Civic Matters Events

Join the Advocacy Institute Thursday, January 16th from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM for our Real State of the State 2025 webinar -  an analysis of Governor Kathy Hochul’s State of the State address. Equip yourself with the tools and knowledge needed to navigate the legislative landscape and strengthen your advocacy efforts in the year ahead. In this training, participants should expect: An overview of Governor Hochul's State of the State; An analysis of what advocates can expect from the Assembly & State Senate; Overview of budget timeline; Recommended next steps for advocacy. Advocacy Institute trainings are open to policy advocates, organizers, community members, volunteers, and others working toward a more just and equitable New York. Training is free for Advocacy Institute member organizations and $15 per person for non-members. The deadline to register for this training is Tuesday, January 21st. Once you’ve registered, you’ll receive a calendar invitation, which will be updated with the Zoom link prior to the training, and – if you’re a non-member – a payment link. Payments are due by Wednesday, January 22nd for non-members to receive the event log-in details. We are not able to provide refunds, but you are welcome to transfer your event registration to a colleague or apply the fee to a future training if you’re unable to make it or pay after the deadline. Please click here for more information and to RSVP.

Black women and Black femmes are welcome to join us for a free workshop led by Psychotherapist Fanny Tristan, LCSW- R on setting yourself up to achieve your purpose-driven goals!In this session we will: Uncover the "why" behind your goals; Craft intentions that speak to your spirit; Learn tactics that help you follow though. This isn't just about goal-setting. It’s radical self-love in action!Click here for more information and to RSVP. 

It’s not news to anyone that New Yorkers have multiple crises on their hands: fossil fueled extreme weather and pollution, unaffordable and substandard housing, an endangered democracy, and income inequality higher than any other state. Can you join us in Albany January 22nd for a statewide Fund Climate mobilization and lobby day, to demand action on the interconnected climate, affordability, and housing crises? NY Renews’ Fund Climate Campaign is about facing the crises of our time head on, putting money behind community-led climate justice solutions, increasing energy affordability, and repairing dangerous housing conditions. By creating a Community Directed Grant program, our investment plan would create opportunities for local organizations, unions, and municipal governments to develop clean energy projects and initiatives for their communities. Our Fund Climate Spending Plan also includes a flagship, statewide program that directly addresses dangerous substandard housing conditions that cause health and safety issues, such as indoor air pollution, and exposure to toxic materials. By repairing the physical condition of homes and small businesses, we can improve living conditions and prepare buildings for climate critical energy efficiency and building electrification improvements. Join us January 22nd and stand united with hundreds of New Yorkers for climate justice. Transportation will be provided from New York City. This event is sponsored by NY Renews and the Long Island Progressive Coalition. Please click here for more information and to RSVP. 

Scheduled to take place during Human Trafficking Awareness Month, this webinar will highlight the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child's Optional Protocol on the Sale and Sexual Exploitation of Children (which the US has ratified), the most recent US Government's Report to the UN Committee, and PACT's NGO response to the US Report. Our audience will learn about existing initiatives by the US government to prevent child trafficking, hear NGO partners’ recommendations, and Civil Society’s contributions monitoring States’ obligations to implement measures that prevent children from being trafficked. The webinar starts at 1pm (ET) and will end at 2.30pm (ET).Click here to RSVP and for more information. 

As part of our Voices and Votes exhibition, the Alice Austen House invites you to join a Community Conversation exploring the enduring themes of liberty, freedom, and the ongoing struggle for equality. Community Conversation programs encourage New Yorkers from across the state to share their thoughts and experiences and build community through understanding.Facilitated by Joseph Murphy from Humanities New York, this conversation will be built around former Staten Island resident Audre Lorde’s poem “On My Way Out I Passed Over Youand the Verrazano Bridge”. Lorde was a resident of the North Shore of Staten Island for 17 years, raising her two children there with her partner Fancis Clayton. Her words have inspired so many as a call to action to fight for equality and justice. The Alice Austen House has current local school programs inspired by Lorde’s writing and will extend our inquiry into the impact and questions generated by her powerful words in the “Verrazano Bridge” poem written in 1985.This event is open to everyone—community members, students, educators, activists, and anyone interested in exploring the challenges and triumphs that have attended American democracy since its inception. This particular conversation will be anchored in both a reading of Lorde’s poem and the image of Lorde beside a blackboard with the words Women are Powerful and Dangerous. Out of concern for privacy and for creating an atmosphere and trust and respect, this conversation will not be recorded.Click here for more information and to RSVP. 

This is a free, 90-minute, virtual networking session for women of color, hosted by Embrace Change, a career coaching and training firm for WOC. As WOC and POC, we're disproportionately made to feel like we don't know how to network, or that we're bad at networking, and meeting new people in a professional context can feel intimidating. On top of that, we don't have many spaces where we can connect with each other in a fun, structured way–especially across industry. So during this structured networking session, we'll have opportunities for you to connect with each other in an stress-free way–and share a few key career strategies and tactics with you as well! During this networking session: we'll have opportunities for you to connect with each other in a structured, stress-free way; you'll learn a few key career strategies and tactics; and you'll leave feeling more positive, activated, and empowered about networking and connecting with others!Please click here for more information and to RSVP.

