In February 2019, young people wrote horrible anti-Semitic words in the playground of an elementary school in Rego Park, Queens - PS139Q.  The community was devastated.  Some tried to say it was the work of only a few but with the increase of anti-Semitic crimes in the community, Councilmember Koslowitz wanted something to be done.   By giving the crime national attention, Governor Cuomo formed a task force and more people were made aware of the anti-Semitic behavior in the community, and the story went national.

As a community artist, I went to the principal of PS139  and asked if I could work with several classes using the school's new mantra, "Be The Upstander", to create imagery in front of the school; over 10,000 people pass by the school each day.  I worked with PS139 students, New Israel Senior Center, college students, and parents to create positive imagery on the school fence.  Then in June, I worked with the school community to create a Tolerance Pledge that over 1,200 took.  I would like to continue the positive imagery in the community with the help of elementary/middle/high school/college students in the area, seniors, and the general community.  

In September, I started working with PS139 students on a school mural focused on using a character illustrated by students -- Topsy -- to show an upstander in action.  The students drew common scenarios and how an upstander would react.  They drew all sorts of scenarios, from being punched to tripped in the cafeteria and illustrating a positive resonse. I would like to continue illustrating murals, posters, and sculptures with the students and put this Upstander all over public spaces in the community: from our underpasses to our community garden. Just as companies use advertising to get us to buy things, we want to use art to get our community engaged in conversation and promote being an upstander- someone who doesn't sit by when bad things happen but takes action. We are a community of 125,000.