We, the undersigned, are outrage by the fact that on Tuesday, April 30, 2019, at a Community Board 9 meeting, Sakia Fletcher, a single mom and Student Government Association President elect of Medgar Evers College, was thrown out of a public community board meeting in violation of her Civil and 1st amendment rights, because she asked Councilperson Laurie Cumbo questions about the impact of Cumbo's Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY)-funded development deals on Medgar Evers students and Crown Heights residents.
A video shows Councilperson Cumbo blaming Ms. Fletcher for her own short comings, stating "this is the reason we can't pass any legislation", "this is why we fail as a people" and pointing her finger in the student's face while shouting and yelling at her calling her "Ignorant!" over and over again. https://youtu.be/RW8C0L6z4-s
On Thursday, Laurie Cumbo wrote a public statement defaming Ms. Fletcher, making the claim that it was Ms. Fletcher who was yelling at her, and attempting to do her harm in a staged performance, when in fact it was her.
It is a disgrace that this young Black woman has been demonized by an elected official, had lies told about her to the vast public and now she has been suspended for speaking up and representing the student body. We are outraged that an elected official would use their power to oppress a young Black single mother in our community.
We are also outraged that the President of Medgar Evers College, Dr. Rudy Crew, has suspended her in an attempt to curtail her civil rights, in an institution that is named after one of the most famous Civil Rights activists of our time!
We, the undersigned, demand that Ms. Fletcher be reinstated immediately into her school and that Councilwoman Laurie Cumbo publicly recant her statements regarding this student's character and actions. We demand that our elected officials and Medgar Evers College address the dire need for student housing, food and provisions for the students within the campus!
Please find Sakia Fletcher's personal statement on this website: https://beforeitsgone.co/stories/kWQQyF?fbclid=IwAR3L1ZyJWnJz51dvfHuLQOy-zlf9ALC0NtW3Mznj2bfbtZjTc3OUVP85uXA
