Assemblymember Michael A. Blake

07/24/2024

Good morning 🌞
Tune in to CNN at 8:50amET today as we talk about Black Men for Harris & Win with Black Men

07/22/2024

Tonight starting at 8pET, please join our call

10/04/2023

Calling all of my Wildcats and all of the Bison in Da Chi this weekend for Northwestern's Homecoming

See u at Bureau Bar - 2115 S. State Street in Chicago

Text KAIROS to 917-983-0800

02/06/2023

Thank you everyone for believing in public service

06/14/2020

Distributed meals with our friend Sabrina Ladson.

06/14/2020

Joined with our fellow New Yorkers to demand that we as the Legislature and again that

06/14/2020

Joined with 1199SEIU to Take A Knee for in

05/11/2020

Friends,

Please join us this evening (May 11th) at 6pm ET for "Mondays with Michael" community and conversation.

Tonight's special guest is Dr. Garth Graham. He is the former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health and former Director of the HHS Office of Minority Health under the Obama Administration.

We will be discussing the health impacts on our community by COVID-19 and what steps we can be taking now.

May 11th, 6pm ET: Please register here:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYrd--gqD0tH9H40JWn2-GNjmvjFcpycgxG?emci=7ac149c2-b193-ea11-86e9-00155d03b5dd&emdi=b4e49b78-b393-ea11-86e9-00155d03b5dd&ceid=13573787

We are looking forward to this important discussion and hope you will be able to join. We are pleased to bring experts to you, so that you can receive the best, most up to date information.

Join us TONIGHT at 6pm ET for "Mondays with Michael"

Michael Blake

Monday with Michael featuring Dr. Garth Graham, Former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health and Director of the HHS Office of Minority Health under the Obama Administration

05/04/2020

Friends,

With so much happening in the world, it only makes sense to get our information from experts. Tonight at 6pm ET, I will be joined by my friend and health care expert Dr. Kavita Patel for our "Mondays with Michael"

Dr. Patel is Former White House Director of policy for the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement in the Obama Administration, and, a current Nonresident Fellow at the Brookings Institution.

Dr. Patel is a primary care physician in Washington. As a senior aide to Valerie Jarrett, Dr. Patel played a critical role in policy development and evaluation of policy initiatives connected to health reform, financial regulatory reform, and economic recovery issues.

She will be available to answer any questions you may have or just to offer the advice we are all looking for right now.

Join us for smart conversation on Monday at 6pm ET.

You can use this link to participate:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88901150377?emci=d1df9994-548d-ea11-86e9-00155d03b5dd&emdi=6bb4a5ea-598d-ea11-86e9-00155d03b5dd&ceid=7364130

or can dial in here: +19292056099,,88901150377 #

Looking forward to chatting with you on Tonight (Monday) at 6pm ET on Zoom.

Michael Blake

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04/14/2020

Please check out our Newsweek OpEd with Nathalie Molina Niño: "For Black and Brown Businesses, the next Relief Bill could be a Lifeline-or an Assault"

https://www.newsweek.com/black-brown-businesses-next-relief-bill-could-lifeline-assault-opinion-1497757

OPINION

FOR BLACK AND BROWN BUSINESSES, THE NEXT RELIEF BILL COULD BE A LIFELINE—OR AN ASSAULT | OPINION
MICHAEL BLAKE AND NATHALIE MOLINA NIÑO

Walking down an eerily quiet Bourbon Street or Woodward Avenue, through Hyde Park or, in our case, the streets of New York City, the familiar is now unrecognizable. That is, until we spot signs of life spilling out of Guzman's bodega or see that Beatstro has been repurposed to serve first responders. More than ever, these businesses are lifelines, especially in places hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, like the Bronx.

Never has the link between human health and business health been more evident. Small family businesses owned by entrepreneurs of color are providing essential supplies, even as they face extinction. If we ever doubted the life-saving relationship between black- and brown-owned businesses and the people they serve, it's impossible to miss that reality now.

Yet we and our businesses are under attack—and many are dying. Whether we're wearing surgical scrubs, a prison jumpsuit or a bus driver uniform, the data is screaming one thing: If you're black or brown, you're being left to die. City after city is reporting black and Latino people are consistently overrepresented among the dead.

The COVID-19 pandemic is, like many tragedies, a magnifying glass over structural inequity that is generations' old. Today's leaders may not be responsible for legacy structures, like red lining or Jim Crow. But sadly, the CARES Act's failure to ensure funding is deployed into communities of color, where the impact and thus the need is greatest, puts our generation dangerously close to building new, equally deadly structures.

When banks are allowed to limit their customers to existing lending clients, black business owners, who have been historically rejected at more than double the rate of white applicants on all types of loans, are the primary ones excluded. This systematic exclusion, if not corrected with bold policies, will result in a mass extinction of generations of businesses owned by entrepreneurs of color. What's worse? That failure is guaranteed to exacerbate the abysmal health outcomes we're seeing. We cannot ignore that business collapse threatens human survival.

