{"@context":"http://iiif.io/api/presentation/3/context.json","id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/iiif/d21rf5n61h/manifest","type":"Manifest","label":{"en":["Ty Hankerson Oral History"]},"logo":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/010/original/Aviary_QPLlogo_192x192.png?1578574261","metadata":[{"label":{"en":["Description"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSummary of Full Interview\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eTy Hankerson is a 25-year-old resident of Southeast Queens who serves as Director of Community Outreach in the Office of New York City Council Member Adrienne Adams. Hankerson shares his fond memories of playing outside as a child in Southeast Queens and he describes the close-knit community that lives there. Hankerson, a self-described community servant, explains how his childhood interests in community service and working in government ultimately led him to his current role working for council member Adams.\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eHankerson speaks about personal struggles he has experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as how the pandemic has impacted his community outreach work. Additionally, Hankerson speaks about the difficulties that local elected leaders and communities of color have faced during the presidency of Donald Trump. In regards to the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd in 2020, Hankerson reflects on his increased participation in protests, the connections between the mid-20th century Civil Rights Movement in the United States and present day racial justice activism, and the role that the faith community and spirituality play in activism. Hankerson concludes by expressing his hopes for Southeast Queens after the pandemic ends.\u003c/p\u003e"]}},{"label":{"en":["Rights Statement"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eCC BY-NC-SA Contact digitalarchives@queenslibrary.org for research and reproduction requests.\u003c/p\u003e"]}},{"label":{"en":["Source Metadata URI"]},"value":{"en":["http://digitalarchives.queenslibrary.org/search/browse/43721"]}},{"label":{"en":["Date"]},"value":{"en":["2020-08-03 (created)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Type"]},"value":{"en":["Audio"]}},{"label":{"en":["Agent"]},"value":{"en":["Ty Hankerson (Interviewee)","Syreeta Gates (Interviewer)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Source"]},"value":{"en":["Interview conducted as part of the Queens Memory COVID-19 Project."]}},{"label":{"en":["Coverage"]},"value":{"en":["Mid-1990s - 2020 (temporal)","South Ozone Park, Jamaica, South Jamaica, and Richmond Hill, Queens, NY; Aiken, SC (spatial)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Language"]},"value":{"en":["English"]}}],"summary":{"en":["\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSummary of Full Interview\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eTy Hankerson is a 25-year-old resident of Southeast Queens who serves as Director of Community Outreach in the Office of New York City Council Member Adrienne Adams. Hankerson shares his fond memories of playing outside as a child in Southeast Queens and he describes the close-knit community that lives there. Hankerson, a self-described community servant, explains how his childhood interests in community service and working in government ultimately led him to his current role working for council member Adams.\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eHankerson speaks about personal struggles he has experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as how the pandemic has impacted his community outreach work. Additionally, Hankerson speaks about the difficulties that local elected leaders and communities of color have faced during the presidency of Donald Trump. In regards to the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd in 2020, Hankerson reflects on his increased participation in protests, the connections between the mid-20th century Civil Rights Movement in the United States and present day racial justice activism, and the role that the faith community and spirituality play in activism. Hankerson concludes by expressing his hopes for Southeast Queens after the pandemic ends.\u003c/p\u003e"]},"requiredStatement":{"label":{"en":["Attribution"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eCC BY-NC-SA Contact digitalarchives@queenslibrary.org for research and reproduction requests.\u003c/p\u003e"]}},"provider":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/aboutus","type":"Agent","label":{"en":["Queens Public Library"]},"homepage":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/","type":"Text","label":{"en":["Queens Public Library"]},"format":"text/html"}],"logo":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/010/original/Aviary_QPLlogo_192x192.png?1578574261","type":"Image"}]}],"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/public/images/audio-default.png","type":"Image","format":"image/png"}],"items":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014","type":"Canvas","label":{"en":["Media File 1 of 1 - hankerson_ty_20200803_edit.mp3"]},"duration":2278.872,"width":640,"height":360,"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/public/images/audio-default.png","type":"Image","format":"image/png"}],"items":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/content/1","type":"AnnotationPage","items":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/content/1/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"painting","body":{"id":"https://aviary-p-queenslibrary.s3.wasabisys.com/collection_resource_files/resource_files/000/258/014/original/hankerson_ty_20200803_edit.mp3?1733512151","type":"Audio","format":"audio/mpeg","duration":2278.872,"width":640,"height":360},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014","metadata":[]}]}],"annotations":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952","type":"AnnotationPage","label":{"en":["Full Transcript [Transcript]"]},"items":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Syreeta Gates: So Ty, thank you again so much for saying yes, definitely appreciate you. I guess the first request is, can you say and spell your name for me?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=1.0,15.