TESTIMONY
Jerry Goldman, Chair of Dance Parade, on Repealing NYC's Racist and Restrictive Dance Laws
5:16:51
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3 min
Jerry Goldman argues for the repeal of NYC's racist and restrictive dance laws, citing their unconstitutional nature and negative effects.
- Goldman highlights the racist origins of the city's dance laws, emphasizing their design to oppress and divide.
- As chair of the Dance Parade and an attorney, he speaks in his individual capacity, stressing that dance is a form of communicative speech protected under the First Amendment.
- He points out the adverse implications of these laws on business owners, such as potential insurance denial or loss of liquor licenses.
- Emphasizes the universal importance of dance as a means of communication and expression.
- Calls for the repeal of these laws due to their unconstitutional status and the disrespect they breed for the law.
Jerry Goldman
5:16:51
Thank you, Mister chair, councilperson, Shulman.
5:16:56
My name is Jerry Goldman.
5:16:59
I submitted a letter with more detailed remarks.
5:17:03
I've also testified twice before this Auguste body.
5:17:08
In support of the repeal of the cabaret laws back in 2017.
5:17:13
And for the same reasons that I said then, This legislation as to dance must pass.
5:17:23
That legislation testimony then and what Mister Miller just said.
5:17:30
The dance laws in this city come from a racist background.
5:17:36
The dance laws in this city would have designed to divide The dance laws in this city were designed to oppress.
5:17:47
The dance laws in this city were designed to pick on people that those in power from a day to day basis didn't like.
5:17:59
Those laws were enforced arbitrarily on fairly and bred corruption.
5:18:07
I'm the chair of dance parade.
5:18:09
I'm also an attorney.
5:18:11
I'm speaking here in my individual capacity.
5:18:14
I have no economic interest.
5:18:17
In any of the passage.
5:18:19
Dance is something and I disagree with my friend, Greg.
5:18:24
Implicit
John Calcagnile
5:18:24
to all
Jerry Goldman
5:18:25
of us.
5:18:26
We all have art hearts.
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We all feel beats.
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I don't care if you're on the 7 train, and it's Spanish beats.
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It's Chinese beats.
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It's African beats.
5:18:38
We all feel beats, and we feel those beats from our heart.
5:18:42
And when we hear music, we have to dance.
5:18:47
I don't care if we're young.
5:18:49
I don't care if we're old.
5:18:51
We have to dance.
5:18:54
And when we dance, we communicate.
5:18:57
And that is speech.
5:18:59
And that communicative speech is protected speech under the first amendment.
5:19:06
Two really quick points if you indulge me, by having a bad law, an unconstitutional law, which is subject to attack on any minute.
5:19:21
We're breeding disrespect for a war.
5:19:24
When a bar owner is allowing dance that he can't, we're breeding disrespect.
5:19:32
If God forbid he has a fire, his insurance company may deny coverage because of an illegal action.
5:19:42
That can't be right.
5:19:44
He can lose his liquor license.
5:19:46
She can lose his liquor license.
5:19:49
We have to fix it because it's unconstitutional and has bad consequences.
5:19:55
And enforcement We have laws.
5:19:59
This body has been enforcing laws since it was set up under the Dutch.
5:20:06
You pass the law, you provide funding to enforce it.
