The New York State Senate handed and renamed a package deal of elections and voting rights payments this month to honor the late Dr. John Flateau. It was championed by Senator Zellnor Myrie.
The Dr. John L. Flateau Voting and Elections Database and Tutorial Heart of New York Act (S.657-A) would set up a centralized statewide voting and elections database and institute. Flateau, 73, was a professor and administrator at CUNY Medgar Evers Faculty, in addition to a districting commissioner for town and state. He died out of the blue on December 30, 2023, at his dwelling in Mattress Stuy final week. He was described by family and friends as an excellent thoughts and strategist who helped form Brooklyn’s political panorama.
“It goes actually with out saying[that] anybody who has had any tangential involvement on voting and elections on this state—actually, within the metropolis in Brooklyn—is aware of the legend of Dr. John Flateau,” stated Myrie, who chairs the senate election committee. “We’re all grieving and praying for his household on this time of loss, however we’re additionally celebrating his legacy. We labored with him very carefully at Medgar Evers Faculty, [which] I’ve the respect of representing.”
Myrie stated that the 2 additionally labored carefully on a number of items of laws and the census depend. He attended Flateau’s funeral on January 10, and offered Flateau’s household, associates, colleagues, and elected officers with the proclamation throughout the companies. “It will be a dereliction if we didn’t honor Dr. Flateau on this approach,” stated Myrie.
Amongst a slew of elected and metropolis officers attended the companies in droves have been State Legal professional Common Letitia James, Mayor Eric Adams, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, Chancellor David Banks, Brooklyn District Legal professional Eric Gonzalez, former Senator Velmanette Montgomery, and former Assemblymember Annette Robinson. Some spoke passionately about Flateau’s legacy and the affect he had on their lives.
Dr. Brenda M. Greene, a professor at Medgar Evers, senior particular assistant to the provost, and founder and government director of the Heart for Black Literature, knew Flateau since their days as undergrads at NYU. She spoke fondly about Flateau on the repast after the funeral service.
“Dr. Flateau was actually a pressure. On the core of his being, he was an activist who lived a purpose-driven life,” stated Greene. “John’s work at Medgar Faculty and in the neighborhood, New York Metropolis, and the state represents what the late [Congressmember] Main Owens referred to as a ‘Communiversity.’ Owens deemed the Communiversity a nicely of certified and devoted…academicians and students who wouldn’t solely present a high quality training for matriculating college students. They might additionally function a fountain of experience over and past campus partitions to help in group problem-solving and neighborhood uplift. John supported this idea and embodied the essence of the Communiversity.”
Assemblymember Stefani Zinerman, who additionally attended the repast, stated in an announcement that Flateau embodied the values and traits of New York’s most esteemed residents.
“Because the Assemblymember representing the 56th District, I used to be privileged to name John a constituent, neighbor, mentor, and occasional sparring accomplice,” stated Zinerman. “He embodied every title with the keenness of a prize fighter defending his title. I’ll keep in mind every lesson to face agency in my convictions and keep laser-focused on the technique that results in the win. I’m personally indebted to John for his knowledge, steering, mentorship, and being pivotal in shaping my strategy to public service. It was my honor to work with him in redistricting and drawing the 56th Meeting District map, reimagining the Marcus Garvey Armory, and educating the general public about reparations, its implications to our lives, and the way crucial it’s for us to work in unity as individuals of African descent towards our freedom and liberation.”
This 12 months additionally coincides with a presidential election and the sixtieth anniversary of the nation’s Civil Rights Act of 1964, which was meant to increase political and authorized rights to Black Individuals and finish racial segregation. The U.S. Senate handed the invoice on June 19, 1964, by a vote of 73 to 27.
“I feel we have now to essentially grapple with the notion that our basis of democracy of this republic is actually beneath assault, and we’re having, I feel, some delicate conversations heading right into a presidential major about legitimate entry when you might have redistricting and various different points which are impacting the best to vote,” stated Myrie. “I’ve been pleased with what we’ve performed within the Senate for the previous 5 years on this house, and I look ahead to rising up and assembly that problem once more.”
Myrie’s elections invoice package deal consists of laws that covers protections in opposition to voter suppression, creates extra transparency for public-facing web sites which are operated by political committees, bans political spending by foreign-influenced enterprise entities, establishes absentee poll drop-off areas and transportable polling locations for early voting, and addresses poll order.
Ariama C. Lengthy is a Report for America corps member who writes about politics for the Amsterdam Information. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps maintain her writing tales like this one; please take into account making a tax-deductible present of any quantity right now by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1.