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/2","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Ty Hankerson: Definitely. Ty Hankerson, T-Y, last name Hankerson, H-A-N-K-E-R-S-O-N.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=15.0,22.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/3","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Syreeta Gates: Great, great. And so yeah, we're going to keep it real G rated as this is for the library, [laughter] but also we need your permission to use this audio. So you're just going to say, I, first name, last name, consent the Queens Public Library's use of this content.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=22.0,42.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/4","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Ty Hankerson: I Ty Hankerson consent the Queens Public Library's use of this content.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=42.0,47.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/5","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Syreeta Gates: Great. So we're going to hop on board. How would you describe yourself Ty?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=47.0,53.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/6","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Ty Hankerson: I am a 25, well, soon to be 26 next week, but right now, 25-year-old young Black male living in Southeast Queens, my home, my heart, my love. And I'm a community servant. I love, I love my community. I love my people. And that's who I am in a nutshell. A faith person. That's, that's who I am.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=53.0,77.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/7","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Syreeta Gates: Got it. Got it. And tell me about how your family got to Queens?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=77.0,82.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/8","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Ty Hankerson: So that's, that's really interesting. [laughs] So the story goes, my great grandfather—my family is originally from Aiken, South Carolina, and that's my mother's side of the family, and my father's side of the family. So the story goes that my mother's grandfather, my great grandfather, was in South Carolina and he got into an argument with a white man. And at the end of that argument, my great grandfather being the man that he was ended up slapping that white man. But he was no fool and so this six foot five or six foot six Black man packed up he and his family and they moved to Queens, New York and they've been here ever since. So that's the story I've been told about how we got to Queens.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=82.0,131.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/9","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Syreeta Gates: Wow! That—got it. [laughs] And what do you, what is the reason you believe your parents kept you in Queens?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=131.0,143.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/10","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Ty Hankerson: Well, for us this has always been home outside of South Carolina. You know, two generations. This has always been home for us and we don't know anywhere else. You know, I say that respectfully of course, but we don't know anywhere else. You know, we love, we love other boroughs. We love Brooklyn. We love the Bronx. We love Manhattan. But for us Queens, it's just where it is. And I have a feeling that Queens is where it always be, but I'm a little biased.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=143.0,175.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/11","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Syreeta Gates: Just a little bit, nothing crazy, nothing crazy. Talk to me about some of your, like fondest memories growing up in Queens.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=175.0,181.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/12","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Ty Hankerson: So one memory that I can never let go of is that same great grandfather that I spoke of, I lived with him, my great grandmother, for the early portion of my life. I went to P.S. 155 right in South Ozone Park. My mother and my father, their first apartment was in Richmond Hill. So that school P.S. 155, the entire community, I remember every Saturday morning riding my bike up and down the block. Everybody knew each other. All the kids would come out, especially if we have block parties, and we'd all be outside, riding bikes, playing tag, whatever, just doing it all. And then you have the adults, which a lot of them on that street were pretty—they were older, they would yell at us at times, but you knew it came from a place of love. Well, at that time we didn't know it came from a place of love, but looking back it did. So one of my fondest memories is just going outside and we would see—literally I can hear in my mind like the birds chirping. I know it sounds fake, but I really hear the birds chirping outside. For some reason the sun in my mind was just always out on that block. And I guess that goes to show how much I enjoyed that neighborhood and how much I enjoy my childhood there.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=181.0,252.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/13","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Syreeta Gates: Got it. And, you mentioned being from Southeast Queens, what do you think separates Southeast Queens from like other areas of Queens?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=252.0,264.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/14","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Ty Hankerson: Yeah, I think what separates Southeast Queens from any other area it's just, well, one, when you look at the setup of Southeast Queens, we have a lot of home owners here. Most of us grew up in a house with a backyard, front yard. And with that you had a lot of memories with people coming over to your house, having barbecues in the back. And for me, I think that's one thing that separates Southeast Queens from a lot of the other areas in Queens. But also just the culture, the culture in Southeast Queens, it's just different. I don't think there's any place like it. You can walk down any boulevard in Southeast Queens and you're like almost destined to run into somebody that you know, somebody that knows your mom, somebody that knows your grandmama. And it's just like one big family in my opinion. Now I'm not saying that doesn't happen anywhere else, but for me Southeast Queens just does that for me. It's home.