BY ALEX MITCHELL
Dancing Bronx Tik Tok
star and Instagram infl uencer
Nancy Jay said it was a
dream come true to learn that
Dunkin’ named a drink after
her longtime signature order
for all patrons in a Soundview
location this week; but she’s is
delighted for reasons beyond
simply sharing a medium
iced caramel latte with mocha
drizzle with her neighborhood
– Nancy Jay is sharing her culture
as a Guyanese American
on a nationwide scale.
That’s been the mission of
the 27-year-old internet sensation
since joining Tik Tok
per the suggestion of her boyfriend
around this time last
year at the start of this ongoing
global pandemic, to promote
the diversity of cultures,
especially her own while dancing
and smiling through and
through.
@iamnancyjayyall remember
making playlists like this
back in the days? don’t lie!
original sound – DJMANNY
“You don’t really see too
many infl uencers with my
skin color or my background,”
Nancy Jay said, telling how
that became a driving reason
to focus many of her dance
routines around her culture’s
musical stylings, which she
offers to teach through online
dance classes too.
Since joining up with Tik
Tok, Nancy Jay said she’s been
contacted by a plethora of fans
who reached out simply to
thank her for representing
their own cultures while too
being unapologetically herself
with “no front” and a smile
which never leaves her face.
@iamnancyjay##nesesari
##nesesarichallenge ##afrodance
##afrobeats ##dancegirl
##newhairwhodis Nesesari
– Kizz Daniel
Her passion for representation
well predates her success
online, though.
While attending John Jay
College she took the initiative
Ageless New York, an Anti-Ageism Campaign, Launches in the City
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, M 8 ARCH 26-APR. 1, 2021
of starting a West Indian student
organization after seeing
a lack of representation on
campus and even before that
when she won her freshman
year talent show at Lehman
High School with a dance routine
to Caribbean music.
It was also during those
high school years where she
developed a pallet for her now
well known caffeinated beverage,
aptly titled The Nancy Jay
at Dunkin’s 1905 Story Avenue
location until this upcoming
Sunday.
In February, She was selected
as one of ten from a
nationwide competition by
Dunkin to have one’s signature
drink put on their local
menu – learning of the good
news caused Nancy Jay to literally
scream inside of her living
room while also bringing
her parents to tears after seeing
such positive attention.
@iamnancyjayI love ordering
“The Nancy Jay” @dunkin
##dunkin ##coffee ##icedcoffee
Tik Tok star and Instagram Infl uencer Nancy Jay stands with her signature
drink inside a Bronx Dunkin’ Courtesy of Dunkin’
##dunkinmenucontest
##thenancyjay ##BiggerIs-
Better ##EnvisionGreatness
##viral ##bx original sound
– iamnancyjay
The most exciting part of it
all for Nancy Jay is seeing the
promotion of such diversity,
she said, adding that being
able to continue collaborating
with Dunkin’ was be another
dream come true.
Tik Tok star has latte
named for her
Two years ago, when I became Commissioner for the NYC Department for the Aging, one of
my top goals for the Department was to combat ageism.
Ageism is one of the last discriminations that society must stand up and denounce. It is
similar many ways to racism and sexism in that it takes many forms, including prejudicial
attitudes, discrimination, marginalization and practices that perpetuate stereotypical beliefs.
Ageism is so insidious and pervasive in our culture and in the media. Think of all the jokes
that poke fun at older people being slow and forgetful, or the portrayals in film of older people
being strange, silly and frightening. It is so common that it is often considered harmless.
But it is far from harmless.
Prejudice and discrimination based on someone’s age has many negative impacts. In the
workplace, older adults face age discrimination and are often bypassed for promotions,
taken off major projects, or are usually the first to go when layoffs occur. Ageism also affects
an individual’s health. Doctors and older patients will sometimes overlook or attribute
symptoms as a “natural part of aging” where there may be a serious illness or disorder.
Ageism not only harms individuals, it harms families and our communities, and it must be
stopped.
Starting this month, the Department for the Aging is launching an anti-ageism media campaign
called “Ageless New York,” that will challenge New Yorkers to rethink their views on
aging and raise awareness about ageism. The Ageless New York media campaign consists
of a video and PSAs and a website where New Yorkers can learn more about ageism and
how to combat ageism.
It features real older New Yorkers who are active and defy the stereotypes that some have
about older adults. They include a marathon runner, a business owner, a social worker, a
musician, and a nonprofit CEO who started his organization after retirement. These men
and women are our neighbors, our coworkers and are very much part of our community.
They contribute to our City and help it make it better.
Lamentably, the contributions of older adults are not taken seriously. In film and television
shows, older adults are usually not shown. When they are portrayed, it is likely to be done
unfavorably with older adults shown as dependent and isolated. These images are powerful
and affect our attitudes and expectations at a young age. Studies have shown that children
as young as six begin to develop stereotypes about older people from the images they see
in the media, and these stereotypes and beliefs are reinforced throughout their lifetime.
Most recently, ageism has surfaced in discussions concerning who within society should be
able to take advantage of the limited COVID treatment resources. This thinking has led to
Ageless New York is a first-of-its-kind media campaign to combat ageism in New York City. The campaign’s PSAs
will run and air in different venues across the five boroughs and includes a website, nyc.gov/AgelessNewYork,
where New Yorkers can learn how to limit ageism.
undervaluing the lives of older people and neglecting the range of long-term services and
supports that shape their lives.
One of the New Yorkers featured in the campaign is Donna Sue Johnson, a 64-year-old social
worker who works with LGBTQ older adults. Like many older adults in our city, Donna
Sue lives a full live. A former Air Force veteran, she now helps LGBTQ older adults limit their
social isolation during the pandemic and offers group sessions virtually
over Zoom and over the phone. For fun, she plays the West African
Djembe drum with a group in Prospect Park.
And while common ageist attitudes would say that Donna Sue has
passed her peak, she thinks the contrary. “The best is yet to come,”
she says. She has aspirations and dreams for the future, one of
which includes opening an assisted living facility for LGBTQ elders.
It’s time to hit the reset button when it comes to our views on aging
and older New Yorkers. There is so much we can accomplish in this
City when we leverage and value the input and assets of all our residents,
especially older New Yorkers.
We hope you join us in this campaign and get involved in combatting
ageism. You can start by visiting nyc.gov/AgelessNewYork
NYC Department for the
Aging Commissioner
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez.
/AgelessNewYork
/AgelessNewYork
