November 9th
Dear friends,
I hope you joined in the massive celebration this weekend. I was very moved by the palpable joy and relief, the spontaneous whoops that rose up from people who were walking down the street, and the walking-on-sunshine feeling. Masks could not conceal the smiles. When we left Grand Army Plaza, giddy from the music, the happy people, and the gorgeous day, we came upon this scene in the park. We couldn’t hear the music, but we could see the mass of people (on the left) dancing in unison.
Now it’s time to get back to work. If you didn’t do it yet, please read and sign the Working Families Party People’s Charter. It is a concise and important document that clearly outlines many of the justice goals we have been working toward. As we prepare to support the Senate candidates in Georgia, I want to talk about the best way to do that. Money alone does not win elections; the ground game of activists really matters. I urge you to join me to support WFP, Fair Fight and The Frontline — the marriage of WFP and the Movement for Black Lives Electoral Justice Project — in order to win in Georgia, build grassroots power, and protect voting rights.
Although the police were a fairly muted presence when we were out celebrating in daylight, they have continued to provoke conflict. They were at it again on Friday night in Washington Square Park, where 50 club-wielding cops arbitrarily chose to enforce the midnight curfew. We need to respond. Last Wednesday, hundreds of cops charged into a protest of about hundred Black Lives Matter and trans activists. Eighteen people were arrested for failing to follow orders to step onto the sidewalk. A week ago, protesters who were near Madison Square Park to face down a Trump caravan were pursued by police down 23rd Street. The arrests included photographers. The videos here show the police kettling and aggressively charging into groups of protesters, who are chanting, “let us disperse.”
Contact the mayor and your city council representative to investigate and punish the abuses of power by the NYPD. Furthermore, renew Comptroller Scott Stringer’s call to suspend the NYPD’s role in issuing press passes to journalists. This power belongs in the hands of our Public Advocate, Jumaane Williams, who was roughed up by the police last week.
The city’s coronavirus infection rate has topped 2%. As of Saturday, the city's seven-day average positivity was 2.12%, higher than it’s been since mid-June, with 600-700 new cases per day. NYS Regents exams will not be given in January, due to complications of testing during a pandemic and the Mayor has not yet decided whether entrance exams for the specialized high schools (SHSAT) will be administered. If the pandemic forces the DOE to use other means to determine who attends the city’s elite schools, there is an opportunity for a more just admissions policy. That said, De Blasio’s tendency to dither all but insures some chaos, which NYC’s families do not need right now. Let’s weigh in on the side of sound planning and justice.
On October 23, around 100 people gathered to demand that the city reschedule the SHSAT test; they were met with a smaller group of activists from Teens Take Charge, who oppose the testing because it continues to shut many Black and Brown students out of the city’s top schools. Please call on the mayor, the chancellor (nycchancellor@schools.nyc), and Council member Mark Treyger (head of the Ed committee) to offer seats to the top 7% of students from every middle school, as per the Enrollment Equity Plan.
I’m hoping I can get some work work done today, too!
with love,
L