The brother of a Bronx man whose story received national coverage after enduring traumatizing conditions on the infamous Riker’s Island has put in his ticket for City Hall.
In an effort to carry on the legacy of his brother, Kalief Browder, who killed himself after years of emotional, physical and mental abuse on the island, Akeem Browder has announced that he will run for mayor against NYC’s Bill De Blasio.
“I lost my mother, I lost my brother,” Browder told Huffington Post “I have nothing left to lose.”
Just one year after Kalief’s death, Browder’s mother died in 2016 from a “broken heart” after years of supporting and spreading Kalief’s story. Now, Browder is looking to continue the fight for justice and reformation as he runs on the Green Party Ticket.
“It’s not a personal vendetta why I’m running for mayor, but if we’re having someone represent the people, it better be someone who isn’t far removed from the people and better understands the people so they can better their lives,” Browder said. “Do what’s right by the people or get out of office, get out of the way of people who want to try and make a change.”
Akeem Browder, 34, says that as mayor he looks to put criminal justice issues first, in an effort to decrease criminalization and increase resources for inmates with mental health issues. In addition, he wants to address homelessness in the city.
“I’ve been homeless before,” he said. “We as New Yorkers still criminalize and monopolize the homeless. To me that’s pathetic and I want to make a change, not just with the homeless but those who come from jail. There’s very little thought put into how we appropriate funds for people coming home and re-entering society.”
“These candidates are far removed from the problems we face in New York,” he said. “They don’t understand what we go through. It takes someone who has been impacted by the law and justice system and has the info, knowledge and drive to reel it back in and put it back into the right channels.”
