Jumaane Williams: My Biggest Challenge

This article was posted by Robert Myers. It was reported and written by George Wallace.

About this sponsorship: In honor of the 60th anniversary of Sir Edmund Hillary’s historic ascent of Mount Everest, Patch and Grape-Nuts are teaming up to highlight those who inspire people around them to climb their own mountains.

Jumaane D. Williams is a first-generation Brooklynite of West Indian parentage. A product of Brooklyn Tech and Brooklyn College, it was while earning his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science that he realized civic engagement and community empowerment would be his focus. He received a Master’s Degree, also from Brooklyn College, in Urban Policy and Administration, worked as a community organizer, and was elected in 2009 to represent the 45th District in the New York City Council. 

Williams talks to the Patch about the challenge – once in political office – of maintaining a vision of your job as an advocate for his constituents, and continuing to bring experience as an organizer to help unleash the community’s potential “with realistic solutions, not political rhetoric.”

Q. What’s the biggest challenge you've faced.

A. The job itself is a challenge. I think many of us in government sometimes view our seat as more important than what you’re representing. But you can’t be afraid to lose. You have to be able to say I may lose this election, but I’m going to do the right thing anyway. 

Finding the balance of getting what you want done while making sure that 150,000 people, your constituency, understand and feel good about what you’ve done. It’s almost in every vote, in every allocation of funds, every time you have to make a decision. I expected that people would be able to do what they thought was right more often than sometimes I see. Everybody is human but you have to keep that as minimal as possible. 

Q. What inspired you to take on that challenge.

A. I try to remember why I wanted to get involved in electoral politics in the first place, why I wanted to have the power. I come from community organizing; my second job actually was as a tenant organizer in Flatbush. It’s always about trying to wrest the power from people who have the money, and distribute it to the rest. I try to remember that. I got involved in trying to get this power in order to give it to the people. 

Q. Were you successful?

A. In this job, maintaining this focus is always a challenge, Every day. I’ve been pretty successful. But I won’t know I succeeded until the journey is over, when we have a chance to look at what I was able to do. 

About this column: We’re dedicating the month of April and May to telling the stories of people locally and statewide who have overcome the impossible, affecting positive change in their own lives, or in communities. Sponsored by Grape-Nuts.