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John --
We all know the story of the insurgent candidate who beat the 4th most powerful Democrat in the House to become the youngest female Congresswoman in U.S. history. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez overcame a mountain of obstacles, including the deep seeded corruption in New York politics. The victory gave hope to a generation.
Today we are proud to announce our endorsement of two more New York candidates who are taking on the challenge; educator and community organizer Jamaal Bowman, and women’s rights advocate and comedian Lauren Ashcraft.
Jamaal Bowman, New York 16th
Jamaal Bowman is an educator, husband, father of three and champion of children and working families. He was raised by a single mother in East Harlem, living in a rent controlled apartment on the Upper East side. Jamaal and his mother lived on her post office worker’s salary and were fortunate to enjoy living in a diverse community. Jamaal now lives with his wife and three children in Yonkers.
After graduating from the University of New Haven, Jamaal quickly returned to the Bronx to become a public school teacher, spending his first five years in education teaching at a minority majority public school. He went on to earn a Master’s Degree in Guidance Counseling from Mercy College and an Ed.D with a specialization in Organizational Leadership from Manhattanville College.
Jamaal’s biggest accomplishment to date is founding a public middle school, the Cornerstone Academy for Social Action (CASA) which has a strong emphasis on student voice, holistic education, cultural awareness and love. He is still serving as CASA’s Principal and has led efforts to educate elected officials on the impacts of toxic stress on health and education outcomes.
To address a multitude of inequalities, Jamaal will propose a unique policy that incorporates the blending of public education and healthcare into one model which will simultaneously provide mental health, financial, economic and social resources for families.
Outside of education, Jamaal supports a Green New Deal, Medicare for All, universal childcare, rebuilding a restorative justice system, free public college and getting big money out of politics.
Laruen Ashcraft, New York 12th
From a young age, Lauren has always cared about equality and justice. Her grandmother on her father’s side, Kimiko, was an immigrant from Japan who worked her way through nursing school to provide for her family as a widowed, single mother. On her mother’s side, Lauren’s grandfather was injured and became a quadriplegic for the rest of his life. Through this, Lauren learned firsthand the unique difficulties that those with disabilities face in terms of access and care.
With an early understanding of the kinds of hardships faced by people all around her, Lauren knew she wanted to fight for equality. Upon arriving in New York City, Lauren wanted to meet new people and integrate into the community. She went to comedy school and started to perform standup comedy throughout the city as a hobby. In 2016, she planned a celebration comedy show for the weekend following the 2016 presidential election, and when that did not go as planned, she decided to turn the show into a fundraiser for Planned Parenthood in an effort to combat a feeling of hopelessness.
Lauren continued to plan free monthly charitable comedy shows, named “Collection Box Comedy,” at which she would showcase diverse comedic talent and collect optional donations from attendees for various nonprofit organizations.
In the aftermath of an election when women were once again sidelined, Lauren became heavily involved in the successful Women’s March on NYC as a project manager, analyst, fundraiser and emcee for the March.
Lauren has a history of fighting for societal change at all levels. Her goal is to continue the fight for a better world by starting at the grassroots. Lauren is a perfect addition to BNC’s slate and her unique experiences will bring a fresh voice to Washington that her district and our country deserves.
Brand New Congress is so proud to have Jamaal and Lauren join our 2020 slate of fierce progressives! BNC has one bold Representative from New Your elected to Congress. Contribute today to help us give her the help she needs to pass policies that help all of us, not just the wealthy few.
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