Funds totaling $100,000 are on hold after a near unanimous vote at the June 7th, 2023 meeting of the Ithaca Common Council.
Jordan Clemons’ Unbroken Promise Initiative & Harry Smith’s Black Hands Universal had seen $50,000 set aside by the Ithaca Common Council in 2023 budget.
Both organizations trace their origins to the social unrest of 2020 following the death of George Floyd.
Social media for both organizations emphasize protests that occurred at the Ithaca Police Department, including calls for the department to be defunded.
The council was set to release these funds from the city’s Restricted Contingency Account. The resolutions would have seen the city entering into a contract for services with both Black Hands Universal & Unbroken Promise Initiative. The precise nature of services which would be provided remain unclear.
Despite being invited, Clemons and Smith failed to attend the Council meeting.
Questions posed by the City Administration Committee to Clemons and Smith regarding their organization’s intended use of city funds were not satisfactorily answered.
“Harry Smith responded. I wouldn’t say he responded in a complete manner. Unbroken Promise Initiative did not respond at all. They basically ignored the questions,” Councilperson George McGonigall said.
100% of funds requested by Black Hands Universal appear to be designated for salaries and wages. The positions include a number of directors, supervisors & assistant supervisors for “trade training and work facilitation.”
A document submitted by Unbroken Promise Initiative to the city indicates that 50% of the requested funds would be used for “Salary & Wages,” with an additional $10,000 requested for “Equipment,” $6,000 for ‘Travel,” $2,000 for “Supplies” and $7,000 for unspecified “Other Direct Costs.”
Councilpersons Cynthia Brock and George McGonigall’s suggestion to send the proposals back to the City Administration Committee met with resistance from Councilpersons Robert Cantelmo and Jorge DeFendini.
The council voted 9-0 and 8-1 on motions to table the measures releasing the funds. Councilperson Ducson Nguyen was the sole dissenting vote.
“We will look for additional information. It would be very helpful to clearly articulate the information, and some will say it has been requested already. But to clearly communicate to both organizations, Black Hands Universal and Unbroken Promise Initiative, the questions that people would like answers to and to strongly encourage the leaders of both organizations to attend,” Mayor Laura Lewis said at the conclusion of the discussion.
Prior to the meeting, councilmembers had been made aware that Smith has been operating an unlicensed marijuana pop up shop at 706 West Green street.
Councilmembers were also made aware of video showing Clemons leading a roadblock in front of the Ithaca Police Department in the summer of 2020.
In the video, Clemons leads a mob in forcing a trapped driver to say George Floyd’s name before being allowed to pass. Clemons goes on to express satisfaction at the driver’s failed attempts to call for assistance from 911. At the beginning of the video, an Ithaca Police Department vehicle can be seen leaving the area as the mob takes over the road.
The resolutions funding Unbroken Promise Initiative and Black Hands Universal will next be up for approval by council at their meeting in July.