Look Who it Was Random video

Ron Howell | One to One

433 views · Published 16 October 2018 · 26:49 · Indexed 20 September 2026

Channel: CUNY TV · 2018 · News & Politics

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You may not have heard of Bertram L. Baker.  He was a West Indian immigrant who rose to become a Democratic party boss in Brooklyn, and in 1948 became the first black person to be elected to office from that borough, when he won a seat in the New York State Assembly. 

Baker’s political savvy led to the election of black judges and other office holders, paving the way for the likes of current New York City Public Advocate Letitia James and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams.
 
Written by his grandson, journalist Ron Howell, “Boss of Black Brooklyn: The Life and Times of Bertram L. Baker,” is more than a biography of an accomplished though flawed man. It’s also the story of how West Indian immigrants changed the face of politics in New York City, about a much-maligned, but  vibrant, Brooklyn neighborhood, Bedford Stuyvesant, and a moving family story about how Baker influenced those closest to him. 
The book is published by Fordham University Press.   

(Taped: 10/15/18)

Veteran New York Newsday columnist Sheryl McCarthy speaks with accomplished women from all walks of life in this engaging half-hour series.

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