Last month, we made history when Mayor Eric Adams appointed us—three Black women with diverse lived experiences—to serve as commissioners on the Charter Revision Commission. For the first time, we three Black women are serving on a commission that will help amend a charter that has existed for 126 years. We join our fellow appointed volunteers, an esteemed group of religious, business, and civic leaders, who have all spent their lives in public service. Our mission is clear: review our city’s charter, with a focus on public safety and fiscal responsibility for the benefit of every community and every New Yorker.
While we are excited for this opportunity and focused on that mission, we cannot do it alone. We need to hear from you. The public we have volunteered to serve is the critical partner in this important endeavor.
We know that too often, many New Yorkers—especially those who look like us, faced difficult and painful challenges in life, and fought for change—may feel unheard and underrepresented. Unfortunately, far too many in our city can often feel disenfranchised or that they simply don’t have a say in the improvements our city needs.
No matter where you grew up, your background, religion, or creed, every New Yorker wants better government. It’s a unifying opinion we all share. We all want to feel safe, both in our homes and on the streets of our communities. We all want to know our hard-earned tax dollars are spent responsibly and to help our fellow New Yorkers. Quite simply, we want our government to work for us.
That’s why our appointment and your participation in this process is so critical.
Charter Revision Commissions are appointed by mayors to review our city’s charter, listen to New Yorkers at public hearings, and put forward suggestions to alter and improve the way government works. Those suggestions become questions on the ballot in November, where ultimately, it’s you, the voters, who make the final decision. That’s the beauty of this process—it begins and ends with your voice. Our work doesn’t take place in a vacuum, or in a secluded backroom without equitable representation. It’s open to the public, and we rely on you to attend our meetings—in person or virtually—and share your opinions.
We are honored to serve on this commission and proud of the history we make in doing so. We have spent our lives working for our fellow citizens by combating gun violence, supporting survivors of domestic violence, and fighting for civil and human rights. We know change takes hard work, and helping others is the ultimate reward, which is why we eagerly accepted this opportunity.
We believe our city’s government works most efficiently with greater transparency, and more seats at the table so that more voices are heard. We know the great responsibility placed upon us and our fellow commissioners and we are eager to hear from our fellow New Yorkers. The more diverse voices we hear, the more we can ensure that our city functions justly and equitably for everyone.
We encourage every New Yorker, from every background, to get involved with the commission hearings; show up or log on, and use your voice to be a part of this important process.
The Charter Revision Commission is holding public hearings in all five boroughs in June and July, including at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture on Monday, July 8, at 5 p.m. Info on upcoming meetings can be found at www.nyc.gov/charter.
Hazel N. Dukes is the president of the NAACP New York State Conference and a member of the NAACP National Board of Directors. She serves as vice chair of the commission.
Jackie Rowe-Adams, lost her 13-year-old and 28-year-old sons to gun violence and in 2006 co-founded the non-profit Harlem Mothers S.A.V.E. (Stop Another Violent End), which aims to combat gun violence in Harlem through activism, education and other services.
Stephanie McGraw is the founder and CEO of WARM (We All Really Matter), a Harlem-based organization to help survivors of domestic violence.