After Harlem became the hub of an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease this summer, the New York City Council heard testimony on ways to prevent the disease at a hearing on September 19. During the hearing, council members and other city officials discussed the outbreak and the preventative measures being taken to contain it since it was first discovered in late July 2025. 

According to the Center for Disease Control, Legionnaires’ disease is a type of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria. Legionnaires’ disease is not spread from person to person but is instead contracted through directly breathing in Legionella bacteria from contaminated mist. It can be deadly with complications and currently the death toll in Harlem is now at seven. 

The New York City Health Department attributes the recent outbreak to contaminated cooling systems in buildings in Harlem after a cluster investigation on the disease was completed in August. In 2015, after a Legionnaires’ outbreak in the Bronx, a law was passed, local law 77, which requires all cooling towers in the city to be registered and inspected, tested, cleaned, and disinfected in accordance with the law. Attendees of the hearing, including New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and Health Department Commissioner Dr. Michelle Morse, point to structural racism, which is racism deeply rooted in systems, laws, and policies, as a major factor in why certain communities are being impacted. Minority populated neighborhoods have a higher risk of the disease especially due to these neighborhoods lacking in resources and workers to keep cooling towers clean and safe water systems.

“It demands not just our attention, but our action. For far too long, outbreaks of these preventable illnesses have highlighted the inequities that exist in public health and in the maintenance of our city’s infrastructure,” Council member Yusef Salaam said. “The families in Harlem deserve the assurance that the water that they drink, the air that they breathe while they are near these cooling towers this time near their homes, and the buildings that they live in are in fact safe.” As a representative of District 9 and one of the wrongfully convicted Central Park Five, Salaam is a strong advocate for those underprivileged people of Harlem. It is that struggle that they face that causes him to continue to push for accountability and transparency to prevent such outbreaks. 

“I’d be remiss if I didn’t add my voice to the frustrations that anytime these things seem to be happening, it happens in particular communities, black and brown. It has happened in Harlem multiple times, the Bronx, which means we should expect that it may happen and be proactive in trying to prevent it and not reactive when it occurs. Hopefully we can figure out why it happened here and prevent it from happening again in honor of the people that we lost and the people that are concerned,” said Williams. He has been concerned about Legionnaires’ and has even held a town hall in August 2025 to demand action and ensure the public is aware of the issue. The town hall was held at Mt. Zion AME Church and hosted Harlem residents as well as assembly members and council members to address the outbreak. The town hall provided residents with information on how the disease is spread as well as affected zip codes in which they should remain vigilant. It also touched on how racial disparity makes the disease more common in minorities despite a lack of discrimination from the disease itself. Through his advocacy, Williams pushes to hold those in charge accountable and invest more in public health.

Dr. Morse, the acting health commissioner and chief medical officer of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, assured council members that the department sprung into immediate action to prevent and respond to the outbreak. The department had three solutions for immediate response to the spread of the disease. First, owners of buildings with cooling towers were to comply with health department regulations and local law 77. Second, the health department would conduct inspections of registered cooling towers to promote compliance with the law and aid owners in complying. The third solution is an infectious disease surveillance system which provides data 24 hours a day to try and catch infectious diseases before they become a major threat. When they first heard word of it over the summer, New Yorkers were urged to report it immediately if they experienced flu-like symptoms. 

“These neighborhoods have experienced consistent long-term generational disinvestment due to structural racism. As a result, we see higher rates of chronic disease and differences in the built environment, which puts residents of these neighborhoods at an unfairly greater risk of Legionnaires’ disease,” Morse said. “We look forward to working with council to continue to protect the health of New Yorkers in every zip code.” 

The health department provided transparency to New Yorkers by keeping all records of the disease cluster investigation public. Residents were able to stay updated from July 25th, 2025, the beginning of the investigation, to August 29th, 2025, the end of the investigation. Each step of the investigation is available on the NYC Health Department’s website. By working to provide transparency to New Yorkers and investing in public health, especially in poverty-stricken areas affected by structural racism, Morse believes it is possible that outbreaks like this can be prevented, and residents will remain healthy.

Pens, pencils and backpacks are a staple for any retailer this time of year looking to cash in on the back-to-school rush. Labor Day is seen as one of the best times for the last-minute crowds to get what they need to start the year off strong.

Even retailers that don’t typically get flooded with business see an increase in sales. Reebok, with only one store left in all of New York State, at Tanger Outlets in Deer Park on Long Island, reported an increase of about $800 in sales over Labor Day last year.

However, some students say they have been deciding to hold off on back-to-school shopping this year. Those with a conservative budget may skip the deals, reusing what’s left of supplies from previous years to save money for more important endeavors, such as paying for textbooks whose prices continue to climb.

Jordan Gordon, an upper junior at Brooklyn College, decided on saving his money this year. “Honestly speaking, I didn’t really do back to school shopping. Aside from buying clothes, I typically have all my materials already at home, A couple of years ago, I went to Muji and I bought a lot of notebooks, a lot of pens. I still have leftovers, so I’m just using what I have leftover.”

