The following is an extended version of the story that appears in our print edition dated Nov. 14-Nov 2.

At its 50th anniversary gala held at Manhattan College, now Manhattan University, in the Fieldston section of The Bronx on Friday, Oct. 18, the Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition (NWBCCC) marked the end of an era, announcing its merger with the Bronx Cooperative Development Initiative (BCDI), a partnership that will expand the two group’s collective reach across the entire borough.

 

According to its website, NWBCCC “unites diverse peoples and institutions to fight for racial justice and economic democracy through intergenerational community organizing to transform The Bronx and beyond.”

 

NWBCCC celebrated its 50-year history honoring its members, past and present, and through a timeline of videos, photos and stands, displayed its work over the decades. One gala exhibit from 1974, read, “With disinvestment, redlining, abandonment, and fires wiping out thousands of buildings in the South Bronx and rapidly spreading northwards, local residents united with pastors in ten Catholic parishes, and soon [recruited] other religious and community leaders to form NWBCCC.”

 

Addressing attendees, Sandra Lobo, executive director, said in part of the organization’s work, “All of these projects point to the alternative future we are creating, a future where the people of The Bronx hold power, ownership, and governance over the places we live, work, send our children to school, where we start businesses, and where we raise our families.”

She continued in part, “But to truly realize this vision, we have to scale our efforts, expand our capacities, and chart a bold new path that meets the demands of this moment. That is why I am incredibly excited to announce tonight that the Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition is merging with the Bronx Cooperative Development Initiative.”

 

According to its website, BCDI is “a community-led effort to build an equitable, sustainable, and democratic local economy that creates wealth and ownership for low-income people of color — what we call economic democracy.” NWBCCC co-founded BCDI a decade ago and has collaborated with it since its inception. “Tonight, we’re not just here to celebrate our organization, we’re here to honor the movement that we’ve all been a part of, and the communities that have been at the heart of our work for the last 50 years,” Lobo said.

 

For her part, Lucia Gomez, political director of NYC Central Labor Council, said in part, “Every day, I see working people in The Bronx, and every day, I know there is a transition to be made where it all counts: in communities.”

 

Among other achievements, between 1999 and 2001, NWBCCC’s youth arm, Sistas and Brothas United (SBU), was founded to fight for quality public schools, among other measures, securing $2 million in capital projects for Kennedy H.S. in Marble Hill according to NWBCCC. From 2004 to 2005, NWBCCC campaigned against the construction of the Croton Water Filtration Project in Van Cortlandt Park just northwest of Norwood.

 

Though the project went ahead, NWBCCC secured some victories around various watershed protections, a smaller plant footprint, and underground construction. Between 2006 and 2007, NWBCCC campaigned to transform the Old Fordham Library Building, located at 2556 Bainbridge Avenue in Fordham Manor into a youth, art and technology center, securing a $1 million funding commitment from local leaders at the time.

Over the decades, NWBCCC has also worked with other organizations to pass the Community Reinvestment Act, which mandates banks and the federal government to reinvest in communities devastated by policy decisions. The organization’s Living Wage NYC Coalition worked to pass legislation that required economic development projects that receive City subsidies to pay living wages to their workers, and NWBCCC also worked to get laws passed that dramatically strengthened NYS rent laws and tenant protections.

 

Between 2015 and 2016, NWBCCC supported parents at P.S. 51 in Belmont on a campaign which resulted in the City Council passing legislation which mandated schools to promptly inform parents about any potential health hazards caused by school buildings or sites. It also lobbied to ensure that Eid Al-Adha and Eid Al-Fitr were declared official school holidays, and campaigned for State funding for the Medicaid program.

 

NWBCCC officials said it has also founded research institutions, campaigned for affordable housing, designed and opened schools, stewarded parks and community gardens, fought back against displacement and gentrification, called for police reform, established a Community Land Trust, and advocated for public banking, fair development, the passage of the New York Health Act, and collective ownership of public assets, less policing and more investment in public schools, and underage drinking public awareness.

It also created, with others, “the Bronx-wide Plan” a social, political, and educational process to develop a shared vision for the borough based on grassroots leadership, thinking long-term, and developing a shared strategy. One of its members, Adolfo Abreu, even ran for office on more than one occasion.

 

In 2013, as part of the redevelopment discussions, once again, of the City-owned Kingsbridge Armory, located at West Kingsbridge Road and Jerome Avenue in Kingsbridge Heights, NWBCCC worked tirelessly to broker a historic, first-of-its-kind community benefits agreement (CBA) with the developer for the then-planned and now abandoned Kingsbridge National Ice Center (KNIC) project.

 

While the Armory’s protected status as a historical building limits what the armory can be used for, the CBA included a promise of 50,000 square feet of space for community use, living wage jobs, local hiring and contracting, and local procurement and technical assistance for small local businesses. At least 51 percent of the resulting jobs were set to be filled by the local community under the terms of the CBA.

