On Friday, April 26, New Rochelle Against Racism (New RoAR) celebrated its 10^th Anniversary at a powerful, informative event at Bethesda Baptist Church. The celebration included some 70 “former, current, and future” members and allies of the organization who were treated to a presentation about the organization’s amazing accomplishments, as well as a fantastic dinner of jerk chicken, salmon, rice and peas, braised string beans, and more desserts than anyone can recall.  Participants thanked Dennis Cummings, Jason Polk, Belinda Miller, Elton Young, and Martha Mitchell for the cooking and serving of a magnificent meal, as well as Lourdes Font, Marianne Makman, Bruce Soloway, Lisa Burton and Daphne Torres-Douglas for organizing the evening.

New RoAR first came together in 2014 to read Michelle Alexander’s groundbreaking book, The New Jim Crow. What started as a reading group soon became something far greater: an ongoing, community-based, multi-generational, multiethnic, multi-racial organization committed to building and promoting a collective understanding of structural and institutional racism and working to undo it. The group, which meets weekly, works to learn about anti-racism,  develop meaningful dialogues about race in New Rochelle, and address racial inequities in local policies and their implementation.

The celebration included a video, produced by Elizabeth Joseph, reviewing New RoAR’s activities and accomplishments over the past decade.   The video included images of the books, movies, speakers and trainings that the group has read, watched and participated in, as well as photos from New RoAR’s many local actions. 

Presenters shared highlights of New RoAR’s significant contributions to the City of New Rochelle. Lisa Burton, who also  served as host for the evening, spoke about environmental  justice, along with NRHS science teacher, Carmen Glenn, who announced a new grant obtained to expand the Eco-Ambassadors Summer Program. Daphne Torres Douglas and Otilia Taylor-Tanner spoke about work to address disparities in education and the formation of PTSAs for the Lincoln Attendance Zone and the Huguenot Academy.  

Lisa Burton, Carmen Glenn, Otilia Taylor-Tanner

Dorothy Oliver and MarJoie Sachs discussed how  the public library was saved from private developers, and Michael Yellin described the negotiation of the Community Benefits Agreement with developers that promised, among other things, training and jobs for local residents and more affordable housing.  

Dorothy Oliver, MarJoie Sachs, Michael Yellin

Jocelyn Ffriend and Bruce Soloway spoke about efforts on police reform and progress toward the creation of an independent Civilian Complaint Review Board.  And Dan Miller and Terence English spoke about health and health care, highlighting the opening of New Rochelle’s first federally-funded Community Health Center and the distribution of fresh food grown in New RoAR’s community garden.  

Jocelyn Ffriend, Terence English, Dan Miller

Other highlights of these presentations included:

Learning About the History of Black New Rochelle and Environmental Justice

• Shared history of Pugsley Hollow and Carpenter Cemetery 
• Pushed the city to identify and honor Black burial grounds in New Rochelle
• Organized the Environmental Racism Trolley Tour
• Protested the development of a Starbucks drive-thru adjacent to community housing 

Development & Jobs

• Organized to convince the Library Trustees to retain full ownership of the land, building, and air rights, in spite of developer’s pressures

• Advocated for a Community Benefits Agreement with developers that resulted, in part, in the City’s Economic Opportunity and Non-Discrimination Policy
• Partnered with faith leaders and building trades to create the New Rochelle Justice Alliance, and brought Pathways to Apprenticeship to residents
• Developed a directory of Black owned businesses 
• Presented an alternative vision for the LINC

Education

• Worked with other community groups to demand the ouster of School Superintendent Laura Feijoo 
• Helped elect members of the Board of Education (BOE) who would better represent the New Rochelle community 
• Worked with the BOE to develop a school buddy program, engaging the Board members to visit and get to know the schools
• Organized the first School Board meeting held in the Lincoln School District since the demolition of the neighborhood public school
• Developed coalitions to prevent the placement of SROs (School  Resource Officers) in our public schools
• Worked with the community to develop Parent-Teacher-Staff Associations (PTSAs) for the Lincoln Attendance Zone and the Huguenot Academy

Public Safety and Police Reform

• Supported and established Youth-Police Initiative (YPI)
• Helped create the Youth Justice Equity Team (YJET)
• Worked to help develop and implement an effective Civilian Complaint Review Board 
• Developed criteria for such a board, including
  • Independence
  • Transparency
  • Full investigative powers, including subpoena powers
  • Meaningful disciplinary power
  • Broad scope, including minor as well as major infractions
  • Adequate budget, indexed to the total NRPD budget

Health

• Initiated and supported the development of New Rochelle’s first Community Health Center to expand access to primary care for all
• Distributed food grown in the Lincoln Community Garden to community agencies 

As a very special treat, former New RoAR member  Bree Jones spoke about the transformative  work she is leading in Baltimore to promote Black home ownership.  Bree’s company, Parity Homes, is successfully working with members of the Baltimore community to restore abandoned houses, and has created a financing mechanism enabling Black families to own these homes and build  generational wealth in the Black community. 

Bree Jones

The evening would not have been complete without an inspirational message from David Peters, New RoAR’s founder.  As a core trainer with the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond (PISAB), David has helped New RoAR’s members to learn about structural and institutional racism and ways to undo it, including promoting Black leadership, building coalitions, and creating anti-racist networks.  In describing New RoAR, David pointed out how the differences among group members, coming from a variety of backgrounds and experiences, allow them to be both radical and patient. “Racism is the single biggest barrier to social change,” he said, “while culture can bring us together.” He stressed the importance of analyzing power, understanding the history of institutions that need to be changed, and the role of gatekeeping in preventing or promoting the transformation of institutions.  He discussed the importance of developing leaders from the community, regardless of professional experience or official credentials that are not equally accessible to all.  Finally, he spoke about the importance of accountability, and relying on PISAB’s principles to hold New RoAR together.

Before the evening came to an end, groups met at tables to think about next steps for the organization. In a follow-up meeting, members shared what they had learned. Priorities include focusing on education, youth and civic engagement, and housing and land use.  

The evening was an overwhelming success – reminding those who have been involved of how much has been done, and letting newcomers know about New RoAR’s work. One guest, Sandy Bernabei, sent an email the next day stating, “Your accomplishments are tremendous and you are in fact building an anti-racist multi-racial community…I’m moved, touched and inspired.” Representative Steve Otis, NYS Assemblymember for District 91, issued a formal citation honoring New RoAR for its accomplishments.

New RoAR meets every Monday evening. Anyone is welcome to join! For more information, email newroar1@gmail.com.