News

Donziger celebrates freedom in Williamsburg

Matthew Fischetti on May 4, 2022

By Matthew Fischetti

mfischetti@queensledger.com

Steve Donziger is doing all right.

After 993 days under detention, Steve Donziger can celebrate freedom. Donziger, an environmental lawyer, was part of the team that won a multi-billion dollar settlement against Chevron for polluting millions of gallons of contaminants into the Amazon over decades. Later, Chevron lawyers claimed that Donzigers team tried to solicit a bribe in the case; the judge who made the original accusation later admitted in court that it was a lie and that he had been prepped over 50 times by Chevron lawyers, as Vice has reported.

A group of U.S. Representatives including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have called on President Biden to pardon Donziger.

The first-day Donziger was able to unstrap his ankle monitoring unit, he was welcomed by dozens of his Upper West Side neighbors at a block party.

“It was complete exhilaration. Made me a little sad, thinking of the lost opportunity I’ve had with my wife and son over the last three years. But it was really really awesome to know we stood up to what they threw at us when we came out the other side intact, happy and stronger” Donziger said in an interview about the moment he first experienced a slice of liberty and walked outside his apartment.

But on Thursday Night, Donziger took his newfound freedom to Baby’s All Right in Williamsburg. Advertised as a “Donziger Release Party”, the event first hosted a panel discussion between Donziger and Amazon Labor Union founder Chris Smalls and was moderated by socialist podcast host Will Menaker of Chapo Trap House before musical performances. Tickets to the event supported the Donziger Legal Defense fund.

“[Donziger is] battling the real Amazon, I’m battling the retail Amazon. So there’s always a commonality with that – just beating up on billionaires and their lawyers,” Smalls, the fired Amazon worker who beat the odds to form the first independent Amazon Labor union in Staten Island, said in an interview. Both Amazon and Chevron have retained the law practices of Gibson Dunn to fight against Donziger and Smalls.

“I would say it’s important to know about because I think primarily because it’s not really being talked about in the corporate media very much,” Olivia Riggio, 25, a critic with progressive media watchdog FAIR who attended the party said. FAIR has released numerous reports highlighting much of the mainstream media’s lack of coverage concerning the case. “I think it says a lot about corporate influencing corporate greed. And I think it’s important because it kind of is it sits at the intersection of corporate greed, of environmental rights, of human rights, of indigenous rights.”

The moderator of the panel, Will Menaker, said that the discussion was important to have at a moment when politics seemed stagnant and the future seems doomed.

“I don’t know about you guys, but the last two, three years now, it’s felt pretty f*cking grim out there,” Menaker said to kick off the panel. “It’s my pleasure to be on stage tonight with two men who have caused more stress and billable hours for America’s top corporate law firms.”

In an interview, Menaker said that both Donziger and Smalls’s stories were important as they are people taking up the seemingly unwinnable fights against the “worst people in the world” – and securing victories.

“It’s because I think, we as a society, have quite rationally given up on the future. Because it’s been decided for us. We have no voice or agency, in our political process, and even our culture; just like the dignity in our day-to-day lives to varying degrees. And I think the solution to that is embodied by these two guys, because they’re two individuals but they couldn’t have done it without a movement supporting them,” Menaker said. “I think that is what I take inspiration from. That’s what I was happy to try to highlight.”

Donziger said that one of the first Brooklyn spots he was going to hit would be Vinegar Hill in DUMBO. He still plans on fighting to get his law license back.But, for now, he’s just enjoying his freedom and the first beer he’s had in a bar for years.

“I’m giving myself away like I’m some fancy guy. I love good food.”

Mayor announces $900M for street safety

Matthew Fischetti on April 27, 2022

Mayor Eric Adams has announced a historic $900 million investment over the next five years for street safety.

The announcement made Sunday in downtown Brooklyn comes off the heels of straphangers and politicians advocating for Mayor Adams to fully fund the NYC Streets Plan. Last year, the city had its deadliest year for traffic-related deaths since Vision Zero was started in 2014, according to a report from Transportation Alternatives.

