By NAN Staff Writer
News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Weds. Jan. 12, 2021:
The daughter of Caribbean immigrants has been tapped to serve as the next deputy borough president of Brooklyn.
New Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso announced he is bringing on Assemblymember Diana Richardson as his deputy. Assemblymember Richardson was born in Brooklyn but is the daughter of immigrants from the Caribbean island of Aruba.
In her new role, Caribbean American Richardson will be focused on addressing food insecurity, reducing gun violence, and supporting Brooklyn’s Community Boards and ensuring they are reflective of the communities they serve.
“For years, Assemblymember Richardson has been an unwavering progressive voice and a powerful advocate for her community in Central Brooklyn. From tackling food insecurity and gun violence in our communities to delivering historic tenant protections and criminal justice reform, Diana has been on the frontlines fighting for the kind of progressive policies that transform communities,” said Reynoso. “Diana has shown time and again that she is committed to standing up for the most vulnerable among us, and I know that she shares our vision of creating a Brooklyn that works for all of us. I’m proud to bring her on as Deputy Borough President and ready to get to work together advocating for all Brooklynites.”
Richardson was elected on the Working Families Party line in a 2015 special election to replace Karim Camara in the 43rd district, which comprises the Crown Heights and Prospect Lefferts Gardens neighborhoods of Brooklyn. She has served the areas, championing progressive change in the areas of housing, criminal justice reform, education, and healthcare. Richardson led the fight on gun violence in the New York State Legislature and recently passed the Community Violence Intervention Act of 2021 which secures funding for state-wide Cure Violence Programs. She led the fight to pass New York States Police Reform Act of 2020 and the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act, (HSTPA) of 2019.
“Much like Borough President Reynoso, I have dedicated my life to serving the community that raised me here in Brooklyn, and I’m honored to be able to continue that service in Borough Hall,” said Richardson. “Our borough has been hit hard by this pandemic, particularly the communities of color, small businesses, and essential workers on the frontlines, and I’m ready to work alongside Borough President Reynoso to uplift working families and deliver a recovery that centers the most vulnerable among us. Borough President Reynoso is a coalition builder and a progressive champion, and I know that together we can deliver a stronger, more equitable future for Brooklyn.”
Richardson has an undergraduate degree in public administration from Medgar Evers College, and a Master of Public Administration from Baruch College, both campuses of the City University of New York.