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=264.0,320.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/15","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Syreeta Gates: Got it. And you mentioned being like a community servant. How did, how did you get into serving the community?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=320.0,330.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/16","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Ty Hankerson: Yeah, so interestingly enough, when I was in middle school, at that time I wanted to become, interestingly enough, I wanted to become a police officer. And there was a program that came to our school—I'm sorry, it didn't come to our school, it was a program in our community called Explorer Program which pretty much gave youth who were interested in law enforcement just an inside view as to how it worked and, you know, how things were and to get to know some of the police officers. And with that there was a community service aspect to it, excuse me, and with that community service aspect we had to complete I believe like a hundred hours or so community service every year. So it really put me out there and from that it instilled pride for my community within me.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=330.0,381.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/17","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Ty Hankerson: It showed me some of the areas that we need to work on in our community. It showed me areas that we could do better at and how it really—the betterment of a community doesn't start at the top, it starts from every single person that lives in that community. It starts with the average person walking down the street who owns a house or lives in an apartment in that community. It starts with that person. It doesn't start with the elected officials. It doesn't start with quote unquote, the leaders of the community, just to use that term. It starts with the everyday person who lives there doing something about what they feel is right.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=381.0,417.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/18","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Syreeta Gates: Got it. And so talk to me a little bit about the beginnings of your experience during COVID.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=417.0,428.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/19","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Ty Hankerson: So the beginning of my experience, I wasn't sure, just like most other people, I wasn't sure how things would go with COVID. I knew that lockdown or quarantine was coming and I didn't know how that would affect me. And, I'll get personal here, for me, I had, I experienced a anxiety or panic attack for three days during the quarantine actually. And in fact actually had COVID and I was sick for about two weeks or so. And it was an experience that I never forgot. I never really had an anxiety attack except for one other time in my life. And it was real. I didn't eat for three days. And if anybody knows me, they know I like to eat, so if I'm not eating you know something is wrong. And it really had an impact for me. So that's how the beginning of COVID was for me.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=428.0,482.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/20","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Syreeta Gates: Got it. And how has COVID shaped and or reimagined your community work?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=482.0,493.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/21","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Ty Hankerson: So I work for a local council person, Councilwoman Adrienne Adams, who's the first woman elected to represent [New York City Council] District 28. That's Rochdale, South Jamaica, South Ozone Park and Richmond Hill. The area that I grew up in, so now I get to serve it under the first council woman. And a lot of our work—for me, I'm the Director of Community Outreach—a lot of the work that we do is usually outdoors. It's big events, and literally all of that was canceled. And I remember at the end of 2019, I remember presenting the council member with a long list of events that I was planning for 2020, and these were good events, and I was excited because the community would benefit off of it. And these are just really good resources, and literally within a month or so, I had to—everything was canceled.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=493.0,543.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/22","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Ty Hankerson: So we had to figure out how do we stay connected to our community and to our constituents while yet not being able to see them face to face, not being able to shake hands or hug them. How do we stay connected? And so for us, we realized, one, we started, we had to start making phone calls, just checking in. \"How you doing?\" I remember, like I said, I went through an anxiety attack, so I imagined that I'm not the only one who dealt with something like that during this quarantine. You know, if you're somebody who's usually out and about being told, like, you can't leave your house, that's difficult for some people. So it started with making phone calls and hosting webinars, or Zoom calls rather. Zoom has become like the tool that everybody is using.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=543.0,594.