The new announcement will include physical upgrades to two bike lanes in Brooklyn: 20th Street, from 7th Avenue to 10th Avenue; and Grand Street, while exact limits are still being determined.

“Far too many people are not biking because they don’t feel safe. And the more we make it safe, the more we are going to see people utilize their bikes, which is good for exercise. It’s good to interact with everyday New Yorkers, and it is just good for our environment. You’re talking about a win, win, win,” Adams said at the announcement after biking over the Brooklyn Bridge.

The legislation passed under the previous city council requires the Department of Transportation to create five-year plans for traffic improvements including 250 miles of bike lanes, 150 miles of protected bus lanes, and one million feet of pedestrian space.

While the City Council advocated for $3.1 billion in their response to the Mayor’s Budget so that the program would be fully funded, both transportation advocates and zealous politicians celebrated the investment.

“This is a big, big, big day for street safety in New York City,” Councilman Lincoln Restler, a transportation advocate who represents parts of Downtown Brooklyn, said. “This investment, $900 million-plus dollars over the next five years, will save lives. We are going to achieve, with the great work of Commissioner Rodriguez and the team at DOT, safe, protected bike lanes, not paint barriers, that are going to keep our community safe.”

10 constituents of Lincoln Restler’s 33rd council district died from traffic fatalities in 2021, making it one of the most dangerous in all of the city per a Transportation Alternatives report.

“The ‘NYC Streets Plan’ is a critical investment in our city’s future,” Sara Lind, director of policy for Open Plans, said. “Freeing New Yorkers from car dependency will save lives, improve public health, support the millions of New Yorkers who rely on public transportation, and help to mitigate the climate crisis. Reclaiming space for pedestrians is a matter of equity — while only a minority of New Yorkers drive, every New Yorker uses our sidewalks. We are all pedestrians.”

United Metro Energy Corporation Strikers call on Mayor to ‘honor the picket line’

Matthew Fischetti on April 27, 2022

While Mayor Eric Adams likes to fashion himself as the working-class Mayor, the rank-and-file of one of the city’s biggest energy providers say the city is crossing the picket line.

Workers at the Greenpoint-based United Metro Energy Corporation, took to City Hall to rally against billionaire owner John Catsimatidis as part of an ongoing strike that has been going on for over a year. UMEC is one of the largest energy suppliers in the city and last year had contracts with city agencies totaling $23 million.

The strike began on April 19 of last year after contract negotiations stalled. Since then, United Metro Energy Corporation has “permanently replaced” eight of the striking workers, including Strike Captain Andre Soleyn.

The union representing UMEC workers, Teamsters Local 553, has filed suit for illegal termination with the National Labor Review Board. If the NLRB finds that the workers were illegally fired they would have to be reinstated per the agency’s rules.

“This is a union town!” Demos Demopulos, the head of Teamsters Local 553, said to a roar of cheering union members. “These are essential immigrant workers who risked their health to get the city through the pandemic. Now they need our City and Mayor Adams should stand with them, not their billionaire owner. So we’re here to ask Mayor Adams to honor our picket line.”

Striking workers said they were paid $26.78, which is $10 less than the industry average. When replacement workers were hired, they had a starting wage between $30 and $32.

In a previous interview with The Greenpoint Star, John Castimitidis claimed that the union’s figures were an “unfair extrapolation” and represented “apprentice-level wages.” Pay stubs reviewed by the Greenpoint Star showed that terminal operators, a licensed position that is not an apprentice level job, were paid $26.78 per hour.

“We’re going to dig into the contract that is providing funding to John Catsimatidis as he turns his back on working people. Via oversight hearings, potentially through legislation, and definitely through robust advocacy, we’re going to do everything we possibly can to make sure that working people are treated with respect and dignity,” Councilman Lincoln Restler said in an interview.

“We need to start putting pressure on our own city government and hit UMEC in its pocket,” Restler said. “If John Catsimatidisis going to continue to fail to provide decent pay and benefits to working people, then we can’t afford as a city to pay him.”

The current contract, worth $55 million, expires in 2025 and was started in June 2021 under then-Mayor Bill de Blasio.

