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Kristin Richardson Jordan

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Kristin Richardson Jordan
Member of the New York City Council
from the 9th district
In office
January 1, 2022 – December 31, 2023
Preceded byBill Perkins
Succeeded byYusef Salaam
Personal details
Born (1987-01-03) January 3, 1987 (age 37)
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Other political
affiliations		Democratic Socialists of America
Party for Socialism and Liberation (former)[1]
RelativesLynne D. Richardson (mother)
EducationBrown University (BA)

Kristin Richardson Jordan (born January 3, 1987)[2] is an American politician who was the Council member for New York City's 9th City Council district from 2022 to 2024.[3] Jordan identifies as a democratic socialist and police abolitionist. In her 2021 race for the New York City Council, she campaigned on a platform of "radical love."[4]

Early life and education

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Jordan was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1987 to physicians Lynne D. Richardson and Desmond Jordan. Her parents were both raised in Harlem, and the family returned after her father's internship at Johns Hopkins University,[5] where she grew up.[6][7][4] She graduated from the Calhoun School and then from Brown University in 2009, double-majoring in Africana studies and literary arts.[5][7][4][8]

Jordan is a published poet, a reform activist, and a lesbian.[4][9][10][11]

Career

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Jordan ran for New York City Council in 2021 against incumbent Council member Bill Perkins, narrowly defeating him in the Democratic primary,[3] virtually assuring her election in the overwhelmingly Democratic district.[7]

Jordan was a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), but was not endorsed by that organization,[7] as it wanted to focus support on other candidates in that year's elections.[9] Jordan had previously been a member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation prior to joining DSA.[1]

Jordan served one term as a New York City Councillor and her term was marked by intense controversy over many of her comments. On May 16, 2023, Jordan announced that she will not run for reelection to the New York City Council.[12]

Controversies

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Jordan was criticized in the aftermath of a fatal shooting in her district where two Hispanic NYPD police officers, Jason Rivera and Wilbert Mora were shot and killed in a domestic disturbance call; choosing instead to issue tweets about a local community garden. After criticism by residents, she stated she was told not to tweet about the slain officers.[13] Several days later, she publicly sent condolences to the family of Lashawn McNeil, the alleged killer who was shot and killed by a third officer, alongside the families of the fallen cops. Explaining her motivation, Jordan stated "I mourn the loss of literally all human life. I don’t see it as contradictory to mourn the life lost of Lashawn as well as the lives of Officer Rivera and Officer Mora."[14]

In February 2022, Jordan received criticism for justifying the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine by claiming that the Revolution of Dignity was a coup led by the United States, European Union, and NATO.[15] She said, "In 2014, the U.S. helped overthrow Ukraine’s democratically elected leader in an illegal coup, helped install a fascist government and empowered a far right military all with the goal of destabilizing Russia."[16]

On housing, Jordan has said that she "would rather have lots sit empty than have them filled with further gentrification."[17] In summer 2022, Jordan helped block a 1000 unit housing development which would have consisted of 50% affordable housing and a civil rights museum.[18] Jordan's rationale was that said "what they're calling affordable is [not] actually affordable to the community," as only 12% of the units were earmarked for individuals earning 30% of the area median income.[19][20][21] Jordan said she would only support projects where more than half of all units were earmarked for individuals earning less than 30% of New York median income.[21] After the developer, Bruce Teitelbaum, agreed to make half the units affordable, Jordan asked for 100% affordable units, which was refused.[22] In retaliation, a "truck depot" was claimed to be under construction, supposedly opening in December 2022.[23] However, it did not open as announced and appears to have been a political stunt to encourage harassment.[24]

In 2023, Jordan received significant criticism for pushing a bill to rename the intersection of 127th Street & Malcolm X Boulevard in Harlem after Elijah Muhammad, the former leader of the Nation of Islam who expressed anti-Semitic and anti-White viewpoints, among other controversial statements. The Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit legal advocacy group known for classifying hate groups, has claimed Elijah Muhammad had called Jews "greedy" and spread the false claim that they had been the ones responsible for the death of Jesus Christ. In addition, city councilmember David Carr, beyond just citing the Southern Poverty Law Center's words on the Nation of Islam spreading hatred, called it "dishonorable" to name the street after Muhammad when the site had been the location of an NYPD cop being murdered by unidentified NOI members in 1972.[25][26]

