On May 30th, 2007, there will be a vote by city pols to rename a Brooklyn street. Powerful politician, Christine Quinn has remained stridently opposed to the proposition of black activist Sonny Carson being the honoree. Quinn states that Carson was a racist and does not merit the accolade. However, black leaders such as Charles Barron and Al Vann are appalled. At the crux of the argument is who gets to decide. Does the street renaming committee bow to the "will of the people" or to the issue of what may be deemed offensive to a larger majority. A sticky matter to say the least. Although Quinn endorsed a street renaming of Al Jolson, Sonny Carson's name seems to be more odious. The mere subject of Carson's name invokes an instant rebate to debate. Support his name, you get a fight in return.
Nevertheless, this may be the first battle of many between Quinn and fellow black city councilmen. Quinn, who is reputed to be the heir apparent of Mayor Michael Bloomberg is becoming increasingly visible on the political front. As a gay politician, she has earned a following in that community. The question is now will she have an equal support amongst the black and Latino voters. View the opposing views of Vann and Quinn at:
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