Jabari Brisport Explained

Jabari Brisport
State Senate:New York State
District:25th
Term Start:January 1, 2021
Predecessor:Velmanette Montgomery
Birth Date:9 August 1987
Birth Place:Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Party:Green (before 2019)
Democratic (2019–present)
Education:New York University (BFA)
Yale University (MFA)

Jabari Brisport (born August 9, 1987) is an American politician, activist, and former public school teacher.[1] He is the state senator for New York's 25th State Senate district in Brooklyn, and the first openly gay person of color to be elected to the New York State Legislature.[2]

Early life and education

Brisport was raised in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn,[3] by a Caribbean immigrant father and a second-generation Brooklynite mother.[4] During Brisport's childhood, his father worked at a sheet metal factory, and his mother was an office manager.[5]

He graduated from Poly Prep, a private high school in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn.[6] He attended New York University Tisch School of the Arts[7] and the Yale School of Drama.[8] [9]

Career

Education

Brisport taught math to 6th and 7th graders at Medgar Evers College Preparatory School, a public school in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.[10] He is a member of the United Federation of Teachers (UFT).[11]

Activism

At age 22, Brisport began organizing efforts in support of a bill to legalize same-sex marriage in New York.[5] The bill was defeated in 2009, but Brisport continued organizing around the issue and same-sex marriage was legalized in New York two years later.

A few years after that, Brisport got involved in the burgeoning Black Lives Matter movement and began organizing rallies and protests, as well as training protesters on what to do if stopped or harassed by the police.[12] In 2017, he traveled to Charlottesville, Virginia, to march in the counter-protest of a Unite the Right rally.[13]

Brisport joined the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) shortly after Donald Trump's election as president, and got involved in their work on access to affordable housing. He quickly became a leader in the fight against the private development of the Bedford Union Armory in Crown Heights.[14] [15] [16] [17]

2017 City Council race

In 2017, Brisport ran against incumbent Laurie Cumbo in the 35th New York City Council District. In a rare Green Party primary, he defeated Scott Hutchinson, 32 votes to 4. Brisport was partially inspired to run for office by Bernie Sanders[18] and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.[19] He was endorsed by Our Revolution, New York Communities for Change, and the New York Chapter of Democratic Socialists of America. He lost the election, receiving 29% of the vote.[20] [21] Brisport earned more independent votes than any council candidate since 2003.[22]

2020 State Senate race

In 2019, Brisport announced a run for the New York State Senate 25th District seat being vacated by Velmanette Montgomery.[23] On September 29, 2019, he was endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America.[24] His campaign did not accept any donations from the real estate industry or any for-profit corporations. Instead, it received donations from over 7,000 individuals, breaking the record for most donors to a New York State-level campaign.[25] [26] According to the campaign, it also had the support of over 1,000 volunteers.[27] His campaign was also endorsed by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Bernie Sanders, Cynthia Nixon, New York Communities for Change, and the Working Families Party.[5] [28]

On election night of the Democratic primary on June 23, 2020, Brisport led the race with 52.25% of the vote against sitting Assemblywoman Tremaine Wright and former Montgomery staffer Jason Salmon. But there were more absentee ballots than usual due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and on election night there were still 26,000 absentee ballots to be counted.[29] Brisport declared victory on July 23, once the absentee ballots had been counted and his lead over Wright had grown to 10,000 votes.[30] He won the November general election, becoming the first openly gay person of color ever elected to the New York legislature.[31]

2022 State Senate race

In 2022, Brisport faced Conrad Tillard in the State Senate district 25 race.[32] Brisport was backed by the Democratic Socialists of America and by unions including 1199SEIU and District Council 37. Tillard was endorsed by New York City Mayor Eric Adams, State Senator Kevin Parker, and former New York City Councilman Robert Cornegy.[33] [32] [34] Tillard ran as a more moderate and centrist candidate than Brisport, and was critical of his support of socialism.[35] [36] [37] Brisport won re-nomination in the three-way race, with 70% of the vote to Tillard's 16%.[38] [39] [40]

