I didn't have the terminology to think of these symptoms as something that would be part of something bigger for my body, for my life, and that it would impact, like, everyone in my family. Send us a note with the Letter to the Editor form. There aren't spaces that are empowering young women in particular so I set out to do that," she said. You can reach us via social media, email, paper mail, or at your district office. Council Member Shahana Hanif @CMShahanaHanif Today, I am so proud to introduce #Intro617 , to mandate 56 hours of PAID sick leave to over 140,000 gig workers in New York City. I encourage folks to keep at it, Hanif said. Attended by over 1,000in-district voters across 108 sessions, the program relied on relational organizing to expand the campaigns reachby, for example, encouraging attendees to host their own Zoomsessions. Subscribe and listenwherever you get yourpodcasts. It is absurd to think that a service that should be available to people like me includes bureaucracy. Someone at the door would recognize one of the ladies, and Bangladeshi hospitality is such that theyre not going to close the door on you. I had no reference points. Pittsburgh and Kansas City elected their first Black mayors, Ed Gainey and Tyrone Garner. I had to crowdfund at a young age to pay for my medical expenses. What does it mean that we havent had South Asian or female Muslim representation on New Yorks City Council? During Hanifs frequent trips to the hospital, she also uncovered language barriers apparent in New York hospitals. (Photo via sha.banana / instagram) Kensington-based activist Shahana Hanif is a woman that embraces her many intersectional identities. What are your visions for New York City? Shahana Hanif won a City Council race on Tuesday, and will represent a district that includes several Brooklyn neighborhoods. Now, she's running for New York City Council in the 39th District. Raisas leadership formed one pillar of amulti-generational effort spearheaded by Bangladeshi women, including Hanifs own mother, who tracked hundreds of phone calls on paper in Bangla. SH: It was instinctual. This is ourRSS feed. In April of 2019, Hanif was profiled in The New York Times after helping a Bangladeshi woman escape from an abusive forced marriage. contact the Council Member representing that community. With 57% of the vote and endorsements from (among others) the Working Families Party and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Hanif s primary victory was momentous. It was a turning point for my family, for me. In a statement on Tuesday night, Hanif said that she was "humbled and proud" to be the first Muslim woman on the Council and the first woman of any faith to represent District 39. Eligible voters. Dearborn elected its first Muslim and Arab American mayor, Abdullah Hammoud. In 2016, Hanif was profiled for the first time and just it so happened to be by Bklyner. Check out this episode of Brooklyn Magazine: The Podcast for more from Hanif. Its an exciting moment to decolonize and write our own history in a place where I call home. In our schoolslike across CUNY campusesinformants were placed in our Muslim Student Associations. I am a Lupus survivor, and since my diagnosis at 17, I have not rested in fighting to create a feminist, livable city that radically prioritizes physical and mental health care and language access for all. People's judgment of how I'm looking, how I'm talking. I can help." Three years later, the story is still fresh in her mind. 2013 - 2013less than a year. So I started writing a blog, Shahana With Lupus. There was so much at play here. It felt obvious to me to do the work with Bangladeshis; it felt obvious to build a political legacy within a feminist Asian space, working and building power with black communities. Mine impacted my kidneys, so I had to go through two biopsies, so that meant going under the knife. A Wisconsin Hog Farm Would Produce 9.4 Million Gallons of Manure a Year. But my run really activated so many of our Bangladeshi constituents, including folks who are not typically voters. Its very civically engaged. The Bangladeshi community in Kensington, and more broadly working-class South Asians and Muslims across NYC, has been ignored and underserved by our city government for far too long. At the age of 17, Shahana Hanif was diagnosed with lupusa chronic illness that impacts predominantly women and women of color and receives little funding. Early life [ edit] Hanif was born and raised in Kensington, Brooklyn, New York, to immigrant parents from Bangladesh. She was spurred to become a candidate after helping a woman in her community a fellow Bangladeshi Muslim leave an abusive situation. Crawford County is up against Roth Feeder Pig II, which would be the largest hog CAFO in the state and could permanently pollute local aquifers. Tweets by staff. At the beginning stages, Hanif remembers waiting for hours and hours, confused and in pain, in the waiting area of the emergency room at Coney Island Hospital. Nearby Residents Live in Fear. She is known as a representative of the. It wasnt accessible at all. May 22, 2021 By Jackson Schroeder Filed Under: Feature, Persisting in Park Slope Tagged With: jackson schroeder, politics, spring 2021. I knew within minutes of meeting her that she had a sharp mind, but I had no idea how much she had survived. She would also be the first woman ever elected to represent District 39, which covers Park Slope, Kensington, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, and parts of Borough Park. Subscribe for $49 per year to support local journalism and the community it covers. In no way [did I feel like] this would be a diagnosis of a chronic illness. How has having lupus has shaped your life and the way you approach your work? She is also a part of the 30 women who were elected to City Hall (most of them women of color)surpassing the goal