Mayor Bramson – Environmental Racism

Written By: Talk of the Sound News

Despite claims that we live in a post-racial era, racism and classism continue to permeate in New Rochelle, including in the governmental organizations that are supposed to prevent discrimination and abuse. But little attention has been given to racism and classism in the polices of Mayor Noam Bramson and some members of the New Rochelle City Council, where their effects create intolerable injustices, particularly in the way they have decided to transfer the City yard to the densely populated West End community.

We explored racism and classism within Mayor Noam Bramson’s office and how he and his cohorts prevent voices from the West End affected community from being heard on even beginning to include their voice. The people who live in the West End will be directly impacted when the Garbage trucks, Salt Trucks rumble through our narrow streets and low hanging bridges. This is because the Mayor has decided that The Public Works Yard is in disrepair, even though that while he has been a leader in our municipal government for almost 18 years, the last six as Mayor, he presided over its demised and irresponsibly saw the Public Works yard crumble under his watch. What is his excuse? Then, he has selected the West End as the depository of all of the Garbage Trucks and equipment, including a salt dome despite the site being in a thoroughly residential area. No consideration was made for other areas in New Rochelle, such as Ward Acres, which is larger, but I assume it is because his constituency lives there!

The failure to include and respect the diversity of voices of those affected by unfair practices is allowing the poisoning and disappearance of our whole West End community. Just as diversity in biological systems brings resilience and strength, diversity in advocacy creates more just and equitable public policy and creates a better world for all of us. So it begs the question Mayor Bramson: Do you care about the children of color who live in the West End? Do you care about the Senior Citizen, like my mother, who lives in the West End?

Racism and discrimination against Latinos and African-Americans continues today. Some Voices on the New Rochelle City Council have opted to vote along the lines of their political parties while being oblivious to the concerns of the people who live in the West End. These same councilmen have, through their actions, voted blindly with Mayor Bramson to get in bed with a developer who has no interest in the health and well-being of our community while simultaneously lining the pocket of the Mayor in his run for a county position.
Organizations such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) which have historically stood up for the rights of people of color are silent on the environmental racism within the New Rochelle government. The same is true of the Bellas Artes organization run by Union Avenue businesses. The latter will be keenly impacted by the onslaught of toxic waste rumbling down their streets jeopardizing the Health and Safety of their children who have nowhere else to play except the streets since our schools lock their playgrounds when school is not in session.

The time has come to have real conversations about environmental racism and classism, how they permeate and affect our community in New Rochelle. We cannot just pretend to be colorblind or conveniently scream that we live in a diverse community, as the Mayor does so often, as if race and class do not matter. When Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character,” it did not mean that we should all become homogenous. No, our diversity remains – our black, brown, red and white skins remain, our historic ethnic heritage remains, and the experiences of different communities do not disappear. Racial, ethnic and economic fairness do not mean we cannot recognize the strength in our diversity. Rather, our diversity is something to celebrate.

As the ecological system is stronger in its diversity, we must also recognize that environmental advocacy – indeed, all social and economic justice advocacy – is strengthened by our human diversity. We should not be colorblind, but embrace and find strength and wisdom in our differences as part of the work to end racism and classism.

Martin Sanchez
New Rochelle, NY ( West End Resident)
Former School Board Member
Former Member of the New Rochelle Human Rights Commission