NEW YORK – There is a three-way race for Harlem’s District 9 City Council seat heading into the Democratic primary after incumbent Kristin Richardson Jordan withdrew from the race. Candidates share similar views on important issues, with different ideas about approach.
All three promise to improve the lives of the people of Harlem’s central district, political newcomer Yusef Salaam faces two current members of the State Assembly, Al Taylor and former council seat holder Inez Dickens.
“Community members asked me to come back to the city,” Dickens said of his decision to return to the local arena. “I am not able to contribute to the community the resources that I was able to do in the City Council. The City Council is local, your budget is local, while in the State, for the most part, it is state-level “.
Representing the next district in the Assembly is Taylor, a pastor and Army veteran.
“My faith is my guidance that reminds me that I can,” Taylor said. “I’ve made some mistakes, but you can stand up and make sure there are resources in places where people can get that second chance.”
Salaam also got a second chance. His political experience may be limited, but he spent 34 years fighting a false rape conviction, seeing firsthand the failures of the criminal justice system.
“Those who have been close to the pain must have a seat at the table,” Salaam said. “Gone are the days when someone will be able to articulate for you exactly what you really need.”
Today the Exonerated 5 walk past the door named in their honor, but this is not the only change in the neighborhood. Across the street, the former Lincoln Correctional Facility has recently opened up to asylum seekers, and a more affluent type of tenant now calls the old Salaam building home.
“This was literally the gateway to Harlem,” Salaam said of the old Schomburg Towers.
Salaam says the towers represent the real estate battle taking place in Harlem, and he believes mixed-use and mixed-income projects like the proposed One45 development could be beneficial, if done right.
“I think this space can actually be one of the green beacons that show us how we can move forward,” Salaam said.
Dickens is very proud of her record in housing, aiming to have her own seat at the table for a One45 deal.
“I come from a real estate background,” Dickens said. “To be able to negotiate and navigate with a developer to create the greatest number of residential units … it can’t all be low-income. It would have to be a mix for the building to survive.”
He also wants to help Harlem buildings eradicate rats.
“Rats can get into the bags,” he said, gesturing toward piles of trash on the sidewalk, “and what I’ve advocated with the city is having these big metal bins.”
Dickens is admittedly less certain of the solution to the neighborhood’s drug problem. Taylor believes that individual, inspiring connections can make a difference in someone’s life.
“For me, when I walk into a public school or a senior center, it reminds me to remind them that life is not over,” Taylor said. “Dream big.”
Each candidate shares care for the community they call home. Primary election day is June 27.
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Jesse Mitchell
