Category: Equal Rights

My Brother’s Keeper forum takes aim at opportunity gap in education

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In November, we held the second meeting of the Manhattan My Brother’s Keeper initiative, which is aimed at closing the opportunity gap by supporting boys and young men of color in Manhattan. President Barack Obama launched the My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) initiative in 2014 to improve outcomes for students of color in schools across the country. New York was the first state to enact the initiative into law and has… Read more

Cultural leaders honored at Borough President’s reception to kick off the African American Day Parade

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I recognized 23 cultural leaders in Manhattan’s African American community at a September 14 reception at the Schomburg Center in Harlem to kick off the annual African American Day Parade. All of the honorees are creative professionals, entrepreneurs, and community advocates who have shaped arts and culture across the borough for many years. Some, like Teresa McKinney, Ade Williams, Anna Glass and Anthony McGill are part of venerable institutions: the… Read more

Supreme Court’s decision to uphold travel ban “shameful”

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Protestors hold up signs at John F. Kennedy Airport in NYC. NEW YORK – Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer issued the following statement in reaction to the Supreme Court’s decision upholding the Trump Administration’s travel bans: “The Supreme Court failed in its duty today. This decision will go down in history along with cases like Korematsu v. U.S. and Hirabayashi v. U.S. as a shameful legal stamp of approval for a policy rooted in discrimination and xenophobia. “In the long… Read more

Brewer salutes new leaders for Black History Month

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Brewer delivers speech at Black History Month event It’s no secret that we’re living through a storm. The progress we’ve made toward correcting injustices in our society is looking more fragile than we hoped, and we are being challenged as racism, sexism, xenophobia, homophobia, and transphobia once again rear their ugly heads. But a new wave of activists is rising to meet those challenges and fight injustice on a variety of fronts, and they are lighting a path… Read more

Remarks of Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer at José Martí statue dedication in Havana

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Brewer stands next to a man in front of Jose Marti statue Good morning, honored guests. Let us make this the beginning of renewed and strengthened friendship between two great cities and their people. At home in the United States we say, “we shall overcome.” Here you say, “venceremos.” I say, welcome home, José Martí! I am Gale Brewer, President of the Borough of Manhattan, where the original of this dramatic statue of José Martí has been inspiring New Yorkers for most… Read more

B.P. Brewer Prepared Remarks at Equality NY’s Rally Against Proposed Transgender Military Ban

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The people in the White House want to divide us. They want a war over who gets to be a real American. They want a war over who gets to be a person. Gender identity, just like sexual orientation, just like race, just like where you were born, has no bearing on courage, excellence, or professionalism. Trans Americans have the right to serve just like everyone else. Fear and distrust… Read more

Statement on U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team Athletes’ Equal Employment Opportunity Complaint

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The following statement can be attributed to Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer: “Last year the U.S. Women’s National Team set an emphatic example on the field, proving they’re the best in the world. Now, by standing up and demanding fair pay, these five players are setting a critical example off the field as well. “Gender-based pay gaps exist at every rung of the economic ladder. Whether it’s at a… Read more

Statement on Equal Pay Day

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“More than 150 years since Seneca Falls, 95 years since the ratification of the 19th amendment, and 20 years since the Beijing Declaration, we are still fighting for women’s equality. In New York women make 83 cents on the dollar compared to men – barely ahead of the national figure of 77 cents. Both at home and around the globe, the wage gap persists. And while we make progress in… Read more

Statement upon the 42nd Anniversary of the Passage of Roe v. Wade

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“After 42 years, we are still fighting a war for a woman’s right to choose on all fronts. We can’t overlook the achievements we’ve won — but there’s an enormous amount left to do, and it’s our obligation at every level of government to defend every woman’s right to choose. “Congress is poised to pass legislation that would tax and punish women for daring to exercise their constitutionally-protected right to… Read more