Category: Opinion

Op-ed | Creative resilience: Art as climate crisis communications

climate

Apr. 18, 2025 By Op-Ed Queens is increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, including severe flooding and extreme heat. Known for both its density and diversity, Queens faces unique challenges in preparing for these climate-related disasters. Low-lying areas of Southeast Queens with high groundwater levels are particularly susceptible to flooding due to…

Op-ed: The power of representation in healthcare

representation

Apr. 17, 2025 By Dr. Ifeanyi Oguagha As physicians of color at Joseph P. Addabbo Family Health Center (JPAFHC), we regularly witness how representation in healthcare can save lives. Our patients – who, like us, are predominantly people of color – walk through our doors not only with medical concerns but also often carrying…

Op-ed | The fight for opportunity: A mother’s perspective on autism and employment

autism and employment

Apr. 9, 2025 By Vanessa Rogan April marks World Autism Acceptance Month (changed this past year from Autism Awareness Month). It is dedicated to promoting acceptance, understanding and support for individuals with autism and their families. It encourages communities to foster awareness and create inclusive environments for people on the autism spectrum. This is a…

Op-ed: The crisis facing immigrant gender-based violence survivors

Apr. 2, 2025 By Czarinna Andres April 2, 2025 By Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas, Zeinab Eyega and Yasmeen Hamza As advocates who have dedicated our careers to achieving gender equity and justice, and as the representative of and service providers for some of the most culturally diverse districts in the country, we know firsthand…

Op-ed: Local high school student calls for New York’s leaders to act today to protect the future of our state 

Apr. 1, 2025 By Czarinna Andres April 1, 2025 By Brianna Abad, TREEage’s Queens Borough Organizer, with Assembly Member Claire Valdez (AD-37) This op-ed from Queens-based TREEage climate organizer Brianna Abad speaks to the need for bold investments and climate action at the state level to protect young people from the worst effects of pollution and…

Op-ed | New York’s afterschool crisis: Restore the programs families rely on

Mar. 27, 2025 By Czarinna Andres March 27, 2025 By Christopher Hanway Every day from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., thousands of working parents across New York City face the same urgent question: who will watch my child before I get home? For years, the answer was simple: a trusted afterschool program where children…

Op-ed: The link between belonging and achievement 

Teenagers putting their hands together in unity

Mar. 24, 2025 By Christopher Herman No one can argue that it feels good to belong and we’ve all had that unpleasant experience of being the outsider. In recent years, research into the impact of belonging on achievement has drawn clear links between how included we feel and our academic performance. This is an…

Op-ed | Coming together in joy: How Holi and Purim illuminate New York’s shared values

holi

Mar. 14, 2025 By Mark Treyger and Vijah Ramjattan On March 14, the Jewish holiday of Purim and the Hindu festival of Holi will converge in a kaleidoscope of joy and revelry. As two of New York’s most vibrant communities prepare to celebrate on the same day, we’re reminded that our city’s greatest strength…