BRIC hosts local politicians, activists, journalists and community members to unpack some of the most important—and most difficult— issues facing the borough. No topic is off-limits, and no viewpoint is ignored.
#Metoo is just a beginning | A #Bheard town hall
From the media to politics to the workplace, we are in a moment of public reckoning around sexual harassment and sexism in America. It’s an issue that cuts across class and status, race and generations. As more and more voices come forward, and as more of our institutions claim to be listening to those voices, there’s the potential for a major cultural shift. On March 21st, we came together for a BHeard Town Hall that asked: How can we move into action that will disrupt systems in place, hold those systems accountable, and demand the tough conversations necessary that need to be had to bring about change? Moderated by Brian Vines. Introduction by MeToo founder Tarana Burke.
PANELISTS: Carmelyn P. Malalis, NYC Human Rights Commissioner | Serene J. Khader, Associate Professor of Philosophy, CUNY Graduate Center and Brooklyn College, | Maria D'Cruze, MSW, Wellness Group Coordinator WOMANKIND | Juan Ramos, Anti-Sexism Activist and Executive Director Southside United-Los Sures | Maria Chickedantz, Labor and Employment Attorney, Mirer Mazzocchi Julien & Chickedantz, PLLC | Ashleigh Eubanks, Organizer, Safe OUTside the System (The Audre Lorde Project)
PARTNERS: WOMANKIND & the Raben Impact.
Muslim in New York | A #BHEARD Town Hall
A Town Hall was produced in partnership with The Intercept, CUNY CLEAR and The Secret Life of Muslims. Our panelists and audience discuss religious profiling, Islamophobia, the travel ban and the effects the Trump administration has had on the Muslim perspective in the city.
PANELISTS: Mehdi Hasan, Columnist at The Intercept | Dr. Debbie Almontaser, President of Muslim Community Network | Imam Khalid Latif, Chaplain of The Islamic Center at NYU | Naz Ahmad, Attorney, Creating Law Enforcement Accountability and Responsibility (CLEAR) Project, CUNY Law | Amna Nawaz, ABC News Digital Anchor and Host of ABC Radio’s Uncomfortable Podcast | Moustafa Bayoumi, Author, This Muslim American Life: Dispatches from the War on Terror | Zaheer Ali, Oral Historian/Director of Muslims in Brooklyn at Brooklyn Historical Society
PARTNERS: The Intercept, CUNY CLEAR, The Secret Life of Muslims
resister: race, identity & The women’s movement
The Women’s March on Washington kicked off this year with one of the largest mobilizations in American history. It was a powerful and visual show of force, bringing to light the groundwork laid forth by so many around women’s rights AND defining a moment to organize around the work that is still to be done. We seize that moment through a multimedia, live-televised town hall to ask: How does the women's movement intersect with issues of race, sexuality, class and ability? How do we respect the leadership of young people, while honoring the impact, legacy and the continued work of past generations? And how do we all move forward in solidarity to advance women’s rights?
PANELISTS: Carmen Perez, Co-Chair of the Women’s March on Washington | NY City Council Member Laurie A. Cumbo, Chair of Committee on Women's Issues | Rye Young, Executive Director of Third Wave Fund | Mahogany Browne, Poet, Women of The World Poetry Slam | Natasha Lennard, Independent Journalist | Safia Mahjebin, Ella Fellow at Sadie Nash Leadership Project
PARTNERS: Third Wave Fund & Sadie Nash
Breaking the Pattern of school Segregation in NYC
New York City has a school segregation problem. It’s more segregated today than it was 30 years ago. And it’s not only racial segregation, it’s also economic. The concentration of poverty in our schools creates a never-ending cycle that goes beyond the classroom. And as Brooklyn continues to gentrify, the school divide is only getting worse. The pressure is on for the city to help all of our students thrive, regardless of race or income. But there’s no easy solution. Should the city mandate school integration across the board? Should more money be spent improving our city’s failing schools? Or do we need to rethink the very mission of our school system? And finally, can leaders, educators and parents find common ground to make our city a model for the nation?
PANELISTS: Josh Wallack, Deputy Chancellor of the NYC Department of Education | Yasmeen Khan, Education Reporter at WNYC | Nikole Hannah-Jones, Journalist at The New York Times | Brad Lander, Council Member of Brooklyn’s 39th District | Clarence Taylor, Historian at Baruch College | Lurie Daniels Favors, General Counsel for Medgar Evers Center for Law & Social Justice | Lazar Treschan, Director of Youth Policy at Community Service Society
PARTNERS: WNYC