Thursday, September 10, 2026, 10 a.m. (New York City time), 250 Broadway - 8th Floor - Hearing Room 2
Committee: Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries and International Relations
The Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries and International Relations met to vote on one bill and three resolutions, plus to hear and vote on two additional resolutions. Chair Nantasha M. Williams presented Proposed Intro Number 220-A on identifying and commemorating historical African American burial sites, noting an active situation in Queens where such a site was paved over. Council Members Crystal Hudson, Amanda Farías, and Kamillah Hanks delivered remarks on their respective items, and all items were approved by a vote of seven in the affirmative with no negatives or abstentions.
1:01 Take then.
1:01 We are back again good
1:03 morning I am deputy speaking
1:04 and tasha Williams chair of
1:05 the committee on cultural
1:07 affairs libraries and
1:08 international relations today
1:09 the committee will vote on one
1:11 bill and three resolutions
1:12 which have already been heard
1:15 proposed intro number 2 20 a
1:18 sponsored by majority whip
1:19 camilla Hanks a local law
1:20 which would amend the
1:21 administrative code of the
1:22 City of New York and relations
1:25 to a report regarding the
1:27 identification and
1:28 commemoration of historical
1:29 african american burial sites
1:31 and I just wanted to note that
1:32 there is an active situation
1:35 happening in queens where
1:38 african american african
1:39 american burial site was paved
1:40 over so this is quite relevant
1:43 the next is a resolution by
1:47 Council Member Amanda Farías
1:48 number 882 a which would
1:50 celebrate the feast of san
1:52 Gennaro and Farah gusto
1:54 festival annually in to honor
1:57 the contributions of italian
1:58 immigrants and italian
1:59 americans to the cultural
2:01 political and economic fabric
2:02 of the City of New York
2:04 resolution number 400 100 by
2:06 myself which would declare
2:08 March 6 as Carmen De La
2:09 villard day in the City of New
2:11 York to celebrate her life and
2:12 legacy and to honor her
2:14 groundbreaking contributions
2:15 to dancing theater as well as
2:16 her role in advancing
2:18 diversity and artistic
2:19 excellence in the performing
2:22 arts and resolution number 429 f
2:26 which will recognize their
2:26 life and legacy of alvin ailey
2:28 and honor it's his
2:29 contributions to american
2:31 dance and the founding of the
2:32 alvin ailey american dance
2:35 theater additionally the
2:36 committee will hear and vote
2:38 on resolution six sponsored by
2:40 the speaker which would
2:42 commemorate the 25 anniversary
2:43 of the September 11 attacks
2:46 and proposed resolution.
2:49 237 A sponsor bred council
2:51 member Crystal Hudson which
2:52 would call on the united
2:53 states congress to pass and
2:54 the president to sign the
2:56 performing artist tax parody
2:59 acts first I will turn t
3:02 ocouncilmember Hudson t
3:03 odeliver remarks on her
3:08 resolution
3:08 . Thank you so much chair dr
3:15 Williams
3:15 . Working artists are an
3:16 essential part of the fabric
3:17 of New York city's culture and
3:20 economy and they deserve a tax
3:22 system that reflects the
3:24 realities of making a living
3:25 in this field I'm proud that
3:26 the council is voicing our
3:27 support for the performing
3:30 artists taxpayer d act and
3:31 it's calling on congress t
3:32 ogive working artists the
3:34 support they need to keep
3:36 creating and contributing to
3:37 our City and I urge my
3:38 colleagues to vote I thank you
3:41 . Thank you short and sweet
3:44 next yes very true just like
3:47 you next up council for the
3:50 a's good morning and thank you e
3:53 members of the committee on
3:54 cultural affairs libraries and
3:56 international relations I'm
3:57 Council Member Amanda Farías
3:58 and I'm proud the apology is
4:01 proud to be here before you as
4:02 we vote on my rizzo resolution
4:05 82 this resolution would
4:07 formally recognize and
4:08 celebrate the feast of saint
4:10 san Gennaro and the pharaoh
4:12 gosso festival to key
4:14 festivals of this City are
4:15 little italy's in manhattan
4:17 and the bronx and the wider
4:18 italian community each while
4:21 simultaneously honoring their
4:22 contributions of italian
4:23 immigrants and italian
4:24 americans to New York City the
4:26 festivals are more than
4:28 beloved neighborhood
4:28 traditions they can carry
4:30 forward the history is that
4:31 italian have brought to New
4:32 York and passed down through
4:34 generations the feast of saint
4:35 Gennaro has welcomed New
4:37 yorkers to manhattan's little
4:38 italy for over a century while
4:41 fergus stowe brings thousands
4:43 of people together along
4:44 arthur avenue to celebrate the
4:46 food music businesses culture
4:48 and families that have shaped
4:48 our bronx communities New York
4:50 city's identity was built by
4:52 immigrant communities that
4:53 preserve their traditions
4:54 while helping shape the City
4:56 around them resolution 82
4:58 recognizes that italian
4:58 american history in New York
5:00 City New York City history and
5:02 ensures that these
5:03 celebrations remain part of
5:04 our city's cultural calendar
5:05 for generations to come thank
5:07 you to my colleagues who have
5:08 joined me in sponsoring this
5:10 resolution and who will join
5:12 in passage it's taken a year
5:13 to get this on the calendar
5:14 and I'm really excited to get
5:17 it done both for our italian
5:19 americans and across the City
5:20 but specifically in the bronx
5:21 as well and I respectfully ask
5:23 all of my colleagues today in
5:24 committee to vote yes thank
5:27 you it's because the chair
5:28 studied abroad and italy for
5:30 six months I'm just kidding
5:31 it's that why
5:32 . I write next up we have
5:34 majority whip who would also
5:35 like to give remarks on her
5:37 belt thank you doctor chair
5:40 Williams speaker menon and my
5:42 colleagues I also want t
5:44 othank the scholars the
5:46 advocates.
