This is the image I walked by during my morning commute today. It is yet another New York City Newsstand vendor exploiting the image of Black and Afro-Latino women – maybe even breaking the law - while going to great lengths to protect the image of White women on equally provocative magazine covers.
Notice that an NYPD Transit police officer is nearby. But he probably doesn’t even know about the law that the vendor could be breaking; and, for many reasons I am simply uncomfortable telling police officers what lawbreaking they might be missing right before their eyes.
I Wish Black-Brown People Cared Enough About Our Image To Lift Our Voice
What bothers me more than the Vendor who indeed does know better as evidenced that he placed a strip to cover the White woman while leaving the Black woman exposed and the Police Officer who might not know about a law possibly being violated IS The DEFEANING SILENCE OF Blacks and Latinos (men and women) when the women in our communities are exploited in such ways. Really, who should care about how our image is projected when we don’t bother to raise our voice? This is low hanging fruit. You have a voice and have the power to stop this exploitation by contacting the agencies below. It will only take two minutes of your time to let your voice be heard.
I recommend watching BBN’ s Video Report New York City Newsstand Vendors: Exploiting Some, Protecting Others.
New York Office of Consumer Affairs
Email the Commissioner at jmintz@dca.nyc.gov (Johnathan Mintz)
212-487-4401
212-487-4283 (Elizabeth Miller)
The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office (The Chief Law Enforcement Officer of Kings County, Brooklyn)
718.250.2000
New York City Council Representative (You elect them; they in turn represent you) Find Your Council Member
The Mayor’s Office
212.788.3000
The New York City Chapter of the National Organization of Women (perhaps they’d be willing to raise awareness)
212.627.9895 or contact@nownyc.org
FYI About the Law…
New York City newsstands are licensed by city government and they are also bound to law. According to New York Penal Code Penal Law Sections:
--245.10 Public display of offensive sexual material is defined as showing of the female genitals, pubic area or buttocks with less than a full opaque covering, or the showing of the female breast with less than a fully opaque covering of any portion thereof below the top of the nipple.
--245.11 And a person is guilty of public display of offensive sexual material when he with knowledge of its character and content he displays or permits to be displayed in or on any window, showcase, newsstand, display rack, wall, door, billboard, display board, viewing screen, moving picture screen, marquee or similar place, in such manner that the display is easily visible from or in any: public street, sidewalk or thoroughfare; transportation facility; or any place accessible to members of the public without fee or other limit or condition of admission such as a minimum age requirement.
