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“Rosa Clemente Joins Great Harlem Bloomberg Debate “
By Molefi A. A. Tayari
New York is already abuzz about the fact that NYC Deputy Mayor Dennis Walcott and NYC City Councilman Charles Barron headline a panel on Sunday May 17, 2009 at Salem United Methodist Church located at 211 West 129th Street in Harlem, debating the question, “Has Mayor Bloomberg Been Good for Black People, Yes or No?” The addition of controversial Green Party Vice Presidential Candidate, Rosa Clemente is sure to raise the Buzz a few decibels. Clemente is a Hip Hop personality and strong advocate for more youth inclusion in political activity.
Debate organizer and moderator, Dr. James McIntosh said that, “The question is not, why are youth not included in politics, but why are they not leading it? Young brothers and sisters in the 60’s had the adults trying to keep up with them,” he continued, “People like Bobby Seale, Huey Newton, Kwame Toure, Curtis Muhammad, Viola Plummer were leading adults as youngsters. Even people like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King were young people in their 20’s when they were doing significant activist
work. I think that if youth want to be included, they have to follow the example of other generations and even Clemente herself who has already made a mark, raising important issues along with Cynthia McKinney in their run against McCain, Palin, Obama and Biden. We look forward to Rosa’s post debate commentary on the panel. Like Rosa, most of these panelists at this debate were shaking people up as young people”
The panelists include Nellie Bailey, President of the Harlem Tenants Associatiion, Jitu Weusi of The National Black United Front, Brandon Brice of Hip Hop Republicans.com, Dr. Sam Anderson of Black New Yorkers For Educational Excellence who is also one of the founders of the original Harlem branch of the Black Panther Party, Attorney Rosemary Mealey another original Panther, Bernard White the program manager of WBAI and Betty Dopson Co-chair and cofounder of CEMOTAP. The youthful appearing Dopson will celebrate her 75th birthday at a party to be held in Queens 2 nights before the debate, points out that even the headliners Charles Barron and Dennis Walcott in their
younger days were activists in the Black Panthers and the Urban League respectively
“The key thing,” said Dopson, “is that we will have an issue of
importance to the entire community debated in a spirited but civil
and intellectual atmosphere with whatever evidence the principals can muster.” The debate is the sixth in a series called “Great Harlem Debates sponsored by CEMOTAP the organization that she and McIntosh Co-chair. Anyone seeking further information about the debate should call 347-1145 or 718-322-8454.
Filed under: 3rd party, elections, Green Party, New York State Politics, Press Release, Rosa Clemente
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