A coordinated harassment campaign funded by people outside the 9th District eventually pressured Jordan to delete social media and drop out of politics in 2023.[27]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Medina, Justine (July 9, 2021). "Black queer socialist makes history, winning Democratic primary in Harlem". Peoples' World. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  2. ^ "Councilwoman @Kristin4Harlem speaks at the I was at the Harlem is Not for Sale Rally and Protest". Twitter. January 1, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  3. ^ a b Smith, Rachel Holliday; Chung, Christine (August 17, 2021). "Perkins Loses Harlem Council Primary Recount by 114 Votes to Democratic Socialist". The City. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d Garber, Nick (June 9, 2021). "NYC Council District 9 Race: Kristin Richardson Jordan Seeks Seat". Harlem, NY Patch. Archived from the original on November 12, 2023.
  5. ^ a b Lowe, Roselyn (August 2, 2021). "Kristin Richardson Jordan". Harlem Community News. Archived from the original on August 19, 2021.
  6. ^ "Kristin will be the first out Black lesbian to represent Central Harlem on the New York City Council!". LGBTQ Victory Fund. August 2021. Archived from the original on March 26, 2021. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  7. ^ a b c d Featherstone, Liza (August 5, 2021). "Another Socialist Will Be Taking a Seat in the New York City Council". Jacobin. Archived from the original on June 23, 2022.
  8. ^ "Kristin Richardson Jordan '09: Civic leader". Alumni & Friends | Brown University. November 2020. Archived from the original on November 20, 2020.
  9. ^ a b Walsh, Joan (July 8, 2021). "Harlem Is Sending a Black Lesbian Democratic Socialist to the City Council". The Nation. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
  10. ^ Bellamy-Walker, Tat (April 30, 2021). "Kristin Richardson Jordan Runs for City Council District 9". gaycitynews.com. Archived from the original on May 1, 2021. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
  11. ^ Teufel, John (April 11, 2022). ""Culture Shock": Harlem's Socialist City Council Member Kristin Richardson Jordan Reflects on Her First Three Months in Office". The Indypendent.
  12. ^ "Harlem Council Race Changes as Kristin Richardson Jordan Withdraws". May 16, 2023.
  13. ^ Glueck, Katie (January 26, 2022). "A Staunch Critic of the N.Y.P.D. Grapples with Deaths of Two Officers". The New York Times. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
  14. ^ Walsh, Joan (January 28, 2022). "She Ran on a Platform of "Radical Love." Now She's Facing Radical Hate". The Nation. ISSN 0027-8378. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  15. ^ Gartland, Michael; Moynihan, Ellen; Sommerfeldt, Chris (February 25, 2022). "NYC Councilwoman Kristin Richard Johnson slammed over fact-challenged Ukraine tweets". Daily News. New York. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
  16. ^ Rubinstein, Dana; Glueck, Katie (March 8, 2022). "Socialists' Response to War in Ukraine Has Put Some Democrats on Edge". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
  17. ^ "Harlem's New Rep Tells Eric Adams: Don't Ignore The Socialists". Harlem, NY Patch. January 4, 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
  18. ^ Garber, Nick (May 31, 2022). "Harlem's One45 Project Defeated; Storage, Condos Likely Replacement". Harlem, NY Patch. Archived from the original on May 31, 2022. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
  19. ^ Goldenberg, Sally; Chadka, Janaki (June 8, 2022). "Fight between former Giuliani aide and democratic Socialist tanks major housing project". Politico.
  20. ^ Engquist, Erik (May 31, 2022). "Harlem Project One45 Withdrawn as Jordan Rejects Last Offer". The Real Deal.
  21. ^ a b Mellins, Sam (September 14, 2022). "Tiffany Cabán Approves Major Astoria Housing Development, Bucking Trend Among Progressives". New York Focus. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
  22. ^ Quinlan, Adriane (January 6, 2023). "The Saga of One45: From Massive Apartment Complex to Truck Depot". Curbed. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  23. ^ "Truck Depot On Harlem's One45 Site Almost Ready, Developer Says". Harlem, NY Patch. December 19, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  24. ^ Team, CBS New York (December 26, 2022). "Controversial Harlem truck stop does not appear to open as scheduled - CBS New York". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
  25. ^ Balk, Tim (February 23, 2023). "NYC council votes to name street after antisemitic Nation of Islam leader". Jewish News Syndicate. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
  26. ^ "NYC Council members clash over plan to name Harlem block for Muslim leader Elijah Muhammad". New York Daily News. February 23, 2023. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
  27. ^ "'She couldn't handle it' – why Kristin Richardson Jordan dropped out". City & State NY. May 16, 2023. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
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