The New York State Senate passed and renamed a package of elections and voting rights bills this month to honor the late Dr. John Flateau. It was championed by Senator Zellnor Myrie.
The Dr. John L. Flateau Voting and Elections Database and Academic Center of New York Act (S.657-A) would establish a centralized statewide voting and elections database and institute. Flateau, 73, was a professor and administrator at CUNY Medgar Evers College, as well as a districting commissioner for the city and state. He died suddenly on December 30, 2023, at his home in Bed Stuy last week. He was described by friends and family as a brilliant mind and strategist who helped shape Brooklyn’s political landscape.
“It goes really without saying[that] anyone who has had any tangential involvement on voting and elections in this state—certainly, in the city in Brooklyn—knows the legend of Dr. John Flateau,” said Myrie, who chairs the senate election committee. “We are all grieving and praying for his family in this time of loss, but we are also celebrating his legacy. We worked with him very closely at Medgar Evers College, [which] I have the honor of representing.”
Myrie said that the two also worked closely on several pieces of legislation and the census count. He attended Flateau’s funeral on January 10, and presented Flateau’s family, friends, colleagues, and elected officials with the proclamation during the services. “It would be a dereliction if we did not honor Dr. Flateau in this way,” said Myrie.
Among a slew of elected and city officials attended the services in droves were State Attorney General Letitia James, Mayor Eric Adams, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, Chancellor David Banks, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, former Senator Velmanette Montgomery, and former Assemblymember Annette Robinson. Some spoke passionately about Flateau’s legacy and the impact he had on their lives.
Dr. Brenda M. Greene, a professor at Medgar Evers, senior special assistant to the provost, and founder and executive director of the Center for Black Literature, knew Flateau since their days as undergrads at NYU. She spoke fondly about Flateau at the repast after the funeral service.
“Dr. Flateau was truly a force. At the core of his being, he was an activist who lived a purpose-driven life,” said Greene. “John’s work at Medgar College and in the community, New York City, and the state represents what the late [Congressmember] Major Owens called a ‘Communiversity.’ Owens deemed the Communiversity a well of qualified and dedicated…academicians and scholars who would not only provide a quality education for matriculating students. They would also serve as a fountain of expertise over and beyond campus walls to assist in community problem-solving and neighborhood uplift. John supported this concept and embodied the essence of the Communiversity.”
Assemblymember Stefani Zinerman, who also attended the repast, said in a statement that Flateau embodied the values and characteristics of New York’s most esteemed citizens.
“As the Assemblymember representing the 56th District, I was privileged to call John a constituent, neighbor, mentor, and occasional sparring partner,” said Zinerman. “He embodied each title with the enthusiasm of a prize fighter defending his title. I will remember each lesson to stand firm in my convictions and stay laser-focused on the strategy that leads to the win. I am personally indebted to John for his wisdom, guidance, mentorship, and being pivotal in shaping my approach to public service. It was my honor to work with him in redistricting and drawing the 56th Assembly District map, reimagining the Marcus Garvey Armory, and educating the public about reparations, its implications to our lives, and how imperative it is for us to work in unity as people of African descent toward our freedom and liberation.”
This year also coincides with a presidential election and the 60th anniversary of the nation’s Civil Rights Act of 1964, which was meant to extend political and legal rights to Black Americans and end racial segregation. The U.S. Senate passed the bill on June 19, 1964, by a vote of 73 to 27.
“I think we have to really grapple with the notion that our foundation of democracy of this republic is literally under attack, and we are having, I think, some delicate conversations heading into a presidential primary about valid access when you have redistricting and a number of other issues that are impacting the right to vote,” said Myrie. “I have been proud of what we’ve done in the Senate for the past five years in this space, and I look forward to rising up and meeting that challenge again.”
Myrie’s elections bill package includes legislation that covers protections against voter suppression, creates more transparency for public-facing websites that are operated by political committees, bans political spending by foreign-influenced business entities, establishes absentee ballot drop-off locations and portable polling places for early voting, and addresses ballot order.
Ariama C. Long is a Report for America corps member who writes about politics for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1.