Mount Vernon, NY — November 7, 2025 — Community members, health professionals, and local leaders gathered Thursday evening at Westchester Community College’s Mount Vernon Extension Center for a public meeting on the rising asthma crisis in Black neighborhoods across Westchester County. Hosted by the Asthma Committee of the Westchester County African American Advisory Board, the forum focused on worsening air quality and its disproportionate impact on African American families.
The meeting was led by Marvin Church, Chair of the Asthma Committee, who opened the discussion by stressing the urgency of Mount Vernon’s environmental health challenges. Church introduced Barbara Edwards, Esq., Chair of the Westchester County African American Advisory Board, who outlined the county’s new legislative action to confront the crisis. The Westchester County Board of Legislators recently approved the formal establishment of an Asthma Subcommittee, a body charged with studying and addressing the burden of asthma within the county’s African American population.
“This initiative represents a measurable step toward environmental equity and community health,” Edwards said. “We are committed to identifying and eliminating the conditions that continue to put our residents at risk.”
Committee members in attendance included Nurse Practitioner Miesha Stokely, Yonkers School Board Member Larry Skpes, former Elmsford School Board Member Dr. Suzanne Phillips, and Black Westchester Magazine’s Publisher, Damon K. Jones. Each contributor spoke to the medical, educational, and social dimensions of asthma in Westchester’s Black communities.
Residents offered emotional testimony about daily exposure to polluted air. Many pointed to nearby factories, industrial facilities, and the steady idling of school and transit buses as persistent sources of harmful emissions. Parents expressed deep concern about children attending schools adjacent to heavy traffic and industrial zones.
“The idling of buses and the emissions from surrounding factories are not just environmental concerns—they are public health threats,” Church said. “Our children breathe this air every day. We have a responsibility to act, and this committee intends to work closely with the community and policymakers to drive long-term solutions.”
To help guide those solutions, Church asked attendees to provide their ZIP codes so the committee can build interactive maps illustrating asthma hot spots and pollution clusters throughout Mount Vernon and surrounding municipalities. This data will inform future policy recommendations and allow officials to prioritize the neighborhoods most in need.
The meeting also addressed the wider racial disparities linked to asthma, noting that Black families and low-income residents endure disproportionately higher rates of asthma and related complications. Participants emphasized the need for expanded public education, community outreach, and preventative measures across the county.
The Board publicly acknowledged Senator Jamaal Bailey for ensuring representation from his office at the event. His continued involvement underscores the need for coordination between state and local leaders to combat environmental health inequalities.
“This meeting allowed residents to be heard and policymakers to listen,” Edwards said. “By integrating community experience with data and legislation, we can build a healthier and more equitable Westchester County.”
The Westchester County African American Advisory Board and its Asthma Committee will continue hosting public forums throughout the county. Upcoming meetings are scheduled for New Rochelle, Yonkers, Elmsford, Greenburgh, White Plains, and Peekskill, as they broaden their push for cleaner air and healthier neighborhoods.
