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Black Star News endorses Dr. Yusef Salaam for Harlem’s District 9 City Council seat in tomorrow’s primary election.
The seat opened up when incumbent Kristin Richardson decided not to seek re-election.
Salaam who is new to politics is one of the “Exonerated Five”—the survivors of the Central Park Five false prosecution and conviction case. He served seven years before he and the other falsely-convicted young men were exonerated when Matias Reyes confessed to the brutal rape of the Central Park jogger.
The falsely-convicted men eventually settled with New York City for $40 million and with the state for $3.9 million. The other victims were:
In recent years Dr. Salaam has emerged as a multiple-books author and a sought after public speaker advocated for the falsely-convicted, for affordable housing, environmental justice, and Black economic empowerment. There is no bitterness here. The man has a vision for the Harlem District he wants to represent, and for New York City, and no doubt, for this country.
He is running against State Assembly-members Inez Dickens and Al Taylor; Dickens is a former council member.
In a recent debate for the Council seat, Dr. Salaam accused Dickens of being responsible, through her family’s real estate management company for evictions in Harlem. Dickens denied the accusations. Yet her spokesperson was later forced to admit that there had been evictions. The explanation is so mind-boggling that it should disqualify Dickens for the council seat. Dickens supposedly evicted the tenants for their own good. How? By evicting them and howling them to court the tenants became eligible for public assistance. Even if this was true is this something that an elected representative should even admit to doing? What other shadiness might she be involved in?
We have been a supporter of Dr. Salaam and we were honored to recognize him with a “Courage” award at the Black Star News’s 2015 annual “Excellence Awards” dinner.
We endorse Dr. Salaam without reservations.
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Black Star News also endorses Charles Barron who is running for re-election to represent Brooklyn’s 42 council district.
Barron is a tireless fighter for African people everywhere—a true Pan-African with a long resume of bringing resources to his Brooklyn community. Together with his wife Inez Barron, who is also a tireless fighter and educator—and past council member for the same district and State Assembly member—the couple has improved the lives of thousands of families in their district through the years, fighting for affordable rents, new schools, and rehabilitation of parks and recreation facilities without which many young people would drift astray. Barron is also known as a committed critic of police brutality.
Barron is running against Chris Banks in tomorrow’s primary. He defeated Banks in a 2014 run for the State Assembly seat.
Barron is also a past Black Star News “Excellence Award” honoree.
We endorse Barron without reservations.
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