In neighborhoods from Bed-Stuy to the South Bronx, Black New Yorkers are living the consequences of two leadership failures: the absence of accountable, community-rooted leaders and the rise of self‑serving ones who talk big — then deliver little. If we want institutions that protect our lives and advance our communities, we can no longer rely on optics, celebrity endorsements, or political machines. We must define and build the leadership we deserve.
What genuine Black leadership looks like is not a slogan. It’s a practice rooted in accountability, representation and strategy. It means leaders who show up not for photo-ops but for regular listening sessions, transparent budgets and measurable outcomes. It means leadership that reflects the full diversity of Black New Yorkers — across age, gender, immigration status and borough — and that centers those most affected by eviction, policing, joblessness and failing schools. It means investing time and resources into long-term power — community land trusts, co-operative businesses, tenant unions and civic pipelines — rather than chasing short-term headlines.
Too often in New York, the opposite prevails. Self‑serving leaders prioritize deal-making and access: the ribbon-cuttings with developers who displace residents, the press releases that claim wins without moving the needle on housing stability, the boards and committees that shut out everyday residents. When leadership becomes a vehicle for personal advancement or for a narrow elite, the rest of us are left to pick up the pieces — in overcrowded apartments, in underfunded schools, in shuttered small businesses.
Left unchecked, this failure corrodes civic life. Voter apathy grows. Community organizations fracture. Policy gets made in backrooms instead of living rooms. That’s why the response must be to build parallel, accountable power — not merely to replace one politician with another, but to change how power is won and used.
Practical steps New Yorkers can take now:
- Build and deepen base power. Doorknocking, tenant-to-tenant organizing and mutual aid networks create relationships that outlast any election cycle. Tenant unions and community assemblies give neighbors leverage at eviction hearings and in development fights.
- Create community institutions that lock in benefits. Community land trusts (CLTs) and resident-run housing cooperatives ensure that homes remain affordable for generations — not just until the next zoning change. Community development credit unions and worker co-ops keep capital and profits in the neighborhood.
- Push for transparent, measurable policy. Demand that leaders publish clear goals, budgets and progress reports on things that matter: NYCHA repairs, school funding, mental-health access, and policing reforms. Use participatory budgeting where available and insist on independent oversight of major contracts.
- Win local power on the ground. Recruit and train candidates from the community for community boards, school boards, and City Council seats. Support challengers who have a track record of organizing and community accountability, not just name recognition.
This is not merely about opposition. It’s about creation. When we invest in leadership pipelines — fellowships, mentorships, civic education for youth — we stop importing leaders from outside our neighborhoods and start cultivating them from within. When local culture, arts and faith institutions are part of civic life, they sustain engagement between campaigns and crises.
To be clear: changing leadership is not a single election. It’s a sustained strategy to remake power in communities that have too often been treated as political weather rather than political actors. It means holding accountable those who claim to serve us, and building institutions that make self‑serving leaders irrelevant.
New York’s future should not be determined by who gets invited to a ribbon-cutting. It should be shaped by people who live and breathe these neighborhoods — people who answer to no one but the community. If your local leader is more interested in headlines than hard work, don’t wait for someone else to act. Organize, run, support and build. The power we seek exists in our neighbors. Let’s put it to work.
