Borough Prez unveils ‘Brooklyn is Africa’ Exhibition
Caribbean Life, March 11-17, 2022 51
Mayor Adams appoints new members
to NYC Districting Commission
By Stephen Witt
Mayor Eric Adams today
announced seven mayoral
appointees to the New York
City Districting Commission –
including Joshua Schneps the
CEO and publisher of Schneps
Media — a family-run business
— which publishes this publication
and amNY along with
dozens of local newspapers,
magazines, and local websites
in New York City, Long Island,
and Westchester.
The commission — comprised
of seven members
appointed by the mayor and
eight members appointed by
the City Council — will be
tasked with redrawing council
district boundaries in advance
of the upcoming City Council
elections in 2023.
“An independent, impartial
redistricting process is critical
to a healthy democracy,” said
Mayor Adams. “This impressive
array of public servants
will serve the city well and
truly reflect New York’s growing
diversity. I thank them for
answering the call to service
and working to ‘Get Stuff Done’
for New Yorkers.”
The City Charter requires
the City Council and the mayor
to appoint an independent Districting
Commission every 10
years, following the decennial
census. The process ensures
council districts continue to
reflect population and demographic
changes. After the
commission is constituted,
commission members and
their staff will begin meeting
to review all relevant laws, regulations,
and the most recent
census data. After a series of
public hearings and meetings,
the commission will develop a
final plan, which must be submitted
to the City Council by
the end of the year.
Other Mayor Adams’ appointees
include:
Hon. Marilyn D. Go: Marilyn
D. Go served as a federal
magistrate judge for the United
States District Court for the
Eastern District of New York
from 1993 to 2019. She previously
worked as an assistant
U.S. attorney in the Civil Division
of the Eastern District of
New York from 1978 to 1982.
She then joined the law firm
Baden Kramer Huffman Brodsky
& Go, where she became a
partner in 1984. Go began her
career as a clerk for Court of
Common Pleas Judge William
Marutani.
Maria Mateo, Esq.: Maria
Mateo, Esq. is a solo practitioner
based in Queens, New York.
She founded her firm in 2011.
Previously, Mateo worked at the
Immigration Tenant Advocacy
Project in 2010 and Sanctuary
for Families in 2009. Before
that, she worked in the Department
of Domestic Violence at
the Queens District Attorney’s
Office. Prior, Mateo worked for
the Presidency of the Dominican
Republic as a bilingual
attorney. She belongs to several
organizations, including the
Latino Lawyers Association.
Lisa Sorin: Lisa Sorin serves
as president of the New Bronx
Chamber of Commerce. Previously,
Sorkin was executive
director of the Westchester
Square District Management
Association. Prior to that, she
was head of LAS Consulting
Services, Inc. Sorkin holds a
B.A. and an M.S. in Business
Leadership from Concordia
College.
Msgr. Kevin Sullivan: Monsignor
Kevin Sullivan is executive
director of Catholic Charities
of the Archdiocese of New
York. He previously served as
chair of the 9/11 United Services
Group, co-founded the
Washington Heights-Inwood
Coalition and the Northern
Manhattan Improvement Corporation,
and served as cochair
of the Partnership for the
homeless. Before that, Monsignor
Sullivan was a parish priest
at St. Elizabeth’s Church.
Dennis M. Walcott: Dennis
M. Walcott has served as president
and CEO of Queens Public
Library since 2016. Prior
to that, Walcott served as the
state-appointed monitor of
the East Ramapo School District.
In 2014, he was named
an Honorary Distinguished
Fellow at the University of the
West Indies and he has been
an adjunct professor at Fordham
University’s graduate program,
The Fordham Center
for Nonprofit Leaders. Walcott
previously served as chancellor
of the New York City Department
of Education. Prior to
his appointment as chancellor,
he served as deputy mayor
for education and community
development.
Kai-Ki Wong: Kai-Ki Wong
is a career civil servant who,
most recently, served as assistant
chief plan examiner at the
New York City Department of
Buildings (DOB). Before that,
he was a plan examiner for
DOB. He holds a B.A. and an
M.A. in Architecture from
Ecole Speciale d’Architecture.
Mayor Eric Adams.
Joshua Schneps, CEO and
publisher of Schneps Media,
was named to the New York
City Districting Commission.
By Tangerine Clarke
Brooklyn Borough President,
Antonio Reynoso, in partnership
with the Cultural Museum
of African Art (CMAA) on
March 9, unveiled the “Brooklyn
is Africa” exhibit, the first of
the politician’s administration,
is being displayed at Brooklyn
Borough Hall until March 21.
Partnering with the Cultural
Museum of African Art,
this free, publicly accessible
exhibit, the first of the Reynoso
administration, represents the
diaspora of the borough.
A collection of Eric Edwards’
rare artwork and historical
African artifacts, representing
the diaspora of the borough is
now open to the public, weekdays,
10:00 am to 4:00 pm,
from March 10 through March
21. To RSVP, visit www.brooklyn
usa.org/bk-is-africa.
The exhibit will feature three
main themes: maternity, music,
and awareness. The maternity
theme will honor women and
birth, revered as a symbol of
life and perpetuation of life in
Africa, an important symbol in
African ceremonies. The theme
of music was one used in many
ceremonies for initiation and
to summon spirits, and used
for communication within and
between tribal groups. The
awareness theme showcases
pieces used in ceremonial initiation
for when young boys
were transitioning from child
to man and young girls from
child to woman.
“As home to the largest
population of Africans in the
United States, it is Brooklyn’s
pride and obligation to celebrate
this rich and diverse history
that’s still omnipresent in
our communities,” said Reynoso.
“Further, we are honored
that our first event open to
the public at-large is featuring
pieces from the Eric Edwards
collection, someone who has
dedicated his life to the preservation
of this history right here
in Brooklyn.”
“The Cultural Museum of
African Art appreciates Brooklyn
Borough President Reynoso’s
commitment to the African
contributions in the areas
of art, culture, science, and
history,” said Cultural Museum
of African Art Founder
and Executive Director, Eric
Edwards. “We look forward to
elevating Brooklyn to a new
awareness, commemorating
the end of Black History Month
and celebrating Woman’s History
Month in March. The goal
of our exhibition at Brooklyn
Borough Hall is to make the
peoples of the diaspora cognizant
of our contributions,
value systems, which leads to
righteousness and the protective
care of our ancestors. The
messages they are whispering
through the artifacts leads to
us giving nurture to all standing
amongst us.”
Brooklyn is home to the largest
population of Africans in
the United States, underscoring
the importance of showcasing
this rich history and
heritage at Brooklyn Borough
Hall. The themes of the exhibit
have a direct correlation to the
priorities and mission of the
Brooklyn Borough President,
including his goal of reducing
crisis-level maternal mortality
rates within the borough, and
reintroducing art, music, and
cultural celebrations to Brooklynites.
Visitors to the exhibit
can expect to see pieces like
“Standing Maternity,” a statue
originating in Mali in the early
20th century from the Dogon
people that was created to display
the maternal female’s relevance
and importance she
played in the community in
survival of everyday life in Africa;
and the “Poro Secret Society”
mask that has origins in
the Ivory Coast in the mid-20-
th century to the Baule people.
This mask was commonly
used in ritual rites for the purpose
of initiation, symbolizing
a boy’s elevation to manhood
and superior knowledge.
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