Former Assemblymember Walter T. Mosley III was appointed as New York’s 69th Secretary of State this year. Mosley recently spent a day in his old neighborhood in Brooklyn, talking with the Amsterdam News about his upbringing, what his life’s been like since being thrust into the limelight as the state’s secretary, and what he hopes to accomplish in his new position.
Firstly, the New York Secretary of State has a wide range of responsibilities, but unlike other states, doesn’t oversee local and federal elections. “There’s a lot that we provide,” said Mosley. “Oftentimes people assume they know what we do, but in reality, it’s just a small fraction of what we actually do on a daily basis.”
Here in New York, Mosley heads the state department as ‘the Keeper of the Records’ and several divisions including cemeteries, corporation registration, small business organizations, real estate, and governmental records maintenance. He also manages niche offices like the Office of Faith-Based Community Development and Services, the Office of New Americans, the African-American Historical Commission, and the Asian American and Pacific Islander Commission.
However, two of the main areas Mosley deals with are small business and real estate regulations. “We understand that we have to do our part as a state to build affordable housing, housing at all price points. Making sure that we stay on task with what the governor calls a housing crisis. It’s unfortunate that we’ve come to this point but we have to do our part,” said Mosley.
To start the day, Mosley and Gov. Kathy Hochul held an interfaith roundtable at Brooklyn Borough Hall. He sat down for about an hour with Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso one-on-one to address his concerns, and then trotted over to his old neighborhood to check on Commodore Barry Park and meet with University Settlement non-profit leaders at Ingersoll Community Center, which serves the nearby New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) Ingersoll, Whitman, and Farragut house residents.
A Brooklyn native, Mosley grew up in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill. He was raised by a hardworking single mother, Marilyn Mosley, who was a teacher and incredibly civically engaged as president of the Progressive Association For Political Action, a local political club. She continues to live in the area in Mitchell-Lama housing, said Mosley.
Mosley was elected to State Assembly for District 57 in 2013, representing the neighborhoods of Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights, and parts of Bedford-Stuyvesant and Crown Heights. He was the successor for U.S. House Minority Leader and Congressmember Hakeem Jeffries, who served in the same seat from 2007 to 2013. While in office, Mosley passed legislation holding landlords accountable, furthering criminal justice reform, expanding affordable housing opportunities, and legalizing adult-use cannabis statewide.
He was ousted from his seat in 2020’s June primary by newcomer and current Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest, who was backed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). The next year, Mosley became a lobbyist and founded the Mosley Advisory Group (MAG). He advocated for clean energy, adult use cannabis groups, emerging markets and overseas economic market initiatives, and industrial development.
Mosley’s appointment as Secretary of State marks his return to state government. Former Senator Basil Alexander Paterson was the first Black person to hold the office in 1979.
“For someone that looks like me, a kid that grew up in Central Brooklyn, to be in this position to represent the state of New York is something I don’t take for granted and I’m quite humbled by it,” Mosley said.
One of Mosley’s passion projects from his days in office was investing in the Ingersoll Community Center he grew up in. Under the state’s $100 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI), the community center received $200,000 to create a fully stocked digital tech lab as well as support job readiness and arts programming in 2019. Since then, the center has continued to thrive. During his visit, Mosley said that it’s good to be able to return to state government and see projects that he helped spearhead come to fruition.
“You also are very proud of the people who came after you, who are maintaining it or taking it to higher heights,” Mosley said. “And if we continue to do that, no matter how a community changes, the services and the initiatives will hopefully serve those who want to stay here and remain here.”
I’m so proud of Secretary of State (N.Y), Walter T. Mosley! A Selvyn Smith Memorial Sports and Educational Program Alumni (43 years)! Walter was (8) years old in our program, which is number one in the country now! Many people don’t know that he was a baller! Walter is an even better person than you could imagine! He really loves to help other people! Blessings to you and your family!