Today, we are pausing our regular cadence of weekly newsletters. If you’re looking for a fascinating map on how NYC voted in the federal election, check out CUNY’s Center for Urban Research’s NYC Election Atlas or THE CITY’s neighborhood turnout map or electoral shift map.
Our work at BetaNYC has always centered on optimism, faith, truth, and service. Never have we shied away from the intersectional nature of technology, society, and service delivery. To build technology for the public interest, we must target harm reduction, equality, inclusion, and restorative justice. These are not talking points. These are core values. We bake them into our programs, analysis, tools, curriculum, events, and community. Whether it was taught to us by our ancestors or things we learned along the way, we exist to center these values in our various communities.
For those who embrace these values, Wednesday morning was a stunning blow, especially after working to ensure equality in our State constitution. WHICH WE DID! EQUALITY IS NOW THE LAW OF THE STATE. One of the most important takeaways is that your skills and ingenuity are desperately needed at the hyper-local level. We have a mayoral election in 2025 and a gubernatorial election in 2026. Every day in between, we have a unique opportunity to shape how our State, City, and neighborhoods respond to oppression, intrusive surveillance, and a vindictive government.
I can promise you, just as we did eight years ago, we will take care of each other. We have much to learn from our elders and a new generation of leaders to train. Optimism, faith, truth, service, and love are how we build a more perfect union.
Right now, it’s time to prepare for a long road. This is not our first fight with a racist federal government. We know where things started and how they ended. We need all of you to engage in the radical act of self-care and community care. Take a few days to recharge, mourn, and check in with your friends.
As we have always said, your passion for community, combined with your digital skills, is exactly what our neighbors need. You are your ancestor’s dream. We have much mutual aid to perform.
We have many things to prepare before the inauguration. (Think data archiving and liberation.) Next week, we will start outlining civic tech mutual aid resources and calls to action. If you have things to share with the community, please contact Gabby or me.
In the meantime, check in with your friends (especially your transgender friends), attend a local neighborhood event, and renew your commitment to hope.
TL;DR – Here are the things to note: friends in crisis need to know they are not alone. Here are a few resources and numbers to note. WE WILL TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER. Second, we will share civic tech mutual aid resources next week. In the meantime, this article discusses preparing for 2026 and a new federal administration.
With love and light,
Noel Hidalgo, with support from Gabrielle Langston and the BetaNYC team