Resist & Reimagine

6. Who Builds this City?

Mon, 14 Nov 2022 09:00:00 -0500

Description: In the last episode of Resist & Reimagine, the Storytellers reflect on their experience working on the podcast and highlight their favorite moments. They also discuss what would it look like for working-class people to re-imagine and build their homes and their communities. We want to thank all our FTC tenant leaders for building a path for our youth to continue to fight for our rights. We want to especially thank HazelAnn Baker (Astra’s mother!), Redoneva Andrews, N’Jelle Murphy, Lorraine Delmore, and Ruth Riddick for taking the time to have this conversation with our Storytellers in this episode.

References:

Samuel Stein (2019). Capital City: Gentrification and the Real Estate State

Producer/Editor: Sarah Guillet.
Project coordinators: Sarah Guillet & Krysten Washington.
Audio Engineer: SoulMarcos Production

Thanks for listening! If you have housing questions or want to organize a tenant association in your building, you can contact Flatbush Tenant Coalition:

Email: flatbushpower@gmail.com
Instagram: @flatbushpower
facebook.com/ FlatbushTenantCoalition

5. Taking Back the Land: International Struggles

Mon, 31 Oct 2022 09:00:00 -0400

What happens when land is taken away from the commons? In this episode, the Storytellers explore international fights against the privatization of land. They speak about Winnefred Beach in Jamaica, tourism development on rural land in Haiti, and the Landless Workers Movement (MST) in Brazil.
Hosts: Latisha and Astra

References:

ActionAid USA (February 27, 2015). Building Back Better? The Caracol Industrial Park and post-earthquake aid to Haiti. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X48q6BfMnr8
Dady Chery (March 1, 2014). Land Grab at Ile-a-Vache: Haiti’s Peasants Fight Back,” News Junkie Post, March 1. Retrieved March 24, 2018. Retrieved from http://newsjunkiepost.com/2014/03/01/land-grab-at-ile-a-vache-haitis-peasants-fight-back/
Jessica Hsu and Jean-Claude Aristil (July 25, 2014). Retrieved from The Haitian Times. https://haitiantimes.com/2014/07/25/haiti-tourism-development-on-ile-a-vache-island-reconstruction-or-another-disaster/
David Harvey (2003). The New Imperialism
Shawna-Kaye Lester (August 16, 2017). How Winnifred Beach was Won Retrieved from https://explorepartsunknown.com/jamaica/how-winnifred-beach-was-won/
Reggae in the Ruff (June 2, 2012). Winnifred Beach, Portland Jamaica. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFSmaN7iMDw
Friends of the MST. (2018). What is the MST? Friends of the MST. Retrieved from http://www.mstbrazil.org

4. Eric Adams against the Homeless

Mon, 24 Oct 2022 09:00:00 -0400

In this episode, the Storytellers take a look at the issues of the NYC shelter system, the policing and criminalization of poor and unhoused people, and the policies that keep them homeless.

Hosts: Astra, Fatumata, Ivory, and Teanna

References:

Citizens Budget Commission (March 18, 2022). Six Facts about the NYPD’s Preliminary FY2023 Budget. Retrieved from https://cbcny.org/research/six-fast-facts-about-nypds-preliminary-fy2023-budget
Currents News (March 30, 2022). NYC Mayor Eric Adam’s Plan to Tackle Homelessness Includes Removing Encampments. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kb9_ubgzVLw
Jeanmarie Everlly and David Brand (June 14, 2022). Here’s How NYC’s $101 Billion Dollar Budget Addresses Homelessness. Retrieved from CityLimits https://citylimits.org/2022/06/14/heres-how-nycs-101-billion-budget-addresses-homelessness/#:~:text=The%20budget%20reduces%20spending%20for,in%20federal%20COVID%2Drelated%20funding.
Guillet, Sarah (May 2018). No Admittance to Paradise: When Haitians Lose their Land to Tourism Development
Fox 5 New York (April 6, 2022). Homeless Encampments Sweep in East Village Ends in Arrests. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaHjk_UlLD4
Fusion (August 9, 2016). Hundreds of Brazilian Evicted for the Rio 2016 Olympics. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vk8SqeqEvaE
Number of Homeless People in NYC Shelter each Night. Retrieved from Coalition for the Homeless https://www.coalitionforthehomeless.org/facts-about-homelessness/
Suhail Bhat and Josefa Velasquez (January 30, 2022). Three and Four Family Shelter Applications Rejected in 2021. Retrieved from The City https://www.thecity.nyc/2022/1/30/22909663/family-shelter-applications-rejected
The Real Deal (March 8, 2021). Manhattan Landlords Warehousing Unites in Down Market. Retrieved from https://therealdeal.com/2021/03/08/manhattan-landlords-warehousing-units-in-down-market/
The tweet referenced at minute 32:38 is by @TheCosby

