Charles Barron facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Charles Barron
Member of the New York City Council from the 42nd district
In office January 1, 2022 – December 31, 2023
Preceded by	Inez Barron
Succeeded by	Chris Banks
In office January 1, 2002 – December 31, 2013
Preceded by	Priscilla A. Wooten
Succeeded by	Inez Barron
Member of the New York State Assembly from the 60th district
In office January 3, 2015 – January 1, 2021
Preceded by	Inez Barron
Succeeded by	Nikki Lucas
Personal details
Born	(1950-10-07) October 7, 1950 (age 74) New York City, New York, U.S.
Political party	Socialist Party USA, (2012–present)
Other political affiliations	Black Panther (1968–1982) New Alliance Party (1982-1992) Green Party of New York (1992-2004 Party for Socialism and Liberation (2004-2010) Freedom Party of New York (2010–present)
Spouse	Inez Smith
Children	2
Education	New York City College of Technology Hunter College (BA)

Charles Barron (born October 7, 1950) is an American activist and politician. He has served in the New York City Council, representing a district in Brooklyn. He was a council member from 2002 to 2013, and again from 2022 to 2023. He also served in the New York Assembly from 2015 to 2022.

Barron calls himself an "elected activist." This means he uses his political roles to fight for causes he believes in. He has run for important positions like Mayor of New York City and a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. He started his career helping communities in Brooklyn in the 1980s.

Early Life and Education

Charles Barron was born on October 7, 1950. His family lived in different parts of New York City, including Queens and Lower Manhattan. He went to Seward Park High School but left before finishing. Later, he earned his GED, which is a high school equivalency diploma.

He continued his education at New York City Technical College, where he earned an associate degree. He then went to Hunter College and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Sociology.

Early Activism and Community Work

Joining the Black Panther Party

When Charles Barron was 18, in 1969, he joined the Harlem branch of the Black Panther Party. This group worked to protect and empower Black communities. Barron helped distribute newspapers for the party and became very interested in politics. He studied leaders from different countries who fought for independence.

National Black United Front

In 1979, Barron joined the National Black United Front (NBUF). He became the first chairperson of its Harlem Chapter. This group worked on issues important to Black people.

Later, Barron became the chief of staff for Reverend Herbert Daughtry, who was a leader of the NBUF. In 1983, Barron moved to East New York, Brooklyn, with his wife. There, they started a company focused on leadership skills. He traveled to many places, including colleges, to teach about negotiation and teamwork.

Fighting for Justice

Barron was involved in many protests against racism and unfair treatment. In 1987, he joined a protest against racism in the New York City Police Department. This protest involved blocking traffic to raise awareness.

In 1988, Barron wrote two children's books. One was called Up You Mighty People, You Can Accomplish What You Will. The other, Look For Me in the Whirlwind, was about the life of Marcus Garvey, an important Black leader.

Barron and his community allies also successfully stopped the city from building a wood-burning incinerator in their neighborhood. He said that fighting against the incinerator helped him get into politics.

Serving on the City Council

In 1997, Charles Barron first ran for the city council but lost. He ran again in 2001 and won, becoming the City Councillor for the 42nd District. He was re-elected in 2005 and 2009.

Focus on Education

In 2002, Barron became the head of the city council's Higher Education Committee. He spoke out against changes at the City University of New York (CUNY). He believed that making admission standards stricter made it harder for minority students to get into college. He argued that students should not be denied admission because of their earlier performance.

Political Campaigns

Running for Mayor

In 2005, Barron decided to run for mayor of New York City. He wanted to address what he saw as an unfair balance of power in the city. He later decided to support another candidate, C. Virginia Fields, to avoid splitting the vote among Black candidates. He stated that he hoped to be mayor someday.

Congressional Campaigns

In 2006, Barron ran for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives but lost. He ran again in 2012 for a different congressional district. During this campaign, he faced challenges, including an unexpected endorsement from a controversial figure, David Duke. Barron lost this election to Hakeem Jeffries.

Gubernatorial Campaign

In 2010, Barron formed a new political group called the New York Democratic Freedom Party. He ran for governor of New York, challenging the Democratic candidate, Andrew Cuomo. He wanted to highlight that the Democratic Party had not always supported African-Americans enough. He aimed to get enough votes to make his new party official, but he did not reach that goal.

State Assembly Campaign

In 2013, Barron announced he would run for a seat in the State Assembly. This was the seat his wife, Inez, had held before she ran for his City Council seat. He said he would fight for higher taxes on the wealthy and more funding for pre-kindergarten education.

Key Political Views

Education

Barron has often joined parents and students in protesting school closures. He has celebrated when protests successfully kept schools open.

Walmart

Barron has strongly opposed allowing large stores like Walmart into Brooklyn. He has called Walmart a "roving plantation," arguing that it would not provide fair jobs or treatment for workers in East New York.

Same-Sex Marriage

In 2011, Barron stated his opposition to same sex marriage. He also said that comparing the fight for same-sex marriage to the American Civil Rights Movement was not accurate, given the history of slavery and violence against Black people.

Police Brutality

Barron has consistently supported victims of police brutality. He believes that crime in Black communities is often a result of economic struggles, not a fault of the community itself. He argues that better economic opportunities are key to reducing crime.

Reparations for Slavery

Barron is a strong supporter of reparations for slavery. He has proposed creating a commission in New York City to study the lasting effects of slavery on African Americans. He also suggested using city funds for reparations and supporting restitution from companies that benefited from slavery.

African-American History

Barron believes that American history taught in schools does not fully represent African-American history. He wants to promote the teaching of Black history in New York City public schools. He has proposed renaming buildings and schools to honor Black history and leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. He has also suggested bills to honor figures like Marcus Garvey and Frederick Douglass.

Pledge of Allegiance

Barron has stated that he does not salute the flag or believe in the Pledge of Allegiance. He feels that the pledge's promise of equality and justice for all is not true for African-Americans.

Capitalism

Barron has criticized what he calls "crony capitalism," which he sees as a problem in America. He spoke out against the large government bailout package for banks in 2008. He called it a "contradiction of capitalism" to give money to Wall Street while saying there was "no money for the people."

Subprime Mortgage Crisis

In 2007, Barron held a forum to help residents worried about losing their homes due to the subprime mortgage crisis. He said that this crisis mostly hurt African-Americans, who were often targeted by unfair business practices.

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