Social Justice

Bronx Born and Raised Gertrude Schimmel, First Female NYPD Chief Dies at The Age of 96

On Monday, May 10th of this year, just a few months after being honored by the NYPD during women’s history month, a Bronx trailblazer passed away at the ripe old age of 96 years.

Gertrude Schimmell, who was the first NYPD female police chief, was born and raised in The Bronx and attended Morris High School before heading on to Hunter College.

BREAKING NEWS: WATCH Mayor Bill de Blasio Promise to Meet With South Bronx Unite On FreshDirect After Protests Outside Mott Haven Restaurant

Unlike our April Fool’s satirical posting to raise awareness on the issue of FreshDirect and how their move can and will harm our communities if allowed to do so, this really did just happen.

Around 8PM, while Mayor Bill de Blasio was visiting La Morada, local restaurant in Mott Haven in an unannounced visit, a local resident quickly alerted South Bronx Unite members who within 10 minutes had gathered and mobilized with over 25 people including their children to protest against FreshDirect and de Blasio’s promise to end a tale of two cities—something which allowing FreshDirect to move into South Bronx will continue to perpetuate.

Riverdale Country School, Nation’s 4th Most Expensive Private School, Begs City to Pay For New Pool, Theatre, & Gym

While many schools in The Bronx are suffering from lack of decent facilities and programming, the Riverdale Country School in Fieldston (split between 2 campuses in the neighborhood on 27.5 acres) is begging for $52 million in tax-free bonds to construct a new pool, theater, and gym for the country’s fourth most expensive school.

The kindergarten through high school private institution is a school where tuition is a staggering $45,600 a year student and it is unconscionable for them to ask for such monies while so many public schools in our borough barely have adequate facilities for their own students.

BREAKING NEWS: Governor Cuomo & Bronx Borough President Diaz Jr To Pull Support For FreshDirect; Mayor de Blasio Calls This A Step to End the Tale of Two Cities

Citing recent studies showing that the South Bronx is suffering a clear burden from dirty industries leading to its residents having 8x the national rate of asthma and 21x the hospitalization rate in New York City for the ailment, New York Governor Cuomo and Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr said in a joint statement that they will be pulling all support and funding from FreshDirect’s Bloomberg-era sweetheart deal.

“After years of overwhelming community outcry against this project and their demand and right to a new environmental impact statement instead of relying on a 22 year old one, my office cannot support this project in good conscience any longer,” said Diaz, Jr.

Hunts Point Express – Panel debates business’ environmental impacts

The city should require commercial businesses to implement eco-friendly policies and practices before moving operations to the South Bronx, a prominent nonprofit leader said Wednesday afternoon.

More employment opportunities are needed in the area, but how those jobs are created should have minimal harm on the environment, said Kellie Terry, executive director of The Point Community Development Corporation during a panel hosted by the Center for Bronx Nonprofits at Hostos Community College. The city should reform its zoning and land review processes so that businesses are required to perform environmental impact analyses of their operations before city agencies approve applications, she said.

Emails Reveal FreshDirect Lobbyist May Have Steered Mayor de Blasio to Side With Company; FD Continues To Raise Ethical Concerns

Emails between FreshDirect lobbyist Harry Giannoulis and New York City Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development, Alicia Glen raises a number of questions including whether or not Mayor Bill de Blasio and his administration were pushed into ceasing any attempt to derail FreshDirect’s proposed move to The Bronx — a campaign promise de Blasio was quite vocal about.

Mayor de Blasio was so vocal, in fact, that on March 10th, 2014, Harry Giannoulis sounded the claxon calls of panic on behalf of FreshDirect

Brunch With Mama Tanya To Benefit ‘Libertad Urban Farm’, Sunday, March 15th

If you know Tanya Fields, you know that she knows food and she knows how to throw down some good ol’ fashioned cooking. If you REALLY know her then you know that she’s also an outstanding singer (rumor has it that she’ll be singing at this fundraising brunch). But if you REALLY, REALLY know Tanya, then you know that she walks the talk and is one our borough’s leaders in food justice, environmental justice and so many social issues impacting our communities.

That is why on Sunday, March 15th, Tanya Fields, affectionately known as Mama Tanya, along with her organization, ‘The BLK Projek” will be hosting a ‘Brunch With Mama Tanya’ (I got my ticket, do you?!)

Despite Weather, Hundreds of Bronxites Gather to Unite Against (Cromwell) Jerome Avenue Study Area

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Planning have a rough road ahead with Bronx residents.

Last night, hundreds of residents from within the Jerome Avenue Study Area (estimates had the crowd at at least 400 attending despite the weather), gathered to join in solidarity against a rezoning that the community feels is not about them or with them. Residents and community groups are so concerned yet so organized they have even formed a group and an umbrella alliance of all stakeholders calling themselves ‘Bronx Coalition for a Community Vision’.

City Set to Demolish ‘The Castle on The Concourse’ PS 31 Despite Engineering Reports Stating That It’s Salvageable

SIGN THE PETITION TO SAVE THIS LANDMARK BUILDING FROM DEMOLITION! The City wants to destroy our Bronx History!

The community has been battling to save the landmark PS 31 aka ‘The Castle on The Concourse’ ever since we found that the city wanted to demolish this beloved treasure.

The City testified saying that it couldn’t withstand more storms and was a public hazard and YET 2 brutal winters have passed SINCE the June 2013 hearings at Community Board 1, PS 31 is STILL standing and is in the same condition.