Speakers: Dr. Reynaldo De Leon Jr., EdD, MS: Deputy Director of Research & Community Engagement, Educational Initiatives;  Luis Guaman, MSW: Senior Education Associate, Educational Initiatives. The webinar starts at 1pm (ET) and will end at 2.30pm (ET).Participants Key Takeaways:-Describe the warning signs of human trafficking, including child sex and labor trafficking-Identify risk and protective factors of trafficking, particularly among children and in migrant communities-Discuss the role of a mandated reporter and the importance of safe reporting-Identify practices to build rapport and trauma-informed relationships with clients-Determine strategies to improve support services to help prevent trafficking among children and in migrant communitiesClick here for more information and to RSVP.

The New York State legislative session has begun, and we have an opportunity for you to join fellow advocates in lobbying for the NY HEAT Act. This state legislation, which passed the Senate last year and had a lot of support in the Assembly, will significantly reduce your energy bill while fighting climate change. Formerly known as the Home Energy Affordable Transition Act, the NY HEAT Act will end the 100-foot rule, which forces New Yorkers to pay $200 million every year to subsidize unnecessary new gas hookups, and amend the obligation to serve, allowing utilities to provide cheaper and cleaner energy alternatives at no additional cost to customers. The legislation will also cap home energy bills at 6 percent of household income, which should help the 1.4 million New Yorkers who struggle to pay their energy bills. As part of the Renewable Heat Now coalition, we will be heading up to Albany on Tuesday, February 4 to talk to legislators about the importance of passing the NY HEAT Act this session. They will have a free bus leaving Manhattan at 7:30 AM and heading back around 4:00-4:30 PM that afternoon. We will provide a free lunch and lobby training once we arrive. After that, we will have a rally at the State Capitol Building (indoors) at 12:30 PM followed by scheduled meetings with legislators from 1:30-4:00 PM.The exact pickup and drop-off locations will be revealed to those who RSVP at a later date. Click here for more information and to sign up. 

Celebrate Black History Month with NYC Parks! Learn about the lives of Seneca Village's residents in the 1800s and the community's place in pre-Central Park. The tour begins on West 81st Street and Central Park West. An Urban Park Ranger will explain the the history of the area. Seneca Village was a 19th-century settlement of predominantly African American landowners in what is now Central Park, Manhattan. Founded in 1825 by free Black Americans, it grew to include about 225 residents, three churches, two schools, and three cemeteries, later also housing Irish and German immigrants. The community was forcibly displaced in 1857 through eminent domain for the creation of Central Park. Rediscovered through historical research and archaeological digs, the site has been commemorated with exhibitions and signage, including efforts by the Seneca Village Project and the Central Park Conservancy to honor its legacy.Click here for more information.

Celebrate Black History Month with NYC Parks! Join the Urban Park Rangers on a walk discussing Brooklyn's significant history to the abolitionist movement in the United States. Located at the corner of Furman and Old Fulton streets in Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 1. Click here for more information. 

This event is hosted at the Westchester Square Library (Bronx) as part of the NYPL's Heritage Celebration Programming. The program will feature poems and music by prominent African Americans.Click here for more information. 

This illustrated talk by historian Eric K. Washington visits an unassuming building in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood that, in shedding light on 19th-century Gotham’s forgotten past, has excited wide media attention. Hidden in plain sight on West 17th Street is the former “Colored” School No. 4, the last of a network of racial-caste public schoolhouses that once were relegated to New York’s African American teachers and students. Built in 1849-50, the city-owned building’s decades-long use spanned the eras of the Antebellum Period, the Civil War, Reconstruction and the Gilded Age. Washington spearheaded the collaborative community preservation effort that culminated in 2023 with both the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission designating the curiously idle building a historic landmark and the city’s mayor pledging $6 million towards its rehabilitation. His talk will highlight many of the notable teachers, students and events once associated with this remarkably surviving Black heritage site. Attending the talk online is free, but in-person attendance costs $5. Located in the Van Cortlandt Museum in the Bronx.For more information, click here.To register for online attendance, click here. To register for in-person attendance, click here. 

We’re thrilled to invite you to an essential conversation with the 2025 mayoral candidates about tackling the affordability crisis in New York City. The cost of living in NYC has spiraled out of control. Rising housing costs, unaffordable child care and home care, and stagnant wages are forcing middle- and working-class New Yorkers out of the city they call home. This forum is your chance to hear directly from candidates about their plans to make NYC a place where families and workers can not only live but thrive.Topics include: Child Care: Reducing costs and protecting vital programs like 3K and Pre-K; Home Care: Ensuring quality, affordable care for older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers; Housing: Addressing the urgent need for affordable homes across the city; Living Wages: Advocating for fair pay and economic justice for all workers.Please click here for more information and to RSVP. The location of this event will be disclosed at a later date to attendees. This event is co-sponsored by: ALIGN (The Alliance for a Greater New York)National Employment Law Project (NELP) ActionCaring Majority RisingJews for Racial & Economic Justice (JFREJ)NY United for Child CareCitizen ActionRiders AlliancePSC-CUNY (Professional Staff Congress)Women Creating Change

Celebrate Black History Month with NYC Parks! Explore the connection between the natural world and science fiction with this storytelling hike and fire-side chat. Listen to the works of Octavia Butler while walking the trails at dusk. Afterwards, cozy up to the fire and share your thoughts! Located in Van Cortlandt Park, in the Bronx.

Celebrate Black History Month with the Urban Park Rangers. Join us on the Audre Lorde Walk at Silver Lake Park as we honor the famous poet and draw inspiration from our surroundings as we practice creating our own poetry. Located in Silver Lake Park, Staten Island. Click here for more information. 

