Everywhere one looks in Peekskill there are new homes under construction or in the works. From the nine story 181-unit market rate apartment building on Broad and Brown streets to the 82-unit workforce building rising between Main Street and Central Avenue, there is a boom going on. 

That boom is the context behind the current book selection of the Peekskill NAACP’s Economic Sustainability Committee chaired by Tanya Dwyer. “If you think there aren’t enough affordable units being built here or if you want only market rate apartments, this is a discussion for you,” said Dwyer – who is welcoming all views to the conversation. 

The book the group is discussing is  The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein, which explores the history of residential segregation in America. “Our local and national governments segregated cities like Peekskill throughout the 20th century. We are still living with the expensive ramifications of those policies. The Color of Law explains how it happened and the impact on all of us,” reads the flyer promoting the Saturday, July 9th event.  

When the group met at their monthly meeting in June, they discussed the ways institutional structures created residential segregation as explained in the book. The July conversation centers around Peekskill, and ways the situation can be handled.

Dwyer encouraged people to join the Zoom meeting even if they haven’t read the entire book. She suggests they go to the FAQ at the back of the book, and read those in anticipation of joining the conversation.   

The public is invited to the meeting on Zoom this Saturday, July 9 at noon. Sign in to the Zoom meeting with the following codes: Meeting ID: 83417922799  Passcode: 932970.