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While a student at Hunter College, I lived on the Lower East Side. I had taken to walking around late at night, especially on those spring evenings that bewitch all New Yorkers – the kind where sidewalks are brushed with that streetlight shade of lazy orange, and the air smells crisp, while holding the promise of warmer weather. It was on one of those nights, when I was fully enveloped in my love of this city, that I came across a sight that encapsulated New York as much as pigeons nailing the unwary outside Central Park: it was a man, homeless and asleep, on the steps of a bank. Hello, NYC.

One of our greatest challenges here in “The Greatest City in the World” is inequality. In fact, a recent study likened the level of income inequality in Manhattan to that of countries in sub-Saharan Africa. As of a 2004 report on health disparities in NYC, the poorest New Yorkers were four times more likely to report poor overall health than the wealthiest. They most likely have not received needed medical care in the past year[1]. The public school system is not only underfunded, but the most segregated in the nation, and a system where a student’s learning opportunities are determined more by their neighborhood and ethnicity than by their actual ability.[2]

In this year’s Roosevelt Institute Summer Academy, twenty-four students came to New York to engage in public policy through internships at local and government organizations, field visits, and workshops. As part of their Team-Based Challenge, the fellows were asked to address the following question: given the city’s rapid development, and the inequality to which it contributes, what policies can we implement to promote socio-economic stability? The perspectives from which each team, and indeed each team member, chose to approach this challenge were as diverse as New York itself: from increasing charter school access for young immigrants and alleviating the displacement caused by eminent domain usage, to creating social impact bonds to fund programs that decrease grade retention and increasing wellness and legal representation within low-income communities.

The passion with which the students approached their issues was remarkable, as they sought to respond not only to the topic that we presented to them, but to the underlying question of what they wanted from their city. As New Yorkers, we take immense pride in where we live, extolling the uniqueness of this city but glossing over the myriad ways in which it fails to work with us. We live in a highly interconnected metropolis, where $2.50 can get us to work on the subway, but where some do not earn enough to eat during the day. It is an act of dedication, and common sense, to look at the ways that New York City can be better. 

This summer has reinforced the idea that policy-making at its best is not academic. Whether it was Jessica tackling health issues in her native Far Rockaway, or Wilson channeling his experiences with displacement in Williamsburg into preventive measures to protect residents of Willets Point, our students have demonstrated that making good policy is personal. It means having a vision for what you care about, and doing the work that will bring your community closer to achieving it. What do you envision for yourself and for your city? 

- Xevion Baptiste

[1] NYC Dept of Health Report