Press Room

With early voting beginning on Saturday ahead of Election Day on November 8, New Yorkers will be asked to vote on three charter revision proposals, developed by the city's Racial Justice Commission in collaboration with advocates. At a hearing today of the City Council Committee on Civil and Human Rights, Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams discussed the importance of these ballot initiatives – which aim to address structural injustices, eliminate barriers and promote racial equity – and encouraged New Yorkers to flip their ballot and vote on the measures.

"In preparation for this upcoming election, it is very important that New Yorkers remember to turn over the ballot as we will be voting on three ballot measures. The Racial Justice Commission based these measures on community engagement input. They spoke to community leaders and experts by conducting public meetings where they would record all the information and ideas given and turn them into proposed charter changes," said Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams. "New Yorkers will have the chance to vote for measures that will help to dismantle structural and institutional racism."

The Public Advocate addressed each of the proposals on the November ballot. The first would add a statement of values to guide the government. The second would establish an ongoing Racial Equity Office, Plan, and Commission. The final measure would require the City to create a “true cost of living” measure to track how much the actual cost in New York City of meeting essential needs which include food, childcare, housing.

He closed arguing that "We have a duty to rework the codification of our City’s Charter to address the persistent racism, inequality, and inequity. It is about time to address the barriers Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, and all People of More Color in New York City face on a daily basis, as well as the additional barriers faced by LGBTQ+ and Disabled People of Color, antisemitism, islamophobia, just to name some. If these proposals pass, we will be able to move towards an equitable and just city. This will bring new opportunities to those who have disproportionately been negatively impacted for generations."

Read the Public Advocate's full statement as delivered below.

 STATEMENT OF PUBLIC ADVOCATE JUMAANE D. WILLIAMS

TO THE NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON

CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS

OCTOBER 26, 2022

Good Morning. 

My name is Jumaane D. Williams and I am the Public Advocate for the City of New York. Thank you very much Chair Williams and members of the Committee on Civil and Human Rights for holding this hearing and allowing me the opportunity to provide a statement. I’d also like to thank the Racial Justice Commission for all the work they have done thus far to ensure that all New Yorkers are informed about the ballot measures and are encouraged to vote on November 8th. Of course, thank you Chair Jones Austin, Executive Director Harold Miller, and staff, and the entire commission over there. Some great folks. I do want to shout-out to Jo-Ann Yoo, who was a member of my transition committee, and K Bain, who was my brother from another since college. He was actually a part of the problem, and it’s been great to see him grow, first as my Legislative Director and Budget Director, to the Commission, and doing great work on gun violence. We had a lot of great memories there. We did a lot of great work for the city. 

For nearly three years, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated and exposed the racial inequities that have continued to impact New York City. While all New Yorkers have been affected by the pandemic, data shows that communities of more color have been hit the hardest economically, socially, and health-wise. At the same time, violence and hate crimes have worsened and reinforced the racism that remains present in our City. The system has been structured to marginalize people on the basis of race across all areas of life. I hope we can all work together to create a more just and equitable city for all New Yorkers. 

In preparation for this upcoming election, it is very important that New Yorkers remember to turn over the ballot as we will be voting on three ballot measures. The Racial Justice Commission based these measures on community engagement input. They spoke to community leaders and experts by conducting public meetings where they would record all the information and ideas given and turn them into proposed charter changes. After obtaining all this data, they published an in-depth report that includes the final three measures they are pushing towards the path of racial equity and justice, and I’m proud to have provided testimony myself. 

New Yorkers will have the chance to vote for measures that will help to dismantle structural and institutional racism. The first ballot measure is to add a statement of values to guide the government. The subject matter of this preamble will be used as a guideline of what the City government must fulfill and how they must execute their duties. Currently, New York City Charter does not have a preamble. If this is implemented, the City government will have to follow the core values and vision that New Yorkers have determined. 

The second ballot measure is to establish a Racial Equity Office, Plan, and Commission. During the Racial Justice Commission’s research, they found that many New Yorkers and leaders have expressed that there has always been a lack of prominence on racial equity in regards to City decision-making and policies. The creation of a Racial Equity Office is required to work with all city agencies and train and provide assistance to them on racial equity. As for the Racial Equity Plan, this will require the mayor to create a citywide plan and agencies to create agency specific plans every two years. This would include the goals and strategies for improving racial equity and justice, and the creation of a Commission on Racial Equity.

The last ballot proposal is to measure the true cost of living. This requires the City government to create a “true cost of living” measure to track how much the actual cost in New York City of meeting essential needs which include food, childcare, housing. The calculation will not include any sort of additional assistance whether it is public or private. This way it will allow for an accurate result on making decisions and creating new policies. The City is also required to report annually on this measure. 

