PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Lucy Sexton, Executive Director of New Yorkers for Culture & Arts
2:20:35
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147 sec
Lucy Sexton, Executive Director of New Yorkers for Culture & Arts, testified on the importance of supporting indigenous arts and culture in New York City. She highlighted the economic challenges faced by indigenous artists and called for increased funding and engagement from the city.
- Emphasized the need for affordable housing to support native artists in NYC
- Stressed the importance of indigenous involvement in planning the city's 400th anniversary
- Called for protection of immigrant and indigenous New Yorkers, particularly in light of potential political changes
- Urged passage of "New York for All" legislation and continued support for cultural funding and DEAI initiatives
Lucy Sexton
2:20:35
Okay.
2:20:35
I'm unmuted.
2:20:36
Thanks so much, and thanks for everybody that testified today.
2:20:42
Really, really wonderful.
2:20:43
Thank you, chair Rivera.
2:20:45
Thank you, the, council's cultural affairs committee for holding, this really important hearing and shining a spotlight on our city's indigenous arts and culture workers, organizations, and communities.
2:20:55
I also appreciate the chair referencing housing and affordability.
2:20:58
Indigenous New Yorkers experience poverty at twice the rate of white New Yorkers, and those working in the arts face even sharper economic challenges.
2:21:07
If we want more native artists in New York City, we need to make it more affordable to live here.
2:21:11
As far as indigenous, arts groups receiving funding from DCLA and needing more engagement from native groups in the process, It we also require outreach and building networks of communication so that indigenous artists and cultural groups are aware of the available support, and that requires more capacity for DCLA.
2:21:30
Only an increased baseline can provide increased jobs to do the extensive work that DCLA is charged with doing and the wide ranging cultural feel it is charged with serving.
2:21:40
As the city begins its planning for its 4 hundredth anniversary, we must insist that the people whose land was taken to found the city have a leading role in that planning and telling that history.
2:21:51
The cultural community is ready to partner with the city in engaging cultural groups from all communities in this anniversary.
2:21:58
I appreciate all the work that has been lifted up today.
2:22:01
Native activists and leaders have made modest step forwards in recent years.
2:22:07
However, we as we well know, the backlash has been growing, and I fear what the new administration in that the new administration in Washington will only make it worse.
2:22:17
It will be worse also, as we know, for immigrant artists.
2:22:20
We should note in this hearing, as poetry will tell us, there are many immigrant cultural groups that are also indigenous people bearing with them the indigenous culture of the countries from which they come.
2:22:30
The council, the administration, and our state government need to do all they can to protect immigrant and indigenous New Yorkers.
2:22:38
We must pass New York for all
UNKNOWN
2:22:40
The time has expired.
2:22:41
Thank you.
Lucy Sexton
2:22:42
Must protect cultural funding, which is already under attack by the right.
2:22:46
We must do all we can to protect and support those most vulnerable, black, indigenous, immigrant, and all people of color, and lead the way in saying no to the shutdown of DEAI initiatives and yes to our wildly diverse and vibrant city of culture and community.
2:23:01
Thanks so much.
