City Council Race 2021
Narcisse scores major Council race endorsement
By Nelson A. King
Haitian-born, Canarsie,
Brooklyn resident Mercedes
Narcisse, a registered nurse
and leading candidate in the
46th Council District in Brooklyn,
has picked up an early and
influential endorsement, as
the 21 in ’21 Initiative strongly
endorsed her candidacy.
The 21 in ’21 Initiative is
a nonpartisan, citywide effort
formed in 2018, which endeavors
to increase the number of
women elected to the New York
City Council.
In releasing its endorsements
for the 2021 New York
City Council elections, the 21
in ’21 Initiative endorsed Narcisse
over at least three other
women currently in the race
to fill the term-limited seat
currently held by Councilman
Alan Maisel.
The 46th Council District
comprises the Brooklyn
neighborhoods of Canarsie,
Flatlands, Bergen Beach, Mill
Basin, Mill Island, Marine Park,
Gerritsen Beach and Sheepshead
Bay.
“I am so very proud and honored
to accept the endorsement
of the dynamic women of 21 in
’21,” Narcisse, also a Canarsie
community advocate, told Caribbean
Caribbean Life, D 6 ecember 11-17, 2020
Life.
“I look forward to being part
of their movement to create
more opportunities for women
in government, and championing
issues that will be fundamental
to creating gender parity,
as the next council member
representing the 46th District,”
she added.
Narcisse, also an entrepreneur
and mother of four, has
long been a fixture in the community
due to her unrelenting
advocacy.
As a healthcare professional
running during a deadly pandemic,
Narcisse said she has
made the overall health of her
community a paramount issue
in her campaign.
“As a frontline healthcare
worker, I have decided to make
community health and housing
my priorities,” she said. “During
the height of the COVID-19
pandemic, I continued to serve.
I was on the street, serving
seniors and anyone else who
needed my help.
“If we, as individuals, are not
healthy, our community is not
healthy, and we run the risk of
becoming extinct,” she added.
“If there is any silver lining
that can be found as a result of
COVID, I think we all appreciate
our health a bit more. And
moving forward, I anticipate
we will all focus on this important
issue together.”
Narcisse — who will contest
the Democratic Primary
on June 22, 2021 — is considered
a “dynamic, educated and
caring working mother”, stating
that she has dedicated her
“entire adult life in improving
the quality of life for all residents
of Brooklyn.”
She said her commitment
to family and community is
based on “a strong set of values”
passed on to her by her
Haitian immigrant parents.
Narcisse said she has sought
to bring all people — regardless
of class, racial background,
economic status, sexual orientation
or social position — into
what she calls “the Family of
People.”
As an advocate for her community,
Narcisse said she has
worked tirelessly to empower
her neighborhood holistically.
In order to excel on all levels,
Narcisse said she works to support
all families in her community,
helping them understand
how local government can
work for them and what they
can do together to improve
the quality of lives of all in the
neighborhoods.
For decades, she said much
of her focus has been on connecting
with different groups
of young people, encouraging
them to get involved by giving
back to the community
“as young leaders in various
aspects.”
Most recently, Narcisse
partnered with young people
at marches for social justice,
census outreach, and food and
face mask giveaways during the
COVID-19 pandemic.
As a registered nurse for
over 30 years, she said she has
“fiercely worked” to improve
the quality of healthcare and
its delivery, not only in Brooklyn
but overseas, as well.
Haitian registered nurse,
Mercedes Narcisse. Marc
Baptiste