Inaugural James Conlon Memorial Lecture
On September 26th, 2016, the inaugural James Conlon Memorial Lecture took place at the University of Rochester Department of Religion and Classics. The event featured a screening of The Destruction of Memory, a documentary about the effort to protect, salvage, and rebuild works of cultural heritage in Syria, Iraq, and elsewhere in the face of ongoing devastation. The documentary is based on the book by Robert Bevan, The Destruction of Memory: Architecture at War.
A panel discussion followed the screening. The conversation included: Tim Slade, the writer, producer, and director of the film; Amila Buturovic, associate professor of humanities and religious studies at York University; Th. Emil Homerin, professor and chair of the Department of Religion and Classics; and Aaron Hughes, Philip S. Bernstein Professor of Jewish Studies, Department of Religion and Classics at the University of Rochester.
The James Conlon Memorial Lecture will be presented one or more times annually at the University of Rochester. It focuses on topics that explore Middle Eastern religions, cultures, art and architecture as well as Arabic languages. James graduated from the university in 1994 with a BA in Classics and Religion.
For more information on the film, visit The Destruction of Memory website.
Three Projects by the Center for Urban Pedagogy
In 2015, the James Conlon Fund contributed $20,000 to the Center for Urban Pedagogy (CUP). A New York-based nonprofit, CUP uses the power of design to create tools that enable meaningful civic engagement. CUP projects demystify urban policy and community planning issues, making them accessible to New York residents to enable them to better advocate for themselves or their community.
Through a collaborative process, designers, writers, community-based advocates, policymakers, and students come together to create visual material that breaks down complex information related to public policy, urban systems, and civic rights, and advises how people can participate or seek help. CUP’s tools are used by organizers and educators all over New York City and beyond.
The James Conlon Fund’s contribution supported three CUP Public Access Design projects, which are summarized below:
Get It Back!
CUP brought together The Bronx Defenders and graphic designers L + L to create Get It Back!, a guide that helps New Yorkers who have recently been arrested retrieve their possessions. The illustrated guide breaks down the property seizure and civil forfeiture processes into detailed steps, including what to do when arrested and after released.
Get It Back! launched in January 2016 at The Bronx Defender’s offices as part of a series of events for their larger campaign pushing for transparency in the civil forfeiture process.
Don’t Trash NYC
CUP teamed up with the organizations ALIGN: The Alliance for a Greater New York and Transform Don’t Trash NYC, along with animator Cole Hannan, to make a video called Don’t Trash NYC. The short animation sheds light on New York City’s commercial waste system, from trashcan to landfill, exposing the impacts it has on workers, community members, and the environment.
The video also features people engaged in the fight for a cleaner, more equitable commercial waste system, including youth from the community development non-profit The Point in the South Bronx, and former commercial waste workers.
SERVE! Street Safety for Trans and Gender Non-Conforming Youth
For trans and gender non-conforming youth of color, police profiling and harassment are the realities of everyday life. Part of the struggle to stay safe in these interactions is knowing and exercising rights. That’s why CUP teamed up with Streetwise and Safe (SAS) and designer James Dunphy to make SERVE!, a pocket-sized, know-your-rights guide to help youth advocate for themselves when they’re detained, searched, and in custody, as well as after they’re released.
SERVE! also publicizes rules that protect the rights of trans and gender non-conforming people in the NYPD Patrol Guide, the rulebook that governs how police interact with the public. The design breaks down personal rights and gives youth examples of language they can use to advocate for them. SAS Youth Leaders participated in all parts of the design process, providing feedback that ensured that the design of the guide would speak directly to their community.
SERVE! was launched at a special event at SAS, which brought together youth from organizations across NYC that serve LGBTQQ youth of color.
For more information on the Center for Urban Pedagogy, visit welcometocup.org
All images courtesy Center for Urban Pedagogy. Special thanks to CUP Program Coordinator Oscar Nuñez and Community Education Program Manager Ingrid Haftel.
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Recycle-A-Bicycle Report
In 2013, the Fund made its first donation of $10,000 to Recycle-A-Bicycle, a nonprofit organization that uses bicycles to foster youth development and community engagement. James enjoyed cycling, competing in races in his teens and commuting to work on his bicycle. The funds we provided to RAB went towards a wide range of activities in 2014 that support youth cycling in Western Queens, New York. In December, RAB sent us a report on the activities and events that occurred throughout last year, which we’ve excerpted below. We are pleased to continue our support of this nonprofit with a further donation in 2015.
Community Service Projects
Recycle-A-Bicycle worked with various volunteer groups to refurbish 24 children’s bicycles per Bike Bonanza. RAB staff led each of the nine community service projects that were held in Long Island City: two student groups from New York University, a student group from Friends Seminary, and six corporate groups including Deloitte, Google, and Health Concentrix. Altogether, 93 volunteers provided 398 hours of service and helped to prepare 216 bikes for redistribution at 8 locations and one bike swap.
Above: Deloitte volunteers help prepare children’s bicycles for a Bike Bonanza
LIC Bike Parade
Held in June at Socrates Sculpture Park in Queens, the LIC Bike Parade is an annual event, hosted by Socrates Sculpture Park to celebrate the bicycle by inviting children to work with local artists to decorate their bikes; get a free bike helmet from the NYC Department of Transport; swap the bike they have outgrown for a bike refurbished by Recycle-A-Bicycle or repair their bike at no cost; and parade down Vernon Boulevard with the local high school marching band to be welcomed with cheers and snacks by members of the Friends of Queensbridge Park and Green Shores NYC. At this year’s Parade, 29 bikes were swapped, 3 bikes were donated to children without one to swap, and 28 bikes were repaired.
Above: Cyclists assemble with their new helmets and bikes.
Summer Youth Employment
Since 2005, Recycle-A-Bicycle has served as a worksite for the Summer Youth Employment Program. This provides jobs and educational classes for teens from low-income families over a six-week period. Participants in 2014 learned how to take apart and rebuild bicycles to prepare for the fall Bike Bonanzas, for a community bike sale. Students were also asked to teach two groups of visiting youth how to fix a flat, and to work with Health Contrix volunteers. At the end of the summer, students successfully completed 17 bikes for the sale and 34 bikes for the Bike Bonanzas. At the end of the sale, students raised $2,500. In addition to these accomplishments, three students earned a bike by staying an hour after each work day.
Above: Summer Youth Employment students work with Health Concentrix volunteers
Bike Bonanzas in Queens
A Bike Bonanza event is a partnership between Bike New York, NYC Department of Transportation, Recycle-A-Bicycle and a hosting neighborhood group. Everyone is invited to get a helmet fitting by the Department of Transportation and take a new helmet home. Children are invited to swap the bike they have outgrown and choose from the 24 bikes refurbished and brought to the event by Recycle-A-Bicycle. Older youth may get their bike repaired . Simultaneously, children are welcome to a Learn to Ride lesson. All of these activities are free.
Above: Training wheels are removed before delivering the “new” bike to its owner