Mary Pinkett (née Glover) (September 8, 1926 – December 4, 2003) served in the New York City Council from 1974 to 2001, representing the

28th 28 (twenty-eight) is the natural number following 27 and preceding 29. In mathematics It is a composite number, its proper divisors being 1, 2, 4, 7, and 14. Twenty-eight is the second perfect number - it is the sum of its proper diviso ...

and 35th districts. She was the first black New York City Councilwoman.

Early life and career

Pinkett grew up in Crown Heights with her sister Loretta. As a young adult, Pinkett attended night classes Brooklyn College in order to receive her Bachelor's degree and later moved to Clinton Hill. She worked for the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation before become involved in organized labor. Pinkett would eventually become President of Social Services Employees Union, Local 371 and Vice President of District Council 37.

New York City Council

After attending the

1972 Democratic National Convention The 1972 Democratic National Convention was the presidential nominating convention of the Democratic Party for the 1972 presidential election. It was held at Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami Beach, Florida, also the host city of the Repub ...

Miami, Florida Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

, Pinkett ran for New York City Council's newly created 28th District in 1973 and won. She was the first black woman to be elected to the City Council. She would go on to serve in the City Council for 28 years, representing the 28th district for 18 years and the 35th district for 10 years. Due to a new

term limit A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms an officeholder may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method of curbing the potenti ...

law, Pinkett was unable to run for re-election in 2001 and retired. Her successor, whom she endorsed, was James E. Davis. Davis would later be shot and killed in New York City Hall during his first term. Pinkett's accomplishments as a councilwoman include leading the passage of a

whistleblower A whistleblower (also written as whistle-blower or whistle blower) is a person, often an employee, who reveals information about activity within a private or public organization that is deemed illegal, immoral, illicit, unsafe or fraudulent. Whi ...

law to protect city employees. She was also a strong labor advocate within the City Council, notably obtaining the right for retired city employees to Medicare Part B Pinkett also aided in the development of her Brooklyn district, including in the revitalization of Atlantic Village Housing. She served on many committees throughout her tenure, most notably as chair of the Civil Service and Labor Committee, the Committee on Aging, and the Committee of Governmental Operations.

Death and legacy

On December 4, 2003, Pinkett died due to heart failure brought on by cancer, according to her nephew Derek Glover. Her death was mourned by many New Yorkers, including Mayor Michael Bloomberg Mary Pinkett Lecture Hall in CUNY Medgar Evers College's Student Support Services Building is named after Pinkett. She was a strong supporter of City University of New York. In 2013, Washington Avenue in Brooklyn between Eastern Parkway and Lincoln Road was named Mary Pinkett Avenue in her honor by New York City Councilman

Mathieu Eugene Mathieu Eugene is a Haitian-American politician. A Democrat, he was a New York City Councilmember for the 40th district, and was the first Haitian-born city councilmember. His district included portions of Crown Heights, East Flatbush, Flatb ...

Electoral history

References

African-American New York City Council members African-American women in politics Politicians from Brooklyn New York (state) Democrats New York City Council members 2003 deaths 1926 births Women New York City Council members People from Crown Heights, Brooklyn People from Clinton Hill, Brooklyn Brooklyn College alumni 20th-century African-American women 20th-century African-American people 21st-century African-American people 21st-century African-American women {{NewYork-politician-stub