06/20/2025
Would White Plains residents ever condone such an action? We are just curious
Juneteenth Isn’t Just a Holiday. It’s a Call to Action
Dear Mount Vernon Neighbor,
As Juneteenth comes to a close, let’s take a moment to reflect not just on what today commemorates, but what it demands of us. Juneteenth marks the freedom of the last enslaved people in America, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation. It is a celebration of liberation, but also a reminder that freedom delayed is still injustice endured.
And today, that same delay, the same struggle shows up in new forms.
It’s seen in voter suppression efforts nationwide. It’s seen when public servants remain silent in the face of abuse. It’s seen when sacred Black spaces are disrespected, not in the past, but in recent years, here in Mount Vernon.
Please see the full record at NickAndAndre.com
This election is not just political. It’s personal. It’s moral. It’s historical.
In 2022, former Mount Vernon Police Commissioner Glenn Scott confirmed on video that under the leadership of Nick Mastrogiorgio the PBA abused its influence by directing police officers to target Black churches on Sundays — instructing them to issue parking tickets to Black congregants while they were inside praying.
He did not target synagogues. He did not target Catholic churches. Only Black churches — apparently in the belief that it would turn their members against Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard. When the issue was raised at a public press conference, watch Nick Mastrogiorgio walk away and direct his members to turn their backs on the Black clergy and officials gathered in the spirit of healing.
Let us be clear: This does not reflect the values of the many dedicated men and women of the Mount Vernon Police Department, who serve our community with professionalism and courage. Many officers were simply following orders—and deserve leadership that reflects the same integrity they bring to their work every day.
He also did not intervene as a handcuffed Black man was tased and beaten during a mental health crisis. [There is a video]. In 2023, Nick was a witness on behalf of former PO Ryan Hughes at a disciplinary hearing to remove Hughes for his excessive force on a Black woman who Hughes pushed into a cinderblock wall while she was cuffed from behind and unable to break her fall [see the video at nickandandre.com]. Nick defended the actions of the officer during his testimony
Andre Wallace, who ran as a Republican during the Trump era, is now quietly trying to win the Democratic primary. Proof at nickandandre.com.
Again, let be clear: This is not an indictment of Republicans as a whole. There are many good, civic-minded Republicans in Mount Vernon and beyond who serve with integrity and principle. In fact, many of them are equally disgusted by Andre Wallace’s actions and political maneuvering.
Our issue is not with party affiliation—it’s with dishonesty, opportunism, and the manipulation of voters who deserve better.
These candidates are now asking for your vote. But as one local pastor said regardign Nick, “We believe in forgiveness, but forgiveness is not foolishness.”
Please see all this and more at NickAndAndre.com
Juneteenth reminds us that liberation didn’t arrive all at once. It had to be claimed, defended, and re-earned. Generation after generation.
This week, we get to do that at the ballot box.
The Rise Up Mount Vernon team represents real service, not self-interest:
Dr. Darren Morton – Comptroller (2A)
Cathlin Gleason – City Council (4A)
Elvira Castillo – City Council (6A)
Cynthia Turnquest-Jones – City Council (7A)
Danielle Browne – City Court Judge (10A)
Early voting continues through Sunday.
The Democratic Primary is Tuesday, June 25.
Know before you vote: NickAndAndre.com
Let’s not let Juneteenth be just a moment of remembrance. Let it be a movement of action.
With purpose and resolve,
Rise Up Mount Vernon
You can download our official RiseUp Mount Vernon newspaper and “read all about it" HERE.
(914) 587-3155
www.RiseUpMountVernon.com
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And please tell your friends and family to take advantage of early voting to support the RiseUp Mount Vernon dream team.