“Mayor Adams believes workers have the right to organize and collectively bargain for better wages and benefits. This contract has been in place for almost a year, and is in compliance with all city procurement rules,” a spokesperson for the Mayor said.

Crown Heights designer hosts annual Earth Day fashion show

Matthew Fischetti on April 27, 2022

For the fifth year running, Crown Heights artist Bobby Stone and The New Old School hosted the annual Earth Day Fashion Show to a sold-out crowd.

Dedicated to independent designers, fashion models, and the preservation of Mother Earth, the fashion show held at 12 Park Place featured more than a dozen unique and original designs from different NYC-based creatives.

“The show started out with just promoting independent designers and models. And then we switched it to replace and we can also pay homage to mother earth. I just personally feel like people don’t appreciate her,” Stone said in an interview, referencing his decision to include the Earth Day theme after two years. Stone also highlighted that the shows utilize upcycled or sustainably sourced materials.

IVIT, a clothing line created by Stone that sponsored the event, was inspired by the sound of hip-hop DJs scratching vinyl records, the local fashion show featured more than a dozen original designs.

Stone opened up the show with the debut of Earth Goddess Sasha, who donned a white dress with greenery and flowers strewn throughought. Stone led the audience north of 50 people to raise their fists in the air – a reference to the Black power salute— to “honor the ancestors” before giving a fist bump to someone at the show you didnt know. A cash bar and Jamaican food from Jaleesah’s Kitchen were served throughout the night.

Besides just highlighting first-time models and designers, Stone took the opportunity Staurday night to highlight people in the industry who have given back. Tamara Ivey, a former backup dancer who pivoted into the plus-sized fashion industry for 10 years, was recognized with the award for her contribution to the field

“I love that it’s all independent designers. I love that it’s community designers from different boroughs and the tri-state area. To be doing something for five years is a milestone. I love the fact that you know, he has a community of people that follow him. And that speaks volumes, right? When you have a following that means that people love you and they want to be around you and they want to see you succeed,” Ivey said in an interview.

Rather than opt for well-established designers, Stone looks to find people from his local community or friend groups to support.

“Were going to prove to the corporate world, the mainstream world, that were dope. That, in fact, we are competition,” Stone said about his decision.

James Walker, the designer behind Love is Wealth, started designing clothes two years ago and only began to take it seriously this past year.

But once he saw the models wearing his deput collection of T-shirts and hoodies in the dressing room before they hit the runway, he knew he made the right decision.

“When they put on my clothes, that was IT for me. I was like… GONE,” Walker said in an interview. “This gave me everything I need to keep going.”

Sean Whitler, the designer of the Style brand, said that he often didnt feel like continuing with the fashion show. He had attended the show in years past after meeting Bobby through mutual friends. But three months prior to the show, he felt unsure of himself and that he wasn’t ready. But Stone kept encouraging him.

“Man, Bobby really helped me and kept encouraging me like because a lot of times I wanted to give up. Maybe two to three times I told him that ‘I wasnt ready for this, that I cannot do this its too much stress.’ But he kept saying like ‘No, you got it bro. We got to do it.’ So the pushing helped me a lot,” Whitler said in an interview, adding that he plans to take a long eight plus hour sleep after the show.

Whitler also said the show was important to him since it was celebrated on Earth Day, the same day as his deceased older brother’s birthday.

“And every year I support [the fashion show] and every year it’s my brother birthday on the same day, on the 23rd,” Whitler said. “So you already know we here for the whole ship,you know what I mean?”

City unveils new mobile unit to deliver services

Matthew Fischetti on April 22, 2022

The city has created a new mobile unit to coordinate different city agencies and deliver services to those who may not be aware of their existence.

The New York City Department of Small Business Services, the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, and the New York City Mayor’s Public Engagement Unit will work in coordination to help New Yorkers get access to job training, tax help and benefits screenings among other services.

On Friday, The city unveiled the new program with its first stop outside the CUP coffee shop in Bed Stuy. Short for “Coffee Uplifts People,” the local storefront is owned by Breakfast Club radio personality Angela Yee.

