Kids, Family & Staff Share Last Day At Roosevelt Island Youth Program - Lack Of Concern For Minority Youth Is Lesson Learned Says RIYP

After a bitter and contentious losing battle to remain as operator of the Youth Center, the Roosevelt Island Youth Program said goodbye on Friday. According to RIYP:

Roosevelt Island Youth Program Inc.Closes Doors on Friday Night

After 4 decades of service to the Roosevelt Island Community, RIYP's doors were shut on Friday March 2nd at 8 PM. Many of the youth program's population showed up to

say goodbye to the staff

and the program they loved.

These youth fought so hard to defend the program and it's Director Charles DeFino

at the 2 RIOC board meetings. They learned a valuable lesson about this community and it lack of concern for minority youth.

Many of the minority youth and their parents left the March 1 Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Board of Directors meeting that voted 4-3 to remove the RIYP as Youth Center operator saying "It's a Shame, It's a Shame" and "Gentrification".



RIOC intends to operate an interim Youth Center until future plans for a Youth Center are determined. RIOC is hosting a 3 PM meeting today at the Youth Center, 506 Main Street, to discuss their interim plans.

More on the issue at previous posts.