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/23","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Ty Hankerson: It went from not being used to use for everything. So that's, that's really how we adjusted, just moving everything online. Then slowly but surely because of the need in our community, we started showing up at the food pantry, giving out food. That was, that was a big thing because we realized our food pantries in our community are usually run by our older residents, and because older residents weren't able to come out, there was a shortage, not just of food, but there was a shortage of people. And so really just trying to get people involved and putting the word out there and encourage people. And so every now and then, look, if you can't get other people to do it, you gotta do it yourself. As a matter of fact, if you're gonna, I believe this, if you're gonna be the change, it has to start with you. You can't necessarily always rely on other people to do it. You gotta start it and then people will follow at that point.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=594.0,655.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/24","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Syreeta Gates: Absolutely. And you mentioned before obviously working for a elected official, how did kind of like a regular guy from Queens ended up working with an elected official?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=655.0,670.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/25","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Ty Hankerson: Yeah, so that's interesting all in itself. My childhood was very interesting, I'll say that. And I remember in fifth grade, I used to have this thing, I used to tell people, my friends, \"Oh, I wanna work in the government one day.\" And all my friends, we're in fifth grade, they used to go, \"Oh, okay. So we're going to call you Mr. President.\" Mr. President. Mr. President. And so we're going around calling Mr. President, then there was somebody who was Mr. Governor, Mister—we're just making up stuff at this point. And you know, I remember saying, \"I think I really want to do this. I really want to be involved in government.\" My mother works in government, not on the political side of things, but she works for the federal government, so it just interested me. And from that point as I got older, there were some opportunities that came about for me to work on a couple campaigns as a canvasser and as a field director. And I took it! And I'm like, okay, I actually do like this. And, before you knew it, like, Adrienne Adams, she ran for [New York City] Council, and I was asked to join the team if I was interested. And the rest is history.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=670.0,746.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/26","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Syreeta Gates: Got it. And what role do you think politics has played on the community's kind of like interaction with COVID and your personal interaction?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=746.0,760.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/27","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Ty Hankerson: Ooh, that's a, that's a big question. [laughs] So politics plays a huge role in everything we do, to be honest, and with the, with everything that's going on with COVID, we've seen so much. So you have the federal level where you have all different types of stories coming from the White House about COVID. At one point, oh, it's not a big deal. Another point where, you shouldn't wear mask, and then you should wear a mask. And it gets confusing. And so when you are working on the local level, your job is not just to serve the people by doing events or fixing potholes or anything like—it's not just, it's just not small things like that as people would deem it. But you have to also now help people change their mindset about government and politics because most people only look at the presidency.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=760.0,820.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/28","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Ty Hankerson: A lot of the times when they think about politics, they think about the President of the United States or the Governor of the state. And oftentimes they don't think about their local electeds, but they're more effected by their local electeds a lot of the times than the top top, if I could say it like that. But when you have certain messages being put out from the very top, then the local electeds have to fight against that message a lot of the times when it's negative like we've been seeing and try to reestablish a relationship with the community. Because unfortunately if the President of the United States says something that is just quote unquote off the wall, then people deem almost the political, the entire political system to be that way, because the most popular person in politics has said such and such and such and such, so they all must be that way. And it's a constant duty to try and fight against that when you have a President that almost, well, I'll leave that there.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=820.0,887.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/29","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Syreeta Gates: [laughter] Indeed, indeed, indeed. Can you talk to me a little bit about what you believe the community has been able to do because, one, because of 45 and his dot dot dot, or lack thereof, right? And just, how has the community, like, have you noticed people gather, have been gathering together to like implement more events and stuff? Like, talk to me a little bit about—give me context for how the community has come together during this unprecedented time.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=887.0,930.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/30","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Ty Hankerson: Yeah. So the community has come together on a number of ways. So when you have 45, right, who is doing dot dot dot and saying dot dot dot, it creates a sense of fear, a lot of the times in communities of color because a lot of his messaging has been targeted unfortunately for communities of color in a negative way. And because of that we've seen a struggle when it came to people coming to events and stuff like that, because they were afraid that ICE [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement] would pick them up. Then you had people who were afraid to fill out the census because he was trying to put a citizenship question on the census. Just a whole lot of stuff. But how the community has fought back in a sense is they—you had, I want to say almost like a remnant of people who said, \"You know what? No, we have to do something.