Each year the City of Yonkers Commission on Human Rights recognizes International Human Rights Day on or around Dec. 10, by joining with the Yonkers YWCA and celebrating individuals from the community who have helped the city move forward.
This year, the three people who are “shaping human rights in Yonkers” who were honored at the annual breakfast were artistic innovator Masha Turchinslcy, socially-minded goodwill ambassador Karen Schullere, and “the people’s health advocate” Patrick Quinn Jr.
This year’s mistress of ceremonies was Yolanda Johnson, and the keynote speaker was Michelle Nicholas, executive director of Girls, Inc., of Westchester. There was also youth spoken word at the breakfast, with Ariel Reyes giving an introduction (Universal Declaration of Human Rights) and Shantae Coleman sharing a poem.
This year’s winners of the student Human Rights Essay Contest were Gabriela Caballero, Nidhi Noble and Jaylene Anderson – all 11th-grade students at Roosevelt High School.
Honorable mention for the essay contest went to: Karen Alonso, Lesly Francisco and Nora Yafaie, 11th-graders at Roosevelt H.S.; and Anta Paula Tall and Estiward Troncoso, 12th-graders at Lincoln H.S.
The Yonkers Commission on Human Rights is a group of a dozen volunteers created in 1963 who strive to develop and successfully implement innovative human rights strategies that foster mutual respect and understanding among all groups of individuals throughout the community. The commission’s goals are two-fold.
The first goal is to create programs such as the essay contest and the upcoming “Hoops Against Hate” to promote unity in the city. This year it co-sponsored an opera with the Hudson River Museum. The second goal is to inform residents that it works in conjunction with the Human Rights Office, led by Executive Director Mark Fang, Esq., which can help adjudicate cases of discrimination.
The commission thanked Mayor Mike Spano and the Yonkers City Council for their continued support; as well as liaison and former member, Councilman Michael Sabatino; and the offices of Congressman Eliot Engel, State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and State Senator Shelley Mayer for providing certificates of recognition to all honorees.
The coalition also thanked Charlie Knight, CEO of the YWCA of Yonkers, and Yonkers Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Edwin Quezada and all the YPS administrators and teachers.
For more information, call 914-377-6280 or email YonkersHRCommission@yonkersny.gov.
