Staten Island’s first African American elected official

Want to know what the human embodiment of perseverance, fortitude and sheer hard work looks like? Then take a good look at New York City Council Member Debi Rose, the first African American official elected in Staten Island history.

Last November, on her third run for the office, close to 14,000 North Shore voters went to the polls and chose this indomitable woman with her “never say die” attitude to represent them in the City Council. Rose had bested incumbent Kenneth Mitchell in the Democratic primary, and when he came back to run against her on the Conservative line in the general election, she trounced him again, along with Republican candidate Timothy Kuhn.

“Debi Rose reporting for duty,” declared the Council Member with typical vivacity at her inauguration. “I am on deck and ready to work. I believe this is the highest calling in a democratic society.”

And Rose is hitting the ground running, ready to push for movement on issues that gravely affect the lives of North Shore residents.

http://www.caribbeanlifenews.com/articles/2010/01/21/news/ny_local/doc4b57b64452deb140284616.txt