Over the next seven weeks, we will be asking GSD members to participate in a few meaningful ways in the Democratic primary on Thursday, September 13.

First up: this amazing fundraiser for “No IDC” challengers for NY State Senate.

These 8 Democrats are running to unseat the IDC Dems who formed a coalition with Republicans, blocking most progressive legislation in NY for the last 7 years, including parts of the Women’s Equality Act to codify Roe v. Wade in New York law, GENDA to protect LGBT New Yorkers from discrimination, voting reform, criminal justice reform, campaign finance and ethics reform, and important protections for tenants.

But wait, didn’t you read that the IDC broke up and joined the mainstream Democrats in Albany? Don’t be fooled. They did this only after this year’s legislative session ended, they did the exact same thing during election season four years ago (then stuck with the Republicans after getting re-elected), and they are still running with campaign funds raised illegally by pretending to be an entirely different party.

Luckily, our State Senator, Brian Kavanagh, is *not* part of the IDC, so we don’t need to vote for a challenger on September 13. But the outcome of these primaries will effect the kind of work Sen. Kavanagh can accomplish on our behalf in Albany.

I hope you’ll join Grand Street Democrats in supporting these Democrats on Tuesday, July 31.

Our friends at Manny Cantor Center are taking the lead in organizing our community’s protest of Trump policy to separate families at the border. Despite his executive order last week, the threat to children still exists and we feel compelled to continue resisting this fascist program.

GSD will be making signs later today (Friday) and marching tomorrow (Saturday). Please see below for details.

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Dear friends,

In the past few weeks members of our Manny Cantor Center community have attended a rally organized by Families Belong Together and signed a banner in our lobby in support of those seeking asylum and the families that have been detained or separated across our nation.

This afternoon, we will meet as a community to prepare for tomorrow’s rally, and tomorrow, along with our friends from the 14th Street Y, we will meet together to mobilize with #FamiliesBelongTogether.

We invite you to raise your voices and join us:

Rally Sign Making | BYO Materials
TODAY, 4PM-6PM | Manny Cantor Center, 4th floor

#MCCMobilize to Attend “Families Belong Together” Rally in Foley Square
TOMORROW (Saturday), 9:15 AM | Meet in Front of Manny Cantor Center to walk to Foley Square

Rabbi Joanna Samuels, the Executive Director of Manny Cantor, invites us to join her at a rally Thursday afternoon in Brooklyn to protest the mistreatment of children and families crossing the border to the United States.

As Rabbi Samuels said, “U.S. government agents are forcibly separating children from their immigrant parents, sending the children to foster homes or detention centers while their parents are sent to jail. Often, the parents do not know their children’s whereabouts, or even if they are safe. The children are sent to live with strangers or in prison-like detention centers, unaware of whether they will ever be reunited with the families. This cannot continue.”

There are numerous reports of families being forcibly separated at the border, and of children being placed in prison-like detention centers where they have been abused physically and sexually. The legal context of these separations may be complicated, but the outcomes are clearly wrong, and as Americans we should not allow activity like this to be perpetrated in our name.

If you and your family would like to join the rally, meet at the Manny Cantor Center, 197 East Broadway at 5:00 pm. We will then take the F train together to Brooklyn, where the rally starts at 5:30 pm.

Grand Street Democrats is ready to mobilize for election season!

On Monday, June 4, from 6:00 – 8:00 pm please join us at Manny Cantor Center for petition drive organizing for our endorsed candidates in New York, and for phone banking with Sister District for Liz Hanbidge for Pennsylvania.

We will also hear from Joe Telano from the NYS Democratic Party. He’ll let us know of some upcoming chances this summer to volunteer for Democratic campaigns that will help flip Congressional and State Senate seats to blue.

Petitioning starts on Tuesday, and we want everyone to chip in. This is an important function of belonging to Grand Street Democrats: our endorsed candidates need your help.

To participate in phone banking, please bring a laptop and mobile phone. We will be working from a script, contacting PA voters to make sure they know about important upcoming state elections.

Even in this deep blue corner of Manhattan we can help make a difference.

Following Eric Schneiderman’s sudden downfall and resignation 3 weeks ago, there are three candidates for NYS Attorney General seeking the Democratic nomination — Letitia James, Zephyr Teachout, and Leecia Eve. We will have a chance to hear from all three and vote afterwards for the GSD endorsement.

In addition, the party position of (Male) State Committee Member is open this year following the announcement that Lee Berman will not seek re-election to that seat. Two candidates are running: Chris Marte and Joseph Garba.

Any member with voting privileges who cannot make the meeting may designate an attending member to carry their proxy. No member may carry more than one proxy. Designations need to be in writing (email to hello@grandstreetdems.nyc will be accepted).

Thank you to Downtown Independent Democrats for hosting this forum.

We’ll have two GSD meetings to hear from Democratic candidates for state office and to vote on GSD’s endorsements:

State Candidates Forum

Monday, May 7, 6:30 – 9:30 pm
PS 41, 116 W. 11th Street

State Candidates Endorsement Meeting

Tuesday, May 15, 6:30 – 7:30 pm
Location TBD (on Grand Street)

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Another two meetings are planned to discuss the traffic crisis in our neighborhood:

L Train Town Hall

Wednesday, May 9, 6:30 – 8:30 pm
New School Johnson Hall, 66 W. 12th Street

CB3 Transportation Visioning Workshop

Wednesday, May 16, 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Seward Park High School, 5th floor cafeteria
Enter on Ludlow between Grand and Broome

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And, to celebrate LES History Month, two great events planned by LESPI:

LESPI meeting with Kent Barwick

Tuesday, May 8, 6:30 – 8:00 pm
Tenement Museum, 103 Orchard Street

Join a conversation with legendary preservationist Kent Barwick as part of LES History Month.
RSVP required due to space constraints: info@LESPI-nyc.org

Celebration of St. Mary’s Church

Monday, May 14, 6:30 – 8:00 pm
Rectory of St. Mary’s, 28 Attorney Street

For almost 200 years, St. Mary’s has been serving the immigrant populations of the Lower East Side. The event will include a presentation on the church’s and area’s history, a tour of the church, and ringing of St. Mary’s Bell. Tickets required, $10 for GSD members. Purchase here.

Join the New York Junior League’s Playground Improvement Project to help beautify and improve Corlears Hook Park.
Lunch provided if you RSVP by May 4.

Corlears Hook Park — our neighborhood’s entryway to East River Park — has undergone significant upgrades over the past five years thanks to local organizing by Friends of Corlears Hook Park.

This year, the park has been selected as the subject of an intense month-long volunteer project by New York Junior League’s Playground Improvement Project. Working weekends since April 14, volunteers are gardening, landscaping, and renovating the park and playground.

We will join them during the final weekend of park improvements, on Saturday, May 12. Volunteers should be ready to start working at 8:30 am. Lunch will be provided only if you RSVP below.

Corlears Hook Park is a vital outdoor space for our community, with playground, outdoor grills, baseball and soccer field, a dog run, and one of the most vibrant displays of Chinese magnolias in New York City. It’s important that we do our part to make sure this park has the local resources necessary to keep it looking its best.

This year’s state primary is heating up! Hear from Democratic candidates for Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, and Comptroller. Open to the public.

We are grateful to Village Independent Democrats for arranging the event. GSD and other downtown clubs are co-sponsoring the event to make sure members of our community have a chance to hear directly from all these Democratic campaigns.

PS 41 is close to the West 4th Street subway stop (D, B, F, A, C). From our neighborhood you can also take the M14A to 6th Ave. and walk down just three blocks.