On Monday, February 24th at 7 p.m. the National Council of Jewish Women New York will partner with the Abortion Positivity Project to offer a virtual Embracing Abortion Positivity training with their co-founder and CEO, Sophie Nir.This training teaches a framework of understanding and discussing abortion without stigma or shame. We will learn about the climate of American abortion following the Dobbs decision, how to confront abortion stigma everywhere we see it, and how to align the words we choose with our goal of creating a future where abortion is safe, legal, affordable, stigma-free and accessible for all.

This 3-hour training will help identify signs of IPV during pregnancy; provide strategies on how to reduce IPV during pregnancy; and provide ways to assist survivors.Intimate partner violence (IPV) can occur and increase during pregnancy. According to the National Coalition of against Domestic Violence, each year approximately, 324,000 people experience intimate partner violence while pregnant. This training focuses on Reproductive coercion (behavior that interferes with contraception use and pregnancy); Specific warning signs of IPV during pregnancy; and Unique obstacles to leaving while pregnant.To register for the Zoom session, please email Coordinator of CONNECT Women and Girls Programs Sharene Roig, MA, Ed.M. at sroig@connectnyc.org

Immigration was a central issue President Donald Trump ran and won on, promising “mass deportations” and rousing fears with dehumanizing rhetoric. In this heated political context, join us for a more nuanced and thoughtful conversation about immigration policy under the new administration. Experts will discuss what changes can and cannot legally be implemented, what communities are more at risk, the potential impact on the economy, the future of border security, and what can be done to protect immigrants’ rights. Featuring New York City Council Member Alexa Avilés, chair of the Immigration Committee; Muzaffar Chishti, senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute at NYU School of Law; Hyein Lee, chief operating officer at TheDream.US; and Liza G. Steele, associate professor of Sociology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the CUNY Graduate Center. Moderated by Philip Kasinitz, presidential professor of sociology at the CUNY Graduate Center.Register to attend the event in person or to watch the livestream. 

The Business & Career Center is partnering with the City Bar Justice Center’s Neighborhood Entrepreneur Law Project (NELP) and Pace SBDC to offer a virtual small business legal clinic. This clinic, conducted by NELP, is an opportunity for entrepreneurs to meet with a team of pro bono attorneys to discuss legal issues related to their small businesses, such as intellectual property rights, contracts/agreements, business structure and incorporation, commercial leasing and more.NELP's small business legal clinics provide entrepreneurs with free legal advice during a 45-minute consultation. Consultations will take place during one of two appointment times: 4:30-5:15 pm or 5:30-6:15 pm. Through the online registration form, you will be able to choose a preferred appointment time.Additionally, the clinic’s legal consultations will be held via Zoom, which will require a computer, tablet or phone with sound and video connectivity. To register, please visit https://tinyurl.com/2empc4e4 

Join this important panel centered on the critical issues facing African women. Moderated by Yejide Orunmila, President of African National Women's Organization (ANWO), this discussion will explore resistance strategies that take us beyond survival, organizing for true liberation and self-determination. Register here. 

This event is hosted by WE ACT for Environmental Justice. Here is their event description:Are you concerned about the toxic chemicals commonly found in cosmetics and other personal care products? Did you know that many of the most toxic products are aggressively marketed towards people of color? Do you want to help do something about this? Travel with us to Albany on Tuesday, March 4th to lobby for the New York State Beauty Justice Act. RSVPSimilarly, if you are are concerned about energy affordability and helping New York State to transition to clean, renewable energy, then we also encourage you to travel with us to Albany on Tuesday, March 4th to lobby for the NY HEAT Act. RSVPWhat is the Beauty Justice Act?Personal care products – everything from cosmetics to soaps and shampoos to hair straighteners – are largely unregulated, with far too many containing toxic ingredients that have been linked to cancer, infertility, miscarriage, poor infant and maternal health outcomes, obesity, asthma, and many other serious health concerns. And a combination of racist beauty standards and aggressive target marketing have led young women and femme-identifying people of color to higher rates of use for these harmful products – on top of already being exposed to disproportionate amounts of toxic chemicals. That is why we are currently advocating for the passage of the Beauty Justice Act (S.4265/A.6969), which will ban the most dangerous toxic chemicals from the majority of these products.What is the NY HEAT Act?Formally known as the Home Energy Affordable Transition Act, the NY HEAT Act will end the 100-foot rule, which forces New Yorkers to pay $200 million every year to subsidize unnecessary new gas hookups, and amend the obligation to serve, allowing utilities to provide cheaper and cleaner energy alternatives at no additional cost to customers. The legislation will also cap home energy bills at 6 percent of household income, which should help the 1.4 million New Yorkers who struggle to pay their energy bills.How Can I Help?Spend the day with our staff and colleagues as we take a bus (which is free to you, along with lunch) up to Albany. Once we arrive, you will meet with your lobby team leader and review the key talking points about the bill and the plan for the day – along with any questions you may have – over free coffee and bagels. Once we’re all prepped, we will then split up in teams to meet with legislators and their staff to discuss the importance of passing these critical bills. You can join the Beauty Justice lobby team or you can join the NY HEAT lobbying team – whichever legislation you are most passionate about!For those who sign-up to attend, we will a Zoom prep meeting beforehand to explain the details of this legislation, provide tips on talking to legislators, and answer any questions you may have. In the meantime, feel free to watch this brief video showing what you can expect on one of our Albany trips.If you join us, we will meet at WE ACT’s office (on the Second Floor of 1854 Amsterdam Avenue, which is at the corner of 152nd Street) at 7:00 AM on Tuesday, March 4th. We will have bagels and coffee before boarding the bus to Albany for the day, returning to our office around 5:00 PM.JOIN OUR ALBANY ADVOCACY DAY