of 21 elected women to office. Only five of the newly elected women were incumbents, and two of the women elected were . Jackson Schroeder is a writer living in Park Slope, Brooklyn. I couldnt walk.. She was one of two history-making South Asian candidates to win as well; the other, Shekar Krishnan, won a seat representing Jackson Heights and Elmhurst in Queens. After having both hips replaced and suffering from the pain of lupus, Hanif felt stuckunable to adequately move and be a part of the city. My rheumatologist and other specialists during my Lupus treatment journey told me it would take a lot of grit and strength to survive. Finding your voice and breaking any fears you might have is a critical part of getting that seat at the table. As a result of over policing, I grew up seeing neighbors deported, detained and separated from their families. Council Members each have an office at 250 Broadway, as well as offices in each of their districts. I was just afraid to talk to people because I felt overwhelmed with, you know, imposter syndrome. When I shouldve been thinking about colleges, prom or going abroad, which were the conversations my friends were having, I was needing to understand this degenerative, complicated medical issue that I had never heard about.. In New York City, a global beacon that draws a diverse population from all over the world, the City Council has never had a person of South Asian descent or a Muslim woman among its membership. So many stores on 5th Avenue and 7th Avenue are shuttered, said Hanif. In her words, lupus has required a profound, continual renovation of her body; it meant undergoing surgery, experimental medication, and chemotherapy as a teenager. Shahana Hanif, candidate for New York City Council. It was hot out the day of the accident, and he wasn . Specifically, Hanif would work to end admissions screening, a process heavily criticized for putting Black and brown students at a disadvantage. And then I was rejected. In adistrict like mine, where theres wealth and access and privilege, were going to need those bodies out here, Hanifsays. In January, 30-year-old activist Shahana Hanif will also become the first South Asian councilmember and the first woman to represent her district in City Hall. If she wins the general election as expected, she will become New York Citys first Muslim woman councilmember and first woman of color to represent thedistrict. Brian Braiker is the editor-in-chief of Brooklyn Magazine. Immediately after being diagnosed with lupus, I developed avascular necrosisa joint disease. The goal there, she says, is to bring our community together around issues that impact working families across issues not just specific to their immigration status but around education issues, around healthcare, domestic violence and so many other things.. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. Communities of Limited English Proficiency were the last to find out about all sorts of things, from where to receive testing and vaccination to school closings. The urgency on language access was also something that was brewing in me where I was like, why isnt the health care system taking more responsibility to make sure that families understand and feel supported and are equipped to to survive this journey?. A number of other L.G.B.T.Q. I thought about if I had ever read any stories about Muslim women dealing with chronic illnesses, or on the disability spectrum that didn't exist for me. In ICUs, she was consistently left without access to adequate medication. All rights reserved, Suspect in deadly NYC fire still living in building, accused of racially harassing Black neighbors, What to do this Fourth of July holiday weekend in NYC, Bugs swarm NYC streets already grappling with haze from Canadian wildfires, Alligator sneaks into Louisiana couple's home through doggy door, 4-year-old reported missing after mom handed her off to woman has been found: NYPD, Video shows touching moment lab chimp sees the sky for the first time in 28 years. Is it the police who can heal us from that, or is it our neighbors who can really look out for for ways to support one another and really learn about each others histories? Award-winning communications leader with more than a decade of progressive experience across four industries including both the private and public sectors.<br><br>Carries a proven track record of managing marcom strategies delivering from vision through to execution with highly measurable results in Canada, US and Asia.<br><br>Thrives at connecting multinational teams together to . The city has distributed literature around what to do if ICE comes knocking at your door, but it was unreadable. Chair of Immigration Committee, Co-Chair of @NYCProgressives . "In this community there aren't youth centers. According to Shahana Hanif, distance learning is a huge transition, "especially for students from working-class families, living without privacy, or a separate study space." "Since the start of social distancing, many Bangladeshi students and parents expressed anxiety to me around missing assignments because they had no device (iPad or laptop) or adequate access to internet to begin . I was born and raised in Brooklyn and grew up as a Muslim kid in a post 9/11 era. Trust your experience and voice, find a good teamthis includes a support system of friends, family, and community folkslift up and lean on other South Asian and Muslim organizers, and read Stacey Abrams Our Time Is Now! she said. Hanifs election holds many firsts. [3], At age 17, Hanif was diagnosed with lupus, an incurable and potentially fatal autoimmune disease. Its more than seeing myself as a candidate fighting to win; there's just so much more at stake here, which is why I wake up with an abundant amount of energy, ready to take on the day. On Nov. 2, Shahana Hanif made history by becoming the first Muslim woman