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QUEENS’ DIVERSITY SHOWN IN JUDGE PICKS
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TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM | SEPT. 4-SEPT. 10, 2020 13
BY GREGORY MEEKS
The recent Democratic National Convention has
filled us with hope for our country. In prime time, we’ve
seen the diversity of the Democratic Party, its inclusivity
and unifying nature, and the focus on justice that
we all share. The historic nature of Joe Biden selecting
Kamala Harris as his running mate shows our party
represents Americans’ views on justice and effective
governance.
As Democrats convened nationally to set a new
course for our country, I’m reminded that all politics
is local. A few weeks earlier, I joined fellow Democrats
from across Queens to determine the future course of
justice in New York State, and nominated Democratic
candidates for NY State’s Supreme Court 11th Judicial
District.
Our Queens values of progress, diversity, and inclusion
in the pursuit of justice were evident among the
attending delegates. Whether as first-time delegates
— like Emilia Decaudin, who was also recently elected
district leader, one of the first two transgender district
leaders in Queens — or as veteran delegates, everyone
was focused fairness and equality.
I was honored to welcome delegates and introduce
Hon. Randall T. Eng as chair. He was the first elected
Asian-American Supreme Court judge from Queens,
and rose to become the presiding judge of the Second
Department. Thirty years ago he’d received his own
nomination to the Supreme Court. Queens has been a
hallmark of progress for decades.
Those values were present as candidates for nomination
were announced. Of the nine judges nominated,
six are women, four are people of color, and all collectively
represent Queens’ diversity and brilliance.
For instance, Hon. Lance P. Evans, is an Ivy League
graduate, lawyer, professor, community leader, and an
example of the excellence that comes from Queens. Or
perhaps consider Hon. Michelle A. Johnson — a firstgeneration
American, Beach Channel High School
alum, HBCU cum laude graduate, and George Washington
University Law graduate — who shows that the
promise of our country is alive and well.
There’s also Hon. Karina E. Alomar, a St. John’s Law
graduate, whose career accomplishments and awards,
and track record of jurisprudence, can have anyone
wondering how just one person can do so much in the
name of justice. I was humbled to hear Hon. Mojgan C.
Lancman say she feels blessed every day to be part of a
community where a political refugee can rise to such
an esteemed position.
I was equally encouraged by the nominees and delegates
that evening. Each delegate spoke with conviction
in support of these judges and each delegate showed up
with a commitment to justice.
Conversations these days can, at times, be difficult
and draining. Too many of us have felt the yoke of injustice
for years. Too many of us have felt it even more
viscerally over the last few months. It’s clear: justice requires
constant pursuit.
It’s encouraging that no matter the difficulty ahead,
young people will do everything they can to demand
justice. We see that no matter the difficulty ahead, our
communities will come together to survive a crisis that
the president has failed to contain. We see that no matter
the difficulty ahead, our party has nominated and
is poised to elect an African-American woman as our
vice president.
As history talks about the Civil Rights Movement,
so too will they talk about today — what we have done
to ensure Black lives matter and that immigrants have
the right to pursue a better life in America. The camera
of history is rolling and the viewers of the future
will analyze what we did today to stand for liberty and
justice for all.
Gregory Meeks is the chairman of the Democratic Organization
of Queens County.
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