C.B. 3 lacks leadership diversity, member charges

May 1, 2014 | Filed under: News | Posted by: The Villager

Ayo Harrington, above, accused C.B. 3 Chairperson Gigi Li of bypassing African-American and Latino board members for committee chairperson positions. PHOTO BY LESLEY SUSSMAN

BY LESLEY SUSSMAN | It was a rough night for Community Board 3 Chairperson Gigi Li, who found herself under sharp attack by a fellow board member who accused her of “consistently and regularly” failing to appoint any African-American or Latino members to high-ranking positions on the board’s committees, subcommittees and task forces during Li’s one-year tenure.

The stinging accusation, with its thinly veiled suggestion that racial bias was behind it all, was made by board member Ayo Harrington, who is African-American, at Wednesday night’s C.B. 3 full board meeting at P.S. 20, at 166 Essex St.

The matter is scheduled to be investigated by the city’s district office of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission following a letter Harrington wrote to Li and the Borough President’s Office regarding the issue.

Harrington’s remarks sparked a heated one-hour discussion about the board’s current appointment policy in which all the chairpersons of the various committees, subcommittees and task forces are selected by the board’s chairperson. Some board members called for a complete overhaul of the system.

A visibly upset Li angrily denied the suggestion that race played any role in her decision-making. She told Harrington that as a Chinese-American woman, “the issue of diversity is not lost on me. It’s something I think about every single day.”

Li took over the leadership of the community board about a year ago when former C.B.3 Chairperson Dominic Berg resigned. At Tuesday night’s meeting, she said she was “extremely upset by the manner in which these allegations have been made and communicated.

“I’ve worked tirelessly to increase diversity on this board,” she said. “I take this very seriously and I’m pleased that an E.E.O.C. investigation will take place.”

The controversy began last year when Harrington, who has an extensive background in children’s education, asked Li to be named as the replacement for the outgoing chairperson of C.B. 3’s Human Services, Health, Disability & Seniors/Youth & Education Committee.

In Harrington’s letter — copies of which were distributed at Tuesday’s meeting — she said that Li told her “a member had to be on the community board for a year before being considered” for a chairmanship.

Harrington further noted that two other board members — one of whom is African-American — asked to jointly co-chair the committee but were also rejected by Li, who said that C.B. 3’s bylaws do not allow for committee co-chairpersons.

“While it is correct our bylaws do not allow for co-chairs,” Harrington wrote, “you subsequently appointed two White members as co-chairs of that committee, one of which had been on the board for six months.”

Harrington continued, writing, “In the past year there have been several opportunities for chair appointments…yet not one has resulted in a Black or Latino being appointed as a committee chair by you.

“Currently, there are eleven White and three Asian members who chair all the committees, replicating a pattern of Black and Latino exclusion from appointed leadership on the community board.”

In a copy of Li’s response to the letter, which was exclusively obtained by this newspaper, Li wrote that she was “disturbed and appalled by the baseless allegations stated in your letter… . The focus of a community board should be about service, and I remain dedicated to the work of serving all in Community Board 3.”

Harrington told board members at the meeting, which was attended by about 100 local residents, that Li’s response to her letter infuriated her.

“I’m disappointed by her reaction,” she said. “These are not ‘baseless allegations.’ I want this issue of race to be discussed and not ignored by the chairperson.”

Harrington’s remarks drew applause from many board members.

“This is not an attack on the chairs or Gigi,” she stated. “My concern is about the longtime overtness of there being no Black and Latino committee chair and how critical this matter is to us.”

However, several board members spoke out strongly in support of Li. One of those, Herman Hewitt, C.B. 3’s first vice chairperson and an African-American, said he has served on the board for nearly 35 years “and I wouldn’t have remained if I found one trace of racism.

“Over the years,” he said, “we’ve had many African-Americans serving as chairs. Gigi is not a person who discriminates. We don’t discriminate against each other on this board.”