According to the Center for American Progress, black families' wealth in 2016 was about half of the median black wealth recorded right before the Great Recession. In comparison, the median white wealth in 2016 grew by almost 15 percent since the Great Recession. The result? Almost 30 percent of black college-educated households, as well as 20 percent of Latinx college-educated households, would struggle to pay their bills after a $400 emergency expense. These figures increase to nearly 60 percent and 50 percent, respectively, without a college education.

The failure to provide emergency relief to entrepreneurs in our communities will lead to economic insecurity at a scale that could trigger the extinction of black and brown businesses for generations. This next tranche of federal relief is more than an opportunity to get it right. For communities of color, it could very well be life-saving. Here are a few of the federal stimulus errors that must be fixed in order to stop hurting black and brown communities:

The funds from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans are first-come, first-served, with no guardrails to prevent abuse and cronyism. The federal government has thereby created an incentive for big banks, with a long and well-documented history of discriminating against communities of color, to prioritize their largest customers, rather than businesses with the greatest need. This must be addressed with need-based triage requirements.

The only way to hold banks accountable and ensure bias is not driving their loan processing priorities is to track race and ethnicity.

Allow employers to include 1099 contractors in calculating their stimulus loan amount. The decision to exclude independent contractors created an incentive to fire them, the exact opposite of the stated goal. Then, the guidance telling 1099 contractors to apply on their own created an exponential increase in the number of applications that must now be processed, further burdening overwhelmed lenders.

Prevent banks from cherry-picking what applications to process. With the large influx of 1099 applications that are expected, it's likely we'll see more and more lenders opting not to accept them. This must be prevented, or we risk delaying aid to some of the most impacted segments of the workforce.

Because it is not enough to simply do less harm, we must be bold with the next wave of relief funding to ensure we're doing everything possible to curb the death toll in our communities, saving both lives and businesses:

In a joint statement on the plan for interim emergency coronavirus relief, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Speaker Nancy Pelosi proposed a large percentage of the next round of stimulus be distributed via Community Development
Financial Institutions (CDFIs) "that serve farmers, family, women, minority and veteran-owned small businesses and nonprofits in rural, tribal, suburban and urban communities." We must provide CDFIs with the necessary back-end technology to handle the surge of demand.

Without time to build or integrate technology infrastructure, the only viable strategy is to use what's there. Some of the largest Small Business Administration (SBA) lenders have built technology that could be used by small banks. Big banks already have relationships with CDFIs via the Community Reinvestment Act. Let's put incentives and capital in place to incent these organizations to collaborate. Without this, we run the risk of turning the already over-taxed community banks into bottlenecks.

Our most vulnerable communities are on the wrong end of the digital divide, and we cannot underestimate the challenge that accessing them represents. Stimulus money will need to be set aside for getting the word out through messaging applications and social media, in as many languages as possible. The urgency here is high, as many people are not aware that their local banks can help and scammers are taking advantage of the vulnerable.

Whether it's something similar to 311 (non-emergency 911) that gives users access to non-emergency municipal services or the Crisis Text Line, small businesses without legal counsel or white-glove banking relationships need a free resource to navigate this crisis, for months to come.

Ultimately, federal stimulus must solve for both the challenges of proximity and of scale. While most CDFIs deliver proximity to our communities, we cannot leave them to tackle a 21st-century crisis with 20th-century technology. If the big banks are choking, how can tiny ones cope without becoming a bottleneck? Moreover, bottlenecks with first-come, first-served stimulus money are a recipe for disaster.

The only thing we seem to hear on the empty streets of cities across the country are the sirens of ambulances, the sound of urgency in a system attempting to prioritize those in most danger. The news is no less alarming, filled with stories of the rising coronavirus death toll, hate crimes against people of color, and now policies and regulations weaponized against us and our livelihoods. We cannot wait for the next relief package—the time to save our people is now. It's time for federal relief that sounds the alarm and prioritizes those most in danger. There was a pandemic of poverty before the coronavirus. It's time to fund a cure for both.

Michael Blake is a New York State Assembly member, a vice chairman of the Democratic National Committee and a candidate for U.S. Congress in the Bronx.

Nathalie Molina Niño is an entrepreneur and investor, as well as the author of Leapfrog: The New Revolution for Women Entrepreneurs.

The views expressed in this article are the writers' own.

The CARES Act's failure to ensure funding is deployed to communities of color puts our people and our businesses at risk of extinction. Here's how to save both.

04/14/2020

Friends --

In the face of the coronavirus pandemic, where we are watching our loved ones and friends get sick and unfortunately pass away at rates faster than anywhere else in New York City, we must come together, rise from this moment and help The Bronx with immediate support and long-term recovery. The Bronx community – residents, small businesses, government officials and non-profits – came together as a broad coalition to build a plan to ensure that those who needed help most received assistance.

Today, we officially launch The Bronx Community Relief Effort, which you may find information and donate at: TheBronx.org.

The Bronx Community Relief Effort was born in the South Bronx immediately after the Coronavirus hit New York City. The Bronx Community Relief Effort aims to raise $10 million to support effective, on-the-ground operations that are focused on meeting the most essential needs of The Bronx community. We thank the incredible leadership of the James and Judith K. Dimon Foundation for committing $3 million to help support CUNY students, provide more meals to Bronxites, support Bronx restaurants to rehire their staff and address Education Technology and Connectivity challenges for local students. Donations collected will be distributed immediately to those Individuals and Organizations in need, pending their approval in a very fast application and review process.

