There is really no sugarcoating it: Despite some important victories, this month's general election was a disappointment for progressives and Democrats in Brooklyn.
This should be a moment for honest reflection. Unfortunately, despite losing a City Council race and nearly losing two more to far-right Republicans in the borough, the Brooklyn Democratic Party has decided to further limit the voices of elected County Committee members in favor of those handpicked by the leadership.
Alongside progressives from across the borough, we are saddened by and determined to oppose this power grab. Concurrently, we are still committed to our mission of electing Democrats across the borough, and we hope the Brooklyn Democratic Party will soon join this cause as well.
To that end, there are two events we wanted to highlight for this Sunday, November 21.
First, there is the New Kings Democrats Membership Forum on the 2022 Campaigns, where critical District Leader races as well as the latest developments on County Committee will be discussed. There will be two simultaneous events, join either one at 2:30 PM! In person at the First Unitarian Church in BK Heights (proof of vaccination required). Or on Zoom, by joining with this link. And you can donate to NKD's legal efforts here.
Second, if this election has taught us anything, it is that we need to better organize in Southern Brooklyn. BYD is proud to have always had a presence in the area, including a permanent VP position on our Executive Board.
Our friends at South Central Brooklyn United for Progress are hosting a virtual meeting to plan a deep canvass of registered Democrats in a few election districts to increase voter engagement in the local party, from identifying voters and potential volunteers to identifying county committee candidates. The meeting will start at 4:00 PM and you can RSVP here.
None of this is easy, but we need to stay engaged on all fronts. Our goal is not only to elect Democrats, but to make sure our local Democratic Party is a fair, accountable, and transparent institution.
BYD is the ONLY Young Democrats club that is chartered by the New York State Young Democrats (NYSYD). Any other group purporting to be a Brooklyn Young Democrats group is not officially authorized by NYSYD. A good way to recognize whether an event or statement is indeed from BYD is to look for our logo, which is at the top of this email.
