As New York City absorbed more sobering news about racism, Roosevelt Islanders responded with an AAPI Stop the Hate Rally. It was organized in just a couple days, but brought dozens out on Saturday.
Photos courtesy of rally organizer Rachel Dowling
Inspired by a mass killing in Atlanta, Roosevelt Islanders quickly spread the word about a rally on Facebook, and it was a typical local event. That is, not like anywhere else. Organizers drew residents as much in support of their AAPI neighbors as in protest.
Six of those killed in Atlanta were identified as Asian.
In the meantime, the struggle in New York brought media coverage with five new hate crimes against Asians.
And Police Commissioner Dermot Shea told PIX11 that NYPD investigated ten anti-Asian hate crimes so far in 2021. For the same period, last year, there were none.
Not without some bumps along the way, the Roosevelt Island community welcomes shifting demographics with culture-rich dynamics.
Saturday’s rally echoed a Black Lives Matter rally held in the same spot during the national George Floyd protests, last June.
- Northern Boulevard Safety Concerns Spark Calls for Major RedesignNorthern Boulevard safety concerns have led community members and officials in Queens to demand a comprehensive redesign, citing unsafe conditions and a need for urgent action.
- Three New Schools Open in Western Queens Amid Ongoing Classroom OvercrowdingThree new schools have opened in Western Queens, giving some relief in classroom overcrowding, but families still face capacity challenges and tough implementation issues this fall.
- Certified 9/11-Related Cancer Cases Double at Northwell HealthNorthwell Health has seen a sharp increase as certified 9/11-related cancer cases double, transforming care for survivors and responders in the New York region.
- Long-Term Health Effects Linked to 9/11: 25 Years LaterThe 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks brings renewed focus to long-term health effects linked to 9/11, with ongoing needs for survivors, first responders, and affected communities.
- NYC Yellow School Bus Shortage Disrupts Back-to-School PlansA potential NYC yellow school bus shortage could affect back-to-school transportation and schedules as classes begin. Learn how families, schools, and city officials are responding.
Stack Work Advances While Answers Do Not
On June 17 and 18, HPD told the first meeting of the Roosevelt Island Steam Plant Demolition Community Advisory Group that smokestack demolition had no projected start date. Residents and the CAG would receive at least five business days’ advance notice once a date was set. Scaffolding around the stacks could not proceed until soil removal and backfill were complete and the area stabilized.
1 COMMENTS