This program will take place onsite at Jerome Park Library. Learn about famous female artists and recreate an inspired work of art. For the month of March, every week will feature a new artist. March 4: Clementine Hunter was a self taught artist who labored her entire life on plantations in central Louisiana. She painted at night, after working all day in the plantation house. She used whatever surfaces she could find, drawing and painting on canvas, wood, gourds, paper, snuff boxes, wine bottles, iron pots, cutting boards, and plastic milk jugs.March 11: Mickalene Thomas is a contemporary African-American visual artist best known as a painter of complex works using rhinestones, acrylic, and enamel.March 18: Georgia O'Keefe is known as the mother of American modernism. She challenged conventional art styles by experimenting with abstract art. March 25: Faith Ringgold was an American painter, author, mixed media sculptor, performance artist, and intersectional activist. She is best known for her narrative quilts.Register for the event here. 

Join us for a webinar with Dr. Shennette Garrett-Scott, drawing from her acclaimed book Banking on Freedom: Black Women in U.S. Finance Before the New Deal. She explores the St. Luke Finance Corporation, a visionary organization driven by women who blended financial ambition with community empowerment. Learn how they built Black economic power through finance and real estate, while navigating the systemic racism and sexism of Jane Crow. By capitalizing on Harlem’s booming nightlife and informal economy—rent parties, bootlegging, and numbers—they created opportunities for their community and boldly redefined the boundaries of race, gender, and class.Don't forget to bring your questions for a Q&A with the author!You can borrow Banking on Freedom from NYPL’s Catalog or purchase a copy to dive deeper into this powerful history!For more information and to register for the webinar, click here. 

Join RAFT (Resilience for Advocates through Foundational Training) for their next support call for advocates. The goal of this monthly call is to provide a space for domestic violence/sexual assault advocates to share concerns, share resources and best practices, and as a place to listen and be heard. These support calls will continue monthly on the 1st Wednesday of every month.This event is hosted by the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence. 

Please join us on Thursday, March 6 for a conversation hosted by ABNY and 5BORO Institute to hear from NYC’s business and civic community leaders on the current state of the child care sector in the city, its outsized impact impeding New York City’s growth, and the variety of policy changes being called on to improve access, affordability, and quality of care for New York’s workforce.For more information and to RSVP, click here. 

In this online panel on “State Violence: Prisons, Police, Politics,” five scholars dive into the histories behind the contemporary abolitionist movement. Orisanmi Burton, author of Tip of the Spear: Black Radicalism, Prison Repression, and the Long Attica Revolt, challenges the dominant historiography of the Attica Rebellion, situating it instead within a longer history of revolt within and beyond New York State's prisons and jails. Donna Murch will discuss Assata Taught Me: State Violence, Racial Capitalism, and the Movement for Black Lives diving deeply into the Black left politics of the 1980s and 1990s and the emergence of an abolitionist feminist movement. Mary Frances Phillips, author of Black Panther Woman: The Political and Spiritual Life of Ericka Huggins, will share about the grounded praxis developed by Black Panther Party political prisoner Ericka Huggins to resist state violence inside the belly of the beast. Charles W. McKinney will discuss the long Black freedom movement and the edited collection he published alongside co-editor Françoise N. Hamlin, From Rights to Lives: The Evolution of the Black Freedom Struggle.This event is online only. Please still register here for this discussion to note your interest in attending:Click here to view the program online at YouTube.com/@TheSchomburgCenter.

The seminar will cover the elements of Good Cause Eviction, new tenant rights due to the 2019 Tenant Protection Act, and more. Representatives from NHS Brooklyn and a legal services nonprofit will answer questions such as:Can my landlord raise rent to any amount? What is considered a reasonable increase?How do I know if my landlord is overcharging me?Does my home qualify under the new rent laws? How do I find out?How much notice should my landlord give if they will increase the rent or not renew my lease?On what grounds can my landlord evict me?What are my rights if my landlord does not make repairs?What should I do if my landlords serves me with legal papers?There will be a Questions & Answer period, so bring your questions!Click here to RSVP.

Join WE ACT for Environmental Justice on Saturday, March 8th from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM for our March Membership Meeting. The location will be announced shortly, but we will be celebrating Women’s History Month with discussions on women’s health, beauty justice, and reproductive justice and the work we are doing to advance these causes. RSVPAnd you don’t have to be a WE ACT member to attend (though it only costs $25 per year – learn more here). The important thing is that you come join us, be a part of the community, and get involved with the policy initiatives we are championing in 2025!

This event is hosted by the Center for the Women of New York. Here is their event description: The CWNY Career Skills Workshop Series is part of our EmployHer dynamic and comprehensive workforce Development program designed to equip individuals with essential skills to enter, re-enter, and succeed in the workplace. Through a series of interactive workshops, participants will gain practical knowledge in key areas such as resume writing, listening skills, interview techniques, networking strategies, and workplace communication. Each session is led by industry experts and offers valuable insights to help individuals enhance their career development, increase employability, and build confidence in navigating today’s competitive job market. Whether you are just starting your career or looking to advance, the CWNY Career Skills Workshop Series is an invaluable resource for achieving your professional goals.

U.S. District Judge William E. Smith who wrote the decision in the Rhode Island Civic Education case Cook v. McKee will discuss the case and his views on the importance of civic education with Michael A. Rebell, lead counsel for the plaintiffs and executive director of the Center for Educational Equity at Teachers College, Columbia University. This event is part of New York Civic Learning Week 2025, hosted by the Center for Educational Equity within the Teachers College of Columbia University. For more information and to register for the online events, click here. 

