Nigel Roberts - Bklyner (Page 2)

affordable housing

Projected $6.1 Billion State Budget Deficit Signals Crisis for Brooklyn’s Poor Families

New HRA center in Bushwick. Irina Groushevaia/Bklyner.BROOKLYN — One out of every four Brooklynites lives in poverty and depends on SNAP [https://1giqgs400j4830k22r3m4wqg-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/Shadow-of-the-Shutdown_Food-Bank-For-New-York-CIty-Brief.pdf] (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program). Survival could soon become more difficult for

Business

‘Open Desk: Small Business Popup’ Serves as a Bridge to the Community at BKLYN Commons

BKLYN Commons Open Desk. Andrew Rowley/BKLYN CommonsPROSPECT LEFFERTS GARDEN—From the start, Johanne Brierre, head of growth for the coworking space BKLYN Commons [https://bklyncommons.com/], had a unique vision for the company. “I wanted to build the WeWork of Brooklyn,” she told Bklyner, but without the corporate culture

Central Brooklyn

Youth Violence On The Rise In Brooklyn: High School Students On Their Fears

A bunch of thugs stabbed and robbed a student’s older brother of his jewelry, the teenager recalled, seemingly reliving the trauma he experienced in his own neighborhood. “It gets me very emotional,” he told state lawmakers, pausing to regain his composure, before adding, “I’m worried about the safety

brownsville

Van Dyke Housing Residents Discuss How to Spend $30,000 on Community Improvements

Nigel Roberts/BklynerBROWNSVILLE – Folks passing by could easily have mistaken the gathering Wednesday night (Nov. 6) at NYCHA’s Van Dyke Houses in Brownsville for a party. R&B music from inside the tent, assembled on the grounds of the apartment complex, could be heard half-way down the block.

Arts & Culture

Artist Explores Biblical Themes Through West African Storytelling

Genesis Tramaine. Photo by Keenon Perry.BEDFORD-STUYVESANT – It’s hard not to notice the synergy between artist Genesis Tramaine and gallery owner Richard Beavers. They share a spiritual faith that God’s hand is guiding their individual life journeys, which led their paths to cross. Their unusual first meeting nine

Crown Heights

Ex-Felons Have Voting Rights: Activists, Politicians Spread the Message at Brooklyn Forum

Members of the nonprofit organization Gangstas Making Astronomical Community Changes Inc. (G.-M.A.C.C.) Nigel Roberts/Bklyner.CROWN HEIGHTS — With another Election Day on the horizon, one of the founding members of the East Coast Bloods gang is on a mission to educate ex-felons, like himself, that they

brownsville

‘My Brother Was Not an Out-of-Control Individual’: Family, Brownsville Community Hold Vigil for Man Killed in Police-Involved Shooting

Kwesi Ashun’s sister Ama Bartley, wearing a red coat, sheds tears as she speaks about her brother’s death. Nigel Roberts/BklynerBROWNSVILLE – Dozens of Brownsville community activists, friends and neighbors held a vigil on Monday, Oct. 28, to remember Kwesi Ashun. Police Officer Lesly Lafontant fatally shot Ashun, 33,

Arts & Culture

Can There Be Forgiveness for Racially Insensitive Halloween Display?

Clinton Hill Halloween by Love Jones via Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10217472774509544&set=a.2103909035585&type=3&theater] BEDFORD-STUYVESANT – Once again, longtime black residents of a gentrifying Central Brooklyn neighborhood were asked to accept the apology of a new resident over racial insensitivity.

Business

Black-Led Coop Wants to End Food Inequality in Bed-Stuy and Crown Heights

CBFC member-leader Ashleigh Eubanks doing recruitment and outreach. Courtesy of Central Brooklyn Food CoopBEDFORD-STUYVESANT – While high-priced grocery chains and specialty food stores are popping up across Brooklyn, many residents still lack access to affordable quality food in their community. Food inequality has long plagued low-income neighborhoods and has defied effective

brownsville

Top NYPD Brass Clears the Air About New Marijuana Enforcement Rules in Communities of Color

Deputy Inspector John Buttacavoli, Deputy Inspector John Mastronardi, Sen. Zellnor Myrie, Brownsville community activist Kwesi Johnson, Assemblywoman Latrice Walker, NYPD Chief of Department Terence Monahan, Assistant Chief Jeffrey Maddrey, Deputy Chief Charles McEvoy. Nigel Roberts/BklynerBROWNSVILLE — Residents in over-policed communities of color have historically been disproportionately jailed for smoking pot.

Central Brooklyn

Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities Are Only Partial Solution to Anxiety Of Growing Old In Brooklyn

A woman looks at the ocean in Brighton Beach. Liena Zagare/BklynerWill Brooklyn’s growing senior population age with the dignity they deserve? Skyrocketing rents and other costs of living create challenges for elderly residents on fixed incomes. In June, Pastor David K. Brawley of St. Paul Community Baptist Church

Arts & Culture

‘Criminal Injustice System’ Alive and Well: Wrongfully Convicted Crown Heights Man Discusses Biopic

The Black Lady Theatre serves as a cultural hub in Crown Heights for the arts, learning, sharing and experiencing Afrikan heritage. Nigel Roberts/BklynerCROWN HEIGHTS – It’s an understatement to say that there are significant problems with the nation’s criminal justice system. As of last year, 151 exonerated prisoners

Arts & Culture

Looking For Respect: Crown Heights Celebrates Diversity, Talks About Hate

Hundreds of Crown Heights residents gathered at Brower Park throughout the afternoon. Nigel Roberts/BklynerCROWN HEIGHTS – Crown Heights is racially and culturally diverse, however, residents live their lives in largely segregated communities. But on Sunday, Sept. 15, neighbors came together to celebrate what’s unique about each community, and to

Big Story

Hungry and Homeless: Medgar Evers College Battles Student Food And Housing Insecurity

DeCosta Headley, chair of the DREAM Foundation delivers opening remarks. Nigel Roberts/BklynerCROWN HEIGHTS – Earning good grades is only half the battle for some students in the City University of New York (CUNY) system. Maintaining a roof over their head and food on the table, while working on a college