STATEMENT FROM 35TH CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT CANDIDATE LAURIE CUMBO

STATEMENT FROM 35TH CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT CANDIDATE LAURIE CUMBO

Chooses to Educate and Embrace Facebook Posts as a Teachable Moment

“Yesterday reporters from the New York Post came to my campaign office to follow up on a “tip” that our new Field Director who had been working on the campaign for the past five days had posted comments on his Facebook Page prior to working on this campaign that were both racially insensitive and offensive to women. Naturally, these comments were offensive to me as an African American and as a woman. In the brief time that I have worked with Jeff, he has come across as a solid man with a good heart. He brought with him to this campaign a diverse following of young volunteers who respect him and look up to him as a role model and he has attracted dozens of other interns of all races to the campaign who are learning a great deal from his extensive campaign experiences.

“I don’t believe that Jeff’s comments stem from a place of hatred but rather a place of ignorance. He doesn’t understand that references to communities of color as “ghetto” add further insult to injury to communities that have been economically marginalized by the American government that create rampant poverty and the symptoms that stem from a lack of investment in communities of color. He doesn’t understand that references to the “South rising again” conjure up painful images for so many African Americans. Jeff and so many others would not know this because our educational system all over the country feels it necessary to create and enforce a one sided curriculum that marginalizes the relevance, contributions and experiences of people of color all over the world. 

“Yesterday, we quickly made a judgment call to ask for Jeff’s resignation. After thinking carefully through that choice, talking to members of our community, staff and my church I decided that doing so would continue to leave a gapping hole in educating our community. Alternatively, I accept this as a challenge and a teachable moment for my campaign team and our community. 

“As the Founder of the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (MoCADA), I welcome the opportunity to work with my whole team in order for them to see up close and personal the beauty, perseverance, determination and sacrifice of people of color who have greatly contributed towards making Brooklyn what it is today. We will move on as a campaign stronger, more united and better because of this experience.”

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