Join Citizen Action of New York's next Statewide Climate Justice Committee meeting. We're holding utilities accountable to ratepayers, making polluters pay, and fully implementing the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). Your voice and leadership are key to driving this work forward.At the meeting, we’ll also be sharing leadership opportunities, including joining coalition calls and helping to strategize local actions. This is your chance to step up, make a difference, and help shape the future of climate justice in New York.Click here to register.

A global panel of experts examines how the Hague Convention on International Child Abduction can endanger domestic violence survivors and their children. Panelists will explore innovative solutions and best practices to protect families fleeing abuse across international borders.This event is also being live-streamed. Click here to register for the in-person event, and click here to register for the webinar. This event is hosted by Sanctuary for Families. 

This program will take place onsite at Jerome Park Library. Learn about famous female artists and recreate an inspired work of art. For the month of March, every week will feature a new artist. March 4: Clementine Hunter was a self taught artist who labored her entire life on plantations in central Louisiana. She painted at night, after working all day in the plantation house. She used whatever surfaces she could find, drawing and painting on canvas, wood, gourds, paper, snuff boxes, wine bottles, iron pots, cutting boards, and plastic milk jugs.March 11: Mickalene Thomas is a contemporary African-American visual artist best known as a painter of complex works using rhinestones, acrylic, and enamel.March 18: Georgia O'Keefe is known as the mother of American modernism. She challenged conventional art styles by experimenting with abstract art. March 25: Faith Ringgold was an American painter, author, mixed media sculptor, performance artist, and intersectional activist. She is best known for her narrative quilts.Register for the event here. 

Kids demand answers about media literacy. The webinar is a youth-led conversation about the responsibility of schools, big tech, and media creators in shaping how young people consume and understand digital content. Hosted by members of the DemocracyReady NY youth cohort, this event will feature expert insights, engaging discussions, and actionable strategies to support media literacy in an increasingly complex online landscape.This event is part of New York Civic Learning Week 2025, hosted by the Center for Educational Equity within the Teachers College of Columbia University. For more information and to register for the online events, click here. 

When Robert Moses built the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE), he demolished historic neighborhoods, disrupted thriving communities, and displaced hundreds of thousands of residents—disproportionately people of color and immigrants. Eight decades later, sections of the BQE are crumbling, prompting discussions about repair and reimagination. As officials and communities consider the future of this artery, attention is turning to alternative ways to move goods and freight, revitalize neighborhoods, reconnect communities, and address environmental harm all while avoiding the pitfalls of gentrification and displacement.“Green gentrification” refers to eco-friendly urban improvements that, while beneficial, inevitably increase property values and living costs, pushing out long-term residents. Join the Center for Brooklyn History, the Institute for Public Architecture, and the Brooklyn Heights Association for an evening exploring how green gentrification can be considered – and avoided – as we look towards the future of the BQE.The event begins with a screening of The Story of the BQE, a documentary by architect Adam Paul Susaneck, Founder of Segregation by Design, produced by the Institute for Public Architecture with NYU Schack Institute of Real Estate. It is followed by a discussion with a panel of experts, activists, and stakeholders about the challenges of green gentrification and strategies to address them. Panelists include Dr. Frances Lucerna, Co-Founder of El Puente and Founding Principal of the El Puente Academy for Peace; Michelle de la Uz, Executive Director of Fifth Avenue Committee; Marc Norman,Associate Dean of the Schack Institute of Real Estate at New York University; and Nilka Martell, Founder/Director of Loving the Bronx. Leading the conversation is Tiffany-Ann Taylor, Vice-President of Transportation at the Regional Plan Association.A light reception will follow the program.Register for this event here.

Join Facing History and KQED during national Civic Learning Week to explore ways students can identify, research, and communicate issues they care about. Register for the event here. 

CONNECT recognizes that in recent years the shift in politics, societal views on women, and violence in families and communities has had a substantial impact on women. Therefore, we have decided to re-boot our Women’s Circle and make it a space where women can find refuge from the world, open up about their personal struggles and hold space for each other. The Women's Circle will meet the second Thursday of every month. RSVP to Sharene Roig at sroig@connectnyc.org.

Combining powerful pictures, historical research, and shared stories, this presentation highlights the courage, strength, resilience, challenges, and tribulations of heroic African American nurses who cared for patients with tuberculosis (TB) when no one else would. TB killed one in seven people. Meet researcher and author Maria Smilios, whose book “follows the intrepid young women known by their patients as the ‘Black Angels’. For twenty years, they risked their lives working under appalling conditions while caring for New York’s poorest residents, who languished in wards, waiting to die, or became guinea pigs for experimental surgeries and often deadly drugs. But despite their major role in desegregating the New York City hospital system – and their vital work in helping to find the cure for tuberculosis at Sea View – these nurses were completely erased from history.” Contemplate the courageous stories of these women in context with past, present, and future states of health and society.Register for this event and learn more at this link.

Developing media literacy and critical thinking skills are essential - and possible - in elementary school when you meet kids where they are. Using the children’s classic Click Clack Moo, Cows that Type, this fun elementary classroom game involves children working together to find clues and recognize misinformation in media sources. While in this inquiry process they must think critically - read, share and analyze findings - to solve the mystery: exactly how did those cows learn to type? Register to gain access here.Created by Inquiring Minds Institute’s student Think Tank, Brooklyn, NY.This event is part of New York Civic Learning Week 2025, hosted by the Center for Educational Equity within the Teachers College of Columbia University. For more information and to register for the online events, click here. 

