One Year of Progress

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, December 20, 2024
Contact: AskPre ss@EquityOffice.NYC.GOV

NYC Mayor’s Office of Equity & Racial Justice Marks One Year of Progress

The City’s Centralized Equity Office Continues to Advance and Champion Equity Across Government

NEW YORK – One year following its launch, the NYC Mayor's Office of Equity & Racial Justice (MOERJ) continues to fulfill the city’s promise to put racial equity at the heart of city government, and deliver on its commitment to build a fairer, more equitable New York City. Voted into existence by the people of New York during the November 2022 election, MOERJ has made remarkable strides in advancing racial justice and equity across the city's institutions.

Over the past year, MOERJ has worked tirelessly across its offices, including the NYC Young Men's Initiative (YMI), the NYC Unity Project (UP), and the NYC Commission on Gender Equity (CGE), as well as its multi-agency bodies the NYC Pay Equity Cabinet (PEC) and the NYC Taskforce on Racial Inclusion and Equity (TRIE). Together, the office has driven measurable change to shape the future of New York City by investing in youth, launching impactful programs in diverse communities, and laying the groundwork for lasting structural reforms across government.

In March, the city introduced Women Forward NYC: An Action Plan for Gender Equity, which included the launch of NYC Her Future, a companion office to the NYC Young Men’s Initiative. Mayor Adams appointed Nathifa Forde, former acting director of the NYC Young Men’s Initiative, to lead NYC Her Future which focuses on providing tools and opportunities for young women and girls of color to succeed.

Additionally, Mayor Adams appointed Ronald Porcelli as director of the NYC Unity Project, marking an exciting new chapter in the city's ongoing commitment to investing in and supporting its lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQ+) community.

Most recently, the mayor appointed James Stratford as the new executive director of the NYC Young Men’s initiative. With over two decades of experience in nonprofit and youth development, Stratford will continue to support the NYC Young Men’s Initiative’s high-impact programming aimed at addressing disparities experienced by young men of color.

“The Mayor’s Office of Equity and Racial Justice has made significant strides over the past year in engaging diverse communities and breaking down long-standing barriers,” said NYC Chief Equity Officer and NYC Mayor’s Office of Equity and Racial Justice Commissioner Sideya Sherman. “We’re deeply grateful for our city and community partners’ ongoing collaboration in continuing to build programs and advocate for policies that advance equity. We are committed to ensuring that every New Yorker has the opportunity to thrive and look forward to continued progress in the year to come.”

"As we close out this year, we reflect on the indomitable spirit of our LGBTQ+ community and the anniversary of Stonewall, which sparked a movement that continues to shape our city today," said NYC Unity Project Director Ronald Porcelli, ESQ. "In New York City, we’ve always been a beacon for love, resilience, and progress. This year, we’ve worked hard to ensure that every LGBTQ+ New Yorker—no matter who they are or where they come from—can live authentically, with access to the resources, care, and opportunities they deserve. From expanding healthcare to creating more inclusive workplaces, we’re making real change. But we’re not stopping here. Inspired by the courage of those who stood up at Stonewall and the countless activists who followed, we’re committed to building a city where LGBTQ+ people thrive, unapologetically and with pride. New York has always been a place where the impossible becomes possible—and together, we’ll keep pushing forward."

“As we look back on this transformative journey, we must remember that the voices and dreams of girls and young women of color are not just important, they are essential. As Nikki Giovanni beautifully said, 'A girl is a miracle, and we must nurture that miracle,” NYC Her Future Executive Director Nathifa Forde. “Since the office’s launch event in April, we have hit the ground running to engage with the members of our communities who have a long-standing history of supporting young women and girls. Engaging with practitioners, elected officials, agency leaders, and the young people themselves, my hope is that this office will serve to amplify all of the work that has been done to address the disparities young women and girls of color face across our city, and it will unify and codify the work that continues to move forward. In our cities, we will lift up these young leaders, for they are the architects of a brighter future. The time is now to move this work forward, to stand in solidarity, and to honor every girl and young woman as a vital force in shaping the world. NYC Her Future is committed to creating safe spaces where education, workforce development, mental and physical well-being are not just ideals, but realities for girls and young women of color across NYC. Here’s to a new chapter of empowerment and progress!”

