In 1926, Dr. Carter G. Woodson founded Black History Week and established it in February to acknowledge the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. Black History Week became Black History Month 50 years later in 1976.
For the past five years, NYS Assembly Member Maritza Davila, supported by fellow elected officials and community organizations, has organized a Black History Month event that honors African American individuals whose work or efforts have stood out in the community.
Elected officials U.S. Representative Nydia Velázquez, NYS Senator Julia Salazar, NYS Assembly Members Stefani Zinerman and Davila, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, and NYC Council Members Jennifer Gutiérrez and Sandy Nurse each select who they will honor at the event.
During the beginning of the event, Davila shared what inspired her to start this annual celebration. “We have to celebrate those that are here, that have paved the way, that have contributed to our community.”
This year’s honorees were NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams (Davila), NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull CEO Sandra Sneed (Davila), St. Nicks Alliance Chief of Staff Sarah Lorya (Velázquez), Hope Gardens Community Center Director and Coordinator Anita Haines (Salazar), the executive board of the Sumner Housing Tenant Association (Zinerman), Queens Borough Director Anthony Newerls for Southside United HDFC – Los Sures/Wick Against Violence Neighborhood Safety Coalition (Reynoso), Safety Coordinator Joseph Baptiste for St. Nicks Alliance’s Community Preservation (Gutiérrez), and Youth and Education Committee Chair Virgie Jones for Brooklyn Community Board 4 (Nurse).
Salazar added later on, “This event that our assemblywoman gathers us to celebrate each year is about making sure you feel seen for the work that you do.”
NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull CEO Sandra Sneed shared that she was five generations removed from slavery, her family was enslaved in South Carolina. She also shared the struggles her mother encountered when she moved to New York in the late 1950s as a certified teacher, but no one would hire her. “We’ve come a long, long way. It’s important to remember whose shoulders we stand on.”
Evelyn Cruz was there to represent Velázquez and mentioned the recent loss of Reverend Jesse Jackson. She remembered that he’d visited Williamsburg’s Southside twice to fight for the community. She was there to salute Sarah Lorya, the current chief of staff at St. Nicks Alliance. “Sarah realizes that economic justice is civil rights work. She isn’t just talking about equity. She is institutionalizing it. She creates the pathways to opportunity that build generational change in young people.”
NYC Council Member Gutiérrez’s honoree, Joseph Baptiste, is also from St. Nicks Alliance. “Every time I’ve worked with Joseph he’s been incredibly thoughtful and I think to do the work that he does, which is community engagement coordinator, to really target young people, to target community that need a lot of resources that need a lot of connections, sometimes it can feel like a lot, but he does it with a lot of joy.”
In addition, Barbara Williams charmed as the event’s emcee. Bishop Michael Clarke led the opening prayer. Theda Clay sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing”. Between the honoree presentations, there was a supercharged performance from Brooklyn United Now Drumline. El Puente’s dance team took the stage for the event’s finale.
The Greenline 