\"","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=930.0,988.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/31","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Ty Hankerson: And our community is not going to shrivel back and say, you know what, because we have this President who doesn't seem to be for us saying these things, it's not going to make us run behind a rock and hide. So you seen it through protests. You've seen it through the resistance. You've seen it through people come together to say, no, we're not gonna stand for injustice. We're not gonna stand for racist remarks. We're not going to stand for all the isms that comes from the White House, unfortunately. We're not going to stand for those things, but we're going to stand against those things. And while we're standing against those things, you start to see people rally together. And that's a beautiful thing when you see people rally together for one good cause.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=988.0,1032.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/32","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Syreeta Gates: Absolutely. Talk to me a little bit about your education growing up, whether that was traditional or just, community led.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=1032.0,1043.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/33","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Ty Hankerson: Yeah. So my education, so I grew up in the New York City public school system from pre-K all the way up—actually went to preschool, then pre-K all the way to 12th grade. And then I went to St. John's University. Unfortunately I wasn't able to stay. I had to leave my junior year because I could no longer afford to attend St. John's and I really had no other option but to leave. And that's another story for another time, but that's one thing that a lot of middle-class urban youth deal with, not being able to afford college and so having to leave college, not because they weren't quote unquote smart enough, but just because they couldn't afford it. A lot of times the issue is your parents either make too much or they make too little. And it's usually right there in that middle spot, they don't make enough for this, but they make too much for this, and so you're stuck. And so for me, a lot of my education had to do with volunteering in places, serving in places and really just relying on mentors to follow their lead and take wisdom.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=1043.0,1116.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/34","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Ty Hankerson: For me, I believe one of the greatest things that anyone can do is find people who are wise and listen to them. That's one thing that I try to encourage other people my age and younger to do is, if you find somebody who's wise, listen. Listen to what they have to say. It's all right to every now and then challenge some things, but don't challenge everything 'cause—[laughs] listen to something that they have to say because for people who come before us, I believe that a lot of them have a great deal of wisdom. And I will also say with that not everybody who's come before us has a great deal of wisdom, so you have to be able to discern and [unclear] the two. So my education has really been a mix of what I've learned in school and having great teachers.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=1116.0,1160.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/35","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Ty Hankerson: Two teachers that come to mind is Mr. Cooperson [phonetic] in seventh grade. I went to M.S. 72. He was my social studies teacher, but he taught us Black History. And that probably wasn't the curriculum. I'm pretty sure it wasn't the curriculum, but that's what he taught us. And I'm forever grateful for that because it gave me a pride for my people. And it also gave me a sense of my history and my heritage. And I'm a strong believer that in order to impact the future, you have to understand your history. And so for me, that was a great thing. I had another teacher in high school who did the same thing. Her name was Ms. Milligan [phonetic] at the time, [unclear] Milligan [phonetic], and she did the same thing. So that's kinda how my education was made up.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=1160.0,1201.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/36","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Syreeta Gates: Got it. And I love that you brought up understanding your history so you know how to move forward—how to move forward, period. Talk to me about what—how has the Civil Rights Movement informed our current uprising now?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=1201.0,1224.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/37","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Ty Hankerson: Yeah. Yeah, no, I love that question. So I've been a part of more protests this year than I've ever in my entire life. As a matter of fact, I think this is the first year that I was actually a part of a protest. When I was in high school, there were, you know, a few protests, Occupy Wall Street, but I guess I just wasn't old enough at the time. I don't know. But, so this was the first year that I was a part of protests and I've been asked to speak at a number of them. And one of the messages that I always try to relay at these protests is in order for us to actually make change, we can't stop at the protest. But we can't stop the protest. We have to continue to protest and then move from there.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=1224.0,1274.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/38","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Ty Hankerson: And how the Civil Rights Movement has affected that, so, I've heard some people say, \"Protesting doesn't do anything\" and, you know, \"You guys are just wasting your breath or wasting your time.