political profi les District 16
As New York City prepares
for one of its largest
election cycles in recent memory,
there is one city council
race that will directly impact
the west Bronx’s District 16,
which encompasses the neighborhoods
of Claremont Village,
Concourse, Concourse
Village, Crotona Park, Highbridge,
Longwood, Melrose,
Morris Heights, Morrisania,
Mount Eden and University
Heights. Incumbent Councilwoman
Vanessa Gibson is
term limited and is running
for Borough President. There
are six candidates in the June
22 primary. They are:
Abdourahamane Diallo,
Ahmadou T Diallo, Yves Fillius,
Uniqua Smith, Althea
Stevens and Eric Stevenson.
Why are you running?
The Bronx is the poorest
and most underserved Borough
in the City. The 16th district
is the most neglected in
the Bronx. It has been that way
for 50 years. We need tax-free
opportunity zones to attract
small businesses, changes in
zoning rules that encourage
construction of affordable
housing, better investments
in our schools, more charter
schools, new health care clinics,
safer streets, fewer gangs,
less drug dealing.
Tell us about yourself,
i.e. what you do for a living,
your relationship to the
district, and which neighborhood
you live in.
I was raised in a one-room
shack in the slums of Guinea,
West Africa. Forced to drop
out of school in 9th grade to get
a job and help my family, I selftaught
while selling merchandise
in the local market. My
luckiest day was when I won
a visa lottery to immigrate to
the United States. After settling
in the Bronx, I worked as
a dishwasher, delivered pizza
and drove a taxi while working
my way through college.
I studied Political Science at
John Jay College and earned
a degree in business from Baruch
College. The Bronx has
long been my home. I’ve a
deep passion for empowering
people, and turned down a job
on Wall Street to run for City
Council.
What are the biggest
challenges facing the district
and how will you solve
them?
District 16 faces a lot of
challenges. The greatest are
housing, public safety, unemployment,
health care and education.
I will fervently advocate
for the resources needed
to solve these issues. I will
also strive to enact changes
that allow people in the Bronx
to lift themselves—zoning
changes that encourage the
construction of affordable
housing, tax-free opportunity
zones to attract small businesses,
BRONX TIMES R 22 EPORTER, APR. 9-15, 2021 BTR
more charter schools,
safer streets, new health care
infrastructure, and more
private investment in enterprises
that lift people out of
poverty.
What will you do differently
than the incumbent?
I have no criticism of the
incumbent. This part of the
Bronx has been on its knees
for 50 years. I will do all in my
power to create tax-free opportunity
zones to attract small
businesses, changes in zoning
rules that encourage construction
of affordable housing,
better investments in our
schools, more charter schools,
new health care clinics, safer
streets, fewer gangs, less drug
dealing.
What’s your political experience?
I studied Political Science
at John Jay, earned a degree
in Business from Baruch College,
and a master’s degree
in Global Affairs from Tsinghua
University in Beijing,
focusing specifi cally on how
to lift people out of poverty.
I’ve been involved as a leader
and volunteer in several civic
and charitable organizations,
served as Secretary-General
of the Bronx Borough President’s
African Advisory Council,
and as a member of the
Bronx Community Board 3.
I also co-founded the African
Abdourahamane Diallo Courtesy of Abdourahamane Diallo
Empowerment Project NYC,
served as Chairman of Guineans
Succeeding in America,
as a member of the Bronx
Democratic County Committee
and as a Young Leader of
the Forum for World Education.
What endorsements do
you have?
We will be rolling out a
series of important endorsements
during the coming
weeks. They will come not
from special interest groups,
or the political class. Rather,
they will come from people
who live everyday lives here
in the Bronx, the shop restaurant
owners, merchants,
mothers who wish for better
schools, seniors who wish
for safer neighborhoods and
workers who must daily endure
New York’s deteriorating
public transportation system.
Why are you running?
I am seeking this offi ce to
propose a vision for change
and solutions to the various
issues we are facing. As an
immigrant that has been afforded
the many opportunities
offered by this country, I
am honored to be able to make
a positive contribution to my
community and borough.
Tell us about yourself,
i.e. what you do for a living,
your relationship to the district,
and which neighborhood
you live in.
I was born in Guinea and
came to this country in the
1990s to experience the opportunities
of America. After
expanding my education in
accounting, I established my
businesses, Ahmadou Multi-
Services and Kamato Global
corporations, which continue
to be in operation today. For
close to 20 years, I have lived
and/or operated my business
within the district. Additionally,
I have been involved in
many community organizations
in the district and boroughwide.
What are the biggest
challenges facing the district
and how will you solve
them?
There are many issues that
District 16 faces. A prime example
of this would be affordable
housing. As a City
Councilmember, I will work
to ensure that all affordable
housing in the district is truly
affordable. I will work with
all the stakeholders and community
leaders to solve this
critical boroughwide issue.
Another issue is employment.
Given my personal experience
as an entrepreneur, I believe
through collaboration
with employers and workforce
agencies, we can collectively
create more employment opportunities
for all groups in
the district.
What will you do differently
than the incumbent?
I have great respect toward
the Incumbent for the work
she has done, however, I will
bring my vision which is to
work closely with the community
leaders, service providers,
and other colleagues in
government. Together, I know
we can develop positive solutions
for our district.
What’s your political experience?
Throughout my time in the
Bronx, I have been involved
with all major issues concerning
my community. I have
Ahmadou Diallo Courtesy of Ahmadou Diallo
been politically active since
2008, fi ghting to secure a home
for recent arrivals to freely
practice their religion.
What endorsements do
you have?
While I do not have political
endorsements as of yet, I do
have the support and endorsements
of my family, inter-religious
leaders, and community
activists. Most importantly, I
have the endorsements of the
people of District 16.
Abdourahamane Diallo
Ahmadou Diallo