As reported, the City of New York announced in late 2021 that the KNIC project would not be proceeding due to concerns over the ability of the developer to finance the project [something the developer denied]. NWBCCC, in conjunction with NYC Economic Development Corporation (EDC), subsequently went back to the drawing board, and held numerous “Together for Kingsbridge” workshops to gather input from the community of what they would like to see implemented at the Armory in place of the ice center.

 

The final vision plan, which, crucially, has the support of various elected offocials, and is based on the community’s feedback, was shared with prospective bidders/developers during a Request for Proposal (RFP) process last year, the deadline for which was Jan. 18. The project was boosted by funding announced in August 2023 of $200 million from both City and State.

 

At the Bronx Community Board 7 (CB7) land use committee meeting last March, Fernando Ortiz, Bronx borough manager with EDC said the selected developer and project for the Armory would be made by the end of the year. Meanwhile, as reported, a fire broke out at the Armory in April due to burning cables.

As part of the 50th anniversary celebration, six leaders who each made their mark with NWBCCC over the decades were recognized for their contributions. Wanda Salaman, Fran Fuselli, Milly Silva, Nick Iuviene, Yorman Nuñez, and Christine Marinoni were each praised and presented with plaques for their commitment and support. Nuñez and Iuviene co-founded BCDI.

 

“I am so happy that Northwest Bronx is going Bronx-wide because that’s been a fight for me that I’ve been trying to make happen for a long time,” Nuñez said in part. “I’m also happy that Northwest Bronx, as we do this, will be integrating the tools of organizing and economic development.”

 

Meanwhile, Iuviene said in part, “Northwest Bronx has endured as a bold and innovative institution without losing its foundational values. It invested in our nascent and some quixotic notions that led to the creation of the BCDI. It also created institutional space to test our ideas, partnered with others around The Bronx, and contributed in shaping and directing the path of BCDI in powerful ways.”

For her part, Marinoni spoke of wins attained over time in how public school funding  is calculated and said the organizing skills she learned at NWBCCC stayed with her throughout her career. At one point, she gave a shout out to NWBCCC member, Mary Daly.

 

In introducing Salaman, president of the NWBCCC board, the female presenter hailed Salaman’s efforts in suing an organic fertilizer company and a processing plant, among other wins. Salaman, nicknamed “Wanda-woman,” who is also executive director of “Mothers on the Move,” spoke of the importance of recognizing the work of organizers which she said was work that was often carried out in the background and overlooked.

 

Among the gala guests, which comprised about 250-300 people was a former Norwood News editor, Jordan Moss, who covered the Kingsbridge Armory’s evolution over many decades. Also present was actress and former Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Cynthia Nixon, who was accompanying her wife, honoree, Marinoni at the event. Nixon ran unsuccessfully against former NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo, with her then-running mate, now Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.

Over the course of the evening, there was also a silent auction with items like Fordham University Men’s Basketball tickets, NWBCCC gear, and various Bronx photographs up for grabs. Former board president of NWBCCC, Karen Washington, delivered a video message at one stage during the evening, and surprise awards were later presented to both Lobo and Margaret Groarke, NWBCCC treasurer, for their respective leadership and dedication down through the years.

 

Daniel Ranells, board secretary of NWBCCC, said Groarke had a longstanding history with the organization, fulfilling many roles over the years. He praised her “thorough approach” to ensuring it made fiscally responsible decisions. A professor of political science and department chair at Manhattan University, Ranells said, [Groarke] brings her deep experience with organizing, politics, finances, organizational development and so much more.”

 

“Margaret has been the backbone of the board in ways that we cannot describe,” he said. “She has the patience and knowledge to talk about budgets and breaks them down to support our board to make the most informed decisions possible. She goes above and beyond to ensure our mission and vision are fully embodied internally and externally. We thank you for your leadership, Margaret.”

Reacting to the honor, Groarke later told Norwood News, “I’m so proud to be part of the Northwest Bronx Coalition and it was wonderful to celebrate 50 years with so many good friends. I was very touched to be honored for helping the organization through some hard times, and am thrilled to see it thriving and growing.”

 

Meanwhile, “Crystal,” a co-organizing director at NWBCCC, said in part of Lobo, “Sandra has an impressive talent for finding the right people and has been instrumental in building this strong team. If you have ever been around Sandra long enough you know that she has plans for you and your role within this work.” She added, “She will agitate you with love, and support you while challenging you. Sandra’s bold vision has pushed us all to think beyond fighting back against bad policies, bad practices or bad actors.”

 

Edward Garcia, another co-organizing director at NWBCCC, added that under Lobo’s leadership, the organization was able to build a powerful coalition, “fighting for equitable, sustainable economic development through the Bronx-wide Plan.” He added, in part, “She shows up for our mission and broader vision everywhere she goes. She isn’t afraid to call people out and also call people in. It is not easy holding the role that she does, and she does it with dignity and respect for us all. We thank you Sandra for your leadership.”

Lobo summed up the event, concluding, “Our coalition was born out of a determination to fight for justice, to take control of the future, and to build power where it was needed most.” The work continues.

 

Editor’s Note: Since the event was held, New York City Council has passed the FARE Act, which eliminates broker fees for renters.