Assata Shakur, Still a Fugitive in Cuba, was on the Wall of Heroes at Bronx Middle School where Bowman worked
By Dan Murphy
At a recent meeting of the Yonkers Police 3rd Precinct Community Council, Congressman Jamaal Bowman said that he stands by a decision to place Joanne Chesimard aka Assata Shakur, who killed a Police Officer in 1973, on a Wall of Heroes at the Bronx Middle School that he worked.
Shakur, was convicted of killing NJ Tropper Werner Foerster, in 1973, but fled to Cuba. She remains on the FBI’s most Wanted Terrorist List.
Bowman was asked a question from Marty Dolan, who is also running for Congress against Bowman and George Latimer in a democratic primary in June.
Here is the Q&A between Bowman and Dolan, which was recorded, and included Police officers attending the Precinct Council meeting.
Dolan: “At your school, you had a Wall of Heroes, and you included a big photo of Assata Shakur, who is a convicted cop killer and who has been on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list.
I would like you to make a statement here that you would support the extradition Asata Shakur, and that you think that it was a mistake for you to teach the children in your school that a cop killer should be on the Wall of Heroes.”
Bowman: “So, who are you to tell anyone how they should engage with their own history. My school included Black and Latino students and we try to teach as much about Black and Latino history as possible. The good, the bad and the ugly.
“When we talk about the Founding Fathers, do they talk about Thomas Jefferson owning slaves and raping them? No we build a statue for Thomas Jefferson. So who are you, or anyone, to say how kids should deal with their own history?
Dolan: “So you refuse to denounce a cop killer?”
Bowman: “I will refuse to denounce because I’m answering the question the way I want to answer it. We, our kids in my school learned the history of a people off the walls — and many other people and so, that’s what we did. Period.”
SW YonkersHamletHub, The NY Post and Yonkers Insider were the first to report about Bowman’s comments. Members of the Yonkers Police Department from the 3rd Precinct were at the meeting and sitting behind Bowman during his comments.
Dolan told Yonkerstimes.com that he was surprised by Bowman’s response. “We have to teach children about success. We can’t glorify violence.”
“I call on all New Yorkers to ask Jamaal Bowman to issue a statement denouncing Assata Shakur and supporting her extradition. I also call on Alexandra Ocasio Cortez, the leader of the Squad to denounce Jamaal Bowman and to seek his removal from the Congressional Progressive caucus – because he is not a Progressive, he is a Radical. Our campaign’s central platform is $400 billion of federal assistance for state and municipal governments so we can help our police do their jobs,” said Dolan, a lifelong resident of Irvington, who has worked an experienced strategist, investor, and financial advisor for the past 40 years, representing US business interests all over the United States and internationally.
Dolan said that the number one issue facing the people of the 16th District is “income inequality,” and “restructuring the economy to help Americans who are paying an unfair tax burden.”
Dolan has thoughtful and unique ideas about ways to reform the tax system.(martydolanforcongress.com.).
The FBI still has Joanne Deborah Chesimard, aka Assata Shakur, on their list of most wanted terrorists.
The video of the 3rd Precinct Community Council can be found at at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoI8w5Tv3Mk&t=75s, and on SW YonkersHamletHub on Facebook lhttps://www.facebook.com/swyonkershamlethub.
