Brooklyn Forum Will Address All Your Burning, Trump-Related Civil Rights Concerns

CROWN HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN — State Senator Jesse Hamilton will host a public forum this Wednesday focused on many of the legal and civil rights concerns community members have following last week's election of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency.

Hamilton's district includes Brownsville, Crown Heights, East Flatbush, Gowanus, Park Slope, Lefferts Gardens, Prospect Heights, and Sunset Park.

The event is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Nov. 16 at the St. Francis De Sales School for the Deaf, located at 260 Eastern Pkwy.

The forum will feature remarks from community activists and a variety of specialists, according to Hamilton staffer Raul Rothblatt. Time will also be left for a question-and-answer period.

Rothblatt said the meeting won't be partisan in nature, and that the list of speakers is still being finalized. He provided the following draft list on Monday:

• Sen. Hamilton will provide opening remarks
• Charlie Uruchima of the New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE) and Dennis Flores of El Grito de Sunset Park will speak on what Trump's election means for the future of the Dream Act, DACA, and immigration policy generally
• Bertha Lewis of The Black Institute and civil rights lawyer Norman Siegel will speak on criminal justice reform (including stop and frisk), voting rights, and the future of the Supreme Court
• Allegra Fishel of the Gender Equality Law Center and Tracy Hobson of the Center for Anti-Violence Education will speak on womens' rights, marriage rights, and LGBTQ issues
• Derek Slaughter from the city's Commission on Human Rights will address New York's human rights laws
• Rabbi Andy Bachman and Vanessa Tucker of Freedom House will discuss religious freedom, freedom of the press, and "civil vs. corporate rights"

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr Commons