WEAVE Collective is thrilled to invite you to an inspiring event bringing together researchers and activists from Australia, India, South Africa, and Nicaragua. Together, we will launch a groundbreaking website showcasing research on historic patterns of violence and resistance in these countries. Dive into rich insights and reflections on how feminist movements have driven change and continue to address violence against women and girls (VAWG) at local, national, and global levels. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with policymakers, donors, government leaders, and activists shaping the future of gender justice. Join the conversation and be part of the movement!Register here. 

As the world increasingly moves toward a digital future, it is essential to ensure that women are included in this transformation. Empowering women in STEM and Tech fields is not just a matter of social justice—it is an economic and technological imperative. The event will facilitate a comprehensive discussion on strategies to enhance female participation in STEM, share successful initiatives, and foster international collaborations.Alongside representatives of Member States, members of Riga TechGirls—the trailblazing community empowering women in technology in Latvia—will share their insights. With a strong track record in education, innovation, and startup culture, they bring a fresh perspective on how technology can drive women's leadership and inclusion.  Register for the event here. 

A special event will take place during the upcoming session of the Commission on the Status of Women in New York. Titled Women Rise for All: Turning Hope into Action, the event is scheduled for Tuesday, 18 March, from 1:15 to 2:30 PM at the UN Headquarters, ECOSOC Chamber. Women Rise for All is an initiative led by United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed, dedicated to amplifying the leadership of women in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By connecting women leaders and networks with the United Nations, the initiative fosters collaboration, drives positive impact, and promotes collective solutions for a more inclusive, equitable, and just future. Building on the vision of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, Women Rise for All highlights the diverse leadership of women in driving progress toward the SDGs. This event will bring together women leaders from across generations and sectors to reaffirm a shared commitment to gender equality and the SDGs. It will highlight the transformative impact of women’s leadership and networks, promote intergenerational collaboration, and inspire commitments to keeping the promises of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.For more information, to register for the in-person event, and to watch the livestream, click here. 

This program will take place onsite at Jerome Park Library. Learn about famous female artists and recreate an inspired work of art. For the month of March, every week will feature a new artist. March 4: Clementine Hunter was a self taught artist who labored her entire life on plantations in central Louisiana. She painted at night, after working all day in the plantation house. She used whatever surfaces she could find, drawing and painting on canvas, wood, gourds, paper, snuff boxes, wine bottles, iron pots, cutting boards, and plastic milk jugs.March 11: Mickalene Thomas is a contemporary African-American visual artist best known as a painter of complex works using rhinestones, acrylic, and enamel.March 18: Georgia O'Keefe is known as the mother of American modernism. She challenged conventional art styles by experimenting with abstract art. March 25: Faith Ringgold was an American painter, author, mixed media sculptor, performance artist, and intersectional activist. She is best known for her narrative quilts.Register for the event here. 

Join Reproductive Freedom for All on every third Tuesday of each month, to take action for reproductive freedom!Every week hundreds of people reach out to our organization through email, phone, and text, and we need more people to help us reach out to learn what matters most to our members! Join our National Action Council leaders for a quick training before you get started!This is the important organizing work that happens between elections to build community and power! After you RSVP, we will send you an email with information about how to join the event. The information will also be available on this page. 

In this training, the New York Immigration Coalition will provide essential information on individuals' rights if Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrives at their home. We will cover how to prepare family members in the event of detention- specifically focusing on document collection and custody planning. The training will be led by Adela Smehlik of Journey’s End Refugee Services.For more information, click here. To register for the Zoom webinar, click here. 

In conversation with influential women leaders who have played key roles in peace building and constitution building in diverse contexts, this UN event will explore: 1) The impact of the Beijing Declaration and Resolution 1325 on women’s participation and influence in peace-building and constitutional change in transitional contexts; 2) Effective strategies to enhance women’s participation and contributions in peacebuilding and constitution-making processes during periods of democratic transition or conflict/coups; 3) How greater numerical representation of women in formal decision-making bodies can shape the substance of a constitution in ways that promote gender equality. 4) The most effective forms of support that the international community and external actors can provide.   Drawing on insights from the annual Women Constitution-Makers’ Dialogue, this event will offer a unique platform to bring together women to share their experiences and insights. Given the changing landscape of conflict in the last decade, it will also provide a forum for stakeholders to better understand and address new challenges in achieving gender equality in peacebuilding and constitution-making.  Click here for more details and to RSVP. 

This UN roundtable will serve as a platform to review global trends in women’s leadership, highlighting community-based efforts from projects supported by the United Nations Democracy Fund. Participants will reflect on challenges faced and lessons learned, with CSO partners sharing their experiences and focusing on strategies to sustain and expand their impact. The session will also explore how local programmes interact with global initiatives, recognizing the important connection between grassroots actions and international commitments. For more information, click here. 

This event will reflect on the significant contributions of women in the drafting and adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The discussion will also explore the historical context, challenges these pioneering women faced, and the profound impact and legacies of their work on contemporary movements for gender equality and the work of the United Nations, as well as addressing current advocacy efforts for gender equality and human rights globally. The event will feature individual interventions by speakers and multimedia presentations, followed by a moderated discussion based on questions from the audience submitted via chat.  For more information and to register for this virtual event, click here. 

