Media Alert
Friends of Sixth Street Community Center Intensify Campaign to Remove Center’s Board Amidst Dismantling of Core Programs and Firing of Longtime Workers
Boycott Launched of Center Board Chair Amikole Maraesa’s Shea Butter Products
Picket to be Held Outside Flower Power in East Village Friday, September 12th 5 p.m.
The Friends of Sixth Street Community Center continue their efforts to preserve the longtime mission of the Community Center, an invaluable resource on the Lower East Side and East Village for over 40 years. In an intensified campaign to reclaim the Center in the midst of the dismantling of programs and firing of staff by the Sixth Street Board, a boycott has now been launched of Board Chair Amikole Maraesa’s Dr. Amikole’s Shea Butter products which are sold at local neighborhood store Flower Power and other locations.
A picket was held outside Flower Power, Maraesa’s workplace where she also sells her shea butter products, on September 2nd. Another picket is now scheduled for Friday, September 12th 5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Maraesa has led the scheme to dismantle the Center’s community programs and fire its longtime staff. In April of this year, she and the board fired and forced out Howard Brandstein, Sixth Street’s Co-founder and Executive Director for 35 years, calling in the NYPD to escort Brandstein out of the building.
In August, she fired Alfred Robertson, Sixth Street Facilities Director of almost 25 years, along with other community staff who are also longtime block residents.
Demands at the picket will include: the reinstatement of Howard Brandstein, Alfred Robertson and community staff, and resignation of the current board.
Maraesa and the board have also shut down Sixth Street’s long-running programs for youth, community organizing and housing justice.
Their actions have sabotaged over $300,000 in funding for community projects including a planning grant for community land trust low-income housing.
In February, the Sixth Street Board, with no input from the staff or community, secretly changed the Center’s bylaws to reduce the required minimum number of members from 7 to 3 and eliminated the Board Advisory Committee. Prior to that, they removed Board member Mitchel Cohen, the lone board member opposing their hostile takeover of the Center.
The September 12th picket will call out Sixth Street Board Chair Maraesa for firing staff and dismantling vital community programs.
Picket at Flower Power
Friday, September 12th 5 – 6:30 P.M.
406 East 9th Street (east of 1st Avenue) Manhattan
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