In this session, Sarita Daftary will discuss her work on the East New York Oral History Project and the Rikers Public Memory Project. The East New York Oral History Project was designed to capture the personal experiences of people who lived in East New York from 1960 - 1970, during the time in which East New York rapidly changed from a primarily White to primarily Black and Latino community. The Rikers Public Memory Project is a community-based, participatory initiative through which our collective stories about the impact of Rikers are activated to envision a more just NYC and initiate a community truth and healing process. Sarita will discuss these projects in the context of building power to challenge dominant narratives about Black communities, about wealth, and about people who have been incarcerated.

Sarita Daftary has worked with JustLeadershipUSA as a Community Organizer since May 2017 (now Senior Community Organizer), as part of the team that has led base-building work in NYC, as well as the #CLOSErikers and #buildCOMMUNITIES campaigns. Sarita has over fifteen years of experience in community development and community organizing work in Brooklyn, including previous roles as the director of the Green Light District at El Puente in Williamsburg, and the East New York Farms! (ENYF) Project Director at United Community Centers. She has engaged in oral history work through the East New York Oral History Project and the Rikers Public Memory Project, and is an alumni of Oral History Summer School.

More about the projects highlighted:

East New York Oral History - map: http://eastnewyorkoralhistory.org

East New York Oral History- timeline: http://eastnewyorkoralhistory.org/tim...

Note: Because of the site design, it’s not possible to link directly to individual clips for a b-roll playlist. We encourage you to explore the map and timeline however you choose for additional listening.

Rikers Public Memory Project - https://rikersmemoryproject.org Still recruiting volunteers for final transcription efforts!

More resources and contact information can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QdpdAJRrqpejcKSTtWClfsm-Z1-wIGDv/edit

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These events are open to all. For more information or if we can make any of these events more accessible to you please contact Rebecca McGilveray at rlm2203@columbia.edu.