Bill Text: NY J00348 | 2025-2026 | General Assembly | Introduced

New York Senate Resolution 348

Introduced

Bill Title: Honoring Jennifer Jones Austin upon the occasion of her recognition at The Positive Community Media's 6th Annual Great American Emancipation Day Awards Celebration on February 22, 2025

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-12 - REFERRED TO FINANCE [J00348 Detail]

Download: New_York-2025-J00348-Introduced.html


Senate Resolution No. 348

BY: Senator PARKER

        HONORING  Jennifer  Jones Austin upon the occasion
        of her recognition at The Positive Community Media's
        6th Annual Great American  Emancipation  Day  Awards
        Celebration on February 22, 2025

  WHEREAS,  It  is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and
commend  extraordinary  individuals  whose  leadership,  advocacy,   and
service have profoundly advanced social justice, equity, and empowerment
in our communities; and

  WHEREAS,  Attendant  to  such  concern,  and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor
Jennifer Jones Austin upon  the  occasion  of  her  recognition  at  The
Positive  Community  Media's  6th Annual Great American Emancipation Day
Awards Celebration on Saturday, February 22, 2025; and

  WHEREAS, A fourth-generation leader of  faith  and  social  justice,
Jennifer  Jones  Austin has dedicated her career to fighting for equity,
dismantling  systemic  racism,  and  advancing  policies  which   uplift
disenfranchised and marginalized communities; and

  WHEREAS,  As  CEO  of  the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies
(FPWA), a  leading  anti-poverty,  policy,  and  advocacy  organization,
Jennifer  Jones  Austin  has  spearheaded  monumental  changes in social
policy,  strengthening  protections  and  opportunities  for  vulnerable
populations; and

  WHEREAS,  A  lifelong  advocate  for  racial  and  economic justice,
Jennifer Jones Austin  has  served  at  the  highest  levels  of  public
service,  holding  the  titles of Senior Vice President of United Way of
New York City, Deputy Commissioner of the New York  City  Administration
for Children's Services, and Civil Rights Deputy Bureau Chief of the New
York  State  Attorney  General's  Office,  demonstrating  an  unwavering
commitment to the advancement of equity and justice; and

  WHEREAS, In her role as Chairperson of  the  New  York  City  Racial
Justice  Commission, the first municipal body of its kind in the Nation,
Jennifer Jones Austin  led  groundbreaking  efforts  to  develop  ballot
proposals  to  revise the City's charter, dismantle structural racism in
governmental  functions,  and  ensure  long-term   equity   for   Black,
Indigenous, and other communities of color; and

  WHEREAS,  Jennifer  Jones  Austin has chaired and served on numerous
influential boards and commissions, including the New York City Board of
Correction, where she led efforts to end solitary confinement,  the  New
York  State  Supermarket  Commission,  the  Brooklyn District Attorney's
Justice 2020 Initiative, and the New York Police Department  Reform  and
Reinvention Collaborative, among many others; and

  WHEREAS,  A  respected voice on public policy, faith-based advocacy,
and media, Jennifer Jones  Austin  co-hosts  WBLS'  "Open  Line,"  as  a
frequent  guest  host  on Rev. Al Sharpton's nationally syndicated radio

program, and regularly contributes to "Brooklyn Savvy"  and  the  "Karen
Hunter Show"; and

  WHEREAS, Jennifer Jones Austin is also a celebrated author, scholar,
and  thought  leader, sharing her powerful journey of faith, resilience,
and justice through her books, including "Consider It Pure Joy," and her
serving as Scholar in Residence at Alliance University  (formerly  Nyack
College),  the  Alliance  Theological  Seminary,  and  the AU Center for
Racial Reconciliation; and

  WHEREAS, A dedicated wife and mother, Jennifer Jones  Austin  has  a
legacy  of  compassion,  justice,  and transformational leadership which
continues to inspire future generations of advocates  and  changemakers;
and

  WHEREAS,  It  is  fitting  and  proper  that  this  Legislative Body
recognize the extraordinary contributions of Jennifer Jones  Austin  and
commend  her  for  her  unwavering  dedication  to  equity, justice, and
faith-driven leadership; now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its  deliberations  to
honor  Jennifer Jones Austin upon the occasion of her recognition at The
Positive Community Media's 6th Annual Great  American  Emancipation  Day
Awards Celebration; and be it further

  RESOLVED,  That  a  copy  of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Jennifer Jones Austin.