“She said to me, ‘you are a black male, and you have to understand that you will be seen a certain type of way, and that you have got to be careful about what you’re doing,” recalled  Meehan. 

Now in his 30s, Meehan is thankful for that conversation. 

“I was glad that she took the time to say that because it allowed me to see the potential. If you know the worst, you can prepare for it,” said Meehan. 

In the wake of George Floyd’s muder and the Chauvin trial, along with the recent police shootings of Daunte Wright, Ma’Khia Bryant, and Andrew Brown Jr., children across the country are having similar conversations to that of Meehan and his teacher. It is a conversation that Black communities have been having for decades. What is new is the widespread circulation of cellphone and bodycam videos that have brought the threat of violence toward Black individuals front and center. 

Families and classrooms are navigating how to talk to our society’s youngest members so that they are informed and able to make sense of the racial injustice playing out on a national stage. 

Today, Meehan, a St. Louis-based attorney, has a 4-year-old daughter, Emilia, and five young godchildren that he is close with. He is intentional with how he speaks to each of them about what it means to be a Person of Color in the United States. 

“When I talk to someone that I love, like my godsons, I’m telling them that you can only control what you can control,” said Meehan. “So you have to assume that bad things are going to happen. You’re going to assume that other people are biased…and how are you going to react to de-escalate them, unfortunately.”

Meehan and his wife are both biracial, and in Meehan’s words, his daughter appears “racially ambiguous.” He hopes that she can use any privilege she has to stand up for those that are vulnerable. 

“I don’t know how much she’s going to face, but I want her to understand what other people like her friends and family members may face so that she can be an advocate at all times for anybody,” said Meehan. 

He works to expose his daughter to people of many different ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds, while also instilling in her a sense of pride in her identity. He carefully curates the content she consumes, so that she has age-appropriate exposure to today’s current topics. She plays with Black and white dolls, reads story books about princesses of color, and watches Sesame Street episodes that tackle heavy topics like racism. 

While his daughter is at such a tender age, the conversation about racial identity is simple.

“I want to let her see the breadth of what is and isn’t when it comes to race…understanding that everyone has different cultures and everyone may look different, but that ultimately we all want the same things,” said Meehan. 

Tylar Searcy first spoke with her 5-year-old son, Ayden, about racial injustice when he saw her making a sign for a Black Lives Matter protest.  Photo courtesy of Tylar Searcy

Tylar Searcy, 27, is mother to five-year-old Ayden. Over the last year, she has found herself having conversations with her son about what it means to be Black, and the community’s relationship with the police. 

“There will be a time when you will meet someone who looks different from you and they are not going to like you because of the way you look,” she has told him. 

Searcy said that the conversation is difficult because she wants her son to understand racism, but also to know that his white friends do love him. 

The discussion about police violence was similarly challenging and nuanced. Her son asked her one day whether or not he should trust the police. 

“So now I’m having to say, yes, [the police] do take care of you. But there are some police officers that don’t have your best interest at heart,” said Searcy. “They don’t care about you like they should. And he doesn’t understand, and I just have to keep telling him you will see as you get older.” 

Despite the discrimination and injustice that Black people in the United States face, Searcy wants her son to be proud of his Blackness. He recently expressed that he did not want to be Black, because “people don’t like people that are Black.” 

“I had to tell him that there’s nothing wrong with being Black. There’s nothing wrong with it at all. And so it took telling him how great he is and how awesome he is and how being Black is beautiful and that no one can ever take that away from you,” said Searcy. 

Searcy sees the recent guilty verdict in the George Floyd murder trial as a “little light at the end of the tunnel.” She hopes these important conversations will continue. 

“I’m hoping that continuing to have these conversations with my son and him having conversations with his friends and teachers in spaces that he can be in, that there will be a continuing conversation and hopefully there will be some change in the future,” she said. 

Children are also having discussions about racial injustice in the classroom. 

Maddie Frank is a 4th grade teacher in St. Louis, Missouri, where she facilitates classroom discussions with her students about racial injustice and police brutality. Photo courtesy of Maddie Frank

Maddie Frank, 28, is a fourth grade teacher in St. Louis, Missouri. Her school district began the year acknowledging “two pandemics” – the coronavirus and racial injustice. Teachers and staff were encouraged to have thoughtful conversations with their students about these topics. 

Frank’s students started by learning about the 2020 election, which inevitably led to a conversation about the January 6 capitol riots. They began talking about the difference in police response to the insurrectionists and Black Lives Matter protesters. 

