The Friends of Sixth Street Community Center was organized in early January 2025 to support the mission of Sixth Street in the face of escalating threats to the Center’s staff and programs by the rogue four-person Board. The Friends currently have a local membership of over 300 supporters who are working to reinstate the Center’s Co-Founder, Howard Brandstein, as Executive Director, and Alfred Robertson as Facilities Director, who were unjustly fired after decades of service. Our goal is to democratize the Center’s board to fully represent the community and to bring transparency and accountability to its governance. Friends of Sixth Street Community Center calls for the current board’s resignation to allow this historic and beautiful community organization to once again flourish.
Some more background from the Petition to Restore Howard to Sixth Street and reclaim the Community Center:
The Petition: The Issue
The heart and soul of the renowned Sixth Street Community Center is Howard Brandstein. Under his leadership, the Center has long been a pillar of the Lower East Side, providing programs for children and teens, inexpensive organic food through its Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, and free meals and fresh produce during the pandemic. It has been a leader in developing a new vision for community land trusts in NYC to provide permanently affordable housing along with a workers center to organize residents around labor and tenants’ rights.
It’s undeniable that without Howard Brandstein, Sixth Street would cease to be. Yet, recently, in an unjust decision, the Center’s board of 4 members egregiously fired him.
The dismissal of Howard, who nurtured this Center along with his late co-founder Annette Averette from its infancy, is not just an attack on him but on the entire community. It’s no exaggeration to state that the Center would not exist without their tireless work over the decades. Therefore, we demand the reinstatement of Howard Brandstein as Executive Director and mediation with the board to address issues of transparency and community accountability.
This is not just about one person but about preserving a community resource that has been in operation for many years, serves hundreds every week, and plays a vital role in the lives of so many. This is about integrity, respect, and community voice. Stand with us in demanding justice for Howard Brandstein, and in preserving the holistic vision of the Sixth Street Community Center. Please sign this petition and lend your voice in support. Let’s make sure Howard stays a key stake holder and keep our community alive!