NYC in 2025: organizing, planning, advocating, and building

By Nayaba Arinde

January 2025 is here.

There is heavy anticipation regarding President Donald Trump’s effect on the NYC and state political landscape.

This is in addition to concerns over five-borough and subway crime, homelessness, congestion pricing, and Mayor Eric Adams’ legal issues. 

“For 2025, I want New Yorkers to look ahead with strength and courage and to not let the year ahead cause fear, dread, or animosity,” Public Advocate Jumaane Williams told Our Time Press. “We must all continue to do our part to ensure that the city is safe, where people feel safe, and that all New Yorkers, whether here for generations or just recently, have a feeling of belonging. Since Mayor Adams has clarified that he is more interested in helping Donald Trump, we know that New Yorkers who need him most cannot rely on the mayor for support or help.

We need real solutions and someone who will fight for the people of New York City. I do believe Trump’s agenda is intended to cause harm to not only New Yorkers but the most vulnerable people throughout the country. At the same time, I believe people here in the city will continue to accomplish great things in 2025 despite challenges. We can’t let difficult days ahead of us incite fear but ignite hope.”

December 2024 ended with a storm of unprecedented breaking news stories, including a disturbing sex-for-overtime scandal involving Mayor Eric Adam’s now former NYPD Chief Jeffrey Maddrey; federally-indicted Adams’ enduring his closest advisor Ingrid Martin in handcuffs charged with bribery; a Gotham movie-like scene with a shackled and handcuffed suspect Luigi Mangione, the charged shooter of a billionaire health care CEO, arriving by helicopter, surrounded by masses of multi-alphabet-agency cops with long guns, and Mayor Adams appearing like a Commissioner Gordon-type figure glaring at the accused.

A deported-but-returned migrant is accused of setting alight a sleeping female passenger on a Coney Island F train last Thursday. New Yorkers are still shaken by the horrific images of an unhoused woman set ablaze at Stillwell Avenue, allegedly by Sebastian Zapeta, 33, a Guatemalan migrant. The victim was later identified as Debrina Kawam, 57 from Toms River, New Jersey.

The MTA slogan is ‘“If you see something, say something,’ but nobody did anything to stop her from being burned alive,” Civil Rights leader Rev. Kevin McCall told Our Time Press. “Homeless Lives Matter!” slammed the founder of the Crisis Action Center, who continued, “Thank God they caught the person that did this crime, but it’s not only his fault–it’s the system’s fault. Mayor Eric Adams and Governor Kathy Hochul’s hands are full of blood from the death of this victim.”

Another violent incident took place on the Q train at the Park Slope Seventh Avenue subway station. Following a verbal argument among riders, a victim was stabbed and taken to Brooklyn Methodist Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. While police claim that subway crime is down by almost 16%, commuters feel no more secure. On December 21, two young people were being sought in the non-fatal shooting of two young males on the Q line at the Avenue U station in Homecrest.

On Thursday, December 26th, in Brownsville, Days Inn Wyndham men’s shelter operator Robbie Miller, 35, was stabbed in the lobby and succumbed to wounds to the neck. The perpetrator is still being sought. Reports state that since 2023, there has been a 157% increase in murders in Brownsville, with 18 compared to seven in 2023. 

“Homelessness has increased in our neighborhoods, and the lack of real affordable housing – our neighborhoods have been heavily gentrified, and look at healthcare delivery,” said former City Council and Assemblyman Charles Barron.

“When you look at the essentials in life– transportation, education, all of that has deteriorated for the masses of our people, and even for most New Yorkers, inflation is through the roof. They can’t afford to buy food. There are high poverty rates. So we don’t want to hear [Mayor Adams’] statistical claims of so much progress; the bottom line is the masses of the people are suffering from double-digit unemployment, poverty, crime, miseducation, and his police with stop and frisk 95% of the people are Black and Brown.

So, his depiction with stats does not reflect life in our neighborhoods. The reality is the rents are too damn high; they are not able to pay their mortgages, they can’t afford the gasoline to fill up their cars, and they can’t afford to buy food – it would be cheaper to eat your money. So what he’s talking about is totally irrelevant and ineffective in improving the quality of life for our people.”

“I am excited about what the new year brings for the perspective of Black people,” said Hawk Newsome activist and co-founder of BLM Greater New York told the paper. “For us, it will be a year of organizing Black unity events across the country, inspiring insightful conversations that will produce delivery in action.

The world will come together to fight Donald Trump and fight many of the same issues that have been present for the last four years. I will focus on building our communities and people up instead of running to put out every fire that Donald Trump starts with his policies.”

Newsome said he is not optimistic about Adams surviving his legal tribulations, with five felony charges of bribery and corruption. “I don’t see the benefit of Donald Trump pardoning him, especially with Cuomo on the horizon who has been catering to the Republicans as well…Even if he did not commit one crime, the fact is that so many of his appointments have ended in disgraceful resignations and criminal charges.”

Mayor Adams’ office did not respond to an Our Time Press request for a direct comment.

Political observer Professor Basil Smikle said, “The mayor has to notch some major policy successes to help mitigate negative fallout from the upcoming trial. That’s especially true if his fundraising doesn’t pick up significantly. At the same time, his initial warmth toward Trump cuts both ways: It may anger progressives but may gain support among the city’s moderates, businesses, and real estate leaders.”

Adams has denied all federal charges, as Trump said he may consider a pardon.

As she co-MC’d the December 12th Movement’s Kujichagulia Kwanzaa program at Restoration Plaza on Friday night, Tynisha Hamilton told Our Time Press that in 2025, activists must continue to “Educate, agitate, and organize” and actively participate in the ongoing fight for all rights denied, yet deserved, and long overdue.

She added that she is concerned about the Trump-effect “trickle down. I’m not sure how long that will take to actually hit us because a lot of the programs he’s implementing are to benefit those who are not in our community but will ultimately only hurt the people in the community.”Meanwhile, Atty. Casilda E. Roper-Simpson told Our Time Press, “One of the key issues that many believe the Trump administration should focus on is reform.”

The Adjunct Assistant Professor at Molloy University suggested, “Their actions would continue to amplify ongoing debates about fairness, equity, and the role of the federal government in shaping criminal justice policy.”