“What we’ve heard time and again, from residents to entrepreneurs in the city is that they’re too busy to go into city offices wherever it is that they’re located. And they’re too busy to go from one city office to another city office to another. And what we need to do as city government in partnership, is to first think about what are the needs and opportunities and services that New Yorkers need, and then meet them where they are, and deliver those services all at the same time,” Deputy Mayor for Economic and Workforce Development Maria Torres-Springer said.

The multi-agency approach is a pledge from Mayor Adams’ inclusive economic development program, “Rebuild, Renew, Reinvent: A Blueprint for New York City’s Economic Recovery”. The mobile unit will tour all five boroughs in an attempt to reach different New Yorkers. The mobile unit was purchased five years ago for $400,000. While a schedule hasn’t been released for where and how often the mobile unit will be traveling, a representative from the Mayor’s Office said schedules will be updated and posted to the Small Business Comissions’ twitter page.

“I think this concept of meeting people where they are – and frankly, even if people are in the beginning, not knowing everything that we d – I think it’s important to be consistently out there, that people will feel this perception of, ‘The government and their important resources are actually accessible to us.’ And I think that’s a very important message that we’re sending with our mobile unit,” Small Business Commissioner Kevin Kim said in an interview.

“And if you have a business and you’re trying to figure out a way to maximize things, or even to evolve and grow, make sure to go online and see what resources are available to you. Because when I tell you they have everything, they have everything,” Angela Yee said in an interview. Yee then explained how she asked the Commissioner if the department could provide help with loans and grants, he explained that they already do that. “So anything that you could think of when it comes to starting a small business or, or getting support with your small business, they do have a lot of resources.”

Active shooter in Sunset Park subways

Matthew Fischetti on April 13, 2022

New York City experienced an active shooter situation early Tuesday morning, when an unidentified male individual began to open fire on the N line subway in Sunset Park.

According to police officials, the individual appeared to be wearing a gas mask when he boarded the train around 8:20 a.m. at the 36th Street Subway station. He then opened a canister of smoke that filled the subway car and began shooting, stricking multiple people inside the car and on the platform. Police describe the shooter as a tall black male, about 5-foot-5, with a heavy build wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and a green construction vest.

During a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, a representative with FDNY indicated that 16 people were injured in the attack – 10 of which were being treated from gunshot wounds. Other patients were injured from smoke inhalation or shrapnel, according to investigators. Five people injured in the fracas were identified as being in critical but stable condition at the time of the press conference. According to officials, none of the individuals injured face life threatening injuries.

“There are currently no known explosive devices on our subway trains and this is not being investigated as an act of terrorism at this time,” NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell said.

Police indicated that no motive has been established for the shooting as of press time. The investigation remains in its preliminary stages and any information may be subject to change.

Photos from the scene, released on social media, showed blood around injured individuals who were receiving medical help on the scene as others tried to escape through the clouded platform.

“Today, we saw New Yorkers in a difficult situation and emergency helping each other,” MTA Chief Janno Lieber said at the press conference, comparing the moment to 9/11. “That’s who New Yorkers are… everyday they’re showing people in the subway, which is our public space, that New Yorkers of all varieties can come together in small spaces and get alone and create something bigger. That’s what we remember in these emergencies, as well as the tragedy.”

“Our community is shaken by this senseless act of violence,” NYC City Councilwoman Alexa Avilés, who represents Sunset Park, said in a tweet. “The investigation is still active at this time. My thoughts and prayers are with all 16 of those injured. At this time we know that 10 are being treated for gunshot wounds and 5 are in critical, but stable condition.”

NYPD is asking for the public’s help with information. If you have any information you can confidentiality call Crimestoppers at 800-577-TIPS.

The Brooklyn Bards’ Donal Nolan, dead at 58

Matthew Fischetti on April 13, 2022

He was many things—the family archivist, a regular at Kitty Kiernans, a native son of Bay Ridge, devoted caregiver for his mother, and an often corny joke teller. But more than anything did he know how to belt out “Danny Boy” with the best of them.

