Staten Island
Staten Island, NYC’s least populated and most geographically isolated borough. Staten Island holds powerful stories of struggle and resistance. Long known for its conservative politics and heavy police presence, Staten Island is also home to working-class Black, immigrant, and communities of color who continue to organize against injustice and build systems of care.
From the fight for justice for Eric Garner after his 2014 murder by the NYPD, to organizing for better transit, housing, and workers’ rights, Staten Island residents have long pushed back against state violence and systemic neglect. The borough is home to growing Liberian, Mexican, and Sri Lankan communities, alongside longtime Black, Italian, and Irish working-class residents, and more recent arrivals from across the globe.
Amid ongoing gentrification, environmental racism, and displacement, grassroots groups in Staten Island are creating spaces for youth power, immigrant justice, police accountability, and mutual aid. Staten Island shows that even in the shadow of repression, communities can come together to imagine and build something different: a borough rooted in care, not control.
Mothers against senseless killings staten island
Mothers Against Senseless Killings (M.A.S.K.) works to prevent violence by connecting families with meaningful programs that build youth character, skills, and interests. By engaging directly with communities, M.A.S.K. identifies unmet needs, shares existing opportunities, and helps families access or create programs that support their children's growth.
Occupy the Block Staten island
Coalition of clergy, youth mentors, and anti-gun violence activists who do weekly “Occupy the Block” events in hotspots instead of relying on NYPD. They set up resource tables (jobs, counseling), mediate disputes, and reclaim public space. Formed after a spate of shootings in 2020, they embody an abolitionist credo: communities keeping each other safe without relying on police.