“As we reflect on this year, I am deeply inspired by the progress and impact of the NYC Young Men’s Initiative,” said NYC Young Men’s Initiative Executive Director James Stratford. "This year, YMI strengthened its efforts to empower young people and families through innovative programs that foster education, community engagement, and personal growth. From advancing literacy initiatives, to supporting families in creating nurturing home environments, to providing meaningful opportunities for learning and connection. The YMI team also expanded career exploration and mentorship programs while amplifying efforts to celebrate diversity and equity. YMI’s commitment to uplifting the voices and potential of our youth remains unwavering, and I look forward to continuing its legacy of important work in the year ahead.”

Today, MOERJ is proud to release key accomplishments and milestones reached over the past year, further demonstrating progress in addressing disparities, improving government accountability, and enhancing the quality of life for all New Yorkers.

Highlights from the past year include:

Investing and Empowering Youth

Thanks to an innovative, city, public-private partnership, more than 200,000 students in over 1,000 New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) and participating charter schools have NYC scholarship accounts with nearly $30 million invested for college and/or career through the NYC Save for College program, a universal college and career savings program implemented in partnership with NYC Kids RISE, NYCPS, NYC Mayor’s Office of Equity & Racial Justice, the New York City Mayor's Office for Economic Opportunity and the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP).

The NYC Unity Project, and the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD), expanded its Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) Pride programming in 2024, building on the success of its inaugural year in 2023. This year, in partnership with private sector organizations from diverse industries, the program elevated the voices and talents of young people, empowering them to develop new skills and confidence. Through this collaboration, the program fostered greater inclusivity and representation across industries, creating more opportunities for LGBTQ+ youth to thrive.

In partnership with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), the NYC Unity Project’s grew its Family Acceptance Program operations to offer a wide range of resources and services designed to help families understand and embrace their LGBTQ+ loved ones. By fostering family acceptance, the initiative continues to enhance the well-being and mental health of LGBTQ+ youth, ensuring they have the love and support needed to thrive.

The NYC Young Men’s Initiative continued its focus on literacy through the Sound Partners, QuickReads, and Raising Readers programs, partnering with over 42 NYCPS to train 240 instructors in intervention techniques, and expand parent-focused programming to 12 schools that equipped families with practical tools and strategies to support their children’s literacy. Students who attended at least 20 intervention sessions showed a 233% increase in their ability to decode unfamiliar words, with accuracy rates in reading connected texts improving from 59% to 61%.

The NYC Young Men’s Initiative, in partnership with the New York City Administration for Children Services (ACS), has expanded its Juvenile Detention Tutoring program to include youth not in a detention setting, through the ACS Close to Home program. Through this vital program, young people involved with the justice system have access to group and one-on-one tutoring sessions to support them in obtaining a high school diploma or GED as well as transitioning back to learning in their communities.

NYC Her Future hit the ground running, launching a series of programs in partnership with NYCPS and community-based organizations to engage young women and girls of color across all boroughs. From a powerful screening of Black Girls – a documentary celebrating the diverse stories of six extraordinary women of color – to Wit & Wisdom: A Juneteenth Celebration & Socratic Seminar” at the Meyer Levin School for the Performing Arts, NYC Her Future spent the past year shaping its early programming by exploring equity, education, and social justice alongside students, educators, and community.

Engaging Diverse Communities and Partners

Building on the work of our New York City Taskforce on Racial Inclusion & Equity (TRIE), we continued engaging Bronx residents and community-based organizations in workshops through targeted approaches that collaborated on proposed goals and strategies aimed at tackling key inequities experienced by Bronx communities.

This year, the NYC Mayor’s Office of Equity & Racial Justice (MOERJ) was proud to partner with the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) by investing nearly $900,000 to expand successful strategies in the borough focused on NYCHA residents, including the Family Self-Sufficiency program incentivizing residents to save and build financial stability, Food Business Pathways helping residents launch or strengthen their food business while doing business with them to support food insecure residents in NYCHA, and the NYCHA Resident Training Academy with a focus on construction to train and connect residents interested in the field to living wage jobs.

The NYC Commission on Gender Equity (CGE) increased its community engagement efforts this year sharing vital information about the commission and city services that support New Yorkers at over 40 engagement events throughout the five boroughs. Most recently, CGE co-hosted the "Ending Violence, Empowering Community!” resource fair, bringing city agencies, community-based organizations, and advocates together as part of its 16 Days Against Gender Based Violence Campaign.

NYC Her Future hosted inaugural tentpole events which included a successful launch activation and a later partnership convening. Each brought together leaders from various sectors to spark dialogue and address the unique challenges faced by young women and girls of color in New York City. Through meaningful conversations, the office fostered cross-sector partnerships, and generated actionable strategies the new office will advance through impactful programs and policies.

