Wide-range of topics discussed at NYSABPRHAL Conference

This weekend, the New York State Association of Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, & Asian legislators celebrated their 52nd annual conference.

“As one of the important things we do during our weekend, we have workshops called issue forums where we discuss a wide range of topics, including mental health, housing, nursing, union issues and community renewal,” NYSABPRHAL’s Executive Director Charlene Gayle said.

The theme of this year’s conference was “Fight the Power,” and workshops addressed a wide range of issues, including health care inequities, housing insecurity and criminal justice reform.

Recreational marijuana was one topic at the forefront, and how minority communities deserve to have equality when it comes to usage and retail licenses.

“We need to understand what it means to have it in our community,” Yasmin Hurston Cornelius, treasurer of the New York CannaBusiness Chamber of Commerce, said. “It is important to understand our rights and the importance of hiring the right people to make your business succeed. Legislators and community organizers discussed climate change and environmental justice, as well as how to ensure that a more sustainable future can be achieved.”

Public officials, legislators, community organizers, advocates and constituents filled the hallways and meeting rooms of Empire Plaza to have discussions regarding the latter. Health care disparities that came to light during the COVID-19 pandemic, sparked various panel…