Donal Nolan, a local musician who co-founded the tri-state touring and traditional Irish acoustic band The Brooklyn Bards, died April 5, at age 58. Nolan is survived by his mother Mary, brother John, sisters Maureen and Carol, and nieces and nephews.

Nolan grew up in Bay Ridge and attended St. Patrick’s School and Fort Hamilton H.S.
He worked in the Financial District for many years before dedicating his tenor opera-trained vocals to beautiful Irish ballads.

The first gig The Brooklyn Bards ever played was at Kelly’s Tavern, an Irish sports bar in Bay Ridge owned by his cousin John Nolan. He was never surprised that Donal got into music, as a kid he was constantly involved in the church choir. Although he was born in America, his parents instilled a home culture that celebrated their Irish heritage. “Danny Boy” was one of Nolan’s most recognized covers; it’s no accident that it was his father’s favorite tune.

Joe Mayer joined the band in 2016, two years after it was founded, after finding a call for auditions on Craigslist. After playing a few songs, he and Nolan immediately hit it off over their passion and talent for music, and became close friends in the process.

Mayer still has trouble believing the news of the unexpected passing of someone who was so clearly full of vigor and life. The Sunday before he passed, Nolan performed one of his best renditions of “Danny Boy” at a funeral at Bay Ridge Manor.

“He just gave an amazing, amazing performance. He sang as strong and powerful as ever. And it’s so weird that he would be this good and then all of a sudden just suddenly gone,” Mayer said.

Although his cousin owns Kelly’s Tavern, Nolan was a regular at other Bay Ridge joints like Hunter’s Point steakhouse and Kitty Kiernans.

“And it literally took me an hour to get from the front door to say a word by his casket, say hello to his mom, and offer my condolences. It was just an hour just to get that. Place was packed, packed,” Steve Gannon, the owner of Hunter’s Steak & Ale House, said.

It makes sense to Gannon, though. He was always pleasant and smiling, never had a bad word to say to anybody and was just one of those neighborhood guys who seemed to know and run into everyone anywhere he went. Although he would frequent Hunter’s for dinner Gannon simply knew him from around the neighborhood.

Among his many other attributes, Nolan was something of a matchmaker. He helped set up Gannon with his now-wife Melissa.

Melissa and Nolan lived in the same building so Steve mentioned his interest. One random night after, Nolan walked up to Melissa, whispered in her ear, and said “Steve has a crush on you – but don’t tell him I said that.”

And all these years later, they’re still together.

“He was so friendly, listened and talked… someone you would naturally gravitate towards,” Melissa Gannon said.

If Donal Nolan wasn’t in either Hunter’s or Kelly’s, you’d most likely find him in Kitty Kiernan’s. The small Irish pub with space for open mics, was Nolan’s watering hole of choice, which he would visit almost every day.

Danny Sullivan, a regular at Kitty Kiernans, who knew Dolan for years, put it bluntly, “The whole neighborhood feels in mourning.”

Sullivan already misses Nolan’s bad jokes. It was a part of his act, incorporating jokes like “What do you call a successful Irish farmer? A man outstanding in his field,” while the band played along as the straight man.

“I keep expecting him to walk to the window, finish his cigarette, and walk-in” Sullivan said before getting emotional.

When asked how he would remember Nolan, Anthony McElroy, another regular at Kitty Kiernans’, said that besides being “a funny guy with bad jokes” he was one the only people he knew who would wear Ireland patterned pajamas to the bar and be spit-shined on Sundays.

“He did it well though. He did it well,” McElroy said in an interview, laughing as he reminisced.

Whenever Nolan was at the bar certain things were guaranteed to happen. You would get your fair share of bad jokes. You would get to see him sing and dance. You would hear him complain about bad singers at the open mics—McElroy said Donal never really “got” the idea of an open mic. He would give you his time and attention. He would do impressions of people in the bar. He would pick out good music for the jukebox. While he wasn’t a fan of rap in general, the fifty-year-old’s favorite song to play in the bar was “In The Morning”, a rap song about morning sex by J. Cole, a detail that bartender Maria Lopez said showed how funny of a guy he was.

