History

The Long Island, New York, chapter of the Americans for Democratic Action was founded in 1968 by Bernard and Jewel Bellush, Joe and Lottie Friedman, Emil and Peggy Caccavo, Mark Finkel, and Evelyn Weinstein.

Recent speakers at Long Island ADA meetings have been Charles Schumer, United States Senator from New York; May Newberger, supervisor of the Town of Hempstead; United States Congresspersons John Lewis from Georgia, Jerrold Nadler from Manhattan, Nita Lowy from Westchester, Caroline McCarthy and Gary Ackerman from Long Island; Thomas DiNapoli, member of the New York State Assembly;  Carl McCall, New York State Comptroller; Barbara Bernstein, director of the Long Island Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union; and Fred Brewington, Long Island civil liberties lawyer and affordable housing advocate.

After Dr. Barnett Slepian an Amherst, N.Y., doctor who performed abortions, was killed by a sniper in October 1998 while sitting in his home, the Long Island ADA organized a candlelight vigil in Great Neck at which speakers from secular and religious organizations expressed their outrage at the killing. The vigil was attended by 1000 people.

The Long Island ADA has made statements and worked with other groups on the war in Kosova, the war in Iraq, the minimum wage, noise abatement, and high occupancy vehicle lanes on the Long Island Expressway.