NEW YORK, New York – A few days before he was sworn in Saturday morning as New York City’s new mayor, Eric Adams joined over 250 prominent Brooklyn Democratic lawmakers, district leaders, community activists and leaders in reflecting on what they described as Party Chair Haitian American Assembly Member Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn’s “unifying leadership”.
Rodneyse Bichotte HermelynIn releasing their letter to the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC), Adams and the leaders recognized the “groundbreaking accomplishments” that they said the Brooklyn Democratic Party has achieved under Bichotte Hermelyn’s tenure.
Bichotte Hermelyn had played a large role in galvanizing the Caribbean and larger New York community’s support in Adams’ election of Mayor of New York City.
On Saturday, Adams because the city’s second Black Mayor after the late David N. Dinkins.
“We recognize and thank you for your dedicated hard work unifying and supporting Democrats – not only candidates and office-holders – but people of all ages, laborers, blue-collar citizens, and those in need of hope,” states the letter addressed to Bichotte Hermelyn, the daughter of Haitian immigrants, who represents the primarily Caribbean 42nd Assembly District in Brooklyn.
“With over 1.2 million Democrats in the Brooklyn Party, we are a gorgeous and united mosaic of leaders and activists of varied ethnicities, religions and ideologies,” it adds. “Our work together played a major role in our election of Brooklyn-based Democratic candidates for the city-wide, state-wide and federal offices of the Mayor, Comptroller and Public Advocate, Attorney General, and Senate Majority Leader.
“The most diverse and largest borough in NYC (New York City) now has more leadership that reflects, understands, and is devoted to uplifting all Brooklynites,” the letter continues, stating that the leaders’ assistance “went beyond the borders of Brooklyn in supporting swing states like Georgia.”
The letter states that while voting rights are being restricted nationwide, Bichotte Hermelyn “helped us lead Brooklyn forward, calling on the Board of Elections to explain the board’s role and enacting solutions to meet the demand for absentee ballots.”
In solidarity with Democrats from across the nation, the leaders said they condemned voting rights restrictions, and worked with legislators in the Assembly to expand voting rights.
“Together, we brought the Party into the 21st Century online, live-streaming meetings and broadcasting the first citywide candidate debates of the electoral season; driving up early interest and engagement in the races where, in Brooklyn, we witnessed Democratic votes increase by two-fifths when compared to the 2013 primary election,” the letter says.
As the first Black woman to chair the Brooklyn Democratic Party, the leaders said Bichotte Hermelyn, the daughter of Haitian immigrants, introduced landmark maternal health care legislation in Albany, and hosted “diverse, inclusive” Women’s History Month celebrations that embraced the next generation of female activists.
“Within the County Committee, you immediately addressed gender representation issues with a Task Force that met publicly dozens of times over the course of several months and enacted a historic change to allow leaders to run under their preferred pronouns,” the leaders say in their letter to Bichotte Hermelyn.
“Under your leadership, you have raised the necessary funds to run our party, bringing us to the highest amount of funds available in our history,” they add, stating that, in just the past month alone, the party held a successful Public Policy and Issues Meeting, and Holiday Democratic Fundraiser and Toy Drive “to engage, inform and help our community.”
In response, Bichotte Hermelyn said she was “grateful and humbled by this overwhelming output of support from the community.
“It is an honor and privilege to hold this role, and help uplift and unite Brooklynites,” she said. “None of the progress we’ve made for the borough could have been achieved without our dedicated and diverse party members and district leaders.
“From the bottom of my heart, I thank every Brooklyn Democrat,” the assemblywoman added. “As we look forward to the new year, the sky is truly the limit for what we can achieve.”
