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Katal New York Update-May 27, 2022

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Supporting the Black Community in Buffalo

It’s been a very difficult few weeks, with the mass shooting in Buffalo and now Uvalde, Texas. We send our condolences to the families and communities impacted by these senseless tragedies. 

Here in New York, we can take action now to support the Buffalo community following the white supremacist attack at the Tops supermarket on May 14. If you’re in the Buffalo region, here’s a helpful resource guide by the Partnership for the Public Good. And if you’re not in Buffalo, consider donating to the Radical Love Fund hosted by VOICE Buffalo and Live Free Buffalo. There’s many other places to donate to as well, listed in the Resource Guide


#LessIsMoreNY Campaign Call & Town Hall 

Now that all the provisions of the Less Is More Act have gone into effect– ahead of schedule due to coalition pressure on the governor –we’re organizing for proper implementation of the new law. This week, with our partners at Unchained, we hosted a statewide meeting to discuss implementation next steps. 


There’s good news to share: since April 2022, the number of people detained in local jails across the state for technical parole violations decreased by nearly 80% due to the Less Is More Act. The reform has also led to more than 8,000 people being discharged from parole early and aided in closing 6 prisons across NY. This is a testament to our collective organizing efforts.

And last week, we kicked off our Town Hall series about investing savings from Less Is More back into the community. Estimates from the Columbia Justice Lab suggest that with Less Is More, the state could save more than $500million a year.  What should happen wit those savings? That’s was the focus of our first Town Hall last week, held via zoom with a focus on Brooklyn. The event was sponsored by Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest – prime sponsor of the #LessIsMoreNY Act –  and Senator Julia Salalzar, chair of the Crime, Crime Victims, and Corrections Committee.  Attendees shared their visions for community investments in education, trauma-informed care, harm reduction, eviction prevention, recreation centers, mental health services, and much more. 

Over the next three months, we’re working with our partners to hold #LessIsMoreNY Town Halls across the state. For more details, please reach out to Melanie Dominquez at melanie@katalcenter.org


End of the 2022 Legislative Session: What’s Happening? 

As New York’s legislative session is scheduled to end next week, groups across the state are making a final push to pass important reforms before lawmakers leave town. So we’ll have a lot to discuss on Thursday June 9th, at the next NY Statewide Criminal Justice Reform Call. On the call, we’ll review the end of legislative session (including what got done, what didn’t, and what it all means), discuss the wild electoral dynamics unfolding due to redistricting, and hear about ongoing threats to reform in New York – and what groups are doing about it. Register here to join us on Thursday, June 9 from 12:00 p.m. –  1:00 p.m.

If you would like to present on the call, or have any questions, please contact Yonah at yonah@katalcenter.org.


Two Years Since George Floyd’s Murder

As we mourn the heartwrenching losses in Buffalo and Uvalde, we also remember George Floyd. Wednesday marked the two year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis Police officer. Check out the op-ed our Director of Organizing Kenyatta Muzzanni penned last year for the one year anniversary of his murder. And in early June 2020, a few weeks after the murder, our Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director, Lorenzo Jones, wrote this op-ed.


We’re hiring – NYC Community Organizer 

We’re hiring for a community organizer in New York. This is a great opportunity for organizers who want to join a stellar organizing team focused on:

  • Building collective power
  • Advancing racial justice
  • Developing the leadership of neighborhood residents

Click here for more info and to apply for the New York Community Organizer Position!


Katal Quotes of the Week

These are some of the quotes we’re thinking about this week.

“I’ll rise up. I’ll rise unafraid. I’ll rise up. And I’ll do it a thousand times again.” – Andra Day

“Health is more than the absence of disease. Health is about jobs and employment, education, the environment, and all of those things that go into making us healthy.”      ― Joycelyn Elders

“How you gonna tell me what I shouldn’t do

When I did exactly what you told me

that I couldn’t do.”

– Ransom


For printing and distribution, Katal Weekly Update PDF version.

Katal works to strengthen the people, policies, institutions, and movements that advance equity, health, and justice. Join us: web, Twitter, Facebook! Email: info@katalcenter.org. Phone: 646.875.8822.

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