5:46 The descendants community
5:48 leaders and everyone whose
5:50 knowledge and persistence
5:51 brought this work forward New
5:52 York cannot tell its complete
5:54 story while the resting places
5:56 of people remain unseen these
5:58 New yorkers have lived here
5:59 worked here built communities
6:01 here and helped build the City
6:03 we inherit today their lives
6:05 deserve dignity their resting
6:07 places deserve protection and
6:09 their descendants deserves t
6:10 oknow what their history it
6:13 matters ah intro to 20 a gives
6:16 the City a responsibility t
6:18 olocate document protect and
6:20 recognize these sites guided
6:23 by scholarship oral histories
6:24 and community knowledge this
6:25 bill is not the end of that
6:27 work it is one important step
6:30 towards a larger promise that
6:31 will not erase a New yorker
6:34 from our shared memory and
6:35 today we take that step
6:37 together and I excited I hope
6:38 that my colleagues will vote
6:42 for this bill today we will
6:43 continue this work until every
6:44 part of our history is seen
6:46 honored and never forgotten
6:47 thank you chair thank you
6:51 finally let me say a few words
6:53 about my two resolutions
6:55 honoring the lives and work of
6:57 Carmen De La olad and alvin
7:00 . Ailey it is fitting that
7:01 these two resolutions be voted
7:03 on together because it is
7:05 likely that there is no avenue
7:07 ali without Carmen De La blade
7:09 after they met in high school
7:11 in los angeles miss lavelle
7:14 odd young alvin to her dance
7:16 classes at leicester horton
7:19 studio he loved watching her
7:21 in class and eventually lester
7:22 horton asked young alvin if he
7:24 would like to take classes as
7:27 well he enthusiastically
7:28 agreed and the rest is history
7:31 . Lest the wharton who
7:32 pioneered the modern horton
7:33 technique that is still danced
7:35 by the alvin ailey american
7:36 dance theater and it's taught
7:37 in the ailey school had a
7:39 small racially integrated
7:41 company where miss della
7:43 villard and mister ailey first
7:44 danced together after mister
7:46 horton's untimely death the
7:48 two young dancers took over
7:49 the company and tried hard t
7:50 omake it work which was very
7:53 ncalifornia together to come
7:57 dance on broadway.
7:58 When mister ailey started
8:00 his own tiny dance company he
8:02 choreographed roles for his
8:04 favorite partner including an
8:06 iconic role for her and his
8:08 signature ballet of 19 60
8:12 revelations I love revelations f
8:15 what arely called his blood
8:17 memories in other words his
8:18 memories of growing up in a
8:20 small town of rogers texas
8:22 where he watched workers
8:24 picking cotton and where he
8:25 attended church with his
8:27 beloved mother on sunday's set
8:30 to traditional spirituals
8:30 revelations is also the story
8:31 of the trials and tribulations e
8:34 african american experience
8:36 both missed the lava lad and
8:38 hayley had long and
8:41 choreographing across the
8:42 world for many prestigious
8:45 companies including eli's own
8:46 company and winning honor
8:48 after honor
8:49 . Their artistic legacies will
8:50 never be forgotten here in New
8:51 York City which they made
8:53 their home I would like t
8:55 othank my staff and committee
8:56 staff who worked on preparing
8:59 for today including alejandro
9:00 the committee's counsel who
9:00 drafted the bill and regina
9:02 paul the committee senior
9:04 policy analyst who drafted
9:06 four of the resolutions and
9:07 with that I will ask the clerk
9:08 to call the roll thank you
9:10 good morning william martin
9:12 committee clerk roll call vote
9:13 committee on cultural affairs
9:15 libraries and international
9:16 relations all items are
9:19 coupled chair Williams.
9:21 Probably vote aye aye on.
9:23 Louis iron ore Hudson I
9:26 . Jose I thank you stephens I
9:31 on I don't know Maloney I
9:35 . With a vote of seven in the
9:37 affirmative zero on the
9:39 negative no abstentions all
9:40 atoms have been approved by
9:42 the committee Madam chair that
9:43 is a full committee so thank
9:49 you thank