Dozens of supporters and elected officials gathered on the steps of the Brooklyn Museum this weekend to sing the praises of Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (D-Crown Heights, Flatbush, East Flatbush, Midwood, Brownsville, Sheepshead Bay). All speakers spoke highly of her experiences and her opponents’ lack-there-of.
Clarke’s endorsement rally included politicians, organizations, and unions, who all gave speeches which including glowing endorsements for the Congresswoman who has been in Congress since 2007.
City Council Member Laurie Cumbo (D-Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights, Crown Heights) was the emcee for the rally. She said Clarke is the right person to stay in Congress because she has the experience necessary to fight back against the Trump administration.
“Congresswoman Yvette Clarke is a leader who knows us, and because she knows us she understands first-hand our issues, our concerns, and our dreams. It’s not enough to just talk about the problems that confront our community. We need a leader who finds solutions and fights for us as our voice on Capitol Hill. Yvette Clarke has been our leader at home and in Washington for over 11 years, and she will continue to be our leader in our fight for fairness, equality and opportunity for all living in the 9th Congressional District and beyond. She will continue to make Brooklyn proud,” Cumbo said.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio showed up to endorse Clarke. He recalled instances where he and Clarke worked together to pass legislation concerning free preschool in New York City.
He said that Clarke is both a true progressive and a grassroots candidate. He said he remembers in 2006 when those keeping tabs of the election had counted Clarke out of the race, but De Blasio said Clarke knocked on doors and reached out to individuals, and that is what helped her win the race.
“This is a labor of love and passion to make sure she is back in the congress” de Blasio said.
U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Carnarsie, East New York, Mill Basin, Bergen Beach, Coney Island, parts of Queens) named all of the instances where Clarke stood up and fought with the resisting Republican policies.
“We are in the midst of an epic struggle to defend our democracy against the forces of authoritarianism that have crept into the White House,” Jefferies said.
Clarke has played a pivotal role in fighting the agenda of Donald Trump, who Jefferies referred to as “the grand wizard of the White House.”
Jeffries said that Clarke stands up to people who look down upon minorities. He said her intelligence and community-centered attitude are part of what makes her the right person to be in Washington.
“Every time we need Yvette Clarke, she’s right here for us,” Jeffries said.
He said Clarke had a role in blocking Trump care, saving sanctuary cities and helping battle the Muslim travel ban, among other things.
“Even though we’re right in the midst of the resistance, she’s right on the front line,” he said
Clarke, who spoke last, “It energizes me to go back and fight every day for the human dignity and the humanity of the 9th congressional district of New York.”
The 9th district starts at Atlantic ave at the Barclays center and runs south to Sheepshead Bay. “From Atlantic Avenue to the Atlantic ocean, as Clarke put it.”
Clarke said that the district is made up of people who came to Brooklyn for a diverse set of reasons, such as raising a family or building a business.
“People from around the world have come to Brooklyn to make it their own,” she said, “ to join together in common cause.”
The future was emphasized by the speakers and Clarke, who said once the Democrats take Congress back, they can work on the agenda that the people of her district want to see.
“The 9th congressional district of New York is home to the resistance,” she said, “We want to be able to look our children in the face, our children, and our grandchildren, and let them know when they elected 45 we didn’t just stay home.”
Going out, mobilizing and voting are keys to the resistance, she said.
Various union leaders and community organizations showed up to support Clarke, who she says are the cornerstone of the district.
“I want people to recognize that organized labor and unions are the bedrock of our community,” Clarke said, “We are all union workers.”
She thanked her fellow elected officials for gathering and mobilizing constituents in her district, a factor she thinks will lead to victory.
“They’re all doing their part to make sure the electorate comes out on June 26 to reelect Yvette Clarke,” she said.
