Sad news from the Sixth Street Community Center today: Annette Averette, a longtime neighborhood activist, died on Sunday after a long battle with cancer.
Here's more information via the EVG inbox...
Annette was Howard Brandstein’s partner at Sixth Street Community Center for over 25 years. Together they developed programs in community supported agriculture, youth and environmental advocacy that continue to support our LES neighborhoods. In 2009, Annette founded our Organic Soul Cafe where she served as chef and manager.
Prior to working at Sixth Street, Annette was Executive Director of the LES Anti-Displacement Project, where for seven years she provided vital assistance to tenants fighting to secure their homes.
Thank you to all who have extended your support during this difficult time. Annette is legendary and her spirit will remain with us forever. There is so much more to say about Annette-Her wisdom, political activism, legal and financial savvy, great cooking and, above all, her beautiful and caring soul. We will miss her deeply.
Tomorrow (July 30) afternoon, the Sixth Street Community Center (638 E. Sixth St. between B and C) will be honoring her memory from 4-7 p.m.
RIP. We're losing some real ones.
ReplyDeleteMay her memory be a blessing to all of us who called her Friend.
ReplyDeleteShe had much empathy and was a strong advocate for what she believed in !!
ReplyDeleteAnnette Averette was a leader among leaders. She was gentle, yet incisive and precise in her ways, and she was always striving for social justice and civil rights wherever she went.
ReplyDeleteI knew Annette for a brief 16 years, as her neighbor at 50 Manhattan Avenue. During that time and through many building tenant committee meetings, the theme was always: “What does Annette have to say about this?” Followed by: “Write that down everybody, make a note of it.” Annette dared to push the envelope, time and time again, and she was a most creative and effective team player!
At 50 Manhattan Avenue, she was a force to reckon with, and the minutes of our tenant meetings can only begin to tell her story, or indicate the depth of her wise perceptions and ideas.
Above all, Annette was a loving, family woman, who naturally embraced you into her family, whether you wanted or not! She was forever proud of her entire family, and especially, her grandson Antonio, whom we spoke about all of the time. Born a few days apart in August, he and my 10 year-old son share the name “Antonio” so you know, this was an automatic topic of sweet conversation every time we met.
Annette’s decades of visionary activism throughout the Lower East Side and Upper West Side, and her legacy as Program Director of the Sixth Street Community Center and chef at Organic Soul Café will live on Forever!
On behalf of my family and fellow tenants at 50 Manhattan Avenue, I wish to express my heartfelt condolences to the family and extended family of this noble and legendary woman. She will be deeply missed and always remembered.
May she Rest in Peace.
Lee Franco