elected to the New York City Council. I was currently studying NVQ Hair and Media Make-up at South Thames College. candidates clinched victories, including Tiffany Cabn in Queens. Day to day is me figuring out who I need to talk to next, which meeting do I need to be at. My father got to America in the early '80s, a ship jumper who worked in restaurants and hotels and construction, and eventually became a contractor. We never heard from him, but we continued to meet because we learned that we needed to keep each other and our families safe. Receiving pushback in her own community for running for a seat in City Council, Hanif didn't let that deter her. We never thought that a couple of weeks later the virtual would become our new normal and sheltering in place would become a public health safety standard. Ive been living a life under surveillance since the age of 10 but likely even before that. Park was drawn to Hanifs campaign because of its feminism. I barely knew what Lupus was, said Hanif, a Muslim feminist and daughter of Bangladeshi immigrants running to represent Brooklyns 39th District in the New York City Council. A conversation with current and former ACT UP activists. T: Do you think local politics really is the crucial space for people to engage? When asked about the significance of being New York Citys first Muslim woman to be elected to the city council,Hanif spoke of her post 9/11 experience. Become a full-fledged member of the Brooklyn Magazine family. Prior to the election, Hanif was the director of organizing and community engagement for former Councilman Brad Lander, whose seat she now holds. Brooklyn, NY 11215 You told the AP in a recent interview that when you were 10in the weeks after the World Trade Center fella driver passing by called you and your younger sister terrorists while you were walking to the local mosque. "While $16 million won't be enough to satisfy the demand providers know exists, this investment will ensure that our immigrant families won't be left high-and-dry," said @CMShahanaHanif In Brooklyn, She Made Her Escape", "Shahana Hanif Is Running To Represent District 39 In City Council", "In Brooklyn Political Launching Pad, Another Highly Competitive Council Race", "AOC Endorses Candidates for City Council. Did your consciousness grow out of this experience? What can we do so that organizations can step in to provide resources around mental health issues? I mean, I was in disbelief for many days, because this is a seat that has only been held by white men. Throughout my life, I have attended schools in Brooklyn from PS 230 to Brooklyn College. When I was diagnosed with lupus at 17, there was no medical interpreter around to speak to my parents about what lupus is and what it entails. Daily Kos had the opportunity to speak with her in regards to her new position and what it meant to her and the community. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital And these material changes are critical for our health, our climate and our survival.. Shahana attended PS 230 in Kensington and earned a Bachelors degree in Womens and Gender Studies at Brooklyn College. I wasnt allowed to reapply for another year, after which I was approved. SH: I had various symptoms, like very painful migraines. What we saw after 9/11 is the expansion of homeland security departments across the U.S. and the creation of ICE and money going into the police departments to expand surveillance. Adam Kuperstein reports. I took part in the world skills show competing with colleges and universities across the region and managed to win and make it in to the finals, as one the top 10 makeup artists. And so with the help of a a rapid translation team, we produced our own version that we distributed in 2019. Like, we get in the way of ourselves. Everything we do, everything we decide on locally, directly impacts how we do national politics. This work requires all of us to keep showing up even though the election is over.. Copyright 2023 by the Institute for Public Affairs (EIN: 94-2889692), Bangladeshi Americans for Political Progress. TANAS: Let's start with your lupus diagnosis. City Council candidate Shahana Hanif speaks during a New York Working Families Party GOTV Rally in Fort Greene Park in New York City on June 11, 2021. I had to chart my own non-traditional path leaning on activists and organizers from throughout my life and push to do outreach to our Bangladeshi constituency and organize women to do that work. After 9/11, the Patriot Actand expansion of the homeland security apparatus across the U.S.brought on a wave of targeting and surveillance upon Muslim families, community organizations, campuses, and mosques. RIA MODAK is asenior at Harvard College and was asummer 2021 editorial intern at In These Times. They're not like I'm not, like, speaking to AOC or Rashida Tlaib; I've met AOC and Rashida, but I'm on my own. Among the five elected wasShahana Hanif. Asian Americans have made history by being elected in record numbers in major cities nationwide. I would like to see more women in the city council. Disability justice activists and healers have set up abundant ways to get through this.. Ms. Hanif, who is Bangladeshi American, was the first Muslim woman elected to the Council in its history, despite the fact that the city is home to an estimated 769,000 Muslims. How am I going to talk about it with my friends? "This is life-changing," Hanif told News 4 New York. A couple of years later, while pursuing her undergraduate degree at Brooklyn College, Hanif remembers struggling to find housing that accommodated her inabilities. In my district, weve seen an uptick in anti-semitic and Islamophobic violence. TIME: What have the last 48 hours been like for you? I ran to change that and to fight locally for the changes all our communities need. News and stories from the front lines of the tenant movement On the community