Jamaican Educator, Lawman Lynch, to Contest NYC Council Seat

NEW YORK, New York – Jamaican-born educator, Lawman Lynch, has thrown his hat into the hotly-contest race to replace Darlene Mealy, the incumbent New York City Council representative for the 41st District in Brooklyn that comprises sections of Bedford Stuyvesant, Ocean Hill, Brownsville, Crown Heights, East Flatbush and Remsen Village.

Lawman LynchSix candidates are vying to replace Mealy.

“The main reason for running is District 41 deserves better leadership that puts people at the center of all facets of the development of the various communities,” Lynch, an elementary and middle schools program manager at New York Edge, told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC).

Lynch said New York Edge, provides educational and support services to public schools, charter schools and community centers.

“Communities within the district are still stigmatized as woefully underdeveloped, and there is a need for strategic comprehensive community engagements that the incumbent has failed at operationalizing for almost two decades of being a part of the political process,” he added.

“We are running a People-centered campaign, a platform that puts people at the center of everything we do,” Lynch said.

He said the focus will be on public safety, education, optimization and opportunities for constituents, public health, love and entrepreneurship and enterprise.

Lynch,  a community development advocate, who migrated to New York in 2010, said he’s running a campaign that focuses on social justice.

“Our campaign is hopeful that our message will continue to resonate with electorates. We are the only campaign challenging the incumbent to have received matching funds. We are the only campaign challenging the incumbent to have attracted matching funds from within the district.

“Of all the campaigns, we have attracted the most donors across the United States, even more donors than the incumbent. We were able to make the ballot with three times the required amount of signatures. From our internal canvassing, it is clear that many voters are willing to join our movement.”

Recognized by New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, in 2024 as “a trailblazer in community development”, Lynch said he has been actively involved in youth and community development.

He prides himself in being a “People’s Advocate”, educator, development and communications strategist, as well as an entrepreneur.

Lynch served as center and programs director at The Salvation Army in Brooklyn from 2011 to 2015.

At New York Edge, Lynch said he oversees educational and enrichment services delivery in multiple New York City charter and public schools.

In addition, he said he is an author, musician, and award-winning youth and community development activist.

The founder of The Lawman Lynch Foundation, Inc. (LLF), that was established in 2008, is the chief executive officer of the five-year-old CariGlo Diaspora, LLC, a multifaceted human services and FinTech company.

Lynch served two terms as chairman of the African, Caribbean and Pacific States (ACP) Civil Society Forum in Brussels, from 2007 to 2011, and previously served as a member, from 2019 to 2022, of the Education Sector of the Jamaica Diaspora North East USA Think Tank.

He holds a BA in communications from CELA International University,  a Master’s in educational leadership from St. Thomas University in Miami Gardens, FL; and is currently a Ph. D candidate at St. Thomas University, focusing on ethical leadership in education, the private and the public sectors.