Civic festival brings de Blasio, Stringer, other elected officials to Prospect Park

Event Organized to Promote Resistance and Community Outreach

July 28, 2017 By John Alexander Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Councilmember Brad Lander teaches kids the importance of calling your representatives. Eagle photos by Arthur De Gaeta

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Get Organized BK, a civic organization founded by City Councilmember Brad Lander, who represents Brooklyn’s 39th district, and Rabbi Rachel Timoner of Congregation Beth Elohim sponsored an afternoon of community awareness in Prospect Park on Tuesday, July 25. The event was organized by Lander and New York State Assemblymember Robert Carroll.

“I was so excited to be a part of Get Organized Brooklyn’s Civic Festival at the Prospect Park Band shell on Tuesday night,” Carroll told the Brooklyn Eagle. “This idea for a festival started out over a cup of coffee with Councilmember Brad Lander and I months ago in the dead of winter.”

The gathering brought out a long list of elected officials and community leaders to highlight the ongoing work of the organization and to bring new people into the movement by offering a glimpse of deepening their resistance work into long-term community building.

Mayor Bill de Blasio, Comptroller Scott Stringer and Public Advocate Letitia James were among those enjoying the afternoon events and speaking to the crowd about the importance of standing up against racism, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, xenophobia, homophobia, transphobia and misogyny.

De Blasio and Stringer offered rousing speeches and James performed an unforgettable rendition of the Gloria Gaynor anthem “I Will Survive.”

And there were numerous events created to help teach children about the need for tolerance and activism.

More than 1,500 people came out for an incredible mix of organizing, creating, enjoying live music and cultural performances. Attendees participated in a health care die-in, a voting rights obstacle course and screen-printing and button-making. They also had the chance to check out books from the resistance library and meet fellow activists.

“Not surprisingly, Get Organized BK produced a spectacular community event that represented the diversity, creativity and thoughtfulness of Brooklyn, while incorporating community performers and activists with professional artists, longstanding organizations and elected officials,” said Carroll.

Tables were set up with information to educate attendees about the need to fight discrimination, while at the same time celebrating the work the group has done to promote diversity and bring people of all races, cultures, religions and nationalities together to fight injustice.

“After the unconscionable vote by the GOP members of the U.S. Senate, Tuesday’s Get Organized BK Civic Festival truly helped to restore our spirits for resistance and progress in the days ahead,” said Lander.

“Thanks to Assemblymember Robert Carroll for organizing this and to BRIC [Brooklyn Information and Culture] for making it possible and [to] Fifth Avenue Committee for serving as our fiscal sponsor. And thanks most of all to the activists whose organizing and resistance and hope and inspiration is leading the way.”

Get Organized BK also promotes social safety, lobbies to protect our planet from the devastating impact of climate change and defends freedom of the press and voting rights as a means to strengthen our democracy.

Carroll was ultimately thrilled with the day’s events and told the Brooklyn Eagle, “I hope we are able to do something like this that brings all of Brooklyn together again next year!”