level, Shahana and her staff are working to address block-by-block sanitation issues, promote education equity across classrooms, expand open streets and funding for parks and playgrounds, implement flooding resilient housing infrastructure, and center the needs of women, youth, immigrants, and seniors. In Landers office, I was leading participatory budgeting, which is a city initiative that allows our neighbors to provide input in how they want the budget to be spent. Born and bred in Kensington, where she still lives today, Hanif herself means something to a lot of people. What to Know Winning the race for City Council in Brooklyn's District 39. Shahana K. Hanif (born February 5, 1991) is an American politician who is a member of the New York City Council for the 39th district, which covers Park Slope and other neighborhoods in central Brooklyn . Her district includes the neighborhood where she grew up as well as Borough Park, Windsor Terrace, Park Slope, Gowanus, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, and the Columbia Waterfront. She helped create the Avenue C Plaza, a public park in Kensington, a neighborhood long-known for its lack of public outdoor space. All rights reserved. When I saw that, I was like, "I want to apply to this. Lupus was the catalyst for me to really understand the citys broken health care system, navigating a very nebulous health journey, Hanif told Ms. nytimes.com. If elected, Hanif would become the first Muslim and South Asian woman ever to serve in the New York City Council. Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Columbia Waterfront, Gowanus, Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Borough Park, Kensington. Though Lander did not formally endorse Hanif, he stated, I learn from working with her all the time, and Ithink its fantastic that shesrunning., A field of seven vied for the seat, including progressives like community organizer Brandon West, endorsed by the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). Once a tourist destination, the Salton Sea faces ecological collapse, toxic dust stormsand maybe a lithium boom. Chi Oss in Brooklyn and Erik Bottcher in Manhattan had run in uncontested races, and Lynn Schulman was expected to win a seat in Queens. Hanif was born and raised in the pocket of Kensington, Brooklyn known as "Little Bangladesh.". They were looking for a Bangla-fluent organizer. Could you speak to the complex relationship that Muslims have with law enforcement post 9/11? SH: Stacey Abrams' book Lead From the Outside is serving as a sort of political doctrine. The feedback was so incredible. All Rights Reserved. Hanif is also aDSA member but did not get an endorsement. I would describe it as a continuity of the work that I was doing while at the current council member Brad Landers office, where I was dealing with a lot of issues, including domestic violence cases. A doctor told her that the reason she was experiencing so much pain each day was that she had Lupus, a disease that causes the bodys immune system to attack its own tissues and organs. For me, its been a key tool to organize my community. Afghan men demand the right of women to pursue higher education. [7], In late 2019, with her boss Lander facing term limits, Hanif announced her intention to run for the City Council's 39th district in 2021. [6] During her time working for Lander, Hanif helped a Bangladeshi woman escape a forced marriage, which she cited as an important factor in her eventual decision to run for the New York City Council herself. Hanif, 30, is now the Democratic nominee for New York City Council from District 39. I went to P.S. Michelle Wu became the first woman and person of color elected to be Bostons mayor. This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/02/nyregion/shahana-hanif-muslim-city-council.html. At 17 she was diagnosed with the chronic autoimmune disease lupus, which disproportionately affects Black and brown women, and would over time galvanize her to become interested in community infrastructure and organizing. Hanif was born and raised in Kensington, Brooklyn, New York, to immigrant parents from Bangladesh. I was politicized during 9/11, and inherent to my fight for liberation is to build power with Muslim Americans and faith communities. The City Council will have a total of five new Asian American members next year, more than ever, including its first Korean American members Julie Won and Linda Lee were elected to lead districts in Queens and a Cambodian American member, Sandra Ung, who will represent another Queens district, based in Flushing. To achieve real equity and a desegregated public school system, I support eliminating standardized admissions exams and screens from the admissions process for our public schools. Now, I am channeling that strength to lead our city and fight for every single New Yorker who is also struggling to survive. "If people have complaints they should say it to . We have continued to blow the budget in order to spy on Black and brown communities. If I did not speak, read or write in the language, I would have had a much harder time connecting. How did you come to organizing? She was one of. In-Person meetings with our Constituent Services Director only available through appointment only at this time. Shahana Hanif won Council District 39 in Brooklyn with 89% of votes and 100% of precincts . From left: Carrie Ellman-Larsen and Shahana Hanif both helped Ms. Zahan find safety after she decided to leave an abusive household. Despite being diagnosed with an incurable disease that, at a young age, occupied many of her thoughts and emotions, Hanif was pressured to keep her diagnosis, and all of the struggles that came with it, somewhat to herself. T: When I met you at Brooklyn College, the feminist part of you felt so obvious, strong, and powerful.
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