Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries and International Relations

Good morning and welcome to today's New York City Council vote for the Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries, and International Intergroup Relations. At this time, we please ask that you silence all electronic devices. At no point in time is anyone to approach the front dais. Chair, you may begin.

Good morning. I am Deputy Speaker Nantasha Williams, Chair of the Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries, and International Relations. Today the committee will hear and vote on 3 resolutions. Resolution number 184, sponsored by Councilmember Farias, which would declare October 3rd as Korean Cultural Awareness Day annually in the City of New York to commemorate the mythological beginning of the Korean people and to celebrate their continued pride in their shared ancestry.

Resolution number 606, sponsored by Councilmember Althea Stephens, which would declare the month of August as Black Pride Month in the City of New York recognizing the legacy of New York City Black Pride Movement of uplifting the Black LGBTQIA+ community and its— oh, what's the other letter? Oh. Oh? And its continuing contributions to creating a more equitable New York City.

And Resolution Number 607, also sponsored by Councilmember Stevens, which would declare September as African Immigrant Heritage Month in the City of New York to celebrate the contributions made by African immigrants to New York City and the United States. A very Black day mixed with some Korean culture. We love it. Okay. Now, oh yeah, the gays too. We love the gays.

Okay. Now Councilmember Stevens would like to deliver some remarks on her resolutions.

Thank you, Deputy Speaker Williams, and all of my colleagues for recognizing the importance of 2 resolutions and for understanding that recognize Recognizing is not simply about placing a name on a calendar. It is about honoring history, culture, and the people who have helped shape New York City. First, I am proud to support Resolution 606 declaring August as Black Pride Month in New York City.

As a representative of the West Bronx, this resolution carries a particular meaning for me. Black pride has a history that is deeply connected to New York City. The first New York City Black pride event was organized by James Sanders in August. 1997, creating space where Black LGBTQIA+ New Yorkers could celebrate their identity, culture, community, and resilience. And that history continues to have a strong Bronx connection.

Lee Soldiers, a Black Bronx native, later founded the New York City for Black Pride, which has continued organizing Black pride celebrations. We are recognizing a movement and a community that has helped expand what inclusion and visibility and belonging looks like in our city. This year, we are proud to bring the celebration of Black Pride through its inaugural Black Pride celebration that we held in the Bronx.

That was a powerful reminder that the borough is not only a part of this history, but continues to help shape the future. And I was very proud because my uncle who passed away, who I was very close with, he would celebrate Black Pride. So I'm really excited that we're passing this I'm also proud to support Resolution 607 declaring September as African Immigrant Heritage Month.

New York City is home of approximately 167,000 African immigrants, approximately 60,000 African immigrants living in the Bronx. And a lot of that is in the West Bronx, I must say. Their contributions in our neighborhood businesses, healthcare systems, culture, civic life, and economics are part of the fabric of our city. Those resolutions remind us that our history is the strongest when we make room to recognize the communities whose stories have too often been overlooked.

I want to thank my colleagues for supporting both resolutions, and I look forward to continuing to celebrate the rich cultural history and contributions that makes New York City great. Thank you.

Thank you so much, Councilmember Stephens. I would like to thank my staff and committee staff who worked on preparing for today, including Alejandro, Regina, who drafted one of the resolutions, and our outstanding summer intern, Steven, who is now a sophomore at Columbia and Juilliard. Oh, he's both? Oh, that's cool. And who drafted 2 of the resolutions.

I now open the hearing for public testimony. I remind members of the public that this is a formal government proceeding and that decorum shall be observed at all times. As such, members of the public shall remain silent at all times. table is reserved for people who wish to testify. No video recording or photography is allowed from the witness table.

Further, members of the public may not present audio or video recordings as testimony, but may submit transcripts of such recordings to the sergeant-at-arms for inclusion in the hearing record. If you wish to speak today at today's hearing, please fill out an appearance card with the sergeant-at-arms and wait to be recognized. When recognized, you will have 2 minutes to speak on today's hearing topic, which is the legislation I have just outlined.

If you have written statement, uh, or additional written testimony you wish to submit for the record, please provide a copy of that testimony to the sergeant-at-arms. I will now call the witness, and we have a witness. Siddiqui, did I say that correctly? Oh, Siddiqui, please come up from the African Advisory Council. Yay! We never have testimony for our resolutions.

This is fun.

Good morning, Chair, distinguished members of the New York City Council. My name is Sidiki Danzo. I'm honored to appear before you today as the chair of the African Advisory Council and as a community leader representing the African immigrant community. I'm here today to speak in strong support of the resolution 2006-07, declaring September as African Immigrant Heritage Month.

For many of us, this is more than a resolution. This is a recognition and representation, which is, which is a statement that African immigrants are important and part of the history of New York City. African immigrants come from many different countries, speak many different languages, and represent diverse cultures and traditions. But we share something very important. We have come to New York City to build, to contribute, to raise our families, and to be part of this city to this day.

The African immigrants are nurses, Doctors, teachers, small business owners, taxi drivers, livery drivers, engineers, social workers, faith leaders, students, entrepreneurs, public servants, and community organizers. We are contributing to the economy in the neighborhood, caring for families, educating our children, and helping make New York or diverse city that it is today. The resolution before you recognizes the contributions.

The council resolutions note that approximately 167,000 African immigrants live in New York City, representing about 5.4% of the city's foreign-born populations, and that is, the Bronx is home to approximately 60,000 African immigrant. But numbers cannot tell our whole stories. Behind every number, there's a family. Behind every business, there's a dream. Behind every student, there's a future. And behind every immigrant, there's a story of courage, sacrifice, and hope.

As the chair of the African Advisory Council, I have had the privilege of working with communities across the African continent. We have seen firsthand an incredible talent, resilience, and commitment that African immigrants bring to the Bronx and the City of New York. Declaring September as African Immigrant Heritage Month gave our children an opportunity to learn that their heritage belong in the City of New York.

It gave our community an opportunity to celebrate our culture while also opening our doors wider to the rest of New York residents. And it gave the city an opportunity to recognize African immigrants not simply as newcomers, but as New Yorkers who are helping shape the future Of this city, I want to thank Council Member Atiya Stevenson for introducing these resolutions and all of the sponsors.

I also want to recognize the Brownsboro President Vanessa L. Gibson and her office for supporting this effort, as reflected in the resolution. On behalf of the African Advisory Council and the African immigrant community, we represent. I mean, we represent. Thank you for listening to our voices. And organizing our contributions. We look forward to working with the City Council and the Borough Presidents, the community organization, schools, cultural institutions, and our young people to make African Immigrant Heritage Month a meaningful celebration for our culture, history, achievement, education, and unity.

September shoe. remind every New Yorker that African immigrant history is New York history. I want to say thank you for the opportunity to testify today, and I am respectfully asking the council to support this resolution. And thank you to every member sitting here today. Thank you.

Thank you for your testimony. Uh, we already— oh, does anybody else Have anything or anyone on the Zoom? Okay, great. So I believe we are ready to vote.

Thank you. Good morning, William Martin, Committee Clerk. Roll call vote, Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries, and International Relations. All three items are coupled. Chair Williams proudly vote aye. Lewis aye on all. Congratulations, Hudson. Aye, and thank you to Councilmember Stevens for being such a great ally. Osei. Stevens. Aye on all. I'm very excited for all the resolutions being passed today.

Ong. Aye. Maloney. I vote aye, and congratulations. With a vote of six in the affirmative, zero in the negative, and no abstentions, all items have been adopted by the committee.

Oh, okay. Thanks. I have too much fun in my hearings. Thank you, guys. Next hearing. Yes, next hearing is.