Former C.B. 3 Chairperson Berg, who held the position for four years, also called it unfair to insinuate that Li might be guilty of racial discrimination.

“This is an unfortunate conversation,” he said. “Making appointments is always a really sticky situation. It’s always a challenge to get the right people to do the work. You have to take a lot into consideration — including politics.

“It’s not about race,” Berg said. “This is the most diverse group of board members I’ve seen serving on the board for some time.”

Harrington was criticized by board member Joye Meghan for bringing the matter to the attention of the Borough President’s Office and the E.E.O.C. instead of having an internal discussion.

But Harrington staunchly defended her action.

“This is not the first discussion that I’ve had with Gigi about race,” she said, “and the subject has always been dismissed. That’s why I sent the letter to The Borough President’s Office. My interest was to make this discussion happen.”

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21 Responses to C.B. 3 lacks leadership diversity, member charges

Casual Observer May 1, 2014 - 13:20

"Harrington was criticized by board member Joye Meghan for bringing the matter to the attention of the Borough President’s Office and the E.E.O.C. instead of having an internal discussion."

Internal discussion? What a joke. That's letting the inmates decide who should run the asylum.

Once a vibrant and democratic board, now CB3 is controlled by a control-freak district manager and a coterie of insiders and sycophants who exclude all others from the participatory democracy that community boards should be.

Scott Stringer cleaned up the adjacent board, CB2. It's now time to clean up CB3, Borough President Brewer! How many scandals will it take?

Mr.C May 1, 2014 - 13:46

racism is a serious charge, isn't Harrington just sore because she wasn't tapped for the position? And is now playing the Race card in order to extort a committee chair position ? Who is the real racist here and would seek to polarize CB3? Aren't Chinese a minority? During Wednesday's meeting she demonstrated how she would dominate a committee if selected by her constant oubursts. CB3 committees do not need or want experts who will run the committee as an extension of their own views. CB3 needs to address the problems and issues facing the neighborhood.

- Guest May 1, 2014 - 16:08
  
  Are you suggesting that Ayo Harrington is just another angry, loud black woman using the race card to gain a committee chair because she lacks credentials and is without merit? Mr. C please take off your white pointy cap. Guess what anyone of any race can have prejudices. What this is about is a set of rules applying for one group of people but not another. This is about 2 groups of people being left out of a the process while the same handful control it year after year. This at its base form is institutionalized racism. This is not about Ms. Li being a racist or not, or whether as Asian woman she is exempt from prejudices. The real question about Ms. Li is whether she used her position of power and influence to be inclusive or exclusive. Did she create two sets of standards to govern by?
  
  - Mr.C May 1, 2014 - 16:47
    
    Exactly what I'm saying, GUEST, if you look at the Board officers , the secretary is Hispanic, unless of course some would like to say she is a PUPPET also. Harrington herself sounds like the Racist here, she would like nothing more than to have ALL Asians OFF the Board entirely .
    
    - Casual Observer May 1, 2014 - 17:09
      
      The secretary is NOT appointed by Li. She is elected by the board. So your point is baseless. So what is your true agenda?
      
      Fact is, in the past several years this board's leadership has been beset scandal.
      
      - First: you had a bully boy for a chair, David McWaters, who owns several bars, sitting as chair and then as on the committee reviewing liquor license applications.
      
      Second, he had to apologize last year for threatening and getting in the face of a young female community member, who had the temerity – the temerity – to question him.
      - Third, this same thug then had to resign in disgrace for lying for years about his true residence – New Jersey, a fact that was known to others on the board, but who covered it up, because they were in his back pocket or else part of his cabal.
      - Fourth, the D.M. Stetzer and GiGi Li blacklisted and censored a legitimate community group for several months who, again, had the temerity to doubt the board's procedures, wisdom and judgement.
      - Fifth – Do you really want me to go on? You get the picture.
      
      Dear Borough President Brewer: Clean out this cesspool. We deserve better.
      