Political positions

Brisport came to identify as a democratic socialist through Bernie Sanders's presidential campaign, for which he volunteered as a canvasser and phone-banker.[12] He is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).[17]

Brisport was arrested while protesting the re-development of the vacant Bedford Union Armory in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.[41] [42] [43] He argued that the development should be 100% affordable housing. He has advocated for a vacancy tax and a pied-à-terre tax.[44]

Brisport, who is vegan, supports a ban on the commercial sale of cats, dogs, and rabbits, as well as on the sale and manufacture of fur clothing. He defends outlawing cruel animal farming practices and redirecting dairy subsidies into programs for dairy farmers to exit the industry.[45]

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: All Politics Is Local: a Guide to Brooklyn's City Council Races - The Bridge. November 6, 2017. The Bridge . February 28, 2018.
  2. Web site: Wakefield . Lily . 2020-11-04 . 'The next AOC': Jabari Brisport makes history as New York's first gay Black state senator . 2022-08-22 . PinkNews .
  3. News: 'Crazy Green Party Dude' Wages Grassroots Fight in Brooklyn Council Race. City Limits. February 28, 2018.
  4. Web site: Jabari Brisport profile. gp.org. May 5, 2023.
  5. Web site: Teacher Jabari Brisport set to be N.Y.'s 1st Black gay state senator . November 21, 2020 . NBC News . September 24, 2020 . en.
  6. Web site: Brooklyn Native Jabari Brisport (XXI) is Set to Lead His Community. September 10, 2020. Prep for Prep.
  7. Web site: Jabari Brisport Resume. Jabari Brisport. February 28, 2018. February 28, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180228223309/http://www.jabaribrisport.com/resume.html. dead.
  8. News: Meet The Democratic Socialist Running For City Council In Brooklyn. Whitford. Emma. April 7, 2017. Gothamist. December 28, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20180114003226/http://gothamist.com/2017/04/07/green_party_jabari_brisport.php. January 14, 2018. dead.
  9. Web site: Upcoming. Jabari Brisport. February 28, 2018. February 28, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180228223219/http://www.jabaribrisport.com/upcoming. dead.
  10. Web site: i_beebe. November 4, 2020. Jabari Brisport is still teaching. November 20, 2020. City & State NY. en. December 10, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201210024133/https://www.cityandstateny.com/articles/personality/interviews-profiles/jabari-brisport-still-teaching.html. dead.
  11. Web site: i_beebe. September 6, 2020. Will labor stick with the establishment?. November 21, 2020. City & State NY. en. November 17, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201117213040/https://www.cityandstateny.com/articles/policy/labor/will-labor-stick-establishment-2021.html. dead.
  12. Web site: Hannah Black talks with New York State Senate candidate Jabari Brisport. November 21, 2020. www.artforum.com. June 10, 2020 . en-US.
  13. Web site: August 15, 2017. Charlottesville protester: Trump's words too little too late. November 21, 2020. Fox News. en-US.
  14. News: Arrest of City Council candidate at Bedford-Union Armory protest draws criticism - Brooklyn Daily Eagle. www.brooklyneagle.com. July 20, 2020.
  15. News: Bedford-Union Armory fight spills over into 35th City Council debate in Brooklyn - Brooklyn Daily Eagle. www.brooklyneagle.com. February 28, 2018.
  16. News: City Planning Approves Bedford-Union Armory Plan as 2 Protesters Arrested. DNAinfo New York. dead. February 28, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180228223548/https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20171030/crown-heights/city-planning-commission-vote-approves-bedford-union-armory-development. February 28, 2018.
