Peekskill Black History Month Celebration and Community Proclamations – March 2, 2026
Peekskill Black History Month Celebration and Community Proclamations – March 2, 2026
Mayor Vivian McKenzie opened the March 2, 2026 Peekskill Common Council meeting with a Black History Month program, marking the 100th anniversary of the first Negro History Week in 1926. The mayor delivered a keynote on Peekskill's local Black history, presented proclamations to five community honorees and to the Peekskill NAACP, and noted the passing of Rev. Jesse Jackson on February 17, 2026. No formal legislative votes or other city business were conducted.
Presentations & Proclamations
- Mayor McKenzie's keynote highlighted local Black history, including John Jacob “Rifle Jack” Peterson in 1780, the Underground Railroad safe house operated by Hawley and Harriet Green at 1112 Main Street, historic Black churches, and Peekskill's role in the 1949 Paul Robeson concert and Peekskill riots. She described Black Peekskill history as “the main event” and said that as the first African American woman to serve as mayor, she stands on “the shoulders of giants.”
- Avis Dunkley was honored for founding the Peekskill Community Thanksgiving and for her spirit of love and community. Her daughter accepted the proclamation, saying her mother had 14 children and taught the family how to give.
- Renee Kears was honored for 27 years in the Peekskill City School District as a special education teacher and for receiving the 2025 NAACP Unsung Heroine Award and the New Era Creative Spaces Mentor of the Year Award. Her daughter noted that Kears was the first African American woman to work at the Peekskill Post Office.
- Asia Morel, owner of Red Door Creative Space and a patient care professional at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, was honored for hosting community gatherings and charitable events, including the annual Peekskill Community Thanksgiving dinner. She invited residents to an Easter event on April 4 from 12 to 3 p.m.
- Kazi Oliver, known as the African Drummer Extraordinaire, was honored for more than 30 years of drumming and teaching people ages 4 to 86 across the Hudson Valley. In his remarks, he called for residents to support community events and open doors to local programs, saying “we need each other like never before.”
- Stacey Woodley, principal of Woodside Elementary School, was honored for two decades of service with the Peekskill City School District. She said this is her 28th year in Peekskill and described her work as a life passion.
- The mayor proclaimed recognition of the Peekskill NAACP during Black History Month, noting the chapter was founded in 1937 as the first in Westchester County. NAACP President Priscilla Augustan accepted the proclamation, honored Rev. Jesse Jackson, urged residents to become members, and announced that the NAACP will represent Peekskill at Lobby Day on Wednesday, saying “advocacy is everyone's responsibility."
Key Outcomes
- No formal votes were taken; the Common Council issued proclamations only.
- Asia Morel announced an upcoming Easter community event on April 4, 2026, from 12 to 3 p.m.
- The Peekskill NAACP announced its Lobby Day participation and called on residents to join or support the organization.
- Kazi Oliver asked the community to support local events and artists, emphasizing mutual support.
Meeting Transcript
March 2nd, 2026. This evening we are going to start with our Black History program. As everyone knows, we've had this lovely weather that keeps preempting everything. So we are in March, but as I say, there's not just one month for Black history, so we are going to celebrate today and continue to celebrate. So when we think about black history, we tend to reach back in time and speak about the important black figures that shaped our country. Today, I'm going to speak a little about black history here in Peakskill. We have our own legacy of courage and contributions from Black Peak Skillions, not that not only impacted Peakskill, but also the world. Standing or sitting here as your mayor, and as the first African American woman to hold this office, I am acutely aware that I do not stand here alone. I stand on the shoulders of giants. Peakskill's black history is not a side note in American history. It is the main event. It began in 1780 with John Jacob Rifle Jack Peterson, a black patriot whose sharpshooting helped drive away a British ship, preventing a betrayal that could have cost us the Revolutionary War. From our very founding, black Peak Skillions have been the guardians of American liberty. By the mid-1800s, Peakskill was a legendary station on the Underground Railroad. Today, we walk the same paths as Hawley and Harriet Green, who operated a safe ass safe house at 1112 Main Street. Hawley was a prominent business owner, and Harriet was a trailblazer, a black woman who owned property in her own name when such a thing was nearly unheard of. Today, that history is kept alive by the incredible women of Sisters in Support and Mrs. LaFern Joseph. They don't just tell these stories, they lead the tours that walk us through the secret paths of the Underground Railroad, right here in Peakskill, ensuring that the courage of the Greens and the members of Park Street Amy Zine is never erased. That same spirit also lived in our black churches, like Mount Lebanon, Mount Olivet, and Park Street Amy Zion. These weren't just places of worship. They were the engines of survival for our black families and remain so today. In 1949, our city became the epicenter of the national civil rights movement during the Peakskill riots. When Paul Robeson stood his ground, he showed the world that Peakskill would not be intimidated by hate. We are the home of Hayward Burns, Peakskill High School class of 1958, who went from Peakskill to Harvard to become a legal titan for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and a founder of the National Conference of Black Lawyers. We are the home of Indius Green, who in 1950s led the drive to restore Harriet Tubman's upstate home. We are a city of builders. Black history is also the history of doing for self. It's Charles Green's Taylor Shop and the Bynam Brothers Taxi Service. It's Madeline's and Juanita Jackson's beauty salons, John Elliott's, Willie May Clayton, and the Bunches Bars. It's Kay Mosier, a pioneer in real estate and a pillar of our museum. It's Isaiah Hughes, driving for Washington Engine Company 2, and the Tinsley family, whose legacy began with William Tinsley coming from Virginia to work at Standard Brands. The Tinsley family is still here today. And we must honor the founding mothers of Sun River Health, Jeanette Phillips, Mary Woods, Pearl Woods, and Willie Mae Jackson. They were tired of traveling for health care, so they built their own. That is the Peakskill way. Today, that history is still alive in Peakscale. It's in Mark Woods, our first African American paid firefighter, carrying on the legacy of his grandmother, Pearl. It's in the chambers of justice with former Judge Reginald Johnson and Judge Sophia Trott. It's in the leadership of Richard Jackson, our first black mayor and state commissioner. It's in Lieutenant Kalia Carter, breaking glass ceilings in our police department. It's in Cornell Hammonds, a young black man who started his career with the city of Peakskill right after high school as a laborer, and today is our director of public works. It is Dr. Burns, Dr. Tracy Williams, and Dr. Sales, black medical providers who took care and who take care of our residents. It's in the greatness of our athletes like Elton Brand, Hilton Armstrong, and the late Trey Johnson. And it's in Katrina Peterson, LaFern Joseph, Pamela Johnson, Rob Scott, Ted Bitter, Dana Merriweather, Adrian Lassack Harper, Miss Hazel, Keisha Palmer Cousins, Joan King and Family, Nettie McKenzie, Elizabeth Elizabeth McCorvey, and Chanel of Peakskill Boba are black entrepreneurs who have stepped out on faith and invested in Peakskill by setting up business here.
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