Harlem Tax Protest Yields Results

The Protest:

For the second year in a row, Maria Granville and other residents have protested that our community is unfairly overtaxed and oversaturated.

In March the protesters held a press conference outside of 1 Centre Street to voice their outrage over our diminishing quality of life caused by the oversaturation of drug treatment and social services facilities in Harlem, especially surrounding the 125th street corridor between Lenox and Lexington avenues.

At the city hall protest, M. Indigo Washington, Director of Community Affairs & special projects spoke eloquently on behalf of State Senator Cordell Cleare about the need to equitably distribute needed treatment and services throughout New York City.

Wilfredo Lopez who is running for Robert Rodriguez’s former State Assembly seat, discussed how blatant redlining continues today with the concentration of drug treatment and other social service facilities in historically redlined communities.

As a result of the campaign to right this systemic injustice, approximately 30 individuals contested their taxes. The organizers gave special thanks to District Leader William Smith who shared his organizational and political skills to make the press conference a success, and Eva Chan, Maria Freedman, and Todd Stevens for research, communications, and motivation.

Impact:

The office of New York State Senator Cordell Cleare sent this message to the organizers and protesters:

Good Morning,

My apologies for this delayed response. We had a number of emergencies in the district including a fire on 145th Street that occurred a week or two after your press conference. 

Please be reassured that I reported back to Senator Cleare regarding your event.

I also wanted to provide you and your group with a quick update. Based on the outcry of your organization, other groups, community residents, businesses, 125th Street BID and elected officials, Mayor Eric Adams has responded and is in the process of implementing a plan, 125th Street Revitalization/Recovery Initiative to allocate resources to address this problem.

There was a mtg held this past Friday (4.1.22) for staff of elected officials to hear directly from city agencies regarding what steps and role their agencies plan to play over the next few weeks.

There is a location that will be utilized on 125th Street where community folk can drop by and voice their concerns, as well as learn about the progress of this effort. The address is 66 West 125th Street.

Feel free to reach out if you have any additional concerns.

Sincerely,

M. Ndigo Washington

Director of Community Affairs and Operations 

Office of State Senator Cordell Cleare 

Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. State Office Building, Suite 912 

212.222.7315  

mndigo@nysenate.gov 


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