The NYC Mayor’s Office of Equity & Racial Justice cohosted a legislative breakfast with the NYU McSilver Institute, bringing prominent New York City and State elected officials together with leaders in academia, healthcare, and maternal health advocacy to discuss the root causes of the Black maternal health crisis in New York and move towards collective action.

Advancing Gender and Racial Equity

The NYC Mayor’s Office of Equity & Racial Justice (MOERJ) launched New York City’s first Citywide Racial Equity Planning process, engaging more than 40 city entities and over 200 city staff over several months to build their agency or office’s first Racial Equity Plan with concrete goals, strategies, and outcomes that will contribute to the city’s roadmap to address systemic inequities. The process included MOERJ facilitating full-day workshops and training to lay a strong foundation and framework for racial equity planning, creating and socializing the tools and resources to support the process, and providing one-on-one technical assistance over three months to build and strengthen plans. MOERJ looks forward to releasing the city’s first NYC Citywide Preliminary Racial Equity Plan in early 2025.

In 2024, the NYC Commission on Gender Equity relaunched the Sexual Health Education Task Force, bringing together educators, doctors, advocates, other experts, and city agencies and offices. The Taskforce will work to promote the implementation of recommendations to improve access to sexual health education across New York City to ensure that all students receive accurate, inclusive, and age-appropriate sexual health education. Looking forward to 2025, the task force will build on this progress by deepening stakeholder engagement, amplifying student voices, and exploring opportunities to expand programs citywide. Through this work, CGE is committed to equipping young New Yorkers with the knowledge and tools they need to lead healthy and informed lives.

NYC Unity Project and the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) launched the city’s first annual Transgender Health Summit, a groundbreaking event dedicated to advancing the health and well-being of transgender and non-binary New Yorkers. Summit attendees discussed critical issues in transgender health, shared best practices, and promoted inclusivity in medical care.

In partnership with NYCPS, the NYC Commission on Gender Equity created the city’s first-ever student period guide and launched nyc.gov/studentperiodguide. Answering common questions about puberty and menstruation, this critical tool informs and empowers students across every borough and reminds students that free period products are available in designated restrooms at school. An evergreen piece of literature, students can return to the guide year after year as a supplement to lessons taught in their Health Education classes. Educators, families, nurses, counselors, and other adults who support students can use this guide as a resource, which is printable and available in ten languages.

The NYC Commission on Gender Equity co-leads the Street Harassment Prevention Advisory Board, in partnership with ENBGVB. This year, the board published a report on the city's first-ever street harassment survey, which CGE co-conducted in late 2023. The survey captured insights from over 3,700 New Yorkers, highlighting the pervasive impact of harassment in public spaces. In addition to publishing these findings, CGE co-hosted a public meeting to share results and engage with the community. This initiative builds on CGE’s ongoing advocacy, including the distribution of End Street Harassment: An NYC Resource Guide at citywide events in 2024. As the board continues its work into 2025, CGE will prioritize outreach to underrepresented groups, such as teens, further advancing its mission to create safer streets for all New Yorkers.

The NYC Unity Project announced the renovation and expansion of services at New York City Health+Hospital’s Judson Pride Clinic, a critical resource for LGBTQ+ health in New York City. Aimed to enhance the clinic’s capacity to provide comprehensive, gender-affirming care, mental health support, and primary health services this critical initiative is tailored to the needs of the LGBTQ+ community. With improved facilities and an expanded range of services, the clinic is better equipped to serve a diverse group of individuals, ensuring that LGBTQ+ New Yorkers have access to high-quality, compassionate healthcare. The renovation is part of the NYC Unity Project's ongoing commitment to promoting health equity and fostering a more inclusive healthcare environment for all.

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About the NYC Mayor’s Office of Equity & Racial Justice
Launched October 2023, the NYC Mayor's Office of Equity & Racial Justice (MOERJ) is dedicated to creating a fairer and more equitable city for New Yorkers. As the city's first centralized equity office, MOERJ is dedicated to working across all city agencies to create the first NYC Citywide Racial Equity Plan, with the goal of implementing policies, practices, and programs that promote social justice. This newly established office encompasses multi-agency bodies such as NYC Her Future (NHF), the NYC Commission on Gender Equity (CGE), the NYC Unity Project (UP), and the NYC Young Men's Initiative (YMI), along with the collaborative initiatives of the NYC Pay Equity Cabinet (PEC) and the NYC Taskforce on Racial Inclusion & Equity (TRIE). To learn more about how MOERJ is advancing racial justice and engaging with New York City’s diverse communities, visit nyc.gov/Equity or follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.