Gary (who declined to give his last name), is a sophomore Brooklyn College on a budget. “I always go to like, really cheap, like 99 cent stores or sometimes Staples,” he said. “No Target or Walmart because like, I just think that’s pretty expensive … plus it’s really far, so it’s like, not really convenient. Online shopping, I do that sometimes. So mainly just 99 cent stores and Amazon.”

These college students probably do not represent all students.

Many young people still shop the outlets and big box stores. Tanger Outlets in Deer Park drew more than its standard number of customers, including city dwellers and suburbanites, over the Labor Day weekend. Big name brands are the first to reap the rewards of such spikes in traffic, with places like Nike and Adidas drawing in masses of people looking for backpacks and sneakers with apparel to match that will be put to the test for the coming school year.

Still, a number of students are being more conscientious of their spending. Nia, another Brooklyn college student, said she avoids the stores. “I’ll use Amazon sometimes, but only if I’m out of time before classes and I need to, like, get something real fast.”

Brick-and-mortar retailers may continue to face a tightening of the belt from spenders who, if they don’t feel like they are truly getting a good deal, will move on to the next place in search of better. Even cheap places like the 99 cent stores have moved on from the 99-cent price point, particularly chain stores such as Dollar Tree that has rebranded pricing to $1.25, and some items there being sold for as much as five dollars.

Price inflation, and tariffs continuing to rise, add to the urgency of getting discounted deals. For financially conscientious families, it is paramount.

As part of the Brooklyn Resists series, wherein Black Brooklynites tell stories about combatting systemic racial injustice, some of the original models and designers of the Naturally ’62 Fashion show shared their experiences in introducing Black natural hair into Western society on February 3, 2022, via Zoom.

Bob Gumbs, Barbara Solomon, and Queen Black Rose, who are all original members of Naturally ’62, kicked off Black History Month for Brooklyn Public Library’s Center for Brooklyn History by detailing their experiences as pioneers for wearing Black natural hair as a fashion choice. Moderated by questions from Souleo, who is a newer creative, the panel revealed this was a movement that received extreme scrutiny from the African American community in its initial stages.

Many understand the value of being culturally aware in today’s social climate; however, not as many remember the difficulty of introducing this message into mass media 60 years ago.

The event began as the audience met their hosts, dressed in traditional Ghanian attire topped off with crotchet crowns and traditional African jewelry.

Mr. Gumbs, producer and graphic designer, recounted the origins of the show. He had experience in hosting jazz events with the African Jazz Art Society & Studios, and decided to elevate the focus on African heritage by hosting the original Natural ‘62 fashion show. This was a tall order at the time, as the media was fixed on a European perspective.

Before 1959 there were very few independent African states. Then a movement for decolonization began. This movement galvanized a community longing to express appreciation for its heritage in Brooklyn. Also inspired by the cultural doctrines of Black pride advocate Marcus Garvey, the hosts of this event put forth an idea to broadcast the unique qualities of Black culture. Thus, the Naturally ’62 fashion show was born.

Until then, many if not most African American women straightened their hair with a perm and hot combs, as straight hair was a symbol of normalcy. Mr. Gumbs set to deliberately spotlight African heritage, allowing only Black natural hair to be represented in the show. “Finding women who were brave enough to represent the look was the hardest challenge,” he admitted.

The original models were called Grandassa, a reference to Dominican-born Black nationalist Carlos Cook’s term “Grandassaland” for Africa. It affirmed that participating was a medium for stepping outside a conformity box that society had placed on them, and many of the models received push-back from friends and family. It was labeled defiant by the African American community, and although violence would not ensue, the Grandassa models suffered from dire responses from their friends and family because of their new fashion choice.

Barbara Solomon, a children’s book author, former dance teacher at Manhattan Community College and an original member of the Grandassa models, told viewers on Thursday, “Africa is always prescribed as primitive in the media.” She said many Black people in the ‘60s believed that to embrace their natural hair would be a disservice to their social realities. “My mom one day took a lot of sleeping pills because I wouldn’t straighten my hair anymore,” she recalled.

Queen Black Rose, a fellow Grandassa model, echoed Solomon. “The Black community did not accept that [natural] look at first,” she said. The second show, in January of 1968,  gave the community time to come around to the symbolism innate in the models embracing the unique qualities of Black heritage.

The first part of the original show highlighted Western fashion, which accentuated the adopted customs of clothes and hairstyles. The second part of the show introduced many traditional African attires, cultures, and history. The hosts of BPL’s event argued that African culture, such as displayed in the Naturally ‘62 Fashion Show, had been neglected in mass media. They claimed this production helped pave the way for proud African heritage to be displayed in the media.

The straightened hair style was a perpetual struggle for Black women because precipitation and humidity ruined it. Wearing hair naturally helped women avoid these stressors, Naturally ’62 was a precursor to the industry for Black hair products, in the myriad of combs, brushes, shampoo, and conditioners made to maintain the Black hair texture.

