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    NORTH AMERICAN Newsline                                            FEBRUARY 27, 2026       |  The Indian Eye 16

             NYC Announces 12 Community Project Grant Winners

                      to Combat Hate and Bias at Grass-Roots Level

             The NYC Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes and NYC Commission on Human Rights award up to $10,000
                   each to 12 community organizations — in all five boroughs — to prevent hate, bias, and discrimination.

            OUR BUREAU                                                                                            interfaith solidarity and anti-hate ad-
                                                                                                                  vocacy. Its Eid/Holi/Vaisakhi for In-
            NEW YORK, NY
                                                                                                                  tercultural Solidarity project brings
                 or the fourth consecutive year,                                                                  Hindu, Sikh, Muslim and allied com-
                 the New York City’s Office for                                                                   munities together through youth
            Fthe Prevention of Hate Crimes                                                                        roundtables and public celebrations
            (OPHC) and the New York City Com-                                                                     to  counter  Islamophobia,  anti-Sikh
            mission on Human Rights (CCHR)                                                                        hate,  caste  oppression,  and  polariza-
            proudly announce the 12 recipients of                                                                 tion.
            the 2026 Community Project Grants                                                                         Bangladesh School of Fine Arts
            to Prevent and Address Bias and                                                                       (BAFA) (Bronx and Queens): The
            Hate. Each awardee will receive up                                                                    Bangladesh Academy of Fine Arts
            to $10,000 to develop and implement                                                                   (BAFA) is a Bronx-based cultural
            creative community-based projects                                                                     organization dedicated to preserving
            aimed at reducing hate crimes, bi-                                                                    South  Asian  arts and fostering com-
            as-motivated  incidents,  and  discrimi-                                                              munity empowerment. Its initiative,
            nation across New York City.                                                                          Stories of Us: Bronx Intergeneration-
                This year’s winners include or-                                                                   al Arts & Anti-Bias Circle, brings to-
            ganizations and individuals working                                                                   gether youth and elders through inter-
            across faith communities, intercultur-   Miah Artola (Manhattan): Miah   munity-driven art experiences  that  generational workshops that promote
            al spaces, and youth programs.    is an interdisciplinary artist and edu-  transform public spaces through sto-  cultural pride and civic engagement
               “The Community Project Grants   cator whose work centers the expe-  rytelling. His project, ONE NYC: The   through arts and storytelling.
            reflect  New York  City’s commit- riences of asylum seekers, refugees   Imagination Lab for Belonging turns   Big Apple Immigrant Center
            ment to investing in the communi- and  diasporic  communities through   stories into artifacts and data into art,  (Manhattan): Big Apple Immigrants
            ties most vulnerable to hate,” said   painting, new media and interactive   connecting New Yorkers across cul- Center is a Chinatown and Lower
            Vijah Ramjattan, Executive Direc- installations.  Her  ongoing  project,   tures and celebrating the city’s collec- East  Side  nonprofit  providing  cultur-
            tor of the Office for the Prevention  Mixed Poetics, fosters cross-cultural   tive spirit.            ally and linguistically accessible ser-
            of Hate Crimes. “Through these    dialogue through multilingual collab-  Yohanna Baez & Jasmin Ben- vices to immigrant families. Through
            grants, OPHC strengthens com- orations and mixed media platforms    ward (Citywide): Yohanna Báez and   legal education for NYCHA and Sec-
            munity-driven strategies that em-  spanning  film,  dance,  virtual  reality,   Jasmin Benward are multidisciplinary  tion 8 residents, anti-bias workshops,
            power everyday New Yorkers to be  and performance.                  artists collaborating on The Map Be- and community-building events, the
            part of the solution.                 Grevil King-One Music Group   longing Project, a citywide initiative  Center addresses misinformation,
               “Community-led work is critical  (Bronx):  Grevil “Vell” King is a   that transforms personal stories into   promotes rights awareness, and fos-
            to preventing hate and addressing the  Bronx-based creative director, music   poetry and audio tours. Through pub- ters cross-cultural connection.
            conditions that allow bias to take hold,”  executive, and community arts leader   lic mapping and walking tours, the   Staten Island Pride Center (Stat-
            said Christine Clarke, Commissioner  who founded ONE Music Group to   project empowers residents to create   en Island, New York): The Pride
            and Chair of the New York City Com-  support artist development and youth   a  shared  digital  “Belonging  Map  of  Center of Staten  Island supports
            mission  on  Human  Rights.  “These   empowerment.  Through  initiatives   NYC,” amplifying marginalized voic- LGBTQIA+ and allied communities
            grants support New Yorkers who are   like Sounds of Solidarity, Vell uses   es and fostering cross-cultural under- through advocacy, education, and
            doing the hard, meaningful work of  music and songwriting to promote   standing across New York City.   community-building programs. Its
            bringing people together, strengthen-  unity, resilience and cultural pride in   Jewish Community Council of   community  dinners  bring  together
            ing relationships, and helping build a   underserved communities.   Greater Coney Island (Brooklyn):  diverse residents for dialogue on hate,
            city where everyone belongs.”         Homecrest  Community  Services   The Jewish Community Council of  bias, and intersectionality, fostering
                                              (Brooklyn):  Homecrest  Community   Greater Coney Island will launch Ho-  understanding and inclusion across
                  The 2026 Grant Awardees:
                                              Services is a Brooklyn-based non-  locaust Survivors Against Hate, an   Staten Island.
                Jiayi  “Zoe”  Yue  (Queens):  Zoe   profit serving immigrant older adults,   initiative that amplifies survivor testi-  Kayhan Irani: Kayhan Irani is an
            is a 15-year-old youth advocate ad- youth and families through culturally   mony to educate the public and com- Emmy  Award-winning interdisciplin-
            vancing mental health awareness   responsive programming. Its initiative,   bat bias and discrimination. Through  ary artist and cultural worker whose
            and youth leadership through civic   Our  Stories,  Our City: Building  Be-  video and written storytelling, the   practice blends storytelling, theater,
            engagement and community-based    longing, brings youth and immigrant   project promotes moral courage and   education,  and  participatory  art  to
            programming. Through her work  seniors together to counter hate and   upstander action and aims to build a  advance community healing and be-
            with The International Foundation of  bias through storytelling, dialogue   more tolerant community.   longing. Her project, There Is a Portal,
            Freedom and Awareness, Zoe helps   and digital media.                     Hindus for Human Rights     engages adult English language learn-
            equip young people across New York    Michael Peterson (Brooklyn):   (Queens): Hindus for Human Rights   ers in immersive digital storytelling to
            City  with  tools  for  empathy,  conflict  Michael Peterson is a Brooklyn-based   is a grassroots organization advancing  explore migration, identity, and col-
            resolution, and inclusive action.   artist and educator who creates com-  pluralism and human rights through   lective resilience.

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