ICI Responds to interim report by the NYC Racial Justice Commission
What is the Racial Justice Commission and what is its goal?
In March of 2021, The Racial Justice Commission (RJC) was established in order to identify and root out structural racism present within New York City. The RJC has the powers of a Charter Revision Commission, such as the ability to propose changes to the NYC Charter, which is in essence the City’s constitution due to its direct impact on the way New Yorkers live their daily lives. The Interim Report by the Racial Justice Commission offers an overview of racial justice concerns present within the City and possible solutions to implement structural change that redresses the systemic racism woven into our city.
In September 2021, citizens from across NYC (including three ICI members) offered their testimonies to the RJC on their experiences in the city. These testimonies were then compiled by the RJC, along with other pieces of data, into an interim report highlighting 6 inequities that are actively harming QBIPOC communities in NYC. ICI then moved to unpack the contents of this report while drawing various connections to data we have collected from youth in NYC. Overall, we found that much of what was discussed in the report was supported by The Intergenerational Change Initiative’s own quantitative and qualitative research.
Who we are and how our data was used?
The Intergenerational Change Initiative is a Youth Participatory Action Research group housed at CUNY SPS youth studies program. Since 2015, ICI has worked in partnership with young people in New York City to conduct inclusive research that analyzes issues impacting the lives of NYC youth and collaboratively curate creative solutions. We work with city agencies, youth advocates, and activist organizations to use research to amplify youth voices.
Much of what was discussed in the Racial Justice Commission's report was supported by our own quantitative and qualitative research. Young peoples’ potentials are being curtailed by inadequate and inequitable access to essential services and resources such as quality education, job opportunities, and healthcare at various degrees across neighborhoods. We believe that these unjust experiences would not be as pervasive if the accountability and enforcement of policies were taken seriously. To ensure this, we suggest that the use of disaggregated data —including youth data— by authentic representatives must be prioritized when determining a pathway forwards to combat the inequalities presented.
What did ICI do?
In response to the RJC report, ICI gathered testimony, feedback, and identified where ICI and the RJC shared ideas and data. ICI also identified the gaps in the report and where ICI could help amplify youth’s concerns. Over a series of convenings, we produced our own report alongside the RJC report that includes highlights from our Youth Ask Youth Census data that speaks to what youth want and need from NYC. Because our program’s aim is to uplift and center the voices of youth most marginalized by systemic oppression, our report can only help support the work of the RJC. Our report offers both narrative and artistic feedback through a 2-pager and a series of collages that align with what the RJC categorized as inequities in their report. On November 18th, 2021, a representative of ICI gave testimony at the RJC open forum.
In March of 2021, The Racial Justice Commission (RJC) was established in order to identify and root out structural racism present within New York City. The RJC has the powers of a Charter Revision Commission, such as the ability to propose changes to the NYC Charter, which is in essence the City’s constitution due to its direct impact on the way New Yorkers live their daily lives. The Interim Report by the Racial Justice Commission offers an overview of racial justice concerns present within the City and possible solutions to implement structural change that redresses the systemic racism woven into our city.
In September 2021, citizens from across NYC (including three ICI members) offered their testimonies to the RJC on their experiences in the city. These testimonies were then compiled by the RJC, along with other pieces of data, into an interim report highlighting 6 inequities that are actively harming QBIPOC communities in NYC. ICI then moved to unpack the contents of this report while drawing various connections to data we have collected from youth in NYC. Overall, we found that much of what was discussed in the report was supported by The Intergenerational Change Initiative’s own quantitative and qualitative research.
Who we are and how our data was used?
The Intergenerational Change Initiative is a Youth Participatory Action Research group housed at CUNY SPS youth studies program. Since 2015, ICI has worked in partnership with young people in New York City to conduct inclusive research that analyzes issues impacting the lives of NYC youth and collaboratively curate creative solutions. We work with city agencies, youth advocates, and activist organizations to use research to amplify youth voices.
Much of what was discussed in the Racial Justice Commission's report was supported by our own quantitative and qualitative research. Young peoples’ potentials are being curtailed by inadequate and inequitable access to essential services and resources such as quality education, job opportunities, and healthcare at various degrees across neighborhoods. We believe that these unjust experiences would not be as pervasive if the accountability and enforcement of policies were taken seriously. To ensure this, we suggest that the use of disaggregated data —including youth data— by authentic representatives must be prioritized when determining a pathway forwards to combat the inequalities presented.
What did ICI do?
In response to the RJC report, ICI gathered testimony, feedback, and identified where ICI and the RJC shared ideas and data. ICI also identified the gaps in the report and where ICI could help amplify youth’s concerns. Over a series of convenings, we produced our own report alongside the RJC report that includes highlights from our Youth Ask Youth Census data that speaks to what youth want and need from NYC. Because our program’s aim is to uplift and center the voices of youth most marginalized by systemic oppression, our report can only help support the work of the RJC. Our report offers both narrative and artistic feedback through a 2-pager and a series of collages that align with what the RJC categorized as inequities in their report. On November 18th, 2021, a representative of ICI gave testimony at the RJC open forum.