Head-to-Head for District 41

Alicka Ampry-Samuel and Darlene Mealy are in a head-to-head race again for the District 41 New York City Council seat. Ampry-Samuel, the current city council member, has served since 2018. Back in 2005, Ampry-Samuel ran against Mealy and lost. Mealy served two terms and left office in 2017. She couldn’t run again then because of term limits. Ampry-Samuel ran that year and won. She wants to hold on to the seat, and Mealy wants to come back.

The two women approached the race for District 41 with different plans in mind.

Ampry-Samuel was born and raised in Brownsville and has first-hand experience of the violence in that neighborhood. She says that will always be one of her primary issues. She also grew up in a housing development on the corner of Pitkin Avenue and Rockaway Avenue and wants to help NYCHA residents. She serves as the chair member of the council’s Committee on Public Housing.

She supported the initiative to put solar panels on NYCHA buildings to help residents save money on their electric bills. Installation began in April 2021. In an interview with BK reader, Ampry-Samuel said, “I look forward to seeing local residents work on this project, which will further connect them to sustainability in their communities.”

She also emphasizes working with Brownsville’s leaders in the Brownsville In, Violence Out (BIVO) organization and police officers in the 73^rd precinct.

Since the Black Lives Matter protests in Summer 2020, Ampry-Samuel talked about changing policing. She wants the police to cooperate with Brownsville leaders to help younger folks get jobs, counseling programs and other resources. “You have gang members and people who carry guns who feel like things could be different. They want to change their lives,” she said in an interview with the New Yorker.

She advocated for the removal of former 73^rd Precinct Commander Craig Edelman who created a divide between civilians and police by emphasizing low-level crimes. She and others advocated for a commander who had a better understanding of the neighborhood.

Her opponent, Darlene Mealy, originally from Detroit, seems to want to reclaim the job.

Based on her campaign website, Mealy wants to focus on the major issues of economic development, education and public safety. She plans to transform major strips in District 41, including Pitkin Ave and Mother Gaston Boulevard, to attract consumers and to allow residents to engage in cultural enrichment activities. For education, she would like to cooperate with the New York City Department of Education to create college readiness programs and to allocate better educational resources to the district. Lastly, she wants to focus on public safety, specifically young people. She has plans to work with the NYPD to better the community engagement with the police.

But when Mealy was elected in 2006, she did not pass a bill until 2007. Ampry-Samuel passed eight bills two months into her first term. In 2017, City and State ranked Mealy as the worst New York City council member.

Some District 41 residents remember Mealy because of her reputation as an ineffective council member.

“I remember that,” said an older male resident. “I remember when they said she was the worst. I’ve been living here for a long time, and I don’t see changes. But I’m not sure who I will vote for. I need more information. But if they said [Mealy’s] the worst, then she won’t win.”

Mealy’s run for this office goes against the spirit of the city council term limits. But she advocates that she will use the experience to her advantage. On her campaign website, Mealy said, “I will be the voice and representative of the everyday woman and man. With twelve years of experience and [a] distinguished track record of tackling big problems as New York City Councilwoman, I know what it takes to cut through red tape and navigate complicated New York City government agencies and get the job done.”

Ampry-Samuel does not seem fazed by her competition. In an interview with the Digital Media Network of East New York, Ampry-Samuel said, “If someone else thought they could do a better job than me, then may the best candidate win. I believe in the democratic process, but I do not believe in dynasties or monarchies. Term limits are important. I’ve done more in my three years than my predecessor did in an entire twelve. My predecessor [did] three pieces of legislation in twelve years, and I have passed thirteen in three years. Her record on bringing resources is just dismal compared to mine.”

Ampry-Samuel has bigger plans for 2021. In addition to being city council member for District 41, she wants to become the City Council Speaker. If she wins, she will be the first Black person to win the job.

When it comes to voting, many residents of District 41 have no knowledge of the city council or the candidates. An older resident of the Howard Houses in Brownsville had not ever heard of the city council. He laughed as he said, “No, I don’t know what city council is. I never heard of those people, but I will let you know if I find something out.”