  17. News: Jilani. Zaid. August 3, 2017. Jabari Brisport Is Running For City Council to Bring Democratic Socialism to Brooklyn. The Intercept. December 28, 2017.
  18. News: A Green Grows in Brooklyn. Foldy. Ben. October 9, 2017. Bklyner. December 28, 2017.
  19. Web site: TALKING SOCIALISM | Catching up with AOC.
  20. News: Laurie Cumbo Holds On To Win NYC District 35 Election. November 6, 2017. Patch. February 28, 2018.
  21. News: 2017 New York City General Election Results. Ben. Max. Gotham Gazette . February 28, 2018.
  22. News: Opinion: By Forging Alliance on the Left, Cabán Race is Reshaping NYC Politics. Luke. Elliott-Negri. July 25, 2019. City Limits.
  23. News: Brooklyn Democratic Socialists narrow their sights on four 2020 candidates. September 19, 2019. Brooklyn Eagle.
  24. News: NYC Democratic Socialists' new AOC could be this rising star from Brooklyn. Jon. Levine. October 5, 2019.
  25. Web site: Tracy. Matt. May 26, 2020. Flexing Grassroots Muscle, Brisport Leads State Senate Rivals in Fundraising. November 21, 2020. Gay City News. en-US.
  26. Web site: Inside the NYC Democratic Socialists' Powerhouse Electoral Machine. November 21, 2020. jacobinmag.com. en-US.
  27. Web site: Jabari Brisport Declares Victory In Brooklyn State Senate Race. November 21, 2020. www.msn.com.
  28. Web site: Our Candidates. November 21, 2020. Working Families Party. en.
  29. News: Jabari Brisport, Democratic Socialist on Verge of Upset Primary Win in Brooklyn, Eyes Journey to Albany . Andrew . Millman . July 8, 2020 . July 20, 2020.
  30. Web site: Jabari Brisport Declares Victory In NYS Senate Democratic Primary In District 25. Zainab. Iqbal. July 23, 2020.
  31. News: In blue and red states, milestone wins for LGBTQ candidates . Crary . David . November 4, 2020 . . November 4, 2020.
  32. Web site: Adams Endorses Primary Candidates, Hoping to Defeat Left-Wing Democrats. Jeffery C.. Mays. August 20, 2022. The New York Times.
  33. Web site: Tracking the contested state Senate primary races in New York. City & State NY. August 22, 2022 .
  34. News: Samar . Khurshid . August 11, 2022 . New York State Senate Races to Watch in the August Primary . Gotham Gazette . August 19, 2022.
  35. Web site: 4 Big Takeaways From New York's Weird Late-Summer Primaries. Errol. Louis. August 27, 2022. Intelligencer.
  36. Web site: STATE SENATE. issuu.
  37. Web site: NY Senate Voter's Guide: What to know about the 2022 NYC primaries. August 12, 2022. Gothamist.
  38. News: New York Primary Election Results . The New York Times . 23 August 2022 .
  39. Web site: NYS Board of Elections Unofficial Election Night Results. NY State Board of Elections. December 6, 2022. November 20, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181120174014/https://nyenr.elections.ny.gov/. dead.
  40. Web site: Adams state Senate pick Conrad Tillard has history of bigoted remarks. The New York Post. August 17, 2022.
  41. News: Arrest of City Council candidate at Bedford-Union Armory protest draws criticism - Brooklyn Daily Eagle. www.brooklyneagle.com. July 20, 2020.
  42. News: Bedford-Union Armory fight spills over into 35th City Council debate in Brooklyn - Brooklyn Daily Eagle. www.brooklyneagle.com. February 28, 2018.
  43. News: City Planning Approves Bedford-Union Armory Plan as 2 Protesters Arrested. DNAinfo New York. February 28, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180228223548/https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20171030/crown-heights/city-planning-commission-vote-approves-bedford-union-armory-development. February 28, 2018. dead.
  44. News: Lessons from Vancouver for NYC's Debate Over Taxing Vacant Land to Ease Housing Crunch. City Limits. February 28, 2018.
  45. Web site: Animal Rights. January 29, 2021. Jabari For State Senate. February 13, 2020 .

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