Finally, on Monday, it was decided: The Brooklyn Navy Yard (at the Duggal Greenhouse) would be the designated location of the ninth Democratic presidential primary debate between Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders, scheduled for Thursday, April 14.
However, Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams says that although he is pleased Brooklyn has been chosen as the debate location, he is pushing to move it from the Fort Greene community where the Navy Yard is located, to Brownsville where, he says, the community has been ignored and left in the dark into during campaign season.
"We are all very proud of Brooklyn Navy Yard, which has been an extraordinary success, and at another time in our history it would be a great host for this dialogue. However, at this vital juncture, we must push to bring communities that have historically been ignored and left in the dark into the spotlight of this campaign season," Adams said in a statement on Tuesday.
"I am calling on the Clinton and Sanders campaigns to agree on moving their debate in Brooklyn to Brownsville. This is a neighborhood in crisis, and we need to ask for more than politicians driving by in their motorcades or working a handshake line...
"Just as leaders in Michigan rightly directed the conversation to Flint in their hour of need, I am urging that we pivot the physical venue to a site like the Brownsville Recreation Center and subsequently focus the discussion matter to solutions for issues impacting historically disenfranchised communities of color...
"...Let us not waste this chance to make an impact for them."
CNN primetime host Wolf Blitzer will moderate the Brooklyn debate, cosponsored by local TV station NY1. CNN reporter Dana Bash and NY1 host Errol Louis will assist Blitzer in questioning the candidates.