\" That's an entire lie. We're not wasting our breath. We're not wasting our time. You know, the Civil Rights Movement in the sixties, what happened was they protested and because of their protesting they were able to get the Civil Rights Act passed. They were able to get the Voting Rights Act of '65 passed. And because of that, it allowed us to have rights that we didn't have then, it allowed us to have it now. And what we have to do is we have to stand on those things. So the Voting Rights Act, it allowed us to be able to vote and it allows certain restrictions to be taken off of us. And so what does that do?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=1274.0,1314.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/39","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Ty Hankerson: It creates a step for us. And so now when people in this day and age say, \"No, I'm not going to vote\" or \"I'm not going to be involved in that process\" and, you know, \"Whoever wins wins\" or anything like that, it actually does us a disservice in my opinion because now we're skipping steps. And anytime somebody skips a step, they start to trip. And I feel like sometimes we keep tripping is because we keep skipping steps. And so for us, it's imperative for us to actually go out and vote. This is what they protested for then. And so now if you realize we've been protesting against police brutality, and so now on the local level we've had laws enacted to create police accountability and also to limit some of the power that the police actually has. And that's all because of the protesting. So, for anyone who says it's a waste of time or a waste of breath, they need to really go check that because it's not true.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=1314.0,1369.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/40","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Syreeta Gates: Got it. And you know, it's only right to, we gotta mention George Floyd. We gotta mention Breonna Taylor. We have to mention, I mean, there are so many people to mention, unfortunately. How has the senseless murders affected you personally and affected your work and, you know, the community at large?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=1369.0,1392.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/41","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Ty Hankerson: Yeah. So personally there are times that I—when I first seen the video of George Floyd I was by myself. Actually I was with my mother first. I showed it to her and then I watched again. And then Ahmaud Arbery, that's actually, you know, what really started a lot of it for us was Ahmaud Arbery. And it, I started to like tear up quite, like more than usual, and it's because it hits you differently when you know that could be me at any moment. It also hits you differently when you see the parents and the family, all these people who have lost [unclear] when you see them crying and wanting their loved ones back, it hits you differently because their moms, their family, they look like our families and that does something to you. And so it just, it affects your entire mindset. It affects how you think, it affects how you move. And for me, it just made me all the more cognizant of things that are going on around me. Even certain encounters that I may have, whether it be with the police or with a individual of a different race, just certain encounters.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=1392.0,1480.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/42","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Ty Hankerson: One of the things that I've realized personally is I've had a lot of—a few, let me not say—I've had a few encounters in New York City that involve race. And you almost, I hate to say it, but you almost get used to it. And that's the part that gets me. You get used to it, and we should never get used to discrimination. We should never get used to someone talking down to us, to someone treating us like we're not people. And so this year has been a wake up call to me, and I hope to Black people, to say, don't get used to it. You have to fight back, and in fighting back, it's not necessarily with your fists, but we fight back through legislation. We fight back through our entertainment, through our music, through our movies. We fight back with whatever tool or gift that God has given you. That's what you use to fight back.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=1480.0,1540.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/43","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Ty Hankerson: And so going to the workpiece, I also serve as one of the pastors at The Excelling Church under Pastor Garelle Solomon. And I oversee the social justice ministry. Our church, literally after Ahmaud Arbery was killed down in Georgia, we started a platform called Code Black where we would take our usual Bible study nights and we would go live on Facebook and have special guests on and just allow people to talk about how they were feeling. We felt like the world, or the community that we serve rather, needed a space to vent. Our church, though it is diverse, it's predominantly African American. And we, we felt like they needed a space to vent, people to be open, be honest, say what you need to say, get it off your chest. We had to create a safe place because we realized that a lot of people don't have that safe place. Sometimes we go to work and we have to code switch. And because we have to code switch, we don't have a safe place—I hope I'm all right saying this on this platform. [laughs] Am I good?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=1540.0,1605.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/44","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Syreeta Gates: Yes, yes, yes. Go in, go in, go in. [laughter]","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=1605.0,1609.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/45","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Ty Hankerson: You know, sometimes we have to code switch and that's not necessarily healthy because it's almost like you feel like you don't—you can't be yourself and say what's on your mind or say what you're going through. Because a lot of times other people who don't go through it, they don't understand. And so, you know, on that side, we created that, that platform. We also led the first protest in Southeast Queens, on Jamaica Avenue, by the grace of God, you know, our church was able to do that. Now I didn't expect it to gain the attention that it did. It gained, it garnered national attention because it was the first time that officers took a knee with [unclear] in New York City. And so I just didn't expect it to go where it went.