“I had a student come up to me and he said, ‘Ms. Frank, why are the cops not afraid of white people, but they’re afraid of Black people and they kill us?’ So you know they really are watching, they are listening, they are comprehending what’s going on in the world and here in the United States,” said Frank. 

Frank is one of the only white teachers in the school. A majority of the students and faculty are Black. She has been intentional in pointing out her own white privilege. 

“This year I had to make sure I explained to them, I can never experience and fully connect with the things that your community is going through, because I am a white female. I’m just very upfront and honest about that,” she said. 

She encourages other white teachers to educate themselves on racial injustice by reading, learning accurate history, and listening carefully to People of Color. 

Frank believes it is crucial for these conversations to happen in the classroom, and with children from all backgrounds. 

“We’re here to not just teach them academics. We’re here to help them build character and to understand the world that’s around them, so that when they go out of our building and they go home, they don’t feel left in the dark,” said Frank. 

Including children in these difficult conversations is also largely recommended by many medical and mental health professionals. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychological Association are just a few institutions that offer resources on how to talk to kids about racial bias and discrimination. 

Dr. Faith M. Sproul is a licensed psychologist with a Youtube video aimed at helping facilitate these discussions with young children. She acknowledged that these conversations can be a challenge, but that it is important to communicate clearly and to convey ideas in terms that children can understand. She suggested using the concept of “fairness” to discuss injustice with young kids. 

“We also want to make sure that we end the conversation with our children feeling loved and safe, and that there are people who are going to keep them safe so that they don’t have the sense of impending doom…,” she said. 

The post Families and teachers struggle to explain racial injustice to children appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

The One World Trade Center is visible in the distance from Washington Square Park during a clear, bright day. Sunday, March 9, 2021. Photo by Tori Luecking

Chalk artists decorate the ground in Washington Square Park on Tuesday, March 9, 2021. Photo by Tori Luecking

Members of a live band in Washington Square Park stop to chat and smile. Tuesday, March 9, 2021. Photo by Tori Luecking

Skateboarders congregate in the fountain at Washington Square Park on the first warm day of the year. March 9, 2021. Photo by Tori Luecking

A person takes a phone call while sitting on the edge of the fountain in Washington Square Park. March 9, 2021. Photo by Tori Luecking

Two young people sit on the edge of the fountain in Washington Square Park and watch the skateboarders on Tuesday, March 9, 2021. Photo by Tori Luecking

Many people brought their bikes out to Washington Square Park for the sunny, warm weather on Tuesday, March 9, 2021. Photo by Tori Luecking

Birds fly overhead of Washington Square Park on a warm, sunny day. March 9, 2021. Photo by Tori Luecking

A person lounges in the sun in Washington Square Park on March 9, 2021. The high was 64 degrees. Photo by Tori Luecking

Dogs and humans alike came out to enjoy the unusually sunny day on March 9, 2021. Photo by Tori Luecking

A person sits with shoes off, enjoying the warm weather in Washington Square Park on March 9, 2021. Photo by Tori Luecking

The post Early spring lifts New Yorkers’ spirits appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

Overthrow was founded by Joey Goodwin, 36, in 2014 after he noticed a ‘For Rent’ sign in the window of the Bleecker Street building. 

The space was in disarray after being neglected by its previous tenants, members of the original Youth International Party, also known as Yippies. Yippies were known for organizing anti-war protests and advocating for marijuana legalization throughout the 70s and 80s. 

“It looked like a bomb had gone off in the place. There was garbage everywhere. The walls were coated with cat shit,” said Goodwin. 

On the floor he spotted a pile of old Yippie newspapers, which had been published on the top floor of the building. One of them was called “Overthrow” and the name of the club now pays homage to the old publication. 

Goodwin’s original motivation to open Overthrow came from his time spent playing at the famed West 4th Street basketball courts, through which he was first introduced to boxing. 

He soon found himself boxing with champion trainer Carlos Castillo, and attending underground boxing parties that attracted celebrities and models. Goodwin wanted to create a brand that brought together the gritty world of boxing and the more edgy world of underground boxing parties.

Once he learned of 9 Bleecker’s Yippie past, it became intertwined with his vision, further inspiring Overthrow into a place of community-building and activism. 

“It is a space where people can come and fight for what they believe in, fight for their passion, and fight to become the person they want to be and to be part of a community,” said Goodwin.  

