We are outraged over City Councilwoman Laurie Cumbo’s response to a Medgar Evers College student representative’s concerns. According to Sakia Fletcher, a young Black single mother, President of Public Administration Club and Student Government Association President-elect statement, that she placed on her Facebook page, which we copied in its entirety and placed on our webpage (http://www.mtopp.org/studentstatement.html), Laurie knew her, have had conversations with her and has simply ignored and lied to her.
We are also shocked over Medgar Evers College President Dr. Rudolph Crew’s suspension of student a leader for engaging in her first amendment rights while attending, a public community board meeting.
As a Councilwoman and Majority Leader, Cumbo’s duty to respond to her constituents’ inquiries, suggestions and even criticism in a professional manner, but instead, she used her power to defame this young Black single mom both in the press and on social media.
She made accusations that this woman was aggressive towards her with the intent to do her violence and harm, that Ms. Flecher had set this “performance” up as an act to be caught on social media and that the complaints were simply orchestrated by MTOPP leader, Alicia Boyd.
MTOPP was able to get a short copy of a video (https://youtu.be/RW8C0L6z4-s) recording done by Community Board 9 not MTOPP, (this proves Ms. Boyd was not prepared nor in a position to capture the so-called “staged” event), which shows that it was Laurie who was the aggressive person and this young woman was simply stating the truth; that Laurie continues to lie to the public about her intentions https://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/42/12/dtg-960-franklin-cumbo-criticism-2019-03-22-bk.html) and then votes on policies and programs that do not benefit her constituency group. We the community have seen this pattern over and over again by Laurie Cumbo which has earned her the name “Lying Laurie” in the community.
Laurie’s response, which was caught on tape, was to begin yelling that she wasn’t going to leave, that it was people like this young woman that was stopping “us from getting ahead”, and preventing her from passing legislation. In fact, her behavior became so aggressive, that she began calling the young woman ignorant and raising her finger at her and yelling at her.
This is not how our elected officials should be conducting themselves in public and to make matters worst she decided to take this “opportunity” not to address this woman’s concerns or the concerns of the youth at Medgar Evers College but to attack another community group led by a Black Woman, Alicia Boyd.
Lawsuit Against Laurie Cumbo
MTOPP is aware that Laurie Cumbo is upset at Alicia Boyd for filing a lawsuit (Boyd vs. Laurie Cumbo Index # 1518/19) against her for approving the Franklin Ave rezoning project, based upon a miracle deal of an additional 112 “affordable” units, when in fact this so-called miracle was an agreement for the developer to sell 1,000 square feet for 1.6 million dollars to a non-profit to build “affordable’ units at $104,000 AMI for a family of four, when the existing population AMI is $40,000. All of these apartments will be severe rent burden ones and thus would not be eligible for Black people who live in this community. Considering the amount that this non-profit is to pay for this land, $1,600 a square foot, is very unlikely this deal will ever materialize.
African America Student – Highest Rate of Rent Insecurity
According to the U.S. Government Accountability office, it has been proven that housing insecurity undermines academic success. So why has Cumbo not dealt with this issue? According to a recent report called #RealCollege Survey (https://hope4college.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/HOPE_realcollege_CUNY_report_final_webversion.pdf) 55% of CUNY students are housing insecure (having a hard time paying their rent) with African American students having higher rates of insecurity than their more affluent counterparts.
But this is not the first time that MTOPP has sent out emails and called Laurie Cumbo out for her complete lack of support for our youth and homeless crisis facing our children. She continues to pour millions and millions of dollars into cultural institutions located in Downtown Brooklyn and pass legislation to increase their funds, at the same time, children in her district are hungry and homeless.
Student Suspended from Medgar Evers College
Yes, it is true Alicia Boyd saw what appeared to be a young black woman being led out by the police in handcuffs and reported it. When Ms. Boyd stated as such during the “public comment period” (https://youtu.be/wZQmESkW1Sw) (see 3:17 minutes into video) of this same meeting no one contradicted her, which shows that everyone else had also believed the same thing.
It was not until 24 hours later that she found out that Ms. Fletcher, had not been arrested but was now suspended from her school for engaging in her 1st amendment rights! MTOPP is further outraged that Medgar Evers College President, Dr. Rudolph Crew, believes he has the right to control and suppress his students’ 1st amendment rights while attending a public meeting. Especially at a college which is named after one of the most important and powerful civil rights leaders of our time, Medgar Evers!
At the beginning of the video (https://youtu.be/RW8C0L6z4-s) you can hear Laurie’s supporters demanding that Dr. Crew be contacted, which confirms Ms. Fletchers’ position that Laurie knew who she was, had several both private and public conversation with her and there was a belief that Dr. Crew had the authority to control his student populations’ behavior at a public meeting.
Neither the President of Medgar Evers College, Dr. Crew nor Majority Leader Laurie Cumbo has the right to suppress anyone’s constitutional rights to voice their concerns and opinions during a public meeting. Their abuse of power is absolutely unacceptable and it shows how both of these institutions, the College and City Council are not representing the community and its concerns but are simply supporting gentrification and displacement in our community.
We are demanding that Dr. Crew reinstate Ms. Fletcher immediately and that Councilwoman Laurie Cumbo make a public apology to her and take back the vicious lies that she stated about Ms. Fletcher collaboration with MTOPP regarding this incident!
We will stand by Ms. Fletcher and the youth in our community. We will support their need for housing accommodations, a voice in our government and their right to express their opinions and concerns at public meetings and to hold their elected officials accountable for their actions and decisions that affect them!
Alicia Boyd is a community activist who has been fighting to help preserve and protect the Crown Height/Flatbush Ave community, against the development of luxury housing via rezonings. She is the co-founder of The Movement To Protect the People (MTOPP), Flower Lovers Against Corruption (FLAC) and is a member of the Brooklyn Anti-Gentrification Network (BAN).
