The current president of the Bronx is the first woman and the first black leader in this position. Vanessa Gibson has been in politics for a long time. She gained a reputation both from colleagues and from New Yorkers. She is always actively working on solving public problems, is concerned about vulnerable groups of the population and directs a lot of effort to improve the quality of life of people, initiating programs and projects in education, healthcare, affordable living and safety. In this article, we will tell you how an ordinary African-American girl managed to climb to the very top of the political ladder and what she did for the residents of the Bronx during her tenure as president of this borough of New York. Read more on bronx-yes.
Ambitious and purposeful
Vanessa Gibson was born on March 19, 1979 in New York. The girl was raised and grew up in a multicultural environment. Like all black children, Vanessa faced different perceptions of herself in society as a child. However, she always felt strong support from her family and community. She did not become a depressed teenager with complexes. The girl knew how to defend her point of view. Vanessa often says in her interviews that it was her childhood experience that taught her to value the community and work for the benefit of others, to support each other and to think not only about herself.
The girl grew up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant district of Brooklyn. Despite hard times and financial difficulties, her parents were able to give her daughter a good education. The future politician graduated from Murry Bergtraum High School in 1997. Gibson received a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the State University of New York at Albany. The ambitious girl decided not to stop. She entered CUNY Baruch College, from which she graduated with a master’s degree.
In college, Vanessa had a fateful meeting with Aurelia Greene, a member of the New York City Assembly. She later said: ‘Aurelia gave me a job in her office and she really changed my life. She eventually became my mentor and guided me to a career in public service. It was an honor to work with her’.
Immersion in political life
In 2009, Aurelia Greene announced her decision to resign. She offered her seat in the Assembly to her protégé, Gibson. Vanessa hesitated because she wanted to focus on her further studies. However, Aurelia was confident in her and provided maximum support. Thus, Gibson accepted the challenge and … won. After 4 years, she took a seat on the New York City Council, heading the West Bronx. By then, Vanessa had lost all trace of her previous insecurity. She was rapidly advancing in her career and dreamed of the highest position in the state. In 2017, having received more than 91% of the vote, Gibson remained the 16th District consul.
Hard work, constant self-development and focus on current issues provided good results. There were only a few steps left to the dream position of the president of the Bronx. In 2021, Ruben Diaz Jr. resigned and Vanessa Gibson received carte blanche. During the vote, she gained 79.93% of the vote, leaving behind Janelle King with 13.41% and Sammy Ravelo with 6.52%.
Read more about the 2024 elections in the Bronx in the article.
It was truly an amazing trajectory of a political career, taking into account the initial indicators, such as gender and racial factors. Although women are increasingly prominent in politics, they still are far behind men. Only 24 percent of the New York City Council is female and 32 percent of the Assembly is female. Vanessa Gibson is the first African-American woman to become the president of the Bronx. After taking office, she said:
‘What does this mean to me? It means that every day I wake up with a purpose. It means that I am the wildest dream of my ancestors, everything they hoped for and fought for. It means that I can be a role model for little girls and little boys in the Bronx who look just like me, who have the same struggles and sometimes the same insecurities. They can see me and see their own hopes, their own dreams and their own aspirations for a brighter future’.
What has Vanessa Gibson done for the Bronx?
For the second decade, Vanessa Gibson has been working for the well-being and development of the Bronx. During this time, she has achieved many goals. The most influential and important of them are:
- Reviving the economy and public life after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many support programs have been implemented for entrepreneurs and local businesses that have suffered from restrictions during quarantine.
- Focus on solving the housing issue.
Effective initiatives aimed at solving problems with the homeless and vulnerable segments of the population who are in dire need of affordable housing. Vanessa Gibson constantly organizes and conducts conferences on housing issues, promotes the establishment of fair and equal cooperation between landlords and tenants.
- Targeted and large-scale financing of infrastructure.
During Gibson’s reign, city parks have changed significantly, namely $25 million was allocated for Grant Park, $4.6 million for Bridge Playground and $4 million for Corporal Fischer Park. The largest project is the reconstruction of Roberto Clemente State Park. The government allocated $100 million for it.
- Combating food insecurity.
Free lunches for children and the elderly and support for local food banks are provided. Gibson has always personally monitored the issue of hunger, especially when this problem affected children.
- Law enforcement reforms.
Improving police transparency, introducing new technologies for police officers (such as body cameras) and the need for accountability to the community (especially in cases where cases of use of force by law enforcement officers were noted). Ensuring a sufficient level of funding for police training. Special attention was paid to issues of de-escalation of conflicts and the basics of communication and interaction with vulnerable categories of the population. Organizing special meetings and forums where Bronx residents’ initiatives were accepted for improving police work.
Vanessa Gibson has always strived to achieve the goal of creating a fair and accountable police system in New York City that would help change the Bronx’s gangster reputation over the years. Once, Vanessa was asked in an interview, what would she like her legacy to be as the 14th president of the Bronx. She replied that she would like her legacy to be meaningful and significant, to cultivate a new wave of leadership, to lift and amplify the voices of young people so that they understand the role they play and that they are destined to succeed.
‘They are part of our events, young African-American and Latino men and women, college graduates who are making history. This is a reflection of the Bronx, not the negative, not the shootings, the stabbings and robberies, the poverty and all the things that the media always talks about. We have to change that narrative and talk about the good things. I want my legacy to be one of consistency, dedication, and working to create new opportunities, strengthen our small businesses, empower our youth and create pathways to economic prosperity’.
Actively involved with BronxWorks
BronxWorks is a Bronx-based nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting local residents, especially those facing challenges such as poverty, homelessness and social isolation. The organization offers a wide range of services, including programs for the homeless, social services, education programs, food assistance and projects for children and youth.
Vanessa Gibson has been a close partner with BronxWorks, dating back to when she managed Aurelia Greene’s borough office in the early 2000s.
While serving in the Assembly and City Council, Gibson has been an active supporter of funding for many BronxWorks projects. These include the opening of the Early Childhood Learning Center at the Carolyn McLaughlin Community Center, Cornerstone Community Clubs, which work with youth, as well as centers for seniors and retirement communities.
Gibson’s support was especially strong for vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Vanessa kept in constant contact with BronxWorks Executive Director Eileen Torres and helped with all current requests for food, treatment, employment, etc.
Vanessa Gibson still has many ambitious plans. She wants to globally redevelop Orchard Beach and Hunts Point Forward, expand the subway north, modernize the Kingsbridge Armory, etc.
The current president says:
‘I have a plan and by working with organizations like BronxWorks we strive to become better and achieve these goals every day. We cannot do this work alone. We need partners on all sides, at every level, to support our vision. When we work together, when we set the same priorities, we are truly unstoppable’.
Vanessa Gibson has already announced her intention to participate in the next elections, so let’s see if she can keep her position and implement all her plans.
Read more about the president’s main opponent in the upcoming elections — Rafael Salamanca — in the article.