10 Questions For Elena Mosley Of Operation Unite
The organization's vision has helped Hudson's youth enter adulthood with a sense of direction and social consciousness.
Elena Mosley photo by David McKintyr
In 2019, I produced a film, "The Infamous Future," which was featured at the Columbia Film Festival, and I asked my contractor Brandon Santos of any local organizations in Hudson that supports young children of color, as I wanted to purchase tickets for them to attend the screening. Brandon introduced me to Elena Mosley, Executive Director of Operation Unite New York. I was thrilled to meet both Elena and her incredible students who are some of Columbia County’s finest, with great futures ahead of them. I’ve had the pleasure during COVID-19 to speak to the students, answering their forward-thinking questions on social justice, my former career and background as Chief of Staff for Citigroup Global Digital Strategy, and the motivational and self-confidence talks I give. I thought it would be an honor to invite the Rural Intelligence community to hear about organizations doing great work right in our neighborhood. Operation Unite is a prime example.
1. JC: Elena Mosley, as the Executive Director, this is not your first organization in a leadership role. Can you share some of your history in art, education, creative learning, community efforts, fundraising, boards and more?
EM: I was born in New York City and became involved in dance at an early age. In 1981 I moved to Columbia County as my husband, Gregory Mosley (former lieutenant in the New York State police), was assigned to Columbia County. I have served on several boards over the years. My interest in the community gravitated towards youth and the arts. Initially, I served on the Columbia County NAACP as the youth chair, and then became secretary. In the early days, as far as the arts are concerned, I became active in the Columbia County Arts Council. Around the same time, in the early 90s, we formed a board for Operation Unite. Ironically, at the same time, the Hudson Opera House was formulating a board, and I was part of the Opera House steering committee although I wasn’t on the Hudson Opera Board until year three. Hudson Boys Club was another organization that I was involved in, teaching dance for their young girls who came in once a week. Shortly after being invited to the board, it became the Hudson Boys and Girls Club, and I was able to introduce professional artists in the dance world. Through the Hudson Boys and Girls Club, I was introduced to The Catskills Community Center, and was invited by Kay Stamer (director of the Greene County Council on the Arts) to bring cultural programs such as Kwanza, and dance artists to the Catskills Community Center.
2. JC: What was the vision behind Operation Unite, and where is your building located?
EM: Operation Unite is located at 360 Columbia Street in Hudson. We purchased our building in 1999. Wiith grassroots community members such as Barbara Walthour, Rudolph Stevenson, Edward Cross, Staley Keith, and Bessie Buie, we developed a mission to benefit the youth of Columbia County. In addition to dance, we created a night center for the older teams and younger adults at the youth center in Hudson. Also, we formerly hosted an art gallery for the elementary school in Hudson and ran a summer program based on interactive literacy activities and became the coordinator of the Hudson Black Arts and Cultural Festival. Our programs flourished when we offered piano and African percussion instruction. As we expanded our programs, we exercised the importance of education with tutoring for advancement, college clubs (with visits to colleges in a two- hour radius) and a mentoring program with Bard College students.
3. JC: How has COVID-19 impacted Operation Unite’s overall operations?
EM: It’s been challenging, forcing us to redesign our connection with youth and the community. We’ve maintained our connections with youth using Zoom and the internet throughout the pandemic, and at the same time we have been limited with online connections to our supporters and donors. I’ve been sad because we have been losing that one-on-one and in-person contact with our students at a time when social contact is their lifeline. I remain optimistic as we slowly resume to some kind of normalcy in community activism.
4. JC: As an African American woman in the Upstate, New York region, what are some of the challenges you face running a non-profit business?
EM: Wow....not being able to have a substantial number of advocates and camaraderie of African American/people of color peers. Sharing the same vision of uplifting all youth of all races, and not having the presence and support of the African American/POC community at your disposal, can be a challenge. Some of the struggles have been the limited number of Black-owned businesses in Columbia County. Many people believe that Operation Unite only supports Black youth, which is not true. We are for all races, and we have a focus to support the youth of color in Columbia County. We truly need more financial support to help facilitate and increase our outreach programs, and during this time with the pandemic, that isn’t easy.
Participants in the Operation Unite 2019 Scholarship and Performing Arts Ceremony
5. JC: 2020 has been “the year” where I think America, in fact, the world, has had a front row seat on racial injustice. From what you see, and I assume have experienced, would you talk about areas where protest to policy can be effective in Hudson and in Columbia County?
EM: My honest and first response in this current state is police reform. We need to acknowledge and address the systemic racism within the institution. We need to speak out and support initiatives that are going to move us forward together, such as equitable housing, education, employment and economic mobility. Hudson’s population is around 7,000 people; about 3,000 residents are people of color. When I look at the businesses, I hardly ever see a person of color at the front or working at local businesses; however, in the last 10 years, I have noticed some people of color at some restaurants in the back, mainly washing dishes. Most of this work is during the summer where there is an increase in business and employment of additional summer staff. I would also share with people of color that this is the time to speak up and support each other, and also to engage with communities outside of yourself.
6. JC: Can you share information about your fundraising gala, and upcoming events that would be of interest to our readers?
EM: Having been severely impacted by COVID-19, we are planning to host our annual gala virtually (details to follow). Our programs and donation efforts can be found on our website. One of the current events that we are associated with right now, is the Waterfront Wednesdays from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Hudson Riverfront Park (ending on Labor Day). People can legally social distance and walk by the river.
7. JC: Do you partner with local officials and other organizations to broaden your message?
EM: We couldn’t function without the support of The Second Show, a community thrift shop, in partnership with Columbia Memorial Health. Also, The Children’s Foundation of Columbia County, New York State Council on the Arts, and NYS DanceForce.
8. JC: Can you talk about some of your amazing students. How are they selected to be a part of Operation Unite, and what is the criteria?
EM: Our students interview to be a part of our youth development program. These core students make up 80% of our workforce development program, and 20% are students who show a passion in wanting to join Operation Unite. A hundred percent of our students go on to attend colleges and universities. I have received overwhelming thank you’s from the students over the years for what they learned about their communities through service and support, as well their knowledge of the activities of their local council men and women. They share their comparisons to their peers and the advantage they feel they have by their engagement in community and service due to Operation Unite.
9. JC: Do you accept volunteers, interns, or is there any further interest in partnerships for Operation Unite?
EM: Yes, Operation Unite is excited to partner with organizations and foundations that can further the experiences of the youth in Columbia County. We very much need volunteers, interns and we do also need donor support that can help us expand the level of professionalism through career presentations, field trips support (where we do need donations as well as staff to support these programs), and overall donations for operational functions of our organization.
10. JC: If there is one thing you hope for with Operation Unite, what would that be?
EM: The goal for us would ideally be to transition into a larger space, where we can be fully operational with all of our programs on a daily basis. Currently, we have limited scheduling and time frames which do not always allow us the full scope of our vision. Although we are successful, we envision a space where we can offer the students a broader spectrum of opportunities for their future.
