The Democratic Divide

Lindsey Boylan is a public servant, a former government official, and mom to her 6-year-old daughter. Lindsey most recently ran for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. House of Representatives, in New York's 10th district in the 2020 elections. Lindsey previously served as Deputy Secretary for Economic Development and Housing, as well as Special Advisor to NY Governor Andrew Cuomo. Her portfolio of oversight included Empire State Development (ESD), the state’s chief economic development agency, for which she previously served as Chief of Staff and Executive Vice President. During her time in government, Lindsey secured hundreds of millions of dollars for underfunded public housing, led the state's efforts to provide assistance for the people of Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, and pushed to enact a $15 minimum wage and Paid Family Leave for New Yorkers. She received her degree from Wellesley and an MBA from Columbia. Lindsey is currently a full-time democratic candidate running for Manhattan Borough President. Her platform includes solutions for issues regarding the extreme inequality her borough is facing, a bold plan to increase affordable housing, and support for expanded open spaces to make Manhattan more secure, vibrant, and livable. Check out https://lindseyfornewyork.com to learn more! Tremaine S. Wright is an attorney, entrepreneur, small business owner and activist who is a second-generation Bedford Stuyvesant resident invested in preserving the rich legacy of her community and building a strong foundation for the future. Tremaine was elected to the New York State Assembly on November 8, 2016. She serves the 56th Assembly District of Brooklyn, NY which represents the Bedford-Stuyvesant and Northern Crown Heights neighborhoods. She is Chair of New York State Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislative Caucus and Chair of the Assembly Subcommittee on Foster Care. She is a graduate of Duke University and the University of Chicago Law School. She has practiced law at Brooklyn Legal Services and private law firms. While working as an attorney at major law firms, Tremaine served as a pro bono lawyer for the Volunteers of Legal Services’ Incarcerated Mothers Project. Through this project, Tremaine advised mothers regarding their parental rights to protect their families. As a volunteer with the City Bar Association’s Neighborhood Entrepreneur Law Project (NELP), Tremaine assisted small business owners and organized the Tompkins Avenue Merchants Association (TAMA). Tremaine also owned and operated Common Grounds: a Neighborhood Coffee House from March 2006 to September 2015. Tremaine realized that her neighborhood lacked an adequate number of eateries and gathering places. Her vision for that space gave birth to Common Grounds A Neighborhood Coffee House with an innovative prize winning business plan lauded by the Brooklyn Public Library. She set out to create a place that would answer that need as well as foster community, provide economic opportunity and enhance commercial activity. Common Grounds did it – it employed local talent, provided stability on a block that was riddled with illicit commerce and provided a place for various segments of our community to intersect and connect. The greatest success of Common Grounds is the impact it has had on the lives of the people who came through its doors in need, and departed full and encouraged. Common Grounds created tangible change in individuals, as well as in community economics. As a Safe Space, Common Grounds was widely recognized as a partner in community empowerment and social justice. As the former Chairwoman of Community Board 3, Tremaine fostered longstanding relationships with past and current elected officials, community leaders and a cross section of local residents committed to improving Central Brooklyn. She has served on CB3 for 13 years and previously held positions as the Executive Secretary, Treasurer and Budget Coordinator. Tremaine still lives on the same block where her grandparents raised their family. She has dedicated her career to empowering and creating opportunities for her neighbors and her community. C. Zawadi Morris is an award-winning journalist and a Chicago native who moved to Brooklyn in 1997. Ms. Morris holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration (and a minor in Spanish) from the University of Illinois and a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University. She has worked as the communications director for Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez (NY-12), a senior account executive for Shandwick Public Affairs and Cohn & Wolf Public Relations, and an editor of Bed-Stuy Patch. In 2013, Ms. Morris launched The Brooklyn Reader, an online news source covering the neighborhoods of Central Brooklyn, and in 2020, she launched its non-profit sister site Scriibe.org, a collaborative news source for investigative local journalism. Ms. Morris is also the executive producer of The COVID-19 Writers Project. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf