In A First, NYC Launches Racial Justice Commission

New York City NY

23 March, 2021

1:49 PM

Description

NEW YORK CITY — A new commission unveiled by Mayor Bill de Blasio has a lofty goal: the obliteration of racism from New York City's institutions. De Blasio on Tuesday announced the city formed a Racial Justice Commission designed to directly address the legacy of 400 years of structural racism. He said no other American city has launched a similar effort — indeed, it will be modeled after the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that took aim at the legacy of racial apartheid in South Africa. "This is unlike any approach you've ever seen in the history of New York City or honestly in any major city in America, any state in America," de Blasio said. "We've never had a model for actually addressing structural racism, institutional racism, identifying it, acknowledging it, formally apologizing for it, weeding it out, eradicating it, making the policy changes, changing the laws — doing the things that actually will have a lasting impact." The commission appears to fulfill De Blasio's promise to form an effort to revise the city's charter to address structural and institutional racism. He said it will double as a charter revision commission with the power to examine the city's fundamental laws and determine if they exacerbate racism. "And if changes are needed, if new laws are needed, if our charter requires revision, this commission will have the power to send proposals to the ballot for the people to decide," de Blasio said. The commission will be chaired by Jennifer Jones Austin, CEO and executive director for the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies. Other members are: Henry Garrido, executive director, DC 37 AFSCME, who will serve as vice chairK. Bain, founder and executive director, Community Capacity DevelopmentAna M. Bermúdez Esq, Commissioner, Department of ProbationRev. Fred Davie, executive vice president, Union Theological Seminary and chair of the Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB)Lurie Daniel Favors, Esq., interim executive director at the Center for Law and Social Justice at Medgar Evers CollegeDarrick Hamilton, founding director, Institute for the Study of Race, Stratification and Political Economy at The New School and Henry Cohen Professor of Economics and Urban PolicyChris Kui, former executive director, Asian Americans for EqualityYesenia Mata, executive director, La ColmenaPhil Thompson, deputy mayor for Strategic Policy InitiativesJo-Ann Yoo, executive director, Asian American Federation