NYC Council Member Crystal Hudson Inaugurated in Brooklyn

By COLlive reporter
Photos: Shneur Haviv/COLlive

Crystal Hudson, the newly elected New York City Council Member of District 35, was sworn in to her new role at an Inauguration Ceremony on Saturday night in Brooklyn.

Elected officials joined Hudson’s supporters, family, and friends for the celebration which included speakers New York Senator and the Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Attorney General of New York Tish James, Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, and New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.

Lubavitch comedian and Rabbi, Mendy Pellin, delivered the invocation.

Senator Schumer praised Hudson for her accomplishments, noting her humble beginnings, having been raised in Brooklyn by a single mother, whom Hudson later became an advocate for when she was battling Alzheimer’s. Schumer said through hard work and dedication, Hudson achieved being elected the new Council Member. “She got here the old-fashioned way,” said Schumer. “She earned it!”

In her speech, Hudson laid out her vision for the city, focusing on care for the elderly, the marginalized, and residents who work hard to make ends meet.

“Each day I wake up, I am proud to know that my neighbors chose me to represent” the neighborhoods of District 35, Hudson said. “This is an honor that inspires me to fight for our shared vision of a New York City that is rooted in the principles of equity, justice, care, and compassion,” she said.

Attorney General Tish James noted that Hudson, who “has deep roots in Brooklyn,” had beat the odds to become the Council Member in the face of tough challenges.

“When things get worse, Crystal Hudson gets better,” she said. Leaving a successful career in Washington DC, Hudson cared for and advocated for her mother, a longtime devoted nurse in New York City, when she was diagnosed, until her passing. She sacrificed a career for her mother, demonstrating her commitment to caring for others, James said.

“Today is a great day for New York, a day of great pride and joy for all of us,” James said. “New York will be better for it, because Crystal has stepped into her own. Crystal speaks truth to power, and Crystal truly is a leader, not only in this district but all across the state.”

“It was a special evening of unity and celebration,” said Jewish Community Activist and Public Safety Chair of Community Board 9 Rabbi Yaacov Behrman. “We look forward to working with Council Member Hudson for the betterment of the community.”

Hudson, whose district 35 includes the neighborhoods of Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Crown Heights, Prospect Heights and Bedford Stuyvesant, campaigned heavily in Crown Heights ahead of the election last November.

VIDEO: Invocation by Mendy Pellin