The Bronx Community Relief Effort will focus on eight areas of need in The Bronx community: Food Insecurity // Small Business Relief // Distributing Microgrants // Personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline responders // Nonprofit Economic Relief // Connectivity and Technology Gaps // Equity & Justice // Housing Stability

“There was a Pandemic of Poverty in The Bronx before COVID-19 hit our borough. The Bronx Community Relief Effort will help our people recover today and rebuild into the future. I thank the selfless leadership of my dear friend Derrick Harry Lewis in coordinating this remarkable coalition of Bronx leaders and supporters like Judy Dimon who is a longstanding advocate of The Bronx community. Having community leaders, philanthropists, the private and public sector come together for both the immediate and long-term recovery for Bronxites is absolutely critical. We must provide relief for today so that our fellow Bronxites have hope for tomorrow. We will overcome these difficult times, and while we address the immediate challenges of the moment, we will lay the foundation in our community for future success to show that we Believe in The Bronx and will continue Building A Better Bronx.” - Michael Blake

“Having been born and raised in The South Bronx, and experienced firsthand the impact of philanthropy, I know how the support from outstanding nonprofits can positively change the trajectory of not just an individual’s life, but the trajectory of an entire community,” said Derrick H. Lewis, Senior Manager at EY, who has been instrumental in organizing The Bronx Community Relief Effort and a Board member of Wildlife Conservation Society as a designee for the Speaker of the New York City Council, DreamYard, Good Call, Birthright Africa, and Ivy Hill Preparatory School. “The Bronx Community Relief Effort, will provide much needed support for The Bronx community.”

“The COVID-19 pandemic has starkly amplified and exposed inequity in New York City. In contributing to The Bronx Community Relief Effort, we are proud to support the community leaders who have identified effective solutions to best address the acute, urgent needs of The Bronx and just need additional resources to do it,” said Judy Dimon, Chair of the James and Judith K. Dimon Foundation and HERE to HERE. “We stand by those who are out there working day and night in The Bronx to help one another -- today and tomorrow. I urge others who are able to contribute to join us in supporting this critical work.”

“Only when we are unified will we be able to fully achieve equitable community development,” said Michael Brady, CEO, HUB/Third Avenue Business Improvement District. “The Bronx Community Relief Effort is a multi-sector response to the COVID-19 crisis and is a framework for sustainable support to address challenges while stabilizing historically under-resourced and stigmatized neighborhoods. This is a Bronx effort for The Bronx and one in which I am proud to take part.”

Ruben Diaz Jr., Borough President of The Bronx, said: “We know that The Bronx is disproportionately affected by the health and economic repercussions of COVID-19, and we're so inspired by everything our community is doing to help -- from frontline responders and medical workers, to grocery and restaurant workers, to neighbors helping neighbors. We thank the many community leaders and Bronx advocates who have stepped up so quickly to create The Bronx Community Relief Effort to help us raise critically needed resources. Together, we'll work to support all Bronxites both immediately and for the long term when the economy begins its recovery.”

Special Thanks to Derrick Harry Lewis for coordinating this remarkable coalition of Bronx leaders, and to supporters like Judy Dimon. We’d also like to thank: Alfredo Angueira, Owner of Beatstro; State Senator Alessandra Biaggi; Michael BradyCEO, Third Avenue Business Improvement District; Phoebe C. Boyer, President and CEO, Children’s Aid Society; John Calvelli, Executive Vice President of the Wildlife Conservation Society; Jessica Clemente, President & CEO, We Stay/Nos Quedamos, Inc; Eddie Cuesta, National Executive Director, Dominicanos USA; Ruben Diaz Jr., Borough President of The Bronx; Jason Duchin & Tim Lord, Co-Founders & Co-Executive Director, DreamYard Project; Assembly Member Nathalia Fernandez; Debbian Fletcher-Blake, Chief Executive Officer, VIP Community Services; Jasmine Garcia, General Manager of Bricks & Hops Beer Garden; Rosa Garcia, Owner of Mott Haven Bar and Grill; Demetris Giannoulias, CEO, Spring Bank; Rosemary Ordonez-Jenkins, Interim Executive Director/CEO, Phipps Neighborhoods; Junior Martinez, Owner of Bronx Drafthouse; Nate Mook, CEO, World Central Kitchen; Eileen Newman, Executive Director, Hostos Center for Bronx Nonprofits; Justine Olderman, Executive Director, Bronx Defenders; Carmen Rivera, Chief Vocational & Community Affairs Officer, VIP Community Services; Davon Russell, President, WHEDco; Bukola Shonuga, Founder Director Welcome to America (W2A); Abby Jo Sigal, Founding CEO, HERE to HERE; Edward Summers, Executive Director, The Bronx Private Industry Council (PIC); and Aarti Tandon, CEO, Citizen Eight.

We are still going through a very difficult moment. But, we will RISE. Trust and BELIEVE, we will RISE!



Michael Blake