Black History Month Celebration
After making history in 2007 by becoming the first Haitian-born official to be elected to the New York City Council, term-limited Brooklyn Councilman Dr. Mathieu Eugene wants to create history again: He wants to become the first Haitian-born Brooklyn Borough President.
“I am running for Borough President because I have a proven track record of public service throughout my career, and I have the ability to improve the quality of life of people from all ethnic backgrounds while being proactive in addressing the issues affecting the community,” Eugene, who represents the 40th Council District, told Caribbean Life in an exclusive interview. “I believe I have what it takes to make Brooklyn a better and more unified place in this critical moment.
“I have spent many years bringing communities together and using the skills and expertise of those who share my vision for a better future to implement real change,” he added. “I am focused on continuing that passion to address the immediate needs of our borough at this juncture. I feel I am the best candidate to bring our borough together in unity, and move us forward towards a stronger and more vibrant future.”
On his campaign planks, and how he hopes to accomplish them, Eugene said “First and foremost, many people feel that they are living in a divided borough.
“The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted several areas where we have struggled to provide resources to those in need,” he said. “I have the skills to empower people and embrace our collective strengths in order to best overcome these obstacles that have resulted in more suffering for disadvantaged members of our community.
“We are all human beings, and we each have the right to be respected and have a comfortable quality of life,” he added. “Among the many issues facing the borough, I want to continue my commitment to contribute to the improvement of our healthcare system by supporting our great medical professionals and advocating for the resources that they need to support their passion; saving lives.
“We have dedicated doctors, nurses and medical professionals whose energy and passion are what define the great medical institutions that I am very proud to support, but I am prepared to take the next steps so that our healthcare professionals are ready for crises similar to COVID-19,” he added.
Dr. Eugene said this pandemic “showed us that we have much more work to do in order to provide a better quality of healthcare services in the event of the next onset of infectious disease, epidemic or pandemic.
“I will work together with medical professionals, colleagues and concerned partners to create a healthcare infrastructure that can withstand and take on the next health crisis,” he assured. “What we are seeing now is what happens when we are not prepared for a major crisis.
“Even though we have the talent in place, we did not utilize our resources properly and we did not do what was right to protect our most valued essential workers and first responders,” the councilman added. “I have the experience and the vision to lead us into the future with a better healthcare system that can withstand the challenges it will face and have more success at protecting the community.”
Eugen said he wants to continuing funding more resources for education and help hardworking families that have struggled to engage their children in remote learning.
“I am focused on continuing my advocacy for more affordable housing; and that is why I have advocated for more than five years to collaborate with and urge the City of New York to build affordable housing and an education and job training center in Flatbush,” he said.
“I am committed to strengthening the relationships between our city agencies and community organizations that will help provide the best resources for our constituents, and I have a strong track record of helping those partnerships deliver for the community.,” he added.
Eugene said he has dedicated his whole life to public service, “which has been the foundation of my work in the 40th District.
“I established a not-for-profit organization in this borough that provided positive opportunities for young people, and that is one of the many initiatives that empowered me to be elected to the City Council and serve for the past 14 years,” he said.
Eugene said he is confident about being the next borough president, “because I have a proven track record of public service and improving the life of people, while addressing the many issues that affect our communities.
“I am fortunate to have the support of people from so many community, who appreciate and recognize my accomplishments on behalf of all New Yorkers,” he said. “That’s why I have been elected several times to serve and find solutions to the issues that people are facing, and I’ve been doing it successfully for many years.”
