On Tuesday, July 15, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz gathered with community leaders and Brooklynites of all faiths, ethnicities and sexual orientations to announce “Summer 2008 Respect,” an initiative designed to champion a message of respect and bring Brooklynites together in celebrating the borough’s diversity. Participants wore “Respect” shirts and wristbands distributed at the launch.

Among those joining BP Markowitz on the steps of Borough Hall were Special Assistant to the Borough President Yvonne Graham; Councilmember Letitia James; Councilmember Karim Camara; the NYPD; the Crown Heights Youth Collective; the Crown Heights Community Council; Homecrest Community Services; Brooklyn Heights Association; Lambda Independent Democrats of Brooklyn; United Puerto Rican Organization of Sunset Park (UPROSE); Council of Peoples Organizations (COPO); We are all Brooklyn; Crown Heights Community Mediation Center; Project CARE; Jewish Community Relations Council and Brooklyn students of all ages.

“As different as we are, there is one thing that we all want, one thing that we all need, and one thing that we all deserve—and that is respect,” says BP Markowitz. “Respect is an essential ingredient of that ‘Brooklyn attitude.’”

BP Markowitz is urging all Brooklynites to organize—and invite him to—“Respect” events in their own neighborhoods this summer, and those that attended today’s event are being encouraged to wear their “Respect—It’s a Brooklyn Attitude!” shirts and wristbands at upcoming National Night Out events on August 5.