The inauguration ceremony for the Honorable Inez Barron, Council Member for the 42nd District was held on Friday, Jan. 3 at New York City Hall in the Council Chambers. It was a very festive occasion. Food was served for the first two hours from 5:00 till 7:00 p.m., giving attendees an opportunity to enjoy the cuisine, have lengthy conversations and recover from effects of the unpleasant weather. It was bitter cold and the streets and sidewalks were still covered with snow. In spite of the weather the hall was full when the ceremony started at 7:00 p.m.
Peggy Iman Washington, the Mistress of Ceremony welcomed the audience and proceeded to open the program. First there were the African drummers followed by the Rev. Eyesha Maribul Dance Ensemble, and the pouring of the libation. There was an acknowledgement of family, Council Member Barron’s two sons, Jelani and Jawanza and their families were in attendance, elected officials, John Lui, Council Members Jumaane Williams, Benjamin Davis and of course Charles Barron, special guest, Mayor Chokwe Lumumba of Jackson, Mississippi, Viola Plummer, Brenda Stokely, Andre Mitchell, Larry Hamm, Rev. Dr. Herbert and Rev. Karen Daughtry. Michael Tarif Warren, Dr. James McIntosh and many more. There were remarks by Joyce Scott-Brayboy, Inaugural Committee; Andre T. Mitchell, Man-Up, Inc.; Viola Plummer, D12 and The Freedom Party, and the Charles Barron.
Mayor Chokwe Lumumba of Jackson, Mississippi was the keynote speaker and he gave a very uplifting speech with lots of anecdotes of confrontation with racist situations in Mississippi. He also laid out a guide for progressive political leadership indicating that a good leader is also a good follower and that you can’t do anything without the support of the people. Mayor Lumumba is an attorney with a long history of Black radical activism. He shunned running for political office until 2009 when he was elected to City Council in Jackson. On July 1, 2013 he took office as mayor of Jackson, Mississippi.
The oath of office was administered by the Rev. Dr. Herbert Daughtry and assisted by the Hon. Charles Barron, the former Council Person for the 42nd Council District. Council Member Inez Barron not only took the official oath of office, but also one from the community pledging to continue to fight for affordable housing, better public education, opposition to stop and frisk, and to continue to represent the poor and working class of the district and their aspirations. Council Member Inez Barron was elected with 96 percent of the vote and she succeeds her husband, Charles Barron as Council Person for the 42nd Council District, which includes East New York and portions of Brownsville and Canarsie. She was formally State Assemblywoman for virtually the same district.
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