“I was blessed to know him and he touched my life deeply,” Sullivan said.”The hardest working band in BK.”

Lets hope, wherever Donal Nolan is, that they have a tin whistle and a mic. It would be the proper avé to him.

Students look to revamp city bus service

Matthew Fischetti on April 13, 2022

While NYC may have the slowest buses in the country, these advocates think they can make it one of the best – with the mayor’s help.

Around two dozen students, advocates and politicians stood outside City Hall on Monday to announce a “student bus rider platform,” which includes a series of reforms and investments to the largest municipal fleet of buses in the country.

The platform includes expanding fair fares to college students, advocating for the Mayor to fully fund the NYC Streets Plan and bus improvements, building 30 miles of new busway this year, instituting all-door boarding and permanent One Metro New York (OMNY), the city’s contactless paying system, fare capping on buses.

Some plans like all-door boarding have been on transit advocates’ wishlist for years. Members from Riders Aliance have been advocating for the system since at least 2018, while the Metropolitan Transit Authority has languished to still roll out a pilot program.

While Mayor Adams has pledged to fulfill the promises of the NYC Streets plan, the city’s five-year master plan for transportation, he has not spared the Department of Transportation from across the board cuts in his preliminary budget proposal.

“Traffic congestion has worked back to pre-pandemic levels and commuting patterns have shifted away from the traditional Manhattan-centric model, making efficient and reliable bus service all the more important, particularly in the outer boroughs. Students are among the most transit-dependent in New York City, and they need much better bus service to connect them to school and work opportunities,” Liam Blank, the policy and communications manager for the Tri-State Transportation Committee, said.

David Dugue, a 22-year-old senior at Brooklyn College, is one of those students. His commute from his home in Marine Park to college should take 15 minutes but often takes longer due to delays. But the express bus he has to take is often too expensive, forcing Dugue to make the decision between transportation and food costs. Sometimes, Dugue has to walk home just to be able to have enough money for lunch the next day.

“Why does it have to be like this? To rely on unreliable transit that will make us late even when we wake up on time? Having affordable transportation affords us the agency to go to class,study at the library and attend events like these,” Dugue said. “The lack in investment and planning for transportation has left us in the freezing cold, wet in the rain and flooding in the heat.”

Dugue clarified later in an interview that he felt that Mayor Eric Adams has been more talk than action when it comes to transportation, but that the hard work will be done through pushing the mayor and city council on the policies. Dugue is involved in campus advocacy relating to both the Strap Hangers Campaign and the New York Public Interest Research Group—the two groups that helped host the press conference.

“Many tens of thousands of college students in New York City rely on buses to get to class — but our slow, unreliable bus system is failing them,” Councilman Lincoln Restler said in a statement. “I’m grateful to the New York Public Interest Research Group for their student-led advocacy in demanding new busways, fare equity, and bus improvements. We need to do everything we can to improve our bus system and make our City more just, inclusive, and sustainable.”

Flatbush murder of 12-year-old leaves community gutted

glendaleregstg on April 6, 2022

The East Flatbush mother of a 12-year-old who was killed by a gun bullet while eating with family is asking for some kind of justice.

Kade Lewin was pronounced dead at the scene after a flurry of gun bullets struck the car where he and his family were eating. His cousin, Jenna Ellis, 20, was the driver and was shot six times but is expected to recover.

“Please somebody say something. I’m asking for justice. Please. I’m asking for justice,” Kade Lewin’s mother Suzzette Lewin, said while holding back tears. Lewin continued to describe the gun violence she has seen in the neighborhood like when a gun bullet went through her mothers car window last summer.

“But I just want the neighborhoods to know that this violence must be stopped. It is way too many of our people are being targeted. And way too many innocent people are being killed,” Jennifer Jone Ellis, the aunt of Kade Lewis and mother of Jenna Ellis, said. “My nephew. He’s gone. No more to return in this world. My daughter laid up in the hospital blaming herself. Why should she blamed herself. It was in my neighborhood. I pay taxes. If you see something say something. This must be stopped.”