This event will feature perspectives from UN Member States, NGOs and survivor organisations, highlighting survivor-led and survivor-centred approaches in the fight against Domestic, Sexual, and Gender-Based Violence. Research presented by the Irish Consortium on Gender Based Violence will emphasise the shift from ‘survivor-centred’ to ‘survivor-led’ accountability, where survivors take the lead as decision-makers and agents of change. Complementing this, the National Observatory on Violence Against Women And Girls will outline key aspects of Survivor-Centred Approaches and Engagement Strategies in Government Policy, and the importance of embedding survivor-centred structures within systems in Ireland. Bridging the research with the realities, a panel discussion will be an opportunity to hear directly from survivor organisations, bringing much-needed attention to their struggle for accountability at all levels, from individual, societal, national and international.Click here to register for the event. 

The New York Academy of Medicine Nursing Section in collaboration with the Informatics Workgroup and Social Work invite you to join us for an insightful online event focused on the pivotal role healthcare professionals play on social media as credible and trusted sources of health information. In an age where misinformation and disinformation can spread rapidly, it is crucial for healthcare professionals to engage authentically and build credibility in the digital space. We will discuss strategies for effectively using social media to combat false information, establish a trustworthy online presence, and maintain professional integrity. Additionally, the session will provide valuable tips on how to pitch to media outlets to bring visibility to critical issues impacting the healthcare workforce and care delivery. You will learn about available resources for healthcare professionals looking to leverage social media to make a positive impact in the digital age.Click here for more information and to register for the event. 

Immigrant New Yorkers help to build New York and at a moment in time when these communities face inhumane treatment, it is up to us all to advocate for policies that will protect immigrants. Join the NYCLU for the first installation of four in our annual town hall series, “Liberty in Motion: Our Watershed Moment” to learn about the policies that will ensure all New Yorkers are treated equitably and to learn how you can take action to promote immigrants’ right to full inclusion in our Nassau County communities. Topics will include preventing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from colluding with local law enforcement, ensuring local jails are not utilized as detention facilities by ICE, promoting access to representation for those facing deportation, and forming local networks to defend our neighbors.Click here for more information and to RSVP. 

The PowHer® New York Network of 100+ gender and racial justice organizations, in partnership with CWA Local 1180, invites you to be part of the 19th Annual NY Equal Pay Day on March 24, 2025. Rally together with advocates and leaders at NYC Hall! Send a message that NY is fighting for women’s economic freedom!In the current moment, federal actions are threatening the rights of our communities and families across the country. One key space where we must not lose our power and progress is women’s role in the economy.Our progress towards closing the gender and racial wage gap is at risk. This Equal Pay Day, our state leaders, employers, and all New Yorkers must stand up to reaffirm New York’s commitment to equality.All are welcome - Wear red because women are still in "the red"-  Guest speakers to be announced.For more information and to register for the event, click here. 

This program will take place onsite at Jerome Park Library. Learn about famous female artists and recreate an inspired work of art. For the month of March, every week will feature a new artist. March 4: Clementine Hunter was a self taught artist who labored her entire life on plantations in central Louisiana. She painted at night, after working all day in the plantation house. She used whatever surfaces she could find, drawing and painting on canvas, wood, gourds, paper, snuff boxes, wine bottles, iron pots, cutting boards, and plastic milk jugs.March 11: Mickalene Thomas is a contemporary African-American visual artist best known as a painter of complex works using rhinestones, acrylic, and enamel.March 18: Georgia O'Keefe is known as the mother of American modernism. She challenged conventional art styles by experimenting with abstract art. March 25: Faith Ringgold was an American painter, author, mixed media sculptor, performance artist, and intersectional activist. She is best known for her narrative quilts.Register for the event here. 

Join us on Tuesday, March 25 at 5:00 PM PT/8:00 PM ET to take action for reproductive freedom!Feeling fired up post-election? Turn your anger into impact. We're building a movement, one text at a time. Join us as we check in with folks, engage in meaningful conversation, and empower them to take action with us in our journey ahead. After being trained on our platform, you'll be able to take action on your own time.When you RSVP, we will send you an email with information about how to join the event. The information will also be available on this page.

Join RAFT (Resilience for Advocates through Foundational Training) for their next support call for advocates. The goal of this monthly call is to provide a space for domestic violence/sexual assault advocates to share concerns, share resources and best practices, and as a place to listen and be heard. These support calls will continue monthly on the 1st Wednesday of every month.This event is hosted by the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence. 

Advocacy in Medicine (AIM) is the only student-member directed workgroup at The New York Academy of Medicine. Composed of health professional students within the tri-state area, AIM's mission is to provide a space for humanistic, patient-centered, and progressive social justice advocacy within the medical sphere. In line with this mission, we aim to provide students with the appropriate skills and network to engage in advocacy work in meaningful work throughout their careers.Description: Become a data storyteller! Students and professionals alike will learn creative ways to communicate public health information with a specific focus on design and health literacy.GOALS: Understand the basic methodology in “design thinking” and “public narrative frameworks” within the scope of health communication.Explore medical humanities resources, specifically curated around health literacy.For more information and to RSVP, click here. 

CONNECT recognizes that in recent years the shift in politics, societal views on women, and violence in families and communities has had a substantial impact on women. Therefore, we have decided to re-boot our Women’s Circle and make it a space where women can find refuge from the world, open up about their personal struggles and hold space for each other. The Women's Circle will meet the second Thursday of every month. RSVP to Sharene Roig at sroig@connectnyc.org.