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=1609.0,1652.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/46","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Ty Hankerson: But we did that because we felt like people needed to speak up, especially the community of faith. We wanted to show people that the church community or the faith community, we're not just there when things are going good. We're there for the—the Bible says that a brother is [born] for adversity. We're there for adversity. We're there when things are going wrong, when things are hard pressed. We're there for that to say that, you know what, no matter what our faith [unclear] that we will overcome and that we will fight through this and that we will be victorious at the end of this. That's what our faith says. And so that's, that's what we felt like we should, we should and needed to do for our community. So I hope that answers the question.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=1652.0,1696.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/47","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Syreeta Gates: No, that was excellent. Actually, a great follow up question to that is, what role do you think that spirituality plays in organizing and or activism work?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=1696.0,1712.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/48","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Ty Hankerson: Yeah. I believe that the faith community and spirituality plays a huge role in activism. And the reason I say that is because even when we look at the Civil Rights Movement, a lot of times a lot of those protests were led by what we call the Black Church. And so those things have shifted, years later there's still, I believe, a role for the faith community to play because in the Black community, faith is a big thing even still, it's a big thing. And so if the faith community is quiet, it does more of a detriment or a disservice to our people than it does a positive. And so for us, it's up to the faith community to speak up, to say something and to speak on the behalf of those who can't speak for themselves.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=1712.0,1764.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/49","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Ty Hankerson: That's what—I'm a Christian—so that's what Christianity is. It's speaking up for those who can't speak for themselves. The marginalized, the ostracized, those who have been pushed off to the side, deemed as unworthy. That's what our faith does. It says, you know what, nah, we're gonna speak up for you because you are a person, and you have real life issues, but at the same time you are still a person and because of that we will fight for you. That's the job of the church. It's a collective group of people, full of issues, saying, you know what, though we all have our own separate issues, we're still gonna fight because love is what we stand on.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=1764.0,1790.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/50","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Syreeta Gates: That's beautiful. Let's talk about a little bit how the world will change, right? Like there is a pre-COVID and then there is a post-COVID. What do you think that looks like?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=1790.0,1817.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/51","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Ty Hankerson: Honestly, I can only guess, but I really don't know. My guess is that a lot of the things that are in place now will become the norm. So, going to stores and seeing like a big sheet of plastic covering everything, I think that's going to be the normal for, for quite a bit. Zoom calls. I think Zoom is just like the new meeting place for a lot. So I think even after COVID hopefully is fully gone, I still think that's going to be, that's going to become our new normal. I, you know, for awhile I was longing for the days where things would just go back to usual, or normal, but now I think things should need to be better than it was before. And I say that not just in terms of practicality or practice of things, but rather even in our mindsets things have to be better.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=1817.0,1872.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/52","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Ty Hankerson: We have to change. 2020 has showed us a lot. And if we go back to how things were, I think we'll only be masking things that need to be healed. And so post-COVID I think will be that healing time. Right now I feel like we're still, we still have an open wound in so many ways in this, in this country. In our city, I feel like we still have open wounds. And we have this time where people aren't necessarily going into work and stuff like that to get things together, whether that be with your friends, whether it be in your community, whether that be with your family, or even with yourself. I'm taking this time after my episode with that anxiety, I'm taking this time to say, let me get my mental health together. 'Cause I realize I'm running all the time and I said, Ty, you need to, you gotta slow down and maybe you need to talk to somebody, talk to a professional. Get yourself right too during this time so that when post-COVID does come, we come out better than how we enter.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=1872.0,1930.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/53","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Syreeta Gates: I love that. Love that. And how—what do you believe is possible for South Jamaica, Queens after COVID hopefully is done?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=1930.0,1944.