Power Malu stands on the ground level of Overthrow Boxing Club. The ring sits toward the back of what used to be an old horse stable. Photo by Tori Luecking

Power Malu, 44, a self-described “Nuyorican” (he was born in New York to Puerto Rican parents) is a founding member of Overthrow Boxing Club and their current “Community Bridge” — meaning he helps to organize Overthrow events and initiatives. 

“Knowing the history of this space before it became a boxing gym,of it being a home of artists and activists, it’s something that we try to always highlight in the forefront of everything that we do,” said Malu. 

Malu fell in love with boxing at a young age while watching his dad spar at the famous Gramercy Park Gym. He also has an impressive music scene resume, having worked as a party promoter, and as one of the producers of Lyricist Lounge, an underground hip-hop showcase that eventually aired on MTV. 

Malu uses his past experiences to incorporate art, music, and performance into Overthrow’s programming. 

“Everything I do is based off of bringing community together, whether it’s artists having a space here…[or] we’ve done break dancing competitions inside the ring…we’ve had DJs battling, performances with bands, and hip hop artists…” said Malu. 

In addition to the artistic expression happening at Overthrow, the organization is active in social justice. It has hosted events to raise awareness about missing and murdered indigenous women, held fundraisers to send aid to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, and offered boxing classes specifically for the trans community, among much more.

“We’re looking to use the space as a vehicle to show people that we’re out here fighting, and this is a space that you can come to,” said Malu. If you feel alone, if you are going through something, you can come here and we can connect, or we can connect you with other people.” 

Malu’s nonprofit organization, Artists Athletes Activists, is preparing to host a podcast in the window of Overthrow, with a speaker that broadcasts the show onto the Bleecker Street sidewalk. It will cover topics such as health & wellness, and everyday community heroes. 

“We have to really engage people and really get to know them and inspire each other and get away from the hoarding of resources, and understand that as a community, we can thrive together,” said Malu. 

Medea Juhasz began boxing at Overthrow after a serious health scare. She had never boxed before but enjoyed it so much she was eventually attending seven days a week. Photo courtesy of Medea Juhasz

For Overthrow members like, Medea Juhasz, owner of Herbalore NYC, the club has made an immense impact on her life. 

A few years ago after suffering an extreme health crisis, she embarked on a path of wellness and healing that eventually led her to Overthrow. It was its historical roots that initially drew her in. 

“I feel like it is the last piece of old school New York in the city, from before it was gentrified,” said Juhasz. 

She made friends quickly and started attending classes and events every day of the week, before the Covid-19 pandemic hit. 

“It goes beyond the fitness aspect…it’s like a community center for like-minded people and also to educate people. They have great programming and great talks,” said Juhasz. 

Overthrow reopened in October 2020 after having been closed to the public for many months due to the pandemic. Juhasz hopes that it won’t close again. 

“I think Overthrow is an essential business. It’s this once in a lifetime place, it’s magical and it brings people together,” she said. 

The post East Village boxing club embraces its activist roots appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

T.C., whose given name is Ambakisye Osayaba, learned to play chess at the age of seven when he received a book about it for his birthday. A local librarian helped him learn the rules and later, sponsored him in tournaments. 

For the last 10 years, T.C. has sat in Union Square Park offering chess lessons and matches to passersby. He takes a small donation in exchange for a session. You can find him almost every day, sitting at his chess table under the same tree. He is contagiously friendly with a mischievous smile, and always has a story to share. He has a number of loyal students that have played with him for years. They come for the chess, but they stay for T.C. 

He is somewhat of a New York City celebrity, having served as the subject of multiple articles and video pieces. He knows a lot of people — from high-powered attorneys to fashion moguls.

As the colder weather approaches, T.C. intends to continue playing and teaching chess in the park. So next time you’re out walking, keep an eye out for T.C. He’s always ready to meet someone new and explain the difference between a knight and rook. 