Whether the estimated $2.5 billion Black hair industry was propelled by the Naturally ’62 show, Bob Gumbs claims that its influence is demonstrated by the big afros seen throughout the ’70s as well as the growing consensus for Black pride in today’s media climate. Ms. Solomon says that her mother, who survived her attempt to take her own life, also became a proud advocate for natural hair later in life.

The Naturally ‘62 Fashion show will continue its appreciation for Black qualities and the commemoration of the groundbreaking fashion statement by hosting a show annually. Due to COVID-19 complications, the honoring of the Natural ‘62 fashion show was pushed into Brooklyn Public Library’s digital conference space; however, audiences can find some of the show’s original cast across platforms promoting Black activism, as they share the history and their involvement in fostering a positive view of Black natural hair to communities and media.

New York Congressman Mondaire Jones spoke about voting rights and three bills he introduced to protect and renew our democracy on Feb. 3, as part of the Center for Common Ground’s “Road to the Midterms: Looking Forward and Federal.”

“Our democracy is in crisis–it faces its greatest test since Jim Crow,” he said.

He was referring to the Senate’s refusal to pass the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act which would create standardized election laws through the country to make it easier for citizens, especially people of color to vote.

The Center for Common Ground hosted this event as a part of their series which invites members of Congress to speak about voting rights. The Center focuses on empowering and educating people to vote. According to founding board member Andrea Miller, Common Ground is involved in eight Southern states to ensure that Black and People of Color having voting rights and they are able to vote without an issue. The series hosted by the organization give congressmembers a chance to not only introduce the legislation they are working on but give the people a chance to ask them questions and give them feedback on their work.

Congressman Jones, who represents New York’s 17th District—Rockland County and parts of Westchester—reassured people to not be discouraged by the Senate turning down the John R. Lewis Act, which would automatically register all American citizens to vote and allow all voters to cast mail-in ballots.

“Progress isn’t always linear, it’s messy,” he said. “There are false starts, there are setbacks like what happened in the Senate last month, but the weight of history and the force of reason are on our side.”

The Congressman spoke on the bills he introduced which have already seen progress. The Right to Vote Act was introduced to the House of Representatives over the summer. It would guarantee to every citizen of voting age the right to vote “free from any burden as to the time, place or manner of voting.”

His second Bill, The Inclusion Elections Act, is to restore section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and outlaw voter suppression laws. This would focus on voter intimidation laws such as denying a voter’s right to vote based on race and class, along with banning giving out food and water at the voting line, which can be extremely long in many voting sites.

Congressman Jones also criticized the Supreme Court for refusing to weigh in on laws that have clear racial discrimination intentions. This led to his third bill the Judiciary Act of 2021, which would restore balance to the Supreme Court by adding four more seats.

When asked if he thinks Supreme Court Justices should be held to term limits as opposed to a life tenure, he said, “I don’t think the problem is that the judges’ have tenure. I think it’s the kind of judges we appoint to the Supreme Court.”

“I’m focused on expanding the Supreme Court. Because term limits would not solve the crisis that we face at this moment. Right now we have a court that has never struck down a voter suppression law as unconstitutional not even once. Right now we have a court that has twice struck down or weaken a crucial component of the voting rights act of 1965.”

“Whites increasingly see racism as a zero-sum game that they are losing,” said Heather McGhee a newly appointed lecturer at The City University of New York’s (CUNY) School of Labor and Urban Studies.

McGhee was discussing her book “The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together” on Zoom with Deepak Bhargava as he was welcoming her to the program.

“I quit my job in 2017 and set off across the country. I went from California to Mississippi to Maine and back again multiple times,” McGhee said on her journey to writing this book. Throughout her travels she had one question. She wanted to know why we all can’t have “nice things.”

No, she isn’t talking about self-driving cars or Gucci bags. She is talking about public swimming pools, subsidized higher education, universal childcare, affordable healthcare, and paid family leave.

McGhee refers to zero-sum and how white supremacy deprives people of “nice things.” The people that are deprived include white people as well as people of color. She mentions a story about a pool in Montgomery, Ala. When white Americans were told that they would have to integrate the pool they decided to drain and cement it. Nobody, white or black, has been able to enjoy it since they closed it down in 1959.

McGhee also mentioned wages. She questions why someone should survive on $7.25, where someone else is making 1000 times more. “An average worker would have to work 1,000 years to make what the CEO makes in a year,” McGhee said. She pointed out that when everyone gets together they can demand justice. That happened recently with the Fight for $15 movement when fast-food workers supported each other to raise minimum wage to $15 an hour in the country.

McGhee’s book was released in Feb. 2021 and has spent 10 weeks on The New York Times best seller. It was also long listed for the National Book Award and the Carnegie Medal for excellence in non-fiction.

McGhee is a lecturer at the School of Labor and Urban Studies in her first semester. The CUNY school has been a leader in adult and worker education for over 30 years. It started with 52 students and now has more than 1,200 adult and traditional aged students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs.