www.workersworldtoday.com
October 2021
8
One to Watch
Rita Joseph: A Ray of Hope for District 40 BY WWT EDITORIAL STAFF
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n an interview with People, Power & Politics, the leading candidate and Democratic nominee for District 40, Rita Joseph discusses the issues and her vision for the district, roll‐ out, and priority areas of inter‐ est. District 40 covers Flatbush, Midwood, Crown Heights, Prospect Lefferts Gardens ad Ditmas Park. As an introduction, she clari‐ fied that despite appearing as a newcomer, she had been a be‐ hind‐the‐scene politician with years of experience that spans several years. She recounts her first experience acting as an ad‐ vocate in her community in the '90s. "Well, Rita Joseph is not new to politics, but only that Rita Joseph has always been be‐ hind the scenes. I started advo‐ cating and organizing since I was 19. Back in the 90s, the FDA had said Haitians could not donate blood, hemophiliacs, and homosexuals. They could not donate blood. We were part of that 'four h.' So, at 19, I was a high school student. And when I heard that as a Haitian Ameri‐ can, I knew that in the future, if
I had children, if I was ever sick, no one in my family, none of my family members could donate blood. So, I organized a rally with my college counterparts. And we were able to galvanize over 150,000 people. That was the first time in the history that New York had ever seen a rally like that." She recalled. As a community member, she feels drawn to serve and give back to the community that supported her growth, educa‐ tion, and productivity in society. "I grew up in Ditmas Park, and
I went to PS 139. Middle School. I've been an educator and a teacher. I saw so many needs. And I started working and part‐ nering up with elected officials to bring much‐needed re‐ sources to my school. And well, you know what, I can take this lived experience with me to City Hall because I know the is‐ sues very well. I know the needs and wants of the commu‐ nity. And I watched how my dis‐ trict just went downhill." Hence, when elected, her top priorities in the first 100 days into office by January 2022 will focus on education, housing, police reform, and maternal health, issues that have re‐ mained core to her agenda. Ac‐ cording to her, "My priorities are education, housing… and of course, as a mother of four black boys, police reform and social and criminal reform is also top on my priority. And an‐ other priority I have, I am very passionate about maternal health for black women. In Cen‐ tral Brooklyn, it's a crisis. So I will be at that table fighting for those issues as well." When asked about the issue of segregation in the New York
City school system and the op‐ tion of open enrollment as a strategy to tackle the endemic problem, she explained that as an educator, she believes there is a need to promote accessibil‐ ity and equity in district schools and the state education system as a whole. "We need to do a better job in how we operate. You would think Brown vs. Board of Education never hap‐ pened. Some of the doors have been locked against the black and brown community, and we need to open them. In addition, she believes in gathering support and collabo‐ ration among similar‐minded policymakers who will actual‐ ize the goals. "That's why I'm super excited that I'm going into City Council for the first time with 31 women; some of them are mothers. This makes the demand for certain goals like childcare, education, men‐ torship through lobbying at‐ tainable. We want universal after‐school programs. We want internships, and we want men‐ torships, we want to make sure our girls are taken care of, we want to make sure our young boys cared for."
Despite their differences, she would like everyone working to‐ gether towards making a change in their community, "I said by the time we get in, I don't want us meeting on the first day. I want us already meeting, talk‐ ing, engaging and our next step for everybody needs to work to‐ gether." Joseph recognized the health challenges that have remained a challenge within the black and brown communities. When asked how she intends to make a difference tackling these con‐ cerns, especially among the black community of Brooklyn, she reiterated that education, significantly raising awareness, and encouraging partnership between healthcare providers and community‐based organiza‐ tions (CBO) will make a huge difference. "I'm partnering up with healthcare, with CBO's that are already doing some of the work on the ground, make sure they are fully funded." Acknowledging that although they often confront various challenges, including bureau‐ cracy, and the need to meet dif‐ ficult procurement conditions, which makes their operation te‐ dious, they remain crucial, espe‐ cially in raising awareness and focusing on prevention in the communities. "Just as an educa‐ tor, I always educate the whole child; we will address these things in our communities as a whole. What is the underlining condition? Why is this happen‐ ing? Where is it coming from? And we address these things to make a dent in those areas hopefully." Furthermore, she emphasized the importance of working with functional organizations that are keen on working in the com‐ munities. "One that works, one that does the outreach to the community, one that is working with the communities. Normally we have organizations that come in, but they're not work‐ ing. So, you have to be a real partner in working in prevent‐ ing and providing education." The discussions ended with a request for voters to vote her into office, where she would protect the interest of her con‐ stituency members without compromise. "So, know that when I'm going in, I'm going in for you: your voice, I'm bringing your issues, your dreams, your aspiration… I want to make sure your children are your Ameri‐ can dream. So going into City Hall, you have an ally. You will have a friend and a voice in City Hall."t