We have a duty to rework the codification of our City’s Charter to address the persistent racism, inequality, and inequity. It is about time to address the barriers Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, and all People of More Color in New York City face on a daily basis, as well as the additional barriers faced by LGBTQ+ and Disabled People of Color, antisemitism, islamophobia, just to name some. If these proposals pass, we will be able to move towards an equitable and just city. This will bring new opportunities to those who have disproportionately been negatively impacted for generations. I hope as a City we can move forward with these proposals after this upcoming election. 

And while I’m always glad we’re making sure we’re inclusive of everyone, which we need to be – apparently the further you are away from being an affluent white male, the tougher you will have it – but I want to make sure we lift up the very unique anti-Black racism that has persisted for a very long time, and it’s important that we keep that a part of the conversation.

Thank you so much.

NEW YORK: Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams, a longtime advocate for the expansion of the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) and other youth services, continued his efforts today at an oversight hearing of the City Council Committee on Youth Services. In a statement, he argued that particularly in recovery from the pandemic, it is vital to ensure that every young person in New York City has access to programming that both enriches their education and prepares them for future employment opportunities.

"In the past few years, New York City’s young people have endured a significant amount of trauma, confusion, and uncertainty. They have experienced isolation, learning loss, and increased housing instability and gun violence," said Public Advocate Williams. "The effects of the pandemic have been particularly hard on those who live in low-income neighborhoods, youth of color, and young people with disabilities. Robust academic and recreational as well as professional development programming have been linked to reductions in violence and crime and positive youth development. That is why city programs like Summer Rising and the Summer Youth Employment Program are absolutely vital, especially considering all that our young people have been through."

The Public Advocate addressed some of the challenges these programs have faced, even with their recent, welcome expansions. He pointed to the demand for Summer Rising seats far outweighing the supply, and pointed out that this rush for access creates disparity, as it "disadvantages those parents who had to work and parents with limited or no access to the internet, such as those living in temporary housing." He also stressed the need for clear communication between the administration, providers, and families.

He commended the recent expansion of the SYEP, and discussed the need to increase not only the number of slots, but duration of programs, noting that "Many organizations would be happy for SYEP participants to join any year-round programs they participate in, but need to know how many year-round slots they will have funding for. As SYEP expands, the city should invest in more year-round programming for young people."

Finally, the Public Advocate pointed to a barrier in the current SYEP model- the requirement to have a Social Security Number in order to experience its benefits. He pushed for the advancement of his legislation, Intro 188, which would require the creation of a universal youth employment program that is open to all young people in New York City, greatly advancing employment equity.

Read the Public Advocate's full statement as prepared below.

STATEMENT OF PUBLIC ADVOCATE JUMAANE D. WILLIAMS

TO THE NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON YOUTH SERVICES

OCTOBER 25, 2022

Good afternoon,

My name is Jumaane D. Williams, and I am the Public Advocate for the City of New York. I would like to thank Chair Stevens and the members of the Committee on Youth Services for holding this important hearing.

In the past few years, New York City’s young people have endured a significant amount of trauma, confusion, and uncertainty. They have experienced isolation, learning loss, and increased housing instability and gun violence. The effects of the pandemic have been particularly hard on those who live in low-income neighborhoods, youth of color, and young people with disabilities. Robust academic and recreational as well as professional development programming have been linked to reductions in violence and crime and positive youth development. That is why city programs like Summer Rising and the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) are absolutely vital, especially considering all that our young people have been through. 

I first want to express appreciation to Mayor Adams for recognizing the importance of these programs, and for his commitment to expanding access to Summer Rising and SYEP. This past summer, over 100,000 young people participated in SYEP, and 110,000 children attended Summer Rising. This is a great achievement, and I hope to see even more slots offered in the years to come.

The rollout of these programs, however, did not come without challenges. While I am happy that so many families sought to participate in Summer Rising, the demand far outweighed the supply, and 82,000 of available seats for the program were filled within a week of the application opening. We can infer that parents who were able to secure a seat were those who had access to the internet and were able to be online when the application opened, which disadvantages those parents who had to work and parents with limited or no access to the internet, such as those living in temporary housing. The DOE did reserve some seats for students experiencing homelessness, students with disabilities who are guaranteed 12 months of support, and those who fail courses and are mandated to take remedial summer classes, but we do not know how many of these seats were set aside.

Even for those for whom seats were set aside, full participation in Summer Rising was not guaranteed. Although programming ran until 6:00 pm, busing service for students with disabilities and students living in temporary housing was not available after 3:00 pm. Students who require busing services should and must be able to participate in the full day just like their peers. 

There is also a clear need for improving communication between the administration, Summer Rising provider sites, and families. Many families were left scrambling for seats at their assigned sites; on the first day of Summer Rising, 30 families in Brooklyn were turned away despite their children being assigned to that site. Some parents and caregivers who were reaching out to sites to see if any spots had opened up received no response. For some children who required busing services, the bus arrived without a paraprofessional on board, preventing the child from boarding the bus, or the site did not have sufficient time to ensure that paraprofessionals would be in the classroom.

