Events

The Taskforce on Racial Inclusion & Equity (TRIE) strives to create longstanding change by curating content, initiatives and events that resonate with communities of color. Utilizing City resources, experts and access, TRIE continues to develop innovative avenues and programs to engage New Yorkers.


Recent Events


Support for the LGBTQ+ Community

Monday, April 4, 2022, the Taskforce on Racial Inclusion & Equity joined Mayor Eric Adams to announce the launch of digital billboards and creative ads denouncing the recent passage of “Don’t Say Gay” in five Florida cities. The campaign is a reaffirmation of the City's unconditional support for the LGBTQ+ community, and commitment to preserving the right to free speech. With this new creative campaign, New York City is making a direct call to Floridians who are under attack. Learn more about some of the resources available to LGBTQ+ New Yorkers today by visiting the Unity Project.

Mayor Eric Adams announces the launch of digital billboards and creative ads denouncing the recent passage of 'Don't Say Gay' in five Florida cities

Notice of Public Hearing: NYC Scholarship Accounts

Monday, March 21 at 11am the Mayor's Office hosted a hearing to receive public comments. This hearing highlighted the proposed rule to establish a child savings account program that would create Scholarship Accounts for students enrolled in both participating NYC public and charter schools across the City.

Through this initiative, the New York City Mayor's Office will empower children to graduate from high school and develop positive financial behaviors around life-long habits of saving. Overall, this will make existing college and career savings tools more accessible to low- and moderate-income New York City residents. Therefore, the Mayor's Office has proposed rules that will enable the creation of NYC Scholarship Accounts for the majority of kindergarteners across the City for the 2021-22 school year, and an expanded number of students in subsequent school years.


Black History Month Celebration | Black Health & Wellness Forum

On February 19, 2022 in celebration of Black History Month the Taskforce on Racial Inclusion & Equity (TRIE) and the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) activated a festive health forum in The Bronx at Lincoln Hospital. The community-driven event featured notable keynote speakers Mayor Eric Adams, Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson and MOIA Commissioner Manuel Castro. The event also included musical entertainment, an informative panel, healthy drinks and a strong IDNYC command center presence.

The health panel was moderated by TRIE's Executive Director Sideya Sherman and Health Equity Advisor for the NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene Dr. Julian Watkins. Panelists included Green City Force (GCF) Alum + Garden Coordinator for School Gardens & Green Space at GrowNYC, Chantel Kemp, Executive Director of the Haitian Caucus, Sam Pierre, Executive Director of GCF, Tonya Gayle, President of Bodega Association, Francisco Marte, and Founder of the Healthy Lifestyle Campaign, Sheikh Musa Drammeh.

Mayor Eric Adams addressing the crowd.

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Canvassing the Community

January 22 from 1-3pm, the African Life Center in partnership with the NYC Civic Engagement Commission (CEC), the Taskforce for Racial Inclusion and Equity (TRIE), and the Young Men's Initiative (YMI) held a Get Out the Vote event for participatory budgeting outside of Tracey Towers near Jerome Park in the Bronx. The City of New York is investing $1.3M to support recovery in the 33 neighborhoods hardest hit by COVID-19. Residents living, working, or going to school in one of these communities will get to decide how to spend $40,000 of public funds in their neighborhood. In the Jerome Park/Kingsbridge area, residents were voting which of the following 3 projects they wanted to see happen in their neighborhood. Voting options included increased lighting in local parks, a new soccer program for youth in the community, or a certification program for youth exploring careers in hospitals. During the event, residents has an opportunity to also meet both District 11 Council member Eric Dinowitz and TRIE Executive Director Sideya Sherman.

The African Life Center, the NYC Civic Engagement Commission (CEC), the Taskforce for Racial Inclusion and Equity (TRIE), and the Young Men's Initiative (YMI) pictured at a Get Out the Vote event

Creating Opportunity

January 21, 2022, the Taskforce on Racial Inclusion & Equity (TRIE) joined Urban Upbound and community partners including NYC Kids RISE to celebrate Jobs-Plus in Queensbridge. With Jobs-Plus, an employment program combining employment services, financial incentives and community support, thousands of NYCHA residents are receiving significant support to secure jobs and increase their earning potential. Learn more about the Jobs-Plus program today.

Taskforce on Racial Inclusion & Equity (TRIE) Executive Director, and New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) Executive Vice President for Community Engagement and Partnerships, Sideya Sherman

Community and Ethnic Media Roundtable TRIE Participatory Budget

Thursday, December 16, the City of New York hosted a virtual roundtable for TNI's participatory budgeting vote process. In attendance were Deputy Mayor J. Phillip Thompson, TRIE Executive Director Sideya Sherman, Commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs Raquel Batista and Chair & Executive Director of the Civic Engagement Commission Dr. Sarah Sayeed. For more information visit www.participate.nyc.gov.


End of Year TRIE Reception

December 2, the Taskforce on Racial Inclusion & Equity (TRIE) convened at Gracie Mansion in fellowship to review and acknowledge the important work accomplished over the last year and a half. During the event, Taskforce members heard rousing remarks from TRIE Executive Director Sideya Sherman, First Lady Chirlane McCray and Mayor Bill de Blasio.

End of Year TRIE Reception

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Eleven3seven5 Event

Throughout the summer, TNI coalition partner Eleven3seven5 drove vaccine interest and engagement around New York City! Geared towards young New Yorkers, Eleven3seven5 developed robust civic engagement activities that provided resources across both East New York and Brownsville. Eleven3seven5's youth ambassadors distributed food, handed out school supplies, directed eligible parties to nearby vaccine locations and encouraged their peers to get involved within their local communities.


