For as long as Black History Month has been a thing, Roosevelt Island shined a spotlight on it. The community came together, sharing values, honoring tradition. But inexplicably, that’s gone now, and no one, outside RIOC, knows why.
by David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
Black History Month Traditions
In years past, it wasn’t just art exhibits and library talks. RIOC hung posters on Main Street and in the Tram plazas. Awareness fused a community built on economic ideals intended to make everyone welcome. True, we did not always meet those high standards, but the commitment was almost always there.
Another thing that’s true is that the state agency that never gets it wrong has fumbled every significant public event for the last six months. RIOC’s vaunted Communications and Community Relations Team pitched strange, thin rationales from behind the bunker, refusing to lead events surrounding 9/11, the Halloween Parade and the Holiday Tree Lighting.
But in a year in which conservatives are on the attack, pushing back furiously against Critical Race Theory, RIOC’s going completely blank during Black History Month is as inexcusable as it is inexplicable. They offer no apology or explanation, making the glaring hole of negligence even more disturbing.
But we can offer a little help…
The real state website 6SQFT offers an alternative. Their How to Celebrate Black History Month 2022 in New York City offers a robust list of activities that might help yo pick up the slack on Roosevelt Island.
Other communities are celebrating, and they welcome your joining in.
More from the Roosevelt Island Daily
- 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.
You Can’t Be All Three
April 9, 2026, during the full board meeting of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation, Fay Christian said something that should have landed harder than it did. She wished RIOC were not responsible for the tram. Then she asked what it would look like if it were given to the MTA. That was not a passing comment.
3 COMMENTS