Complex issues require thoughtful organizing if we want to have healthy, thriving communities. Join us virtually on Thursday, April 10 as we listen to Melissa Bosley, a Community Organizer who works with South Bronx Unite. Melissa will discuss the work of South Bronx Unite, focusing on its mission to advance social, environmental, and economic justice in Mott Haven and Port Morris. I will highlight the organization’s three pillars—clean air, green space equity, and the HEArts Center—and their role in fostering a thriving, community-led South Bronx.South Bronx Unite brings together neighborhood residents, community and academic institutions, and allies to improve and protect the social, environmental and economic futures of communities that make up the South Bronx.About Melissa Bosley:Melissa is a dedicated community organizer, advocate, and storyteller with a focus on the intersection of built environments and community well-being. A proud Bronx native, she leverages storytelling to address systemic inequities and empower her community. Her professional journey includes working with BronxWorks on homelessness prevention and collaborating with grassroots organizations to address the impacts of urban design. Currently with SBU, Melissa remains committed to amplifying Bronx residents' voices through advocacy and direct action.\About South Bronx Unite (SBU):South Bronx Unite is a coalition of residents, organizations, and allies dedicated to improving and protecting the social, environmental, and economic well-being of Mott Haven and Port Morris. Their vision is a thriving South Bronx with clean air, nutritious food, affordable housing, quality healthcare, fair wages, equitable public safety, vibrant arts and culture, community centers, green spaces, well-resourced schools, and community-driven public policies.Register for this virtual event here. 

It is past time to end the mass incarceration epidemic. Discriminatory practices at every part of our carceral system make for a criminal legal system that disproportionally targets Black, Indigenous, and Brown people instead of offering the resources and opportunities truly necessary for community safety. Join the NYCLU for the second installation of four in our annual town hall series, “Liberty in Motion: Our Watershed Moment” to learn about the policies that will ensure all New Yorkers are treated equitably and to learn what you can do to help interrupt the endless cycle of punishment, instead promoting rehabilitation. Topics will include sentencing reform, parole justice, and supporting justice impacted mothers and children in Nassau County. Click here for more information and to RSVP. 

Much queer theory in America is based on white male experience and privilege, excluding people of color and severely limiting its relevance to third-world activism. Within the last three decades,  chronicles from gay lesbian bisexual transgender intersex queer (GLBTIQ) communities within the South Asian diaspora in the United States have appeared, but the richness and contradictions that characterize these communities have been stifled. Too often, the limitations due to undertheorized South Asian American lesbian, bisexual, and transsexual histories—compounded by a queer canon overwrought with the East/West and tradition/modern equations—render queer South Asian Americans as a monolithic homogeneous category with little or no agency.In this talk, Dr. Roksana Badruddoja visits paradoxes, difficulties, unity, and diversity by unraveling the lives of two second-generation gender-queer South Asian American folx, Rupa and Ronica. They show us ways in which an often invisible and marginalized group accepts, manipulates, and resists hegemonic powers. A core question Dr. Badruddoja advances in her research is how can historically disenfranchised lives be animated and made to interrupt binaried discourses? She answers the question by offering an embodied theorization of an assemblage of multiple saberes or knowings that avoid the traps of binary discourses. One of the ways she accomplishes this is by offering ethnographic work as a compelling narrative and theorization of decoloniality.This event is hosted at the CUNY Asian American/Asian Research Institute, Suite 1000. Click here for more information and to RSVP. The event is also hosted online.  

Do you know what the New York City Comptroller does? And do you know all the candidates who will be running for that seat in the June 24th Primary Election?Join WE ACT for Environmental Justice on Saturday, April 18th from 10:00 AM-1:00 PM at the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge, located at 454 West 155th Street, to meet the candidates running for the New York City Comptroller office. As part of our April Membership Meeting, we are co-hosting this with the NYLCVEF at a to-be-determined location. We have invited all of the candidates running for Comptroller to come tell us why they are the best candidate for the job and how they will use that office to tackle environmental racism in our community. WE ACT members will also have an opportunity to ask them questions.RSVP Today

This event is hosted by the Center for the Women of New York. Here is their event description: The CWNY Career Skills Workshop Series is part of our EmployHer dynamic and comprehensive workforce Development program designed to equip individuals with essential skills to enter, re-enter, and succeed in the workplace. Through a series of interactive workshops, participants will gain practical knowledge in key areas such as resume writing, listening skills, interview techniques, networking strategies, and workplace communication. Each session is led by industry experts and offers valuable insights to help individuals enhance their career development, increase employability, and build confidence in navigating today’s competitive job market. Whether you are just starting your career or looking to advance, the CWNY Career Skills Workshop Series is an invaluable resource for achieving your professional goals.

Join Reproductive Freedom for All on every third Tuesday of each month, to take action for reproductive freedom!Every week hundreds of people reach out to our organization through email, phone, and text, and we need more people to help us reach out to learn what matters most to our members! Join our National Action Council leaders for a quick training before you get started!This is the important organizing work that happens between elections to build community and power! After you RSVP, we will send you an email with information about how to join the event. The information will also be available on this page. 

For this virtual program, the New York Public Library will have a representative from the Bronx Land Trust share about the importance of community gardens and green spaces in Bronx. Additionally, Pamela Rozon will discuss her documentary Rooted Together.About the Bronx Land Trust:The Bronx Land Trust believes that NYC’s neighborhoods should be healthy and safe places to live, where residents have the ability to grow their own food and maintain green spaces where they can relax, play, and celebrate. The challenge facing us is becoming sustainable nonprofit organizations, with effective governance and the ability to raise funds for operations and special projects so that the gardens grow and thrive forever.About Rooted Together:A short film displaying the hard work and volunteer efforts by community gardeners in the South Bronx. This Documentary features the Neighborhood Advisory Garden and Rainbow Garden of Life and Health.Register here.