the red hook
MENCHACA'S POWERFUL STATEMENT,
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MARCH 2021 INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM
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REPLACING BRAD LANDER by Toby Burns
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ix candidates have their eye on the city council seat once held by Mayor Bill de Blasio, the 39th district, spanning Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Gowanus, Park Slope, Windsor Terrace and Kensington.
Judas and the Black Messiah is now streaming online at HBO Max and is also in theatrical release.
The killing of a Black revolutionary by Roderick Thomas
“War is politics with bloodshed, politics is war without bloodshed.” Fred Hampton’s words are profound and captured perfectly in the new movie about the real Black Panthers, produced by Ryan Coogler, who brought forth 2018's Black Panther hit movie, based upon the Marvel character. Judas and The Black Messiah follows the life of the dynamic teen activist Fred Hampton, who rose to become
the Chicago Black Panther Chairman. Hampton was assassinated in his bed by the FBI and police at the age of 21, with the help of Black FBI informants, notably William O’Neal. The Black Messiah exposes the realities of police tactics and government sponsored assassination attempts on the revolutionary Black Panther party of the 1960's. The film stars actor Daniel Kaluuya as Fred Hampton, best known for his role in Jordan Peele’s genre resurrecting thriller Get Out (2017). Kaluuya portrays Chairman Fred with an eerie exactness, a marker of his gift as an actor. FBI informant William O’Neal is played by Kaluuya’s Get Out co-star
Lakieth Stanfield. While Kaluuya’s portrayal of Hampton’s self-sacrificing nature and dedication to Black liberation was spot on and moving. It is perhaps Stanfield’s embodiment of O’Neal that is most jolting. Lakieth Stanfield’s portrayal of is undeniably gut wrenching. He shows us a man dancing with maddening ambivalence, in between worlds as both an FBI informant and a faux Black Panther. Visually, the film is stunning to watch. Judas and the Black Messiah features cinematography by seasoned cinematographer Sean Bobbit (Twelve
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It’s the first time in more than a decade that the 39th will be represented by somebody other than Progressive Caucus co-founder Brad Lander, who has reached his term limit and is now running for city comptroller. Lander’s endorsement would be a major distinction for any of the contenders, but so far he’s kept quiet about who he thinks should replace him. In terms of money, it’s the second richest race in Brooklyn, with each hopeful having raised more than $30,000 and total fundraising exceeding $350,000. Donors have made it the fourth richest council race in the city overall, behind only the 7th district in Manhattan, the 13th in the Bronx, and the adjacent 40th district in Brooklyn. Ideologically, the candidates are kindreds, each touting their own community-focused brand of progressivism that’s very much in the tradition of their predecessor. Lander is held in high regard by candidates across the board, especially for his work on participatory budgeting, which aims to involve communities more directly in how their tax dollars get spent. But on a personal level, the candidates have a wide range of backgrounds and experiences, sure to resonate with voters in different ways. Brandon West, whose campaign posters are already a fixture in shop windows along Court and Smith Streets, is quick to sloganize himself as someone who knows both the “streets and the spreadsheets.” West worked for the Office of Management and Budget and for the City Council itself as a financial analyst before becoming a voting rights advocate and activist in the Occupy City Hall Movement. West credits his time as a financial analyst on the council’s transportation and education committees with
Fred Hampton (left) was a Black leader in the late 1960's. He is portrayed in the new movie by Daniel Kaluuya (right),
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