Jumaane D. Williams
From KeyWiki
Jumaane D. Williams
Founding member New York City Council Progressive Caucus
Founding members of the New York City Council Progressive Caucus, March 2010.[1]
- Brad Lander, caucus co-chair.
- Melissa Mark-Viverito, a council member who represents East Harlem and who is the caucus's other co-chair.[2]
- Annabel Palma, from the Bronx
- Letitia James, from Brooklyn
- Jumaane D. Williams, from Brooklyn
- Margaret Chin, from Manhattan
- Rosie Mendez, from Manhattan
- Ydanis Rodriguez, from Manhattan;
- Daniel Dromm, from Queens
- Julissa Ferreras, from Queens
- James G. Van Bramer, from Queens
- Deborah Rose, from Staten Island.
Trayvon Martin case
A majority of New York City Council members, dressed in hoodies and holding Skittles candies and bottles of iced tea, held a press conference in front of City Hall March 29, 2012, to express their solidarity with the family of Trayvon Martin and to express their outrage at the fact that his murderer, George Zimmerman, has still not been arrested.
A resolution expressing the council's outrage was initiated by council members Letitia James, D-Brooklyn, and Melissa Mark-Viverito, D-Manhattan.
Council Speaker Christine Quinn, D-Manhattan, announced that she would be introducing the resolution with Mark-Viverito and James, and that it "will condemn the killing, the weaknesses in its investigation and the lack of an arrest."
"Our resolution," said Quinn, "Will also call for an examination of 'Stand Your Ground' laws nationwide, including their impact on increasing the flow of illegal guns to New York City."
Quinn continued, "Trayvon Martin was killed for his gender and his race. By releasing George Zimmerman, the Sanford police was saying it doesn't matter."
Councilwoman James declared, "The demonization of black men has got to stop."
Robert Jackson, a member of the City Council from Washington Heights in Manhattan, said, "We have a quorum," and called for a symbolic voice vote right on the spot. All present said, "Yea."
Debi Rose, a council member from Staten Island and head of the Council's civil rights committee, said, "Wearing a hoodie should not be a death sentence." Jumaane D. Williams, a council member from Brooklyn pointed out that the same problem exists in New York: "We have had an increase in local people murdered too," he said.[[3]
References
- ↑ Dozen Council Members Form a Bloc for Liberals By DAVID W. CHEN, March 23, 2010
- ↑ [1] NY Progressive Caucus demands: Tax the rich, Dan Margolis, Peoples World, June 23 2010, accessed June 23 2010
- ↑ http://peoplesworld.org/new-york-city-council-calls-for-justice-for-trayvon-martin/PV, New York City Council calls for justice for Trayvon Martin, by: Jarvis Tyner, March 29 2012]
