19 June 2024
Last Wednesday, on Juneteenth, the Interfaith Commission for Housing Equality hosted a successful press conference in support of State Senator Cordell Cleare’s bill S9028, which if passed, would repeal the Columbia University Education Mixed-Use Development Land Use Improvement and Civic Project Modified General Project Plan.
Despite the intense heat and humidity, the press conference was well attended by Harlem community members, representatives of prominent local nonprofits, and a cohort of Columbia University students. For two hours, the crowd stood in rapt attention while elected officials, such as Senator Cleare, Councilman Yusef Salaam, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, and former US Representative Charles Rangel, as well as life-long activists like the founder of WEACT, Peggy Shephard, delivered rousing speeches.
Charles Rangel spoke about how out of touch Columbia is with its neighbors, and Rev. Dr. Dedrick Blue called out the school for ignoring the letter he sent their president. Senator Robert Jackson, Borough President Mark Levine, Rev. Dr. Charles A. Curtis, and a Columbia student also addressed the crowd. The communications director of Interfaith Commission and founder of Defend Harlem, Kai Cogsville closed out the press conference with a persuasive call to action.
Onlookers chanted “One Harlem” and “Harlem’s Worth Saving” between each speech, demonstrating the significance of this event both as a starting point for intensified collective action against predatory institutions like Columbia and as a moment of unity for the community.
See TBO Harlem’s incredible video featuring the event and other Juneteenth Harlem festivities here!
defendharlem.org 