Sitting in her soulful coffee house Common Grounds in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, Tremaine Wright shared a smile and greeting as customers entered her shop, located at 376 Tompkins Ave. Not only is Wright the owner of one of the very few coffee shops in Bedford-Stuyvesant, but she was also a 2009 City Council candidate of the 36th District.
The Brooklyn native was raised just a few blocks away from her coffee house. Wright is the second of four children and grew up in a tight-knit family with relatives around her constantly. As a child, she was always active in student government, ran track and was even a Girl Scout. Wright attended Concord Academy Preparatory School in Massachusetts and Duke University in North Carolina, where she majored in history. Wright then made a change when she became a student at the University of Chicago, majoring in law.
As a former law student of President Barack Obama’s, Wright thought that she could make a difference in her community. The 36th District in Bedford-Stuyvesant has had the same City Council representation since 2001: Democrat Albert Vann.
“It was time for a challenge against the incumbent. It followed Obama’s election and it was the right time and opportunity,” Wright recalled.
Her inspiration to run for City Council came in part from her former professor, Obama, who taught her numerous courses, including constitutional law and also race and the law. Her biggest inspiration, she says, comes from a woman born and raised in Brooklyn whom Wright has never met: Shirley Chisholm. Chisholm was an educator and politician who represented New York’s 12th Congressional District for seven terms from 1969 to 1983. She was also the first African-American woman elected to Congress, and in 1972, she became the first Black candidate and woman to run for president of the United States.
“I appreciate [Chisholm’s] story. She’s from Brooklyn; she worked hard and made herself a strong voice for women. Her book, ‘Unbought and Unbossed,’ captures her story, and that’s how I would want to conduct myself,” Wright explained.
“I thought I could make an impact,” Wright added. “I have been involved in many community affairs for six to eight years and thought that I would do good in the position.”
Wright was one out of eight candidates running for City Council in 2009. She started her campaign later than the other candidates and it caused her to not have a strong budget, and it also made it less possible to do certain things that she wanted to do. Regardless, she still wanted to make a difference.
During her campaign, she took time off from being an attorney and focused on the election. She went out to meet the people of her community she wanted to represent and even said that she would not quit, because the voters would keep her motivated and left her encouraged. It was also those same voters who volunteered to help with her campaign when she was low on funds.
With supporters and encouragement from her community, Wright thought that she had a chance and would be an effective member of City Council. Unfortunately, Wright lost to Vann. When asked how she felt about her loss, she gave a huge laugh and said, “Surprised.”
“In all, it was a reality check, and it made me think about what I could have done differently,” explained Wright.
Everything is a lesson learned, and with the election behind her, Wright explained that she learned a lot, but, most importantly, it taught her how to operate a campaign, and it was a great opportunity to meet the voters. “[Something else the election did was] help me figure out what I should be doing if I want to be a public servant,” she said. “My loss changed me because I learned life lessons, but my ideals are still intact. [The loss] made me wiser.”
What keeps her grounded is family and friends. “They encourage and support me and they give me perspective. They remind me of what is important,” said Wright.
Juggling her new life lessons from her past campaign, Wright still provides her community with a space where they can come and relax. Wright has made an environment where all people feel welcome. Designed in vibrant reds and yellows, customers of all ethnicities and ages come to the shop to not only enjoy the rich coffee and pastries, but also the soul music that plays throughout the day.
“We needed a space in the neighborhood where people can sit down. It became a problem to me that people couldn’t relax. I wanted to help change the vibe of the block,” stated Wright. What was once a block filled with drug dealing now has a peace and serenity to it.
“Tremaine has provided a great environment in the coffee shop. It is community accessible and she is a great person,” said Ford Crowder, who began working at Common Grounds when it first opened five years ago.
Wright not only gave her community a place for relaxation but also a place to rent out for events as well as small business owners a place to sell their merchandise from time to time.
Recently, Wright held a debate-watching party, where members of her community watched Wright’s former professor and Republican candidate Mitt Romney have their first debate. Along with the debate party, Wright also hosts concerts, book signings, art shows and karaoke nights.
Wright still currently practices law at Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll in Manhattan and also works on initiatives and voter registration. She may even run again in the near future.
“Just do it, throw the hat in and get your feet wet. The worst that could happen is you lose,” she said.
With Wright’s involvement in her community, she encourages young people interested in politics to run for any position, but the key, she says, is to get involved.
“This is just one of the seasons, this is just a stop along the way. There is more to come,” Wright said.