civil rights

UPDATE Op-Ed: A Plea for a Path to Peace

By VIRGINIA KROMPINGER
I recently traveled to Israel as a member of the Bronx delegation of Congressman Ritchie Torres (NY-15), sponsored and masterfully organized by the United Jewish Appeal Federation of New York (UJA). The purpose was to send a message of solidarity to Israel. Torres is the strongest supporter of Israel in Congress, certainly on the Democratic side of the aisle.

UPDATE Sparks Fly at Bronx Community Board 7 April General Board Meeting

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Bronx Community Board 7 board members were the target of a stream of vulgar insults during last month’s general board meeting held at Scott Towers on April 23, when Norwood resident, AJ Ramos, berated the board, using profanities, and alleging they had not addressed matters he had raised at previous meetings.

Op-Ed: Urgent Action Needed to Restore Peace & Security to Woodlawn

By WILLIAM MURRAY
The Woodlawn community is facing an urgent issue with repeated and disruptive street parties, particularly on Jerome Avenue and near 233rd Street, escalating into more severe criminal activities. This behavior, once peripheral, now threatens our neighborhood’s safety, with a noticeable increase in crimes such as vehicle theft and disturbances during daytime hours, affecting residents’ daily lives and sense of security.

Some Jewish Constituents Call Out Torres on Gaza Again

By SÍLE MOLONEY
The latest demonstrations seen on the country’s college campuses are a reminder that many New Yorkers continue to vehemently oppose U.S. military support for Israel in the ongoing Israel-Hamas War. As of May 1, according to Al Jazeera’s live tracker, 1,139 people have been killed in Israel since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas carried out a terrorist attack in southern Israel and took around 240 Israelis hostage, some of whom have since been released.  

UPDATE Fordham University Student Sit-in for Gaza Commences on Bronx Campus, Rally also Held Outside

By SÍLE MOLONEY
As ongoing student demonstrations in support of Gaza and Israel on New York City and other college campuses continue to dominate the nation’s television screens, along with what some see as controversial crackdowns on such protests by the NYPD and other police departments, around 20-30 people were seen rallying in support of Gaza outside the gates of Fordham University’s Bronx campus on Friday evening, May 3, at around 7 p.m. One attendee informed us that a sit-in by Fordham students had commenced earlier that day inside the walls of the college’s campus and was seemingly still ongoing.

UPDATE Bronx Elected Officials React to Alleged Sexual Abuse of Youth in Bronx Juvenile Detention Centers

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Various Bronx elected officials joined survivors of abuse that allegedly occurred in various youth detention centers across The Bronx, on Tuesday, April 30, to announce the filing of more than 150 civil lawsuits against The City of New York made possible by a law passed by the New York City Council in 2021, which extends the statute of limitations, granting survivors of gender-motivated violence an additional two years to pursue civil actions.

Former BP Diaz Jr. & Hip Hop Legend Fat Joe Discuss Uplifting The Bronx at Lehman College Event

By ARIEL PACHECO, DAVID GREENE & SÍLE MOLONEY
Friends, former Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and Hip Hop legend Fat Joe, gathered at Lehman College on March 26 to discuss their respective professional lives, as well as their upbringings and their ongoing commitment to improving The Bronx. The annual event at Lehman, ordinarily held in the form of a lecture, was, this year, called, “Hip Hop with a Heart: The Civic Mind of The Bronx.” The lecture series itself dates back to 1970.