3. What Happened to Ms. Noel?

Mon, 17 Oct 2022 09:00:00 -0400

In this episode, the Storytellers tell the story of the late Ms. Noel–an octogenarian tenant who fought fiercely against her eviction with the support of the Flatbush Tenant Coalition. Astra shares her story of growing up without heat and hot water as a child. Ruth Riddick, tenant leader and steering committee member of FTC, joins as guest. Hosts: Astra, Denaesja, Fatumata

References:

Greg David and Rachel Holiday Smith (June 21, 2022) Retrieved from The City https://www.thecity.nyc/housing/2022/6/21/23177932/rent-guidelines-board-increase
NYC Rent Guidelines Board (2021-2022) https://rentguidelinesboard.cityofnewyork.us/2021-22-apartment-loft-order-53/
NYC Rent Guidelines Board (2022-2023) https://rentguidelinesboard.cityofnewyork.us/2022-23-apartment-loft-order-54/
Paul Stremple (November 13, 2017). Flatbush Community Gathers to Protest Eviction of Octogenarian Tenant. Retrieved from Bklyner. https://bklyner.com/flatbush-community-gathers-to-protest-eviction-of-octogenarian-tenant/

2. Housing & The Pandemic: Are Landlords Greedy?

Mon, 10 Oct 2022 09:00:00 -0400

In this episode, the Storytellers reflect on the housing crisis at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. They go over NYC’s tenant campaigns to #cancelrent, stop evictions, and house the homeless and question the ethics of our existing housing structure.
Hosts: Astra, Briana, Denaesja, Fatumata, and Ivory
FTC Tenant Leaders heard in this episode: Redoneva Andrews, Paulette James

References:

Housing Court Must Change Our Demands During COVID-19 and Beyond Right to Counsel. Retrieved from Right to Counsel NYC https://www.righttocounselnyc.org/housing_court_demands_covid
Organizing Response to COVID-19. Retrieved from Right to Counsel NYC https://www.righttocounselnyc.org/organizing_covid19
Frequently Asked Questions about the Campaign to Cancel Rent. Retrieved from Right to Counsell NYC Coalition https://www.righttocounselnyc.org/faq_about_cancel_rent
Our Campaign to #HouseNY. Housing Justice for All. Retrieved from Housing Justice for All https://housingjusticeforall.org/our-platform/

Trailer: Welcome to Resist & Reimagine

Tue, 20 Sep 2022 23:00:00 -0400

Resist & Reimagine is a youth-led podcast on the fight for housing rights, land rights, and how we organize to win—hosted by: Astra, Briana, Denaesja, Fatumata, Ivory, Latisha, and Teanna.

Resist & Re-Imagine is brought to you by the Flatbush Tenant Coalition. The Flatbush Tenant Coalition is a member-led group of tenant associations in Flatbush, East Flatbush, and South Crown Heights working collectively to build tenant power. We educate tenants about their rights and how to organize for change. We organize and support tenant associations and develop tenant leaders. We take united action in campaigns to strengthen tenant rights in New York City and across the state. Working together to build tenant power, we help create a more just and equitable society.

1. Who are the FTC Storytellers?

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 01:00:00 -0400

An introduction to the FTC Youth Storytellers and their Summer Storytelling project journey .

Resist & Re-Imagine is brought to you by the Flatbush Tenant Coalition. The Flatbush Tenant Coalition is a member-led group of tenant associations in Flatbush, East Flatbush, and South Crown Heights working collectively to build tenant power. We educate tenants about their rights and how to organize for change. We organize and support tenant associations and develop tenant leaders. We take united action in campaigns to strengthen tenant rights in New York City and across the state. Working together to build tenant power, we help create a more just and equitable society.”