Brooklyn Ron

Like 2008, '68 was a Breakthrough Year, as Shirley Chisholm was Elected to Congress

In 1968, the skies opened up, politically speaking and locally speaking, as Shirley Chisholm, daughter of Barbadian immigrants, became the first black woman elected to Congress in U.S. history.

It was a tremendous honor for Brooklyn, true place of new beginnings.

And what a new beginning it was.

Just four years after Chisholm, who was elected from a specially drawn district in Central Brooklyn, including Bedford-Stuyvesant and Crown Heights, the fiery, super-confident Congresswoman made a leap for the U.S. Presidency.

She reached for, but did obtain, that ribbon.

Even so a precedent of sorts was established, and many Brooklynites are saying that she laid the groundwork for the recent, nation-transforming victory of Barack Obama.

On Nov. 25, scholars and elected officials will gather at Brooklyn College to celebrate "Shirley Chisholm Day." Attending the event, to be held at the Woody Tanger Auditorium, will be:

Assemblyman N. Nick Perry

Yvonne Graham, Assistant to Brooklyn Borough President 

Shola Lynch, producer and film maker

Daphne Brunet, recipient Shirley Chisholm Intern Scholarship

Barbara Winslow, Coordinator Women's Studies

Patricia Antoniello, Director Shirley Chisholm Center for Research on Women

The keynote speaker will be Gary Younge, author and Guardian correspondent.

The event is being sponsored by Brooklyn College's Shirley Chisholm Center for Research on Women.

It should be noted also that, in this year of remembrance of Congresswoman Chisholm, Sen. Velmanette Montgomery and Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries have introduced state legislation that would rename the Kings County State Office Building in Downtown, at 55 Hanson Place.

It would become the Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm State Office Building.

Protesters to Gov: This Land (Atlantic Yards) Was Made for You and Me

On sunny Saturday, May 3rd, Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries told the crowd of hundreds gathered at Atlantic Yards that they should put their trust in their new Governor, David Paterson.

"Let's give Governor Paterson a chance to engage in a real dialogue with this community about this project,"  Jeffries said on a sunny May 3 Saturday afternoon.

The Assemblyman [photo] called Paterson "a person who understands the importance of community input."

The protesters were hoping the Governor joins them in calling for a halt to the demolition taking place for Bruce Ratner's Atlantic Yards project, which envisions a new Nets stadium and (according to Ratner's web site) "commercial offices, retail establishments and a boutique hotel."

The project is side-by-side the borough's signature Williamsburg Savings Bank, which has been converted into condos and is anticipating a big name company as its anchor retail tenant, perhaps even Microsoft (see The Brooklyn Paper).

The Ratner project is so vast that opponents say it will destroy the character of that part of Brooklyn. The opponents also object to the use of eminent domain under which the state allows the developer to take possession of land within the footprint of the project. Already businesses have closed and the land on which they operated lies vacant.

Earlier that Saturday of the protest, many hundreds of others were in same area of Atlantic Yards but were demonstrating for the arena and the other buildings to be erected.

Opponents maintained that the pro crowd was made up mostly of union activists paid to attend and protest.

One thing seemed clear: Even if Ratner is able to overcome the obstacles posed by the poor economy and housing market, the opponents and elected officials who stand with them (Leticia James, David Yassky and others) will continue to stand in the way.

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