PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Nasirah Fair, Youth Worker at The Brotherhood Sister Sol
1:23:33
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167 sec
Nasirah Fair, a youth worker at The Brotherhood Sister Sol, testified about the organization's work in social justice, education, and support for Black and Latinx youth. She emphasized the need for safe, restorative, and healing environments in New York City public schools, advocating for increased funding for student mental health and support staff.
- Called for a student to support staff ratio of 1 to 100 in NYC public schools
- Urged for the use of federal COVID relief funds to support student wellness
- Advocated for investment in wellness clubs and centers instead of surveillance systems in schools
Nasirah Fair
1:23:33
Hi.
1:23:33
Thank you so much.
1:23:35
So you just heard from 2 of our young people in our liberation program at the Brotherhood Sister Soul.
1:23:42
I am a youth worker at the Brotherhood Sister Soul, and we'd like to thank you for the opportunity to testify today.
1:23:50
For over 25 years, the Brotherhood Sister Soul has been at the forefront of social justice.
1:23:56
We've been educating, organizing, and training to challenge inequity and champion opportunity for all.
1:24:03
We have a focus on black and Latinx youth.
1:24:06
Brosis is where young people claim their power, with learning about their history, identity, and community to build the future that they want to see.
1:24:16
BROSIS also provides around the clock support and wrap around programming, making space for black and Latinx young people to examine our roots, define their stories, and awaken their legacy.
1:24:29
All youth deserve safe, high quality, holistic, and positively transformative educational experiences.
1:24:36
If we believe in equity and want to create the futures all New Yorkers deserve, we must build within our schools systems of accountability, restorative justice, and behavioral management that do not include the NYPD and holistically support student student success.
1:24:55
Our vision for education in New York Public School includes safe, restorative, and healing environments where all students have the opportunity to learn and grow.
1:25:04
To meet this goal, we must equitably resource New York City public schools and defund the tactics that push out marginalized students.
1:25:13
We implore New York State and City elected officials to create a budget that prioritizes student mental health and puts New York public schools on a path to fund student to student support staff ratio of 1 to 100.
1:25:32
Since I'm running out of time, I will say that we Finish.
1:25:36
Don't worry.
1:25:37
We are hoping to, apologies.
1:25:41
We're hoping to increase federal funding not federal funding.
1:25:45
Sorry.
1:25:46
City and state funding, especially in using federal COVID relief funds.
1:25:54
I'm trying to finish this up quickly.
1:25:59
So instead of funding surveillance, the surveillance that we were talking about earlier, namely GoGuardian and other, student surveillance systems that we've seen in schools, We implore city council to invest in wellness clubs and wellness centers, services that we provide at Brotherhood Sister Soul that should really be provided within schools.
1:26:20
Thank you.
