New York City kicked off the month with the city’s 62nd Nigeria Independence Day parade. Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte held onto her seat as Brooklyn Democratic Party head via reelection after an eight-hour long meeting that many deemed “confusing.” Playwright Charles Fuller died at the age of 83. President Joe Biden pardoned all federal offenses for simple marijuana possession. He called for governors to follow suit on the state level. A migrant shelter in Orchard Beach was relocated to Randall’s Island after flooding and community pushback. Councilmember Shahana Hanif questioned why the facility, which was meant to house newly arrived asylum seekers, was built by a contractor that built parts of ex-Pres. Donald Trump’s wall, which was meant to keep out newly arrived asylum seekers. The city of Rochester, N.Y. settled for $12 million with Daniel Prude’s five children over the Chicago man’s 2020 killing by police during a mental health crisis response. And a Harlem shooting on 125th and Lennox left a former NYPD detective hospitalized.
“Till” premiered across the country, directed by Chinonye Chukwu. The film depicts the story of Mamie Till-Mobley, the mother of Emmett Till, after her son was murdered in 1955. Mayor Eric Adams declared a citywide state of emergency due to the influx of migrants and asylum seekers bussed from the southern border by politicians such as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. He also announced rest hubs for food delivery workers, which would be erected from abandoned city spaces like newspaper stands. Yankees’ outfielder Aaron Judge hit his 62nd home run, breaking Roger Maris’ single-season American League home-run record. Three people were fatally stabbed in 10 days on public transit. Rapper Kanye West’s Twitter and Instagram pages were locked after anti-Semitic posts. And a pumpkin in Lancaster, N.Y. broke a North American record after weighing in at a whopping 2,554 pounds. Two people were shot outside of Rep. Lee Zeldin’s home. The incident did not sway the Republican gubernatorial candidate’s “tough on crime” stance. The Supreme Court rejected Dylann Roof’s appeal for the conviction and death penalty for killing nine Black churchgoers in South Carolina. Former New York Liberty forward Tiffany Jackson passed away at age 37 after a long battle with breast cancer. The Statue of Liberty opened up for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. The Newark Municipal Council voted to invest $2 million towards Black and brown businesses. The Center of Black Literature at Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York celebrated its 20th year. The Mets’ historic season ended with a disappointing postseason elimination to the San Diego Padres during the Wild Card round. Columbus Day Parade drew thousands including Mayor Adams although pressure to absolve the occasion or reappropriate it to Indigenous People’s Day remains. Former heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder won by knockout in less than one round at Barclays Center. No jail time for actor Cuba Gooding Jr., who pled guilty to charges stemming from accusations of inappropriate touching and forcible kissing by women in New York City nightclubs. Jean McGuire, 91, was stabbed in Boston. She is the first Black woman to serve on the city’s school committee and was released from the hospital a week later. Guns remained banned in Times Square despite ongoing litigation to overturn the New York state law preventing concealed carry from entering key areas through the city. In Thailand, an ex-policeman killed 36 people—many children—in a nursery with a gun and a knife. Apollo Theater President and CEO Jonelle Procope announced she would be stepping down next summer. Councilmember Charles Barron wrote a scathing letter to Mayor Eric Adams over city plans to build another shelter, arguing the move violated the fair-share act. In Los Angeles, recordings leaked of City Council Members Kevin de León, Nury Martinez and Gil Cedillo making racist comments about colleagues and constituents. Flooding in Nigeria killed 600 people and displaced 1.4 million more. In Raleigh, North Carolina, a teenager killed five people in a mass shooting, including his brother.
Mayor Adams and Gov. Hochul announced police officers on platforms to address increased violent transit crime. Diwali, the Hindu “celebration of lights,” became an official holiday in New York City. In Russia, Brittney Griner was denied her appeal to shorten her nine-month sentence. Building service workers from 32BJ went on strike to protest unfair labor practices at a Manhattan luxury building. The Yankees were denied the World Series after the Houston Astros swept the “Bronx Bombers” in the American League Series. Bronx-based designer Bob Gumbs died at age 83. Mayor Adams hosted a two-day summit to address the city’s growing public safety concerns. Starbucks workers went on strike at the coffee chain’s NYC roastery. Muhammad Abdul Aziz, 84, and the estate of Khalil Islam received $36 million for the two mens’ wrongful convictions in the murder of Malcolm X. Mayor Adams appointed Laura Kavanaugh as FDNY fire commissioner. She’s the first woman to hold the position. Starr Andrews became the first Black woman to medal in a Grand Prix figure skating competition. Singer Trey Songz was accused of assaulting a Lower East Side bowling alley employee. The Rev. Calvin O. Butts III, famed leading pastor of Harlem’s Abyssinian Baptist Church, died at age 73. The death count in NYC Department of Corrections custody rises to 18. Paul Pelosi—husband of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi—was attacked in his San Francisco home by a Canadian far-right extremist. The London Natural History Museum and Cambridge University worked with Zimbabwe on returning skulls of anti-imperialist heroes to the southern African nation. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva—simply known as Lula—became Brazilian president just three years after he was released from prison, defeating right-wing incumbent Jair Bolsonaro. And New Yorkers throughout the city enjoyed a happy Halloween, including Seal’s ex-wife Heidi Klum, who dressed up as a giant worm.