When I first met Jimmy Toussaint, I was startled by his last name. Having founded an orphanage in Haiti, I have traveled back and forth enough, and learned enough Haitian history to recognize his family: Toussaint.
From a Haitian senator, to two ambassadors, a prominent defense attorney, a few military officers, and even ties to past Haitian presidents, the history of the Jimmy Toussaint's family is well known in Haiti.
It is about to become well known in New York City. Meet Jimmy Toussaint, a friend and new face to Brooklyn politics, living in the 45th District.
In the depths of Flatbush, you may find yourself surrounded by the sights and sounds of West Indian culture. From the steel pans of calypso to the bass-heavy tunes of reggae, Flatbush is permeated with the customs of the relatively recent arrivals of New York's West Indian population.
Look even deeper and you will find something else brewing: Jimmy's friends and supporters. They are moving forward to elect Jimmy to the New York City Council.
"Public office is an inescapable desire for me," says Jimmy. "All my life, local politics were considered a joke, because local politicians are known to be useless in this area," Jimmy told me recently at a cafe on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn.
"You see their faces on posters around the neighborhood when they want your vote, but afterwards, you hear nothing from them for another four years. I never wanted to become a politician. That word is derogatory to me. I am running because I want to protect my community from politicians," Jimmy told me.
In his community, Jimmy represents young, educated, West Indians born in America. Jimmy's district in particular has a large Haitian presence. The Haitian population has historically been underrepresented in our city's political system.
"We are here and we are numerous. This election is our time. We need a voice. We value education and yet our schools under-perform. The West Indian community has needs that are never met. Within the West Indian community, the Haitian community is the last to get aid from politicians for anything."
"I won't stop working towards obtaining what we need over here in Brooklyn. We have been without adequate schools for our children and sufficient services for our most needy long enough," Jimmy explains.
There are many issues that Jimmy intends to resolve if elected.
Charter Schools. He wants to bring them to Flatbush. "Charter schools perform significantly better than regular public schools. This is what we need here. We want our children to go to good colleges and come back to this community with their degrees and help as, I am doing," Jimmy explained.
Tax Hikes on the Middle Class. "How can you expect people to better themselves or better their situation if we punish them for doing so? The cost of living is rising. We should not raise taxes on workers or those who are just getting started in their careers. We should make it easier for them to live in New York City. They are the city's backbone," Jimmy stated.
Being from a good family only gets one so far. Jimmy grew up in one of the many disadvantaged neighborhoods in Brooklyn, during a time when violent gangs ran the streets. "The poor public school system, lack of access to adequate social services, and the gang epidemic were challenging," Jimmy admits.
"I have friends who were killed or are currently in jail. I have friends from elementary school who stand on the same corner they did when we were in junior high school. I shared an eighth-grade classroom with young mothers. It was bad. I want to prevent kids in the future from going through that."
This young candidate is someone you should definitely be on the lookout for. He is more conservative than I am on a few social issues, but West Indian values are often more conservative than my own. He is rock solid and represents his community.
I endorse Jimmy Toussaint because he is my friend and I trust him as an intrinsically good person. He is a rising leader in New York City. Win or lose this election in Brooklyn, we will be hearing much about Jimmy Toussaint for years to come.
Edited by Karen F. Davis.
Follow Jim Luce on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jimluce
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