Passers-by stop and watch a game of chess in Union Square Park on November 15, 2020. Photo by Tori Luecking

When playing timed games, T.C. sets the clock to five minutes, altough he averages a much faster win-time. November 29, 2020. Photo by Tori Luecking

With smoke in hand, T.C. considers his next move on the board. Union Square Park, November 29, 2020. Photo by Tori Luecking

T.C. breaks a bill for his opponent. It is $10 donation to play for five minutes. November 15, 2020, Union Square Park. New York City. Photo by Tori Luecking

A long-time student of T.C. sits and watches his teacher play in Union Square Park on November 20, 2020. Photo by Tori Luecking

The chess tables in Union Square Park stand next to vendors selling handmade crafts. November 20, 2020. Photo by Tori Luecking

In colder weather T.C. bundles up and mans his chess table in Union Square Park in winter gear. November 29, 2020. Photo by Tori Luecking

T.C. answers a phone call from his wife between chess matches in Union Square Park on November 29, 2020. Photo by Tori Luecking

The post Sixty-Four Squares in Union Square Park appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

Biden’s win came as Pennsylvania released their results early this afternoon. The state’s 20 electoral votes pushed Biden from 253 votes to 273, moving him past the 270 needed to win the election. Meanwhile, Trump plateaued at 214 electoral votes. As of Saturday evening, Biden also leads in the popular vote by about 3%. 

Shortly after the election was called,  Biden tweeted out a statement.

America, I’m honored that you have chosen me to lead our great country.

The work ahead of us will be hard, but I promise you this: I will be a President for all Americans — whether you voted for me or not.

I will keep the faith that you have placed in me. pic.twitter.com/moA9qhmjn8

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) November 7, 2020

The democratic win comes on the heels of a particularly divisive campaign season during which coronavirus ravaged the country, and the fight for equality and racial justice attracted national attention due to police brutality against Black and Brown Americans. 

President Trump has refused to acknowledge Biden as President-Elect, taking to Twitter in response to the election results. Earlier in the day Trump tweeted in all caps:

THE OBSERVERS WERE NOT ALLOWED INTO THE COUNTING ROOMS. I WON THE ELECTION, GOT 71,000,000 LEGAL VOTES. BAD THINGS HAPPENED WHICH OUR OBSERVERS WERE NOT ALLOWED TO SEE. NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. MILLIONS OF MAIL-IN BALLOTS WERE SENT TO PEOPLE WHO NEVER ASKED FOR THEM!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7, 2020

Twitter labeled the tweet as disputed.

In anticipation of a loss, the Trump campaign strategy has been to discredit any results not in favor of the president. Months back, Trump began to spread misinformation, asserting that mail-in voting would lead to widespread fraud, despite contradicting evidence from experts. Before the final election outcome, the Trump campaign filed lawsuits against several states arguing for better access for poll watchers. Judges in Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Michigan dismissed the lawsuits. 

Although the Trump campaign continues to grasp at straws for anything that might challenge the legitimacy of the election outcomes, Biden supporters are reflecting on the historic impact of this day. 

Risa Paley-Zimble, a 24-year-old recent poll worker in St. Louis, Missouri is excited about the democratic win, but motivated to continue the party’s work. 

“I am incredibly relieved and thrilled that Biden and Harris won the election,” she said. “We owe these results to the tireless voter protection efforts being done all over the country and I am grateful I was able to support as a poll worker. However, how close this election was is a clear indication that a lot of work still needs to be done and now is the time to keep the foot on the pedal.” 

Kale Turner,  27, an OBYGN in Columbus, Ohio, is relieved by the election outcome as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. 

“As a gay male, I am reassured moving forward that my future marriage and future family will be afforded the same opportunities as my heterosexual couterparts and colleagues,” he said. 

For Turner it was upsetting that his rights as a gay person were ever even in question in the United States in the year 2020. Moving forward he wants to see an administration that values diversity. 

“I’m hoping for an agenda that accepts all people regardless of their beliefs, backgrounds, ethnicities, or how else they might identify,” said Turner. 

The 2020 election is also making headlines with Vice President-Elect, Senator Kamala Harris  making history as the e first woman, as well as woman of color, to take the second-in-command position. Harris ran as an opponent to Biden before he was selected as the official democratic nominee. She was named as his running mate in August. 

 Harris, who was the target of many harsh taunts from Trump throughout the campaign, is an experienced lawyer who in 2017 became the second Black woman to serve in the United States Senate. She is credited as having greatly attracted the Black women voters needed to grant Biden a win. 

For 26-year-old Texas lawyer, Lauren Hutton-Work, seeing a Black woman take office is personal. 

“Being able to witness the election as a Black woman myself was extremely important and extremely moving, especially as it was unsitting one of the most racist and divisive presidents in modern history,” she said. 

In the coming weeks the country can expect ongoing legal attempts by the Trump administration to call the election results into question. Nonetheless, winners Biden and Harris continue forward with their transition plans, including the creation of a new coronavirus taskforce.