      - Mr.C May 1, 2014 - 17:20
        
        So, maybe the solution is to appoint Black, Hispanic, Asian, Jewish, etc..onto EVERY committee to reflect CB3's diverse ethnicity. I have no idea who the persons you mentioned are and what they have to do with this charge of Racism in CB3, and it appears you have an agenda here.
      - Casual Observer May 2, 2014 - 10:23
        
        "I have no idea who the persons you mentioned are "
        We appreciate your admission of ignorance.
        
        However, if you don't know these, the most basic of players on CB3, then you should refrain from posting further asinine comments.
        
        To make it simple for you: CB3 is run tightly by a cabal of insiders who keep the rest of us peons outside. Whether based on race or otherwise, the result is the same: a non-democratic, unrepresentative community board.
      - Mr.C May 1, 2014 - 17:22
        
        furthermore I believe Harrington herself is the Racist here
LisaL May 1, 2014 - 14:18

Ayo Harrington should be commended. Finally someone is willing to bring attention to worst kept secret in the city: Community Board 3 is a dismal failure of epic proportions. The board members that came out to defend Ms. Li are the ones that stand to lose if the board becomes a truly representative body in compliance with board by-laws and city charter. Berg, Joye, Hewitt (serving 35 years is not a good thing) are the part of the problem not the solution. They found in Li a willing person to further the agenda of the despots. Li doesn't hold the power, she is just the pre-recorded mouth piece. Brewer must make it her priority to clean up this corrupt board. First order of business,encourage DM Stetzer to retire, and then replace longtime appointees with new people who would reflect this community in terms of geography, race, and age. And give the new-comers who have been appointed but were frozen out because they were unwilling to serve under the despotic rule of handful, the opportunity to serve this community. For 10 years now this community board has not adequately or effectively served this community. As a resident I stopped believing in the system and the process, Ayo Harrington gives me hope that one day it will be safe to return!

C'mon May 1, 2014 - 14:54

You know nothing about history (New York City's or otherwise) if you think one person of color cannot be biased against other persons of color from another racial group. If Gigi Li was white, there would have been calls for her to resign (for this alone, if not her cumulative inept leadership).

Chatter May 1, 2014 - 20:56

Much noise here, the crybaby will try anything to get a position of INFLUENCE? Fabricating racism charges to get herself in the newspapers? What is her real purpose? To get community recognition in her neighborhood? Come off it Harrington! Sheesh..

Neutral May 1, 2014 - 22:49

I was at the meeting and want to thank the reporter for doing an excellent job in reporting on both sides of this very upsetting controversy. The Villlager Newspaper, as usual, gives us the best in-depth and fair coverage of community news..

Quilas May 1, 2014 - 23:03

Institutional racism (sexism, anything) is measurable. It's not about one person, it's about consistent under-representation, that is verifiable.

K Webster May 2, 2014 - 11:53

The struggle to end racism is a collective one. The momentary relief of finding “the” racist is the work of tabloids. It is a counterfeit fight and worse it is ineffective in ending racism because it confuses people into thinking that the depth and mass of it is being tackled. It chills honest debate and solution finding.

The executive body, in part, is composed of an African Heritage man who is the Vice Chair, the Secretary is a Latina, and the President is a Chinese Heritage woman. The members in these key leadership positions give us a chance to have the minds of people targeted specifically by this oppression to advise us on a real way forward.

How you best fill the heads of committees towards racial diversity that is inclusive of African Heritage, Latina/o and – I assume- Indigenous Peoples is the task at hand. The woman who brought the complaint wants that, the Chair wants that, the rest of the board wants that. If it’s too slow, if it’s not going well, if there is disagreement about it – that is something the group is, collectively, responsible for.

