June 19th
In retail, there are a few holidays that Gotham closes, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, New Years Day, and June 19th.
As we mark Juneteenth, a day of remembrance, reflection, and resilience, I wanted to take a moment to share an inspiring initiative that brings the spirit of this day to life across NYCHA communities.
This week, the Public Housing Community Fund, in partnership with NYCHA and artist Glen Gaines, unveiled Lift Every Voice, a citywide public art installation that transforms nearly 150 basketball hoops across NYCHA developments with nets in the colors of the Pan-African flag – red, black, and green. These symbolic nets now hang at courts in every borough, serving as powerful tributes to Black pride, cultural identity, and community strength.
Glen’s work reminds us that public art has the ability not only to beautify spaces but to affirm belonging, spark intergenerational conversations, and celebrate the legacy of Black communities. While the Fund is not an arts organization, art is becoming an increasingly popular program area aiming to improve community mental and physical health and provide opportunities for storytelling.
Basketball courts in NYCHA developments are places where youth find mentorship, where the community gathers, and where dreams begin. These are the same courts where legends like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Chamique Holdsclaw, and Carmelo Anthony got their start.
But these courts are also where countless others, like those who didn’t make it to the pros, gained the confidence to lead, to break cycles of poverty, to turn away from gun violence, and to do more for their families and communities. For many, the court was the beginning of a lifelong journey and a foundation for resilience, self-worth, and purpose. NYCHA staff, like Curtis Williams, and nonprofit organizations lead youth programs on these courts to build leadership skills and the courts are deserving of our attention and investment.
We have ignored the importance of these communities for too long. Rebuilding parks brings communities together and has a positive impact on mental health. We will continue to do more of this in the months ahead.
On this Juneteenth, we recommit ourselves to uplifting the voices, histories, and talents of NYCHA residents through projects that affirm dignity and build connection. Many thanks to the team at NYCHA (Eva, Marcela, Audrey, Curtis, Leroy and others) and all of the property managers across the five boroughs for making this possible, and to our small but mighty team for leading this vision, Annie Valentine and Kemi Karim, and our incredible Executive Director, Alex Zablocki.