Far Rockaway after Hurricane Sandy—No Longer Forgotten Thanks to Fulani
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Far Rockaway after Hurricane Sandy—No Longer Forgotten Thanks to Fulani

03 Nov Far Rockaway after Hurricane Sandy—No Longer Forgotten Thanks to Fulani

Posted at 22:25h in Community Organizing, Health Care, Human Development, Politics, Psychology of Becoming by

November 3, 2012

Far Rockaway, Queens is one of the poorest, most isolated and forgotten neghborhoods of New York City,  About  60,000 people live there on the Rockaway penisula jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean. More than 80% of them are Black and Latino, and the median income is under $28.000/year. Until yesterday, Far Rockaway residents were ignored by the City, Red Cross and other aid, and the media—with no food, water, heat or electricity, and no way to get anywhere.

That changed when Lenora Fulani sprung into action. Community activist, developmental psychologist, my friend-colleague-mentor for 35 years, Dr. Fulani went to Far Rockaway herself, talked to people and supplied much needed social-emotional support. She made noise, calling on NYC leaders and mobilizing the greater NYC community to get help out there.

Here is a brief report with some photos, by Cathy Stewart (Manhattan County Chair of the Independence Party of New York), who accompanied Dr. Fulani.

Far Rockaway After Hurricane Sandy

After Dr. Fulani got calls from folks stranded without electricity, food or water in the projects in Far Rockaway and after speaking with State Senator Malcolm Smith, who had been working to address the situation, we headed out there on Thursday to make sure people were getting the services they needed. Dr. Fulani, Antoine Joyce and I met State Senator Smith and toured the area. While much of the city is in need of help, Far Rockaway faces especially difficult circumstances because it is already so poor and isolated. We called the Red Cross and dozens of folks across the city joined in an effort to lobby them to make it out there with food and water. Dr. Fulani spoke with Mayor Bloomberg told him about the situation, and he said he would get the Red Cross and National Guard there. At 4 pm yesterday, military trucks arrived with food and water. It’s a start.

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2 Comments
  • lista de emails
    Posted at 12:13h, 03 January

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  • Warren Liebesman
    Posted at 14:18h, 04 November

    Both Cathy and Lenora were at a briefing for community organizers about this, which I attended. It was clear how passionately Dr Fulani is committed to ALL the Far Rockaways of this country. She was greeted there by several people who knew her from her involvement in the All Stars Talent Show Network. Several people had taken part in the program and proudly spoke of that.(One man had even won an event at Town Hall several years ago.) Fulani, along with the state senator from that area, and the police (some of whom had particiapted in the Fulani-led “Cops And Kids” program) all worked together throughout a long, cold afternoon waiting for the National Guard to show up with food. It was a terrifically moving account, and graphically highlighted the devotion that these people had for a community leader who has always shown up. The next day (yesterday), because of the spotlight thrown on the plight of Far Rockaway by Fulani, and hundreds of people whom she had organized to call the Red Cross, Dr Fulani did a tour of Far Rockaway with U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillebrand.

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