Rigorous policy debates, honest evaluations of current practices are necessary. Calling out a practice as having racist effect needs to be given large swath for – because otherwise the issue goes silent. Whether elegant or not, we need room to give voice to this scourge. But. Personalizing a systemic difficulty of the magnitude of racism to one person, even if that person is the leader, is destructive to the groups functioning, not accurate and hurtful. Targeting the person of color who leads this group as "the" racist? Completely off.
It reminds me of blaming President Obama for the fact that racism still exists in the US.

And to clarify: Prejudice is different from institutional racism. We all carry prejudice – we live in a society that exploits any difference to divide and conquer. But racism is the one-way, institutionalized, mistreatment of people of color- with white people acting as the agents of that oppression. People of color might carry internalized racism- brought on by racism – but that's very different in terms of real institutional power relations.

- ErinHarvey May 2, 2014 - 13:44
  
  I am not sure what your point is, but pointing out that the Executive Committee consists of diversity wins Ms. Harrington's argument. 50 members of the community board voted for these appointments. This is precisely why more diversity and balance exists. While the committee chairs are appointed exclusively by Ms. Li.
  
  Ms. Harington has handled this with grace and dignity. She gave statistics. Numbers do not lie. The appointed chairs under Li (and I suspect equally under Berg and McWater) does not reflect the diversity of the 50 members.
  
  For context, it was Stringer and now Brewer, Chin and Mendez who were responsible for the diversity of the board. It was up to Li as board chair to make sure their commitment to diversity and representation was upheld.
  
  The interesting thing is that in the aftermath of this some commentators are portraying Ms. Harrington (in paraphrase) as a loud black woman that is using the race card to get something she doesn't deserve. This to me is disturbing and sobering, reminding just how far we have to go to end a legacy of slavery, race, and segregation in this country.
  
  Finally, there is no way to have an honest conversation about race relations, institutionalized racism, inadequate representation or prejudices if you cloud the discussion with a false premise. Ms. Li as an Asian woman does not exclude her from the same scrutiny a Caucasian man or woman may have experienced in these same circumstances . Ms. Li was in a position of power and influence. The question begs what did she do with it? Ms. Harrington's statics provide the answer.
  
  means her lack of appointing qualified and diverse committee chairs cannot be scrutinized within the context of race.
  
- Casual Observer May 2, 2014 - 21:29
  
  May I frankly speak what i am sure many Villager readers feel, Ms. Webster: No one really cares anymore what you think or say.
  
  Your constant obsequious kowtowing to the powers-that-be on CB3, your own past willingness to play the race card against others, and your own inane, knee-jerk, politically-correct posturings on anything from pornography to parks have caused you to forfeit any credibility you might have had.
  
  In conclusion, thank you so much for proving Ms. Harrington's and many other's point:
  CB3 is a board of hacks supported by a bunch of hacks.
  
  - Guest May 5, 2014 - 13:32
    
    brutal honesty, but accurate. I'm sure I'm not the only one to agree with Cas' Observer.
    
Anon May 3, 2014 - 09:20

Obviously K Webster and Gigi Li care deeply about diversity… As it applies to Asians in leadership positions. Blacks and Latinos? Not so much. K: I cannot believe you have put your desire to stand up for Gigi ahead of a desire to stand up for the Blacks and Latinos in our community whose representatives have been frozen out of CB3′s leadership up the maximum extent the Chair has the power to do so. That is some shaky moral ground you are standing on.

EV Guy May 3, 2014 - 10:32

The 2010 census for CB3 lists 6.9 percent for African Americans. It seems like the diversity on the board already reflects the population.

- Yes, but... May 3, 2014 - 11:10
  
  The issue here is not the diversity of the whole board, but the diversity of selections the Board Chair Li has made for the committee chairs (those people are all automatically also on the Executive Board). Those appointed committee chairs are 0% Black and 0% Latino. The full board is appointed by the Borough President and a few Executive Board slots are voted on by the full board. Those are not at issue.
  
J.A. May 31, 2014 - 15:06

At long last Ayo Harrington has finally found something that is prima facie racism. She must be relieved.

C.B. 3 lacks leadership diversity, member charges

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