Police say that the investigation is ongoing and at the press conference Monday, NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell urged members of the public to provide information by calling (800) 577-TIPS

“This is their neighborhood. This is their community. Right down the block from where the shooting took place is where the mom was there doing hair. Watching that baby in the car. We’re so sorry. Words cannot take away what you are going through. But you’re representative of the best that this city and country has to offer and your children represented that,” Mayor Adams said. “But it’s time this entire city stand with families like these because there’s only one question we have to answer if we don’t get this right. Whose child is next?

Public advocate and Gubernatorial candidate Jumaane Williams, a native son of Brooklyn, also spoke at the express conference to rally against gun violence.

“I want to make sure I was here because I know the media sometimes plays up differences. But I want to make sure New York City sees their leaders standing together on message about the urgency of dealing with gun violence in our community,” Williams said. “He’s not coming back. He will not be back. He’s 12 year old. His mother raised him as best as she could. A student not in the streets doing everything right. Just like Jenna. They paused in the community to eat something — and was shot. It’s unacceptable. By any stretch of the imagination. There has to be consequences accountability for that.”

New Williamsburg Mural highlights life after incarceration

Matthew Fischetti on April 6, 2022

Inside prison, the tallies marked the months spent incarcerated. Now, in Williamsburg, it represents the continued punishment seen after people are released.

On the corner of Havemayer Steet and Metropolitan Ave, onlookers can now see a large brick canvass dressed with one-half of the tallies representing time spent in prison with the other must longer side showing the more time spent “free” but are still in effect serving a life sentence. A conviction record can lead to basic rights and programs being inaccessible to you ranging from getting a job, securing a mortgage, to receiving a new education.

The mural was created by Michael “Zaki” Smith, a formerly incarcerated New Yorker. The mural was in partnership with the R/GA, a corporate design consultancy that works with major companies like CVS, Google and Samsung. The mural is meant to build support for the Clean Slate Act NY – a piece of legislation that would expunge the records and allow formerly incarcerated individuals to fully participate in society as people who have served their time.

The legislation would add an automatic seal to someone’s conviction record after 7 years for a felony and 3 years for a misdemeanor. The new legislation is estimated by Clean Slate NY to help over two million formerly incarcerated New Yorkers. Currently, New York has an application system to seal records that Legal Aid attorney Emma Goodman, who helped write the legislation, says is often too opaque to reach New Yorkers.

“I started a project at the Legal Aid Society called case closed, that helps people to apply to get the record sealed under the current sealing law. And it just isn’t working. It’s too limited. Very few people know about it, you really need a lawyer to do it. And it takes taking people literally years to get their record sealed for like an old nonviolent conviction. And it’s just kind of waste of everyone’s time,” Goodman said in an interview. “Just automatically allowing the process to happen at the state level so that people can apply for jobs and housing and you know, just move forward is really what we need to do to make it accessible and to really change all of the people’s lives that deserve it.”

While it is a criminal justice bill in nature, Zaki sees it as much more than that.

“This is a human justice bill. This is an economic justice bill. This is actually a safety bill. Restricting individuals from housing does not produce safety,” Zaki said in an interview. “It’s an opportunity to shift legacy for New York. It’s an opportunity to end the the economic promise to upstate New York by building all the prisons and opening all the prisons in upstate New York, and creating an economic boom for Upstate New York, while the city becomes the inhabitants. 80 percent of the prison population is black or Latino 75 percent of that prison population came from seven neighborhoods in New York City. This is an opportunity for New York, for the state, to really clean up and demonstrate what criminal justice looks like.”

After being released over 18 years ago, Zaki still feels the punishment from his sentence. Four years into a job, they found out about his criminal conviction and fired him. He was unable to get a life insurance policy. But his story is just a footnote in the larger tale of how New Yorkers have trouble getting life started again after release.

“This would be a great example to show that it’s not just me, it’s millions of me in the world. I want that to be clear. I’m not just an isolated story, right. But my story is not stories that are typically told. This [referring to the mural] is not going to be on the front of the Daily News or the Post. Right now if I committed another crime, oh, that would be splattered all over the place,” Zaki said.

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