Albert Vann
Member of the New York City Council
from the 36th district
In office
January 1, 2002 – December 31, 2013
Preceded byAnnette Robinson
Succeeded byRobert Cornegy
Member of the New York State Assembly
from the 56th district
In office
January 1, 1975 – December 31, 2001
Preceded byCalvin Williams
Succeeded byAnnette Robinson
Personal details
Born(1934-11-19)November 19, 1934
New York City, U.S.
DiedJuly 14, 2022(2022-07-14) (aged 87)
New York City, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Mildred Cooke
​
(m. 1967)​
Children4
Alma mater
Military service
Branch/serviceUnited States Marine Corps
Years of service1952–1955

Albert Vann (November 19, 1934 – July 14, 2022) was an American politician and a member of the New York City Council from Brooklyn, representing the 36th district, which includes parts of Bedford-Stuyvesant and Crown Heights. He was a Democrat.[1]

Early life and education

Vann was born to Nina (McGlone) Vann and Benjamin Palme on November 19, 1934, in Brooklyn, New York City; his parents had moved there from North Carolina during the Great Migration.[2][3] He attended Franklin K. Lane High School and was in the United States Marine Corps from 1952 to 1955.[3] After that, he earned a BBA from Toledo University in 1959, and later earned master's degrees from both Yeshiva University (in education), and Long Island University (in guidance counseling).[3] He has served in different capacities as a teacher and administrator in New York public schools over the course of his professional career.[1]

He was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.[4]

He was one of the founders of Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York, and was also one of the founders of the African American Teachers Association. Vann was a past instructor at Vassar College's Urban Center for Black Studies.[5]

Political career

Vann was a member of the New York State Assembly (56th D.) from 1975 to 2001, sitting in the 181st, 182nd, 183rd, 184th, 185th, 186th, 187th, 188th, 189th, 190th, 191st, 192nd, 193rd, and 194th New York State Legislatures.

Vann exchanged seats with Annette Robinson after the New York City Council enacted a term limit.[6] Vann was elected to the New York City Council in November 2001, and ex-City Councilwoman Robinson was elected to the State Assembly in 2002 to fill the vacancy. Both represented the 36th City Council District, and Vann remained in the City Council until 2013.

In the November 3, 2009 election Vann was challenged by Mark Winston Griffith (Drum Major Institute's executive director), who ran on the Working Families Party ballot line.[7] Vann defeated Griffith and went on to serve until 2013, when term limits prevented him from seeking re-election. He was succeeded by fellow Democrat Robert Cornegy on January 1, 2014.

In response to the police shooting of Sean Bell in 2006, Vann alleged that the incident arose from "institutional racism."[8] He then proceeded to mock the suggestion that African-American New Yorkers living in high-crime neighborhoods should adopt certain behaviors in order to avoid confrontations with police officers.[9]

On October 23, 2009 Vann voted to extend term limits for the New York City Mayor and the City Council.[10][11]

Personal life and death

Vann married Mildred Cooke in 1967, and they had four children.[3] He was a resident of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, where he died on July 14, 2022, aged 87.[3] An array of political figures memorialized him, including Letitia James, Eric Adams, Adrienne Adams, and Hakeem Jeffries.[9][12]

References

  1. 1 2 "Council Member- District: 36, Albert Vann- Democrat". nyccouncil.info. Archived from the original on May 1, 2007. Retrieved July 16, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. ↑ New York Red Book (1985–1986; pg. 287)
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Roberts, Sam (July 20, 2022). "Albert Vann, Who Built a Black Power Base in Brooklyn, Dies at 87". The New York Times. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  4. ↑ "Focus: Brother Albert Vann "Forging Coalitions for Community Change"". Sphinx. Vol. 65, no. 1. Alpha Phi Alpha. Spring 1976. p. 15. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
  5. ↑ "District 36". Robert E. Cornegy Jr. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
  6. ↑ Jostling for Position Starts Early in Race for Council Speaker in The New York Times on April 25, 2000 (pg. 2)
  7. ↑ Fahim, Kareem (November 2, 2009). "Once a Young Turk, Now Challenged by One". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
  8. ↑ "CIty Pols Vent Their Race Rage". September 29, 2007. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
  9. 1 2 Sommerfeldt, Chris; Greene, Leonard (July 15, 2022). "Albert Vann, longtime N.Y. Assembly, NYC Council member and mentor to Black politicians, dead at 87". New York Daily News. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
  10. ↑ Chung, Jen (October 23, 2008). "Hello, Mayor Bloombergforever: City Council Votes to Pass Term Limits Extension, 29-22". Gothamist. Archived from the original on January 14, 2010. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
  11. ↑ Mark Winston Griffith Wins Key Last Minute Endorsements, of Rev. Sharpton and NY Daily News. September 14, 2009.
  12. ↑ Cuza, Bobby (July 15, 2022). "Albert Vann, a towering figure in Brooklyn politics, dies at 87". www.ny1.com. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
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