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/54","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Ty Hankerson: Yeah. I think a whole lot is possible for South Jamaica. South Jamaica is my home. I love South Jamaica. This is my hood, I love it! And I feel like with that, we have a lot to offer in South Jamaica despite what others say. I remember when I was in seventh grade, I was part of a national honor society and we went on a trip to Williamsburg, Virginia to see almost like a reenactment of the colonial days and what, and what not. And I remember before we got on the bus to leave, our teacher, I remember, Ms. Severen [phonetic], she told us, she said, \"Now, you know, y'all will go into Williamsburg, Virginia, and there are going to be some people who see you guys in your blazers and in your uniform and your ties and stuff and they're going to ask you, 'Oh, where are you guys from?' And you tell them where you from. South Jamaica.\"","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=1944.0,2003.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/55","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Ty Hankerson: And she said some of them will probably, some of them may go, \"Oh. Oh, okay.\" You know, give a little snarky remark, whatever. She said, but you be proud of, be proud of where you come from. Rep your hood. Rep your city. And you know, for me, I feel like South Side, South Jamaica has a lot to offer. We have so much talent, so many gifts in our community. And I don't want to just, you know, relegate that just to quote unquote gifted or talented people. I believe everybody has something to offer and I feel like right now is our opportunity to come together and get things done. You know, whether that be—I've seen a lot more people highlighted than ever before in our community. And I'm grateful for that. You know, I'm really grateful for that.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=2003.0,2047.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/56","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Ty Hankerson: Use what you have. Use your connections just to come together. We did a BLM [Black Lives Matter] mural on Jamaica Avenue last week and, you know, they asked for an artist, and they asked our office for an artist. And the first person I thought of was a young man right from the Baisley area who did a mural for Aamir Griffin, the 14 year old who we lost to gun violence in our community a few months back. And I remember seeing the mural and seeing how good his work was. And I reached out to him and he participated in painting the mural. I say that to say, it doesn't matter what your gift is, but as long as each and every one of us recognize the gifts of others, I believe we will always come out better because when it becomes all about us, then our community shrinks down again and things don't get done. Things don't get fixed. But when you say, oh, wow, my bro over here is gifted in this. My sister's gifted in this. I'm good in this. And we come together to get things done, then people see our unity and when they see our unity it's very hard to fight against a group of people that's unified. So that's my take on that.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=2047.0,2115.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/57","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Syreeta Gates: Indeed, indeed. And what—yeah, what would you like Queens, Southeast Queens, Queens at large to know about who you are and the work that you've been able to do thus far?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=2115.0,2138.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/58","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Ty Hankerson: Well, I would just like Southeast Queens to know that I'm a son of this community and I'll always be a son of this community. And I say that to say, I'm a byproduct of where I was raised, where I come from. And I don't think I've done too bad, you know? So I say that to say to Southeast Queens, be proud of the young people that you're raising up and make sure that you instill—I guess this message is more to the older people in our community, right? Be sure that you instill your wisdom and your kindness, and show grace. Show grace. You know, we do have some of our young people, my age and younger, who are doing some crazy stuff right now. But don't throw them away. Don't throw them away. There's still hope. That's the message that I would want my community to know. There's still hope.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=2138.0,2191.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/59","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Syreeta Gates: Amazing. And is there anything that you want to add or share about that I didn't ask?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=2191.0,2196.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/60","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Ty Hankerson: Oh, I do want to say to anyone who may be listening and may be going through a mental crisis, I really want to touch on that again because it is a huge thing. I'll say for me, again, I went through that anxiety attack and I don't feel like I've been the same since to be honest. That does something to you. So if there's anybody who during this quarantine may have been going through any type of mental crisis or anything like that, any type of crisis, reach out. There are a lot of resources that the city offers. For mental health, I believe it's 1-800-NYC-WELL. You can call 311. For food, people in food crisis, you can call 311 as well. Whatever the crisis is, I would say please reach out because this city does have a number of resources and we have to make sure that our community, especially when it's in need, knows about these resources. So if I can use this platform right now just to just shed light on the resources that the city offers, whatever the issue may be, just take the risk and call 311. Whatever the issue may be, 'cause more than likely the city has something in place for that.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=2196.0,2273.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014/transcript/72952/annotation/61","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Syreeta Gates: Yes. Grand opening, grand closing. I'm going to stop recording now.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/943/collection_resources/139205/file/258014#t=2273.0,2278.872"}]}]}]}