The 56th Assembly District in Brooklyn covers Bedford Stuyvesant and a few surrounding nooks and crannies. It has been on political lockdown by Al Vann, Annette Robinson and their cronies for over thirty years now. That’s all I will say about that (for now). Usually at this time of the year -when petitions are filed- you would find Richard Taylor’s perennial challenge to the Rip Van Winkle dynasty in the 56thAd. This year it is different: Richard Taylor miraculously didn’t file petitions; it’s the first time in about a quarter century. But an attorney named Cinceria Edwards did file- in order to challenge the status quo; and I wish this story ended right here.
When term-limits were first introduced to the equation in 2001, Al Vann (Mr. Rip Vann Winkle) -the assemblyman at that point- made a calculated switch with his crony Annette Robinson -then the city council member from the 36th district. It was a cynical way of circumventing the spirit of the term limit laws. He went to the council on pre-retirement leave, and she went to Albany to do the same thing. This is typical political representation black-Brooklyn style: unimaginative, non-intellectual, lazy, selfish, sterile and nonsensical. And Ms. Robinson’s son (Taharka) wonders why there are major issues with black and Hispanic youth, street gangs, guns, drugs, violence and such, within this district and the surrounding environs; all he has to do is look at the leadership over the past four decades. But then; can he be objective beyond the good work he himself has been trying to do? I doubt it.
Earlier this year, Ms. Edwards decided to challenge this sterility and impotence; she chose to challenge Mrs. Robinson, by graduating to political candidate. When the petitions started circulating she had many excited people from the district offering to help her. Lots of people in Bed-Stuy are tired of this Vann-Robinson tandem, and wish they would ride off into the sunset. Then just as suddenly as the enthusiasm for her candidacy came, was as sudden the lack: as enthusiasm waned. People refused to return phone calls. People refused to return green-sheets (petitions). People were not as inviting as before; reluctant to give tours of their apartment buildings, and/or introductions to neighbors, block associations or tenant groups. Do you wonder why?
Then churches and ministers that supported Ms. Edwards were being pressured to let Ms. Robinson speak to their congregants. Ms. Edwards refused to put up posters in fear that they would be ripped down. Sometimes her supporters/workers encountered hostility in certain pockets of the district. It all made her more and more determined to run. She filed about 1400 signatures at the Board of Elections last week; only needing 500 to qualify; she expects to be dragged through the mud by Robinson’s (and county’s) legal challenges.
Then there was the outreach from some of Ms. Robinson’s supporters, requesting that Ms. Edwards sit down and talk, or work out some deal whereby she withdraws her candidacy for the Assembly. Note that Ms. Edwards is also challenging Annette Robinson for the district leadership of the Democratic Party. Ms. Robinson has held this position since Adam’s wife (Eve) was a virgin. All these were harbingers of things to come – I will get to that in a minute.
Then one day Ms. Robinson confronted one of Ms. Edwards’ clients -who was helping with the signature-gathering process. The client suffered through being berated by Robinson -as though she (the client) didn’t have the right to help a candidate of her choice: a lawyer who had helped her avoid foreclosure on her home. It was an embarrassing public display coming from an elected official. Forget the implications of constitutional violations.
Then I was told by a media person that Annette was griping about being challenged -as though she is entitled to the seat. What chutzpah! Look, a few years ago, Channel 7 (ABC) did a news story about Annette Robinson’s hubris. You see, she had taken it upon herself to block off two parking spots in front of her house. Now, I am talking about public parking spaces, and anyone who lives in Brooklyn knows about the paucity of parking spaces and incessant tickets from Department of Transportation (DOT) ticketers/ traffic agents (you see why Senator Kevin Parker physically confronted one/lol). Ms. Robinson took two long police barriers and placed them in the spaces whenever she went out, so that no one from the block could park there (ever). When ever she or her husband returned, they would move the barriers and park their two cars. All this took place much to the chagrin of many on the block on which she lives.
This sense of entitlement from black-electeds (well; truth be told: they all do it -black, white, brown, whatever), has become a source of irritation for many a serious political activist. Recently I have been hearing the grumblings about Charles Barron running his wife for public office (40th AD). I thought at first that it wasn’t a bad idea, but I now realize that many felt Barron would be different. That’s unfortunate, because Inez Barron would probably make a better rep than her husband; and compared to many other electeds: Charles Barron isn’t totally bad; all factors considered. And yet even the disappointing Barron has this sense of entitlement. It is as though he alone knows best, who should run for/ or represent the East New York area in the council/ or up in Albany. That’s why he is running his former chief of staff (Paul Washington) to replace him in the council next year. The same chief of staff whose commitment he ripped over and over and over again. Do these black electeds ever introspect? Do they remember what they say and do?
Before I tell you about the shameful thing that happened last week let me give you a lil info about Ms. Edwards. She is the mother of two wonderful daughters. The eldest is 23, and is a college grad (History); she co-ordinates the campaign for her mother. The younger daughter is 14 years old, and is one of the top chess players at her age in the world. She was on a USCF (United States Chess Federation) sponsored trip to Argentina, competing for her country recently, and came home to find that vandals had thrown rocks into her mother’s house, shattering windows in an attempt at political intimidation. One of these rocks smashed the younger daughter’s bedroom window and landed on her bed; now she is afraid to sleep in her bedroom.
Ms. Edwards has lived in Bed-Stuy for a very long time. She has owned this house and lived here for the past ten years. She has never had a single problem before this run for public office. She feels that it is the work of one of Ms. Robinson’s over-zealous supporters. She has made reports to the police since window-shattering stone-throwing episodes have occurred twice so far. She refuses to be intimidated into withdrawing from the race.
Ms. Edwards believes that there are simple people and nefarious forces totally in to system-maintenance. She feels that the status-quo is at work in order to frustrate her effort. She is a solid supporter of Barack Obama (Robinson supported Hillary Clinton) and believes that change must come to Bed-Stuy. She doesn’t believe that Ms. Robinson or her son (Taharka) is responsible for the attacks on her property. She feels that they have been in the business of politics for too long to do something like this; knowing fully well that if these acts were to be traced back to them, then it would be fatal to all their political goals, aspirations and legacies, beyond the illegalities. However, she wants a full investigation, and hopes that the Brooklyn District Attorney (Charles Hynes) will look into this.
Word on the street is that Mrs. Robinson wants to return to the NYC council next year -when Vann is term limited- and as such, turn the term limits legislation in to nothing short of a hop-scotch game. She will have to get pass this challenge first though, because Ms. Edwards is intent on winning this race. I must say in all earnestness that Ms. Edwards is (at best) a long shot to win this race and unseat Mrs. Robinson.
Look, in all fairness to Mrs. Robinson and Al Vann, they have done their share of community activism; and it might be fitting for us to name a street, building or school after them at some point. I think Mrs. Robinson once served on the school board and I am sure she has made her own solid contributions in years past; but that was then.
Stay tuned-in folks.