![Saturday September 26, 2020. Clinton Square, Syracuse, New York. Rebirth Syracuse hosted a night of peaceful demonstration in response to a report that SPD assaulted a naked Black man who was experiencing a mental health crisis last night. They also seek to remind Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh of their demands to defund the police.](https://www.thenewshouse.com/wp-content/uploads/ShawT_004_Shaw_20200926_0030-768x512.jpg)
Syracuse University hosts “Policed Bodies: A Community Conversation on Race, Disability and Justice,” a two-day event featuring panels and group talks.
![Policed Bodies Symposium](https://www.thenewshouse.com/wp-content/uploads/POLICE-768x512.jpg)
Moderated by community activist Yusuf S. Abdul-Qadir, the panel engaged participants in a discussion surrounding education reform in the City of Syracuse.
![A Syracuse student lights a marijuana cigarette in their apartment.](https://www.thenewshouse.com/wp-content/uploads/high-stakes/campus-culture/college-culture/Gavle_Anonymous_003-768x512.jpg)
Smoking weed is legal, but New Yorkers won’t see retail sales for at least a year.
![Syracuse City Hall](https://www.thenewshouse.com/wp-content/uploads/7796377592_d8ab620609_b-e1618148392605-768x511.jpg)
Over the past five years, the City of Syracuse and Onondaga County have been in the process of building a new city plan through rezoning.
![The Monroe Building on East Onondaga Street will serve as the canvas for this mural project, featuring four local athletes. Courtesy of Frank Malfitano/Jonas Never (Artist)](https://www.thenewshouse.com/wp-content/uploads/muralNH-768x512.jpg)
The mural, which is to be painted by Los Angeles–based muralist Jonas Never, will feature local athletes Breanna Stewart, Dolph Schayes, Earl Lloyd and Manny Breland.
![GLOW](https://www.thenewshouse.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-04-01-at-11.32.15-AM-712x570.png)
The Girls Loving Ourselves Worldwide initiative invites Black and Brown girls in grades 6 to 11 from across the globe to participate in a yearlong virtual program.
![Alternative Text](https://www.thenewshouse.com/wp-content/uploads/ZoeDavis_20210310_0094-768x512.jpg)
The district has made a reopening plan for sports that puts emphasis on following the CDC and the Department of Health recommendations.
![Courtesy of Jaclyn Hanifin](https://www.thenewshouse.com/wp-content/uploads/morgan1-768x512.jpg)
More than 40 businesses in Onondaga County were formally launched in March despite COVID-19 limitations.
![Gianna Prudente](https://www.thenewshouse.com/wp-content/uploads/saltcity1-768x512.jpg)
The local specialty coffee shop has filled the space left vacant by Café Kubal.
![During the pandemic, the hospitality sector — including casinos, restaurants, hotels — saw the highest rate of layoffs among all industries, while groceries, warehouses and storage facilities saw the fewest job losses.](https://www.thenewshouse.com/wp-content/uploads/unemployment-photo-768x546.jpg)
In 2020, Syracuse saw an annual unemployment rate of 11.37%, with a peak in April at 18.30%.