Charles Barron (born October 7, 1950) is an American activist and politician who served in the New York City Council, representing Brooklyn's 42nd district from 2022 to 2023. He previously held the same seat from 2002 to 2013, and served in the New York Assembly from the 60th district between 2015 and 2022.
A self-described "elected activist", Barron ran for Mayor of New York City in 2005. In 2006 he was narrowly defeated by Edolphus Towns in the Democratic Party primary for the U.S. House of Representatives (10th Congressional District)."Black Panther Charles Barron Invades New York City Council" , Hip Hop Wired, March 11, 2010. He ran again in the Democratic primary for New York's 8th congressional district, which was being vacated by Towns, but lost to State Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries, 28% to 72%."Jeffries defeats Barron" , The New York Times, June 27, 2012.
Barron began his career working as a community activist in the East New York neighborhood of Brooklyn in the 1980s."Charles Barron, Elected Activist" Barron's New York City Council bio He became chief of staff for Rev. Herbert Daughtry before running for the New York city council, where he served from 2001 to 2013.In Brooklyn, a Longtime Provocateur Surges in a Primary Race for Congress , The New York Times; June 15, 2012
Early years and education Barron was born on October 7, 1950. For six years, his family lived in Corona, Queens, then moved to the Lillian Wald housing project in Lower Manhattan. He attended Seward Park High School in Lower Manhattan, but left before graduating, and later earned his GED. He went on to attend New York City Technical College (then known as New York City Community College), earning an associate degree, and Hunter College, where he graduated with a B.A. in Sociology.City Portraits: "Charles Barron's East New York" , PBS-WNET-New York Public Media, August 19, 2010
Early activism Black Panther Party In 1969, when he was 18 years old, Barron was recruited to the Harlem branch of the Black Panther Party by a member named Mark Holder.Allah, Dasun, Black Panther Charles Barron Invades New York City Council , Hip Hop Wired, March 11, 2010Charles Barron's NY City Council webpage; accessed May 2010. Barron distributed newspapers for the party and developed an interest in politics. He studied the Third World independence movement and the ideas of African leaders, such as Kwame Nkrumah (president of Ghana) and Ahmed Sékou Touré (president of Guinea). Barron became increasingly critical of U.S. foreign policy. He opposed the Duvaliers in Haiti, Pinochet in Chile, Marcos in the Philippines, Pahlavi of Iran, and Somoza of Nicaragua. He recalled in 2010, "It was strange, because everybody I was against, America was for."
National Black United Front In 1979, Barron joined the National Black United Front (NBUF) and was the founding chairperson of its Harlem Chapter. In 1982, as head of the Harlem Chapter, Barron was arrested with Preston Wilcox from the Institute of African Research because they, with roughly 12 to 20 other protesters, attempted to "forcibly remove" Robert Morris, a white historian, from the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Morris had been appointed chief archivist of the center. The members of the group were charged with harassment and criminal trespassing."The City" section of The New York Times. November 16, 1982. p. B3
Shortly after the incident, Barron was appointed chief of staff to the Reverend Herbert Daughtry, chairperson of the NBUF and minister at Brooklyn's House of the Lord Church. In 1983, Barron moved to East New York, where he and his wife founded the Dynamics of Leadership Company. He spoke at many organizations and schools, including Harvard and Yale, teaching principles of negotiation, team-building, emotional intelligence, and leadership. From 1982 to 1987, Barron served as secretary general of the African Peoples Christian Organization (APCO). He traveled across the United States visiting college campuses, churches, prisons, and communities "organizing around international, national and local issues."Charles Barron's web page at New York City Council
On December 21, 1987, Barron participated in a "day of outrage" to protest racism in the New York City Police Department and local courts. The protest involved blocking traffic during the evening rush hour, including eastbound traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge, as well as stopping subway trains in several stations. More than 70 protesters were arrested; most were charged with obstruction of government administration and disorderly conduct. Among the few who actually stood on the subway tracks included Barron, Rev. Al Sharpton, Rev. Benjamin Chavis, Rev. Timothy Mitchell, Assemblyman Roger Greene, and lawyer C. Vernon Mason, who was additionally charged with criminal trespass. All were held overnight in jail, which elicited further claims of racial bias.David E. Pitt, "Hundreds Rally for 69 Held in Rush-Hour Protest" , The New York Times, December 23, 1987."Protest Against Racism Disrupts New York Rush Hour" , The New York Times, December 22, 1987. Sharpton, Mitchell, and Barron were convicted in February 1990, with Mitchell and Barron being jailed for 45 days."Sharpton Convicted in '87 Demonstration." New York Times. February 14, 1990. p. B4. Barron spent another 25 days in jail, with Sharpton, for a protest related to the Tawana Brawley rape allegations.
In 1988, Barron published two children's books: Up You Mighty People, You Can Accomplish What You Will and Look For Me in the Whirlwind, written about the life of Marcus Garvey.
One successful accomplishment of Barron and his allies was preventing the construction by the city of a wood-burning incinerator in the neighborhood. In 1996, Barron and community groups also fought the building of a natural gas generator. Barron said his opposition to the incinerator is what catapulted him into electoral politics.
