Manhattan

Manhattan, originally inhabited by the Lenape people, became a site of colonization, immigration, and Black life, with neighborhoods like the Lower East Side, Chinatown, and Harlem serving as vibrant centers for working-class, immigrant, and Black communities. Over the decades, waves of gentrification—driven by luxury development, rezoning, privitization, and displacement—have reshaped these historic neighborhoods, displacing long-time residents and eroding cultural legacies in the name of profit and urban renewal. Yet Manhattan has long been a cradle of abolitionist and progressive action: the Underground Railroad, Stonewall rebellion, and ACT-UP all left indelible marks. Today, Manhattan’s abolitionist organizing often targets the heart of systems: shutting down Rikers Island jails, divesting from police and ICE on the city budget, and transforming the courts. The borough’s diverse communities fuel organizing at intersections of housing justice, education, immigrant rights, queer and trans liberation, and anti-gentrification. Student activism is strong here (CUNY, Columbia, etc.). Manhattan’s high population density and visibility make public protest a key tactic, from Black Lives Matter marches that flood downtown to occupiers camping at Columbia for Palestine. Overall, robust legal advocacy tied to grassroots organizing, mutual aid for unhoused neighbors, and orgs collaborating with newcomers, fights for abolition and education justice is still living in people throughout the borough!