BP DIAZ HOSTS GUN VIOLENCE TOWN HALL, HOMELESS AWARENESS OUTREACH MEETING

CAPTION: On Tuesday, April 17, 2018, Bronx Borough President hosted the “Enough is Enough!”/“¡Ni Una Muerte Más!” Town Hall event, inviting students from across to borough to listen to their concerns regarding gun violence.

The event was co-emceed by Adriana Vargas-Sino of Univision 41 and Jessica Cunnington of News 12 The Bronx, and was co-sponsored by Univision, News 12, Bronxnet, WADO, El Diario La Prensa and the Office of Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark. The program featured a panel of consisting of Borough President Diaz, District Attorney Clark, New York Police Department Assistant Chief Jason Wilcox, Jennifer Paez — Outreach Director for Thrive NYC, and Lois Herrera — CEO of Office of Safety and Youth Development, Department of Education.

The forum gave community leaders and elected officials the opportunity to listen to the concerns of those most affected by gun violence in the school system.

“Gun violence is a scourge on this nation and, while we have seen crime decrease in dramatic fashion in our borough in recent years, lax gun laws in other states help to keep dangerous, illegal firearms on our streets,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. “It is great to see young people so engaged on this issue and participating in this conversation. Their voices need to be heard.”

The “Enough is Enough!” / “¡Ni Una Muerte Más!” Town Hall comes on the heels of the March 24^th “March for Our Lives” rally in Washington, D.C. Bronx Borough President Diaz Jr. secured charter buses to transport over 150 students from DreamYard Preparatory High School, The DreamYard Art Center, The Bronx Center for Science and Mathematics, Cornerstone Academy for Social Action and The Pelham Academy for Academics and Community Engagement, to have their voices heard at the national protest.

“The youth of our borough, our city and our nation are leading the way; sending a strong message to the National Rifle Association and their enablers in Washington that enough is enough,” said Borough President Diaz. “I am especially proud that so many students from The Bronx made their voices heard loud and clear demanding an end to gun violence.”

CAPTION: On Monday, April 16, 2018, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and Steven Banks, Commissioner of the New York City Human Resources Administration/Department of Social Services, co-hosted a “Homeless Awareness Roundtable” with community board leadership and clergy members from across the borough.

The day included a question and answer period with agency representatives and interactive activities to engage the community with an emphasis on counter-acting the negative stereotypes associated with homelessness.

“It is undeniable that we have a crisis on our hands, behind every data point there is person attached to it. Homelessness impacts everyone, and to address the issue we must be more willing to work together to develop and advocate for better innovative solutions, while also ensuring that community concerns are given consideration,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. “This meeting represents the first step in a long-range plan to do just that, and I appreciate Commissioner Banks’ partnership in these efforts.”

CAPTION: On Wednesday, August 18, 2018, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. met with the members of the Ruben Diaz Jr. La Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica at the Bronx School for Law, Government and Justice.

The students had lunch with the borough president as they discussed politics, government and civics, and toured Borough President Diaz’s office.

Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica (SHH) is an honor society for high school students enrolled in Spanish and/or Portuguese, and is sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP). With more than 2,000 national and international chapters in their network, Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica recognizes the high school achievements of Spanish and Portuguese students while promoting interest in Hispanic and Luso-Brazilian studies.

In 2015, the Bronx School for Law, Government and Justice named their chapter in honor of Borough President Diaz.