure prisons follow proper social distancing protocols and provide PPE to incarcerated people. Incarcerated people must be included in the vaccination rollout. Additionally, we must ensure access to high-quality medical treatment for any illness in prisons.
- End The Maternal Mortality Crisis. Women of color are particularly vulnerable to maternal mortality, we must support women at all stages of pregnancy to ensure their safety.
- Universal Healthcare. Support the passage and implementation of the NY Health ACt.
- Racially Representative Healthcare. People of Color have historically been misdiagnosed and undertreated. We must support programs that boost diversity in the healthcare industry and overcome these obstacles.
Animal Rights
- Establish a Department of Animal Advocacy within the NY Government
- Ban the Sale of Animal-Tested Cosmetics
- Make Affordable Housing and Shelters more Pet-Friendly/Accessible
- Support Legislation that increases NYC Wildlife Protection
- Advocate for More Animal Shelters in Uptown
- Advocate for Humane Education at All Levels of Schooling