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Chi Ossé
Ossé in a polo shirt and glasses speaking into a microphone outdoors on a sunny day
Member of the New York City Council
from the 36th district
Assumed office
January 1, 2022
Preceded by Robert Cornegy
Personal details
Born (1998-03-18) March 18, 1998 (age 26)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Political party Democratic
Relatives Combat Jack (father)
Education Chapman University
Website Official website
Campaign website

Chi A. Ossé (born March 18, 1998) [1] is an American politician and activist from New York City who serves as a member of the New York City Council for the 36th district, based largely in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bedford–Stuyvesant, and some of northern Crown Heights. [2]

Early life and education

Ossé was born of Black and Chinese ancestry [3] and raised in Brooklyn, where his family has lived for three generations. [4] His father, hip hop attorney and journalist Reggie Ossé–better known as Combat Jack–died from cancer in 2017, when Ossé was 19. [5] Ossé graduated from Friends Seminary in 2016 [6] and attended but did not graduate from Chapman University in Orange, California. [7]

Career

Ossé worked for several years in the entertainment industry. [7] In May 2020, amid nationwide protests over the murder of George Floyd, Ossé became a prominent Black Lives Matter organizer and co-founded the activist collective Warriors in the Garden. [8]

2021 City Council campaign

On Juneteenth 2020, Ossé announced his 2021 campaign to succeed term-limited Councilman Robert Cornegy in the 36th district of the New York City Council. [9] Ossé, who acknowledged that he knew little about city government before the protests of spring 2020, cited police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement as the impetus for his campaign, and charged that the City Council and Mayor Bill de Blasio had not done enough to reshape policing in the city. [10] [11]

With endorsements from the Working Families Party and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Courage to Change PAC, Ossé was seen as the furthest-left candidate in a field that also included district leader Henry Butler, local political operative Tahirah Moore, and pastor Robert Waterman. [12] [13] His campaign also found an unusual niche due to Ossé's youth and personal style, with many non-political publications interviewing Ossé and running profiles of his campaign. [14] [15] [16]

On election night on June 22, Ossé led the field with 37 percent of the vote; when absentee ballots and ranked-choice votes were counted, he defeated Butler 57-43%. [17] [18] His victory, and the size of his margin, was seen as a considerable upset, given his opponents' more traditional political backgrounds and endorsements. [19] Ossé faced minimal opposition in the November general election, and won easily, becoming the council's youngest ever member. [20]

Personal life

Ossé's father was Reginald Ossé, a Haitian-American hip hop music attorney, executive, journalist, editor and podcaster. His mother owns and operates The BAKERY on Bergen, a small business in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. His grandfather was Teddy Vann, a music producer who grew up in Brooklyn’s Bensonhurst neighborhood and won a Grammy working with his longtime protege Luther Vandross. [21]

Ossé is openly queer. [22] He lives in Crown Heights, and is a practicing Nichiren Buddhist. [23]

See also

References

  1. ^ @osse2021 (March 18, 2021). "Today is my 23rd birthday! (Jordan year)". Retrieved July 12, 2021.{{ cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list ( link)
  2. ^ "Council Members & Districts". New York City Council. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  3. ^ "Chi Ossé is the Queer, Gen-Z Activist Shaking up Brooklyn Local Politics". www.them.us. 14 June 2021. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  4. ^ "About Chi". Chi Ossé for City Council. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  5. ^ Zo (July 12, 2021). "Combat Jack's Son Chi Ossé Wins New York City Council Primary Race". Okayplayer. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  6. ^ "Chi Ossé '16". Friends Seminary. 2020-10-30. Retrieved 2022-01-02.
  7. ^ a b Anna Quinn (June 11, 2021). "NYC Council District 36 Race: Chi Ossé Seeks Brooklyn Seat". Patch.com. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  8. ^ Jan Ransom and Annie Correal (June 11, 2020). "How the New York Protest Leaders Are Taking On the Establishment". The New York Times. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  9. ^ Tara Mahadevan (June 20, 2020). "Combat Jack's Son is Running for Public Office in New York City". Complex. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  10. ^ Ben Verde (July 10, 2020). "22-Year-Old Protest Leader Eyes Bed-Stuy Council Seat". Brooklyn Paper. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  11. ^ Saidu Tejan Thomas Jr. (October 14, 2020). "Is It Too Revolutionary?". Resistance. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  12. ^ "Endorsements for Chi Ossé 2021". Chi Ossé for City Council. Archived from the original on July 16, 2021. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  13. ^ Billy Richling (March 17, 2021). "Who's Up, Who's Down? Brooklyn Council Election Notes from the Latest Financial Disclosures". Bkylner. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  14. ^ Devine Blacksher (April 2, 2021). "The Third-Generation Brooklynite Running for City Council – Meet Chi Ossé". The Cut. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  15. ^ Kala Herh (June 16, 2021). "Chi Ossé Is the Future of Brooklyn's 36th District". V Magazine. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  16. ^ Alexandra Pauly (July 22, 2020). "Styling a Revolution: How Chi Ossé and Brandon Tan Are Using Fashion to Win City Council". HypeBae. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  17. ^ Anna Quinn (July 6, 2021). "Chi Ossé Wins Brooklyn District 36 City Council Race". Patch.com. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  18. ^ @osse2021 (July 2, 2021). "We won mom!". Retrieved July 12, 2021.{{ cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list ( link)
  19. ^ Jeff Coltin (July 7, 2021). "New York City's most surprising primary results". City & State. Archived from the original on July 10, 2021. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  20. ^ Brianna Holt (April 21, 2021). "Chi Ossé on Gen Z's Stamp on Elected Office". Medium. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  21. ^ McHugh, Calder (2022-08-08). "A Party Promoter, an Activist and a City Councilman by 23, Chi Ossé Isn't Done Yet". Politico.
  22. ^ Taylor Hosking (June 14, 2021). "Now List 2021: Chi Ossé Is the Queer, Gen-Z Activist Shaking Up Brooklyn Local Politics". Them. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  23. ^ @osse2021 (May 2, 2021). "As a lifelong practicing Nichiren Buddhist, it is always an honor to be invited into a religious space different than mine. Thank you to the folks at Mount Lebanon for having me this morning". Retrieved July 12, 2021.{{ cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list ( link)
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