Kenzo James and Stevie Martinez Prof. Shaka McGlotten New Black Ethnographies December 4, 2019 La República de Choco-Cafuzo Final On April 23, 2022, Andrew Cuomo’s plans to build a bridge was authorized by state legislators in what was Albany, New York. Multiple crews of construction workers and urban planners started production on what would essentially be a PJs (project housing) to prison pipeline. Due to malpractice, in the process of building the bridge, an oil pipeline was accidentally struck near the East River causing a huge oil spill that led to the poisoning of the surrounding boroughs, directly killing people and wildlife in low-income communities and eventually, destabilizing the entire ecosystem of all of New York City. Geologically, the East River area is surrounded mostly by NYCHA (New York City Housing Authority) homes. Cuomo had been building the bridge as a part of his campaign promises to be “tougher on crime” (which of course just means, mercilessly imprisoning black, brown and/or indigenous folks) in order to salvage his reputation following The Excelsior Scandal (a series of screen-capped “private” forum conversations between Cuomo and Bill DeBlasio as well as, other political elites joking about how The Excelsior Scholarship isn’t attainable because of its lack of planning). However, with the oil spill directly resulting in the death of majority black, brown, and/or indigenous people, the desperate attempt at salvaging his reputation did fall through but no justice (to no surprise), was served.
1