Former Panther Says NY Needs A Black And Latino Third Party

When New York State Democrats gathered at their nominating convention in May, they chose an all-white ticket of statewide candidates headed by a standard-bearer, Andrew Cuomo, who has put forward a program that would balance the state’s $9 billion-plus budget deficit at the expense of working-class people.

The Cuomo coronation continues, but he will be joined on the fall ballot by outspoken Brooklyn City Councilmember Charles Barron after activists with the Freedom Party surprised many political observers by gathering 43,000 ballot signatures this summer, almost three times the legally required amount.

The Indypendent’s John Tarleton recently spoke with Barron about the nascent Black- and Latino-led party and why he is running for governor on its line.