On Friday, October 13, 2017, the Center for New York City Law at New York Law School hosted the 146th CityLaw Breakfast. The event speaker was the First Deputy Mayor of New York City Anthony Shorris.
First Deputy Mayor Shorris was introduced by Professor Sandler, the Director of the Center for City Law, and Anthony Crowell, Dean and President of New York Law School. Professor Sandler introduced Shorris as both a progressive and a budget expert.
First Deputy Mayor Shorris began his lecture by reflecting on his long career in City government. Shorris says he has found meaning in the hard work of making change. He believes in the mission of government to improve people’s lives. Shorris spoke of the importance of localities standing up to federal policy—he noted that to deal with cynicism of government, City Hall should not argue with the opposition, but prove them wrong through policy. (more…)
Maya Wiley, Counselor to the Mayor of the City of New York.
On February 18, 2014, Mayor Bill de Blasio appointed Maya Wiley, a civil rights attorney and co-founder of the Center for Social Inclusion, as counsel to the mayor. In addition to serving in the traditional role of the counsel, Wiley will also focus on investing in the City’s technology infrastructure and expanding broadband access across the City.
Maya Wiley was born in Syracuse, New York, and raised in Washington, D.C. Her parents, active in the civil rights movement, had a profound impact on Wiley. Her father, an organic chemistry professor, later founded the National Welfare Rights Organization and was arrested multiple times in non-violent protests advocating for women on welfare. This exposed Wiley to the legal system at a young age. Wiley remembers a particular incident where her father was arrested along with other protesters and charged with a misdemeanor, but instead of being released right away, the judge held the protesters for hours, humiliating them in open court into the night. From these early experiences, Wiley learned that she wanted to commit to helping people. (more…)
Mayor Bill de Blasio. Image Credit: Benjamin Kanter/Mayoral Photo Office.
The first street to be co-named and painted will be near City Hall. On June 9, 2020, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the City will begin to co-name and paint selected streets in all five boroughs in honor of the Black Lives Matter movement. The Black Lives Matter movement, which began in 2013, works to address the issue of state and vigilante violence against Black individuals and works to bring equity to Black communities. Recently, the Black Lives Matter movement has been part of the protests against systemic racism and police misconduct that have occurred in response to the death of George Floyd. Mayor de Blasio announced the street co-naming and painting initiative to commemorate the efforts of Black Lives Matter activists.
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