STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — A packed room of residents, students, advocates and policy experts gathered in Tompkinsville last weekend, lending their voices to a statewide conversation on reparations and the economic inequities shaping life in underserved communities.
The New York State Community Commission on Reparations Remedies (NYSCCRR) held the public hearing at the Staten Island Urban Center as it continues collecting testimony and data for a final report for the governor and state Legislature.
“We worked hard to think of things that will speak to the community — that’s you,” said Vice Chair Rev. Dr. Deborah Jenkins, noting that economic issues remain central to any discussion about reparations. “We came up with our economic theme because we know it is so critical.”…