Kenneth Thompson: Could he become the first black district attorney of Brooklyn?
theGRIO Q&A - Former federal prosecutor Kenneth Thompson pulled off an upset earlier this month when he defeated a six-term incumbent to become the district attorney of New York City’s largest borough...
I don’t come from money. In fact I come out of the projects. My mother raised three kids by herself, she struggled to take care of us and fought every day to give us a better life when we were living in a New York City Public Housing projects and became a New York City police officer back in 1973, against great odds, while she was living in the projects by herself raising three young children. She became one of the first women, black or white, to go on patrol in the history of this city and put her life on the line, day after day, for 21 years.
Being raised by a pioneer in law enforcement is something that has given me my values. My mother gave me principles of fairness, of justice and equality as a little boy, and I haven’t left them. I hope to yield to them as the top prosecutor in Brooklyn. That’s what I’m going to bring. I want to be a leader. I want to make sure that everyone is treated equally and everyone is treated fairly.
Becoming the first black Brooklyn DA, you’re joining a pretty small club nationally of black district attorneys. Why is diversity important in that office?
In the State of New York, there are 62 district attorneys; only two are black. There’s one in the Bronx and one up in Albany. Diversity is important because we all have different perspectives. I mean you’re talking to someone who comes out of poverty, who was able to get the best education possible because I had a mother who didn’t give up on me or my brother and sister. And I was raised by a New York City police officer, and I was a federal prosecutor for many years in Brooklyn. I am law enforcement, but I also understand that there are certain parts of the community that feel that they’re targeted, and I need to change that. I need to let them know that the Brooklyn DA’s office and the police are there to protect them.
So, I intend to do all I can to keep people safe, to be a leader for the community, and to be a role model for these young folks coming behind me. I want them to be able to look at my life and say, “Well, Ken Thompson came out of the projects, was raised by a single mother. If he can do this, I can do greater.” When I look at these kids running around the projects, I see them sitting on the Supreme Court tomorrow. I really believe that. They just have to be kept safe. They have to be given a best shot in life, and then their talent will take them as far as it can go.
Follow Donovan X. Ramsey at @iDXR
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