The Summer Youth Employment Program was able to match 60 percent of applicants across 17,000 work sites, the largest number the program has ever had—but it had its share of challenges, too. As a result of the pandemic, many organizations across the city are struggling to hire and retain staff, which can present a problem when adding an SYEP participant. The city should allow organizations more time to plan how they will best be able to support an SYEP participant.

The seasonal nature of SYEP means that organizations are losing staff at the conclusion of the program. Many organizations would be happy for SYEP participants to join any year-round programs they participate in, but need to know how many year-round slots they will have funding for. As SYEP expands, the city should invest in more year-round programming for young people. 

Lastly, it is important to note that participation in SYEP requires a Social Security number, effectively excluding undocumented youth from the program. That is why I have introduced Intro 0188-2022, which would require the creation of a universal youth employment program that is open to all young people in New York City. I would like to thank my colleagues in the City Council and the advocates who have been working with my office to move toward employment equity for youth.

I look forward to working with the administration and the City Council to ensure that Summer Rising and SYEP successfully reaches as many youth and young people as possible, as well as ensures a productive and positive work experience for both the young person and the employer, in 2023 and in the years to come.

Thank you.

"Like many in our city, I do not mark today by celebrating the name or legacy of Christopher Columbus. In changing the holiday's name, we do not alter the history of this country and continent – only how we choose to elevate and honor it. In this and all cases, it is critical to look at the stories we tell of our history in their full truth – and do our best to stand now with the oppressed, rather than the oppressor. Changing a holiday’s name will not undo the harm inflicted on Indigenous communities, but it begins a reckoning with it. It stands at least as a statement of our intention to learn from, rather than repeat, past mistakes.

"Italian heritage is not seen in a singular historical figure, but in the culture carried and celebrated by millions today. In celebrating Italian heritage, we must also tangibly support Italian American communities that have helped shape our city. Likewise, in honoring Indigenous People's Day, we must not only undo the harm of centuries but end the ongoing systemic oppression Indigenous communities face as we confront the parts of our own history that initiated it. 

"In truth, each of these commemorations should be marked with their own occasion rather than combined, but today’s observances represent at least some progress. These holidays are an opportunity for reflection, engagement, dialogue, and action as we continue the work to promote the values we should champion while recognizing and rejecting the injustices of the past and present."

"With this overdue action, thousands of Americans who saw their lives and livelihoods destroyed by a cannabis conviction are granted new, budding opportunity.

"This is a vital, welcome first step from the Biden administration, but it is a first step. We should move quickly to legalize cannabis nationwide, and prioritize reinvesting in the Black and Brown communities most devastated by its prohibition and unequal enforcement. Pardons are a critical solution in this moment, but as we have seen, full legalization is the only way to combat the massive disparities in enforcement that have burdened generations with criminal records and ensnared them in an unjust system.

"I’m proud of the work we’ve done to decriminalize, de-stigmatize, and ultimately legalize marijuana in New York, and further urge our state to be spurred by this new federal action to more quickly implement a just economy for legal marijuana sales."

"This ruling comes as little surprise in a country so deeply invested in carnage capitalism that common sense gun safety laws are seen by some as a greater threat than bullets. After a conservative Supreme Court rejected New York’s basic standards of safety this summer, New York passed legislation specifically tailored to meet the Court’s ruling – but even a modest effort at saving lives is too much for the conservative movement in a country with a demonic obsession with guns.

"In light of this ruling, it is harder today to drive past Times Square than to bring a gun into it. Blocking this law clears the way for more guns to flow through the iron pipeline and onto our streets. Just over a week ago, twenty-three people were shot in our city over a three day period. Until and unless this decision is overturned, New Yorkers are less safe, and our government is failing to protect them."

"While Orchard Beach was a particularly poor location for a tent shelter given its history of flooding and other factors, a tent shelter anywhere in this city cannot be used to circumvent the right-to-shelter mandate. We’re grateful the administration terminated the Orchard Beach location after cautions and pressure from advocates and local leaders, including our office. At the same time, we can’t see another tent city pop up without basic humanitarian conditions being met, and I hope the administration is more quickly receptive to our concerns moving forward.

"Asylum seekers seeking support, solidarity, and a better life deserve much more than a tent in a transit desert as winter approaches – at the very least, the city should tap into the same resources we used during the height of the pandemic to further open space at hotels or large indoor areas, as well as expedite CityFHEPS vouchers to quickly move unhoused New Yorkers out of shelters and into permanent housing, opening shelter space for asylum seekers.

"New York City has an opportunity to set asylum seekers up for long-term success in our city, state, and country – we must take steps to make that future a reality instead of abandoning the newest New Yorkers in inadequate housing."