Councilman Omari Shakur (shown at his inauguration in January)
By Alberto Gilman
A 17-second Facebook video posted under the Prosperity Newburgh page shows Councilman Omari Shakur exchanging antisemitic words with the cameraman. That clip would lead to a censure vote by his fellow council members
“We had a conversation. I did tell him (Shakur) that I was going to be voting to support this, this resolution and he understood,” Councilwoman Ramona Monteverde said.
Shakur spoke to the council saying the words he expressed were in the heat of the moment but hurtful and he is sorry. He also stated that as a child and activist of the 60’s and 70’s, he recognized the support between the Jewish and Black communities. Shakur then stated to the city council the events that took place during the course of that day.
Shakur said he came to the corner of South Miller and Broadway, and a building, a city building that has stood on Broadway for the last 50 years, was being worked on without proper gear or proper signage. Shakur called the codes department, asking what requirements were needed. He was told that in order to do this work, permits and proper safety signage were required on site. Shakur approached a gentleman on a cellphone that the workers said was in charge of the operation. Shakur asked the gentleman if he had a permit to be doing this kind of work. Shakur waited a few minutes since the gentleman was on the phone and asked again if there were proper permits for the site.
The gentleman asked who he was and Shakur flashed his city council badge and the gentleman said he was the landlord and told Shakur he was able to go about his business. Shakur called the police department and asked them to come to the scene, for which Shakur said he was not addressed by officers. Shakur then left the scene for 15 minutes and came back to nothing being secured, still letting people go about their business.
“Where’s the compassion for my community?” Shakur asked.