Now, “as his administration buckles under the weight of federal charges of bribery and fraud, the concerns of his outer-borough constituents will be lost in the chaos, along with a critical moment in the city’s Black political history.”
New York’s Black political class holds more offices than at any other time in history. But it faces big problems, House writes, including demographic trends and changes to the municipal election system.
“It appears that a historic period of representation will be short-lived and squandered.”
Sadly for the city’s Black residents, who make up about one-fifth of NYC’s population, Adams and other Black leaders seem content merely to hold office. “There has been little movement to translate individual achievements into a broader agenda for the city’s Black community,” House writes.
House says that Adams has wasted his chance to make a real difference. “Once elected, he became enthralled with the illusion of media celebrity and the petty spoils of office.”
Read the op-ed at TheHill.com.