The post BIDEN WINS appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

The morning and afternoon atmosphere was tense but calm. Election Day voters walked through the quiet East Village neighborhood displaying their “I Voted” stickers. Times Square remained peaceful even with Biden and Trump supporters sharing space. Photographers walked the streets for hours documenting the historic day. 

The November 3rd election was the culmination of a divisive campaign season that saw President Trump refuse to denounce white supremacy and attempt to quell mail-in-voting amidst the coronavirus pandemic. Biden’s campaign has held a consistent overall lead since results were released. As of the afternoon of November 6th, no winner has been declared, but Biden is expected to be victorious. 

Street art next to an anti-Trump/Pence sticker in the East Village on Tuesday, November 3rd. Photo by Tori Luecking

The social activist group, Rise and Resist, holds a banner in Times Square protesting Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic on Election Day, November 3rd, 2020. Photo by Tori Luecking

A memorial poster depicting Black victims of police brutality left in Washington Square Park. The poster got caught in the rain the night before Election Day. Tuesday, November 3rd. Photo by Tori Luecking

A media crew in Times Square interviews a young Trump supporter on Tuesday, November 3rd. Photo by Tori Luecking

Anti-Trump street art in the East Village on Tuesday, November 3rd. Photo by Tori Luecking

The self-described “naked Trump cowboy” walks through Times Square playing his guitar and posing for photos on Election Day 2020. Photo by Tori Luecking

A person dressed in costume as Donald Trump holds a sign in Times Square on Election Day 2020. Photo by Tori Luecking

A news crew’s monitor set up in Times Square on Election Day 2020. Photo by Tori Luecking

This is a project of Lori Grinker’s graduate photojournalism class.

The post The energy of Election Day in New York City appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

Haley Schulman, 29, a Jewish professional in New York City was “appalled” by Pence’s comments. 

Haley Schulman, 29, is “appalled” by Mike Pence’s assertion that Trump is incapable of prejudice because his grandchildren are Jewish. Photo courtesy of Haley Schulman.

“It feels like blatant pandering and treating Jews as if the only thing we care about are other Jews,” she said. “Treating Jews as a monolith is offensive, especially because those values that I care about as a Jew are not values that are being expressed or embodied by this current administration.” 

President Trump was recently reported as having stated that Jews are “only in it for themselves” — a commonly employed antisemitic trope used to conjure suspicion toward the Jewish community. 

At the debate Pence tried to deflect Harris’ charge that Trump did not condemn white supremicists during the September 29th debate.

“The President has Jewish grandchildren,” said  Pence. “His daughter and son-in-law are Jewish. This is a president who respects and cherishes all of the American people.” 

Lucy Greenbaum, 23, a Jewish musician from St. Louis, Missouri, sees a disconnect

Lucy Greenbaum, 23, does not feel recognized as a Jewish person by the Trump administration. Photo by Zack Dalin

between the Trump administration’s eagerness to appear close to the Jewish community and its actual relationship with Jewish Americans. 

“I was just really taken aback by that comment,” she said. “My immediate reaction was that I don’t feel seen by [Pence], by Trump, by the Trump administration, as a Jewish person. I do not feel represented by them.”

Greenbaum is concerned about the impact of Trump and Pence’s rhetoric on the Jewish community. 

“Trump had the opportunity to condemn white supremacy as a whole and did not do so [during the presidential debate]… I feel that this administration is a direct threat to Jewish people in this country,” said Greenbaum. 

According to the Anti-Defamation League, antisemitic incidents in the United States have risen under Trump’s presidency, with a 12% increase from 2018 to 2019. 

Jonah Rothstein, 25, described Pence’s comments as “laughable.” Photo courtesy of Jonah Rothstein.

Jonah Rothstein, 25, a member of the Jewish community in Encinitas, California, rejects Pence’s assertion that Trump supports the Jewish community. He described Pence’s comments as “laughable.” 

“This administration throws dog whistles to white supremacists, including the Proud Boys, who are recognizable antisemites… it’s baked into their ideology,” said Rothstein. “Just because you have a relationship with someone who’s Jewish does not mean you are not antisemitic.” 

Although originally a Bernie Sanders supporter, Rothstein will be voting for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. 

“It’s the only option we have to preserve a semblance of American democracy,” said Rothstein. 

The post Pence debate response angers many in Jewish community appeared first on Pavement Pieces.