The Brotherhood/Sister Sol

Founded in 1990 by a group of Dominican immigrants, the Mirabal Sisters Center devotes itself to living up to the legacy of its namesake by fighting against injustice. The Mirabal Sisters, three Dominican heroines who protested Trujillo’s brutal dictatorship and were martyred for their cause, serve as a central inspiration as the organization works to serve its community, people of color and working class families in particular. The Center has led a series of initiatives over the years, such as youth programs that educate adolescents on substance abuse, a partnership with public schools to arrange for more after-school activities, and a cultural program with a focus on arts and crafts. In 2017, the organization has focused most of its efforts on a collaboration with the Urban Justice Center and tenant associations in order to support the rights of tenants. Pio Tejada, brother to Luis Tejada, the head the organization, explained to us that the increasing gentrification of the city - and Harlem especially - has resulted in numerous conflicts between landlords and tenants. “Landlords are trying to drive off and profit from tenants,” he said, citing examples of escalating rent prices in non-rent-controlled buildings and even sabotage to the facilities to force residents to pay additional maintenance fees. To help right the injustices being wrought against tenants, the Center holds open consulting hours every Tuesday and Thursday, during which anyone from the five boroughs are welcome to bring up their concerns and grievances. In return, the Center offers advice and connections to legal counsel or similar organizations that can aid tenants in the fight for fair treatment. The Center is Luis’ passion project, almost entirely self-funded, since it is a relatively small organization that has difficulty garnering significant support. “Work like this can only be done from the heart,” Pio insisted with pride, sharing how his brother, once a high school teacher and university professor, left academia to start the Center out of a genuine desire to help others. Much of their work involves educating the community on their rights as renters, since a common issue that Luis and Pio face is people’s lack of trust in the system. Many are resigned to mistreatment and do not believe that their circumstances can change for the better, so it is the Center’s job to encourage people to speak up.

As I reached the end of 140th Street, I was intrigued by an imposing structure designed to resemble a castle on the corner of Riverside Drive. Further investigation revealed that the building, aptly known as “the Castle,” was opened by the Fortune Society in 2002 as a housing unit for those with a history of incarceration who are in need of a place to reside. The adjacent building, Castle Gardens, opened in 2010 as an expanded version of the original program that allowed for long-term rather than just temporary housing. The residence is designed to facilitate the tenants’ transition into society after their incarceration and reduce the number of repeat offenders. Residents are assessed on an individual basis to determine the best course of action for them, including their projected length of stay and what programs they might need the most in order to readjust smoothly. To this end, the Fortune Society offers services in education, counseling, and career planning. Just as importantly, the shared housing creates a community that helps combat the feelings of isolation that commonly afflict the formerly incarcerated. Since opening its doors, the Castle has housed and helped nearly 1,000 people. Yet this is only one of several efforts the Fortune Society is involved in that aim to correct the injustices of what can be an excessively harsh penal system. The Society has a series of programs that improve the lives of the formerly incarcerated, such as readily available mental health services, treatment for substance abuse, a nutrition program that encompasses both free meals and cooking lessons, and even opportunities in the arts. In addition to this, it tries to attack the root of the issue through its Alternatives to Incarceration programs, which seek to reduce the potential for reoffending by providing adequate mental healthcare and various other support services.

Our visit to Engine 69/Ladder 28 only confirmed what I have known since I began walking the side streets of Manhattan: Firemen are some of the friendliest people in the city. When we knocked on the door to the station, we were immediately welcomed in and invited to join the firemen in their air-conditioned break room. We were happy to escape the heat outside and enjoyed the chance to learn about what makes their station unique.The station was nicknamed the “Harlem Hilton,” we were told, shortly after the gas crisis that hit the city in the 1970s. To avoid wasting extra gas by making too many trips between their houses and the station, many men chose to sleep over, hence earning the firehouse its name and their reputation as “a hospitable bunch.” The men were kind enough to let us visit their kitchen and dining room, where they proudly showed off the long table where they eat. It is made out of the floor of an old bowling alley. No one was sure about the origins of the table or the reasons behind its placement in their kitchen, but we all agreed that it added another quirky, albeit mysterious, element in the firehouse’s hundred-year history.

Andrea's Natural Styles is home to Unique Gifts & Things. While visiting with Andrea, she revealed to me that over the years, during special occasions, she has enjoyed putting together gift baskets for her friends and family. These baskets are customized using her knowledge of her loved ones’ preferences, including the items they contain, the colors they are wrapped in, and the style of the basket itself. It is her way of personalizing presents and going the extra mile to make the recipients feel special.After years of receiving praise and requests from friends and clients at her salon, she decided that she could incorporate these baskets into an additional venture. Andrea was pleased to tell me that Unique Gifts has quickly taken off since she began promoting them during the summer of 2017, because people love her idea of giving “an ordinary gift in an extraordinary way.” Each basket she assembles can contain anything from socks shaped to look like rose bouquets to an assortment of the recipient’s favorite candies - she tailor makes every one to the specific requests of her customer, and does her best to deliver them within twenty-four hours. The beauty of this type of gift, Andrea explained, is that it is far more meaningful than a typical store-bought gift, but still falls within the client's budget. She hopes to continue giving others the opportunity to express this more intimate and individualized affection through her selection of unique possibilities.