City Council In 1997, Barron ran for the city council. He attacked the incumbent, East New York councilmember Priscilla Wooten, for supporting Mayor Rudy Giuliani, saying her politics were out of date and she did not take enough initiative for neighborhood and community development. Barron was endorsed by black leaders David Dinkins and Al Sharpton, but he ended up losing to Wooten. Barron ran again in 2001, when term limits prevented Wooten from running. He defeated her son, Donald Wooten, and became City Councillor for the 42nd District. Barron was re-elected in 2005 and 2009, each time with over 85% of the popular vote.Barron v Wooten race results (2005) Barron v Wooten race results (2009)
In 2002, Barron was appointed chair of the city council's Higher Education Committee. As chair, he criticized the City University of New York (CUNY) for eliminating remedial courses and raising admission standards, claiming CUNY raised the standards in order to restrict minority student access."Pol Rips Tougher CUNY as 'Racist'". New York Post. February 20, 2002. p. 7 He argued that students should not be denied admission to CUNY because of their performance at the pre-college level, adding that when the CUNY ended open admissions the number of black students declined while changes in the proportions of other ethnic groups were minimal.
In January 2006, Barron was the only Council member to vote against Christine Quinn by voting for Bill de Blasio for the speakership position. Quinn moved his seat in the chamber to one next to a statue of the third President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, whom Barron has criticized.Hu, Winnie. "Council Critic of 3rd President Gets Seat in Jefferson's Shadow." New York Times. January 19, 2006. p. B.2 Barron told reporters, "I don't think it was deliberate, but it does bother me to be placed so near Jefferson, who was a slaveholder, a hypocrite, and a rapist."Boyd, Herb. "Barron made to sit with "rapist" in City Council", New York Amsterdam News. January 26, 2006. Vol. 97 Issue 5, p. 11
In late 2009, Barron intensified his opposition to Quinn, proposing a "Democratic Reform Movement" with City Councillor Tony Avella to shift power away from the council speaker to rank-and-file members. Barron and Avella proposed electing a black or Latino member as speaker to replace Quinn.This, the list, and the previous quote are from: Azi Paybarah, "The Barron-Avella Agenda" , New York Daily Observer, November 30, 2009. Barron challenged Quinn for the speakership but was defeated by a council vote of 48 to 1. Quinn then organized a 47–1 vote removing Barron as chairman of the Higher Education Committee.Azi Paybarah, "Quinn Demotes Barron, Lone Dissenter" , New York Daily Observer, January 21, 2010.Also, Frank Lombardi, "City Council Speaker Quinn ousts arch-rival Charles Barron..." , New York Daily News, January 21, 2010.Azi Paybarah, "Saving Barron's Chair" , New York Daily Observer, December 29, 2009. Barron stated that the move to strip him of the committee chairmanship was racist. Quinn disagreed, stating that the Council needed chairpersons "that are unifying forces."Lombardi, "City Council Speaker Christine Quinn ousts arch-rival Charles Barron from education committee, op cit.Reid Pillifant, "Jeffrey Weisenfeld Gets Under Charles Barron's Skin, Too" , New York Daily Observer, December 1, 2009. In January 2010, Barron ran against Quinn for the position of Speaker and lost 50–1. During the vote, his supporters shouted "sellout" and "Uncle Tom" to black members who voted for Quinn.
2005 New York City mayoral campaign Barron entered the race for mayor of New York City in 2005. According to the New York Post, he stated that one of his reasons for running was to redress an unfair balance of power between Whites and blacks in New York City: "White men have too much power in this city"."Barron's Mayoral 'Race'; Running Because 'White Men Have Too Much Power'". New York Post. December 4, 2003. p. 20 He raised funds and campaigned, but in early February 2005, dropped out and threw his support to C. Virginia Fields. His campaign funding amounted to about $49,000, far less than that of some of the other Democratic candidates; Fernando Ferrer raised $1.2 million in six months, and Gifford Miller raised $1 million in 6 months.Winnie Hu, , The New York Times, February 9, 2005.Michael Slackman and Jim Rutenberg, "Spitzer Leads Fund-Raising with $3 Million in 6 Months" The New York Times, January 19, 2005 Barron chose to endorse Fields rather than attempt a long-shot campaign. "I think two blacks in the race cancel each other out", he said, indicating a fear that the black vote would be divided and weakened by the choice of two candidates.Hu, Winnie. "Councilman Expects to Quit Democratic Mayoral Race." New York Times. February 9, 2005. p. B.6 Barron vowed that he would run again, saying "I will be back. I will be mayor of New York City before I leave this planet. It may be in 2009 or it may not be until 2013, but I will be mayor someday."
During the campaign, he criticized rival Democrat Fernando Ferrer for the latter's comments regarding the Amadou Diallo shooting. Barron said the comments brought "irreversible" damage to Ferrer's campaign and hoped Ferrer would drop out of the race and endorse Fields.Saul, Michael. "Barron wants Ferrer to quit and back Fields", Daily News. May 23, 2005
In 2006, Barron expressed his disaffection from the Democratic Party, disappointed by the large number of cross-endorsements Bloomberg received from Democrats. He said the Party needed a "political audit" and had "moved so far to the right that they might as well be called Republicrats." He told the Amsterdam News, "Black folks need to consider a mass exodus from the Democratic Party and build a new party of their own, because the Democrats have turned their backs on them on too many occasions. We should not give any party blind loyalty and support. Instead, we should really form a grassroots, Black-agenda-based third-party option."