The Save for College Program

The Save for College Program has launched! In partnership with the Taskforce on Racial Inclusion & Equity (TRIE), NYC Kids RISE, and the Department of Education, New York City is kicking off the first-ever "Baby Bonds" program. This public-private-community partnership will provide families, schools, and communities access to a universal scholarship and savings platform, regardless of a family's income or immigration status.

September 15, 2021 Mayor Bill de Blasio joined Chancellor Meisha Porter and kindergarteners from The Williamsburg Bridge Magnet School to kick off the citywide expansion of the program. Learn more today at NYCKidsRise.org/Save-for-College-Program.

Child holding a donation jar

NYCHA Broadband Access

September 3, the Taskforce on Racial Inclusion & Equity (TRIE) in partnership with the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) celebrated one of the first major expansions of free and low-cost internet service options with a back-to-school giveaway and bill-cutting event at Atlantic Terminal Houses.

NYCHA Broadband Access

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Vaccine Weekend of Faith

The first-ever Vaccine Weekend of Faith was activated in partnership with New York City's Community Affairs Unit (CAU) and Center for Faith and Community Partnerships (CFCP) and the Taskforce on Racial Inclusion & Equity (TRIE).

Friday, August 27 - Sunday, August 29, 2021, weekend festivities brought together communities of faith as an important part of the City's Vaccine For All recovery efforts. Events were spread throughout the city's boroughs and included:

  • Leaders from every borough simultaneously preaching, teaching, sharing, and hosting vaccination clinics;
  • The City awarding $100 for each referring organization that led to an individual receiving their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at a City-run site or a house of worship participating in the Vaccine Weekend of Faith;
  • And, vaccinated individuals being awarded $100 for their first dose.

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Juneteenth 2021

The Taskforce on Racial Inclusion & Equity (TRIE) collaborated internally with City partners to create substantive change and awareness. Leading up to the holiday, TRIE launched a special website that showcased informational content, highlighted Black-owned businesses and elevated community-focused events.

On June 17, 2021, TRIE announced the Economic Justice Plan to reinforce the promise of change with action, and repair injustices of the past. Following the momentum of announcement on the 18, in Harlem at Saint Nicholas Park on the James Baldwin Lawn, a large community event was activated to highlight TRIE's equity-based approaches around to the COVID-19 response and recovery efforts in the city's hardest-hit communities.


La Familia Es Todo: Protecting Our Loved Ones From COVID-19

June 9, 2021, Taskforce on Racial Inclusion & Equity (TRIE) launched an intimate, dual-language conversation exploring the pandemic, vaccinations, and overall mental health wellbeing for the Hispanic community. Focused on providing much needed context around the COVID-19 pandemic, this virtual event was hosted by Roberto Perez, Commissioner for New York City's Community Affairs Unit with notable panelists including Dr. Angelica Cifuentes Kottkamp, MD, Infectious Disease Specialist - NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue, Yarelix Estrada, MPH, Field Research - NYC Dept. of Health & Mental Hygiene, Dr. Pablo Sadler, MD, Psychiatrist + Helen Arteaga Landaverde, MPH, CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst.


Spread Love: Stop Asian Hate

The Taskforce on Racial Inclusion & Equity (TRIE) collaborated with City agencies, Thrive Collective and the New York Chinese Alliance Church to celebrate, support and uplift Asian American New Yorkers for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. In an effort to show solidarity through the pandemic, diffuse negative rhetoric and condemn the upticks in racial violence, a free block party was activated. This block party included free City programs/resources, an anti-hate pledge, a robust, large scale mural painting, entertainment, healing art projects, music, free food and vaccination access.


COVID-19 + Vaccines: A South Asian Community Conversation

April 28, 2021 the Taskforce on Racial Inclusion & Equity (TRIE) activated an intimate conversation with the South Asian community event as a prelude to Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. Hosted by Anusha Venkataraman, Executive Director, Racial Justice Commission + Rohan Narine, Senior Liaison for the New York City's Community Affairs Unit the panel included experts Dr. Dave Chokshi, New York City's Commissioner of Health for the NYC Dept. of Health & Hygiene, Dr. Syra Madad, Senior Director, System-wide Special Pathogens Program at New York City Health + Hospitals and Dr. Jay K. Varma, Senior Advisor for Public Health in the New York City Office of the Mayor.This event focused on providing topical updates both locally and internationally.


A Divine Conversation: Past, Present & Future

April 12, 2021 the Taskforce on Racial Inclusion & Equity (TRIE) kicked off a virtual event series aimed at providing additional access, resources and content for the BIPOC community moderated by Sideya Sherman, Executive Director + Ashley Ross-Teel, Chief Content Officer. In partnership with The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, The New York City Pan-Hellenic Council, The New York City Dept. of Health & Hygiene, A Divine Conversation: Past, Present & Future explored representation and transparency during the pandemic.

Notable panelists included host Eboni K. Williams, Attorney + TV Host/Producer, Chirlane McCray, First Lady of New York City, Joy Bivins, Interim Director - The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Kevin Buist, President - The National Pan-Hellenic Council of New York City and Dr. Torian Easterling, First Deputy Commissioner/ Chief Equity Officer - The New York City Dept. of Health & Mental Hygiene. This critical conversation revisited historical context, the current COVID-19 pandemic, and examined tools to forecasting success for the future.