Whitney Hu
Organizer & activist running to represent District 38 including the neighborhoods of Red Hook, Sunset Park, South Slope, Windsor Terrace, Dyker Heights & Borough Park.
Every dollar an NYC resident gives is matched 8-to-1 under the city’s new campaign finance reforms. That means every $10 you give is equivalent to a $90 donation. Our average contribution is less than $35. We are truly a grassroots campaign and your small dollar donation is key to that!
Meet Whitney
Whitney is the daughter and granddaughter of immigrants and, when she wins, will be the first ever Asian-American representative elected out of Brooklyn. She is a community-driven organizer and activist, who builds coalitions to respond to the growing needs and fears of her neighbors.
Her work includes fighting the displacement of New Yorkers being forced out of their homes for rich real estate interests; supporting small businesses that are struggling to stay open; advocating for the city to focus on remaining damages from Hurricane Sandy; demanding solutions for dangerous streets that have resulted in precious lives lost because of reckless drivers, and fighting to keep ICE out of our neighborhoods across New York City.
Whitney is running because she wants a New York that works for everyone. That means building justice from the ground up, and she’s ready to do that hard work — street by street, home by home, because our community is only as strong as our most vulnerable.
Events
“all organizing is science fiction. we are bending the future, together, into something we have never experienced. a world where everyone experiences abundance, access, pleasure, human rights, dignity, freedom, transformative justice, peace. we long for this, we believe it is possible.”
– adrienne maree-brown
Her Platform
Whitney built her platform on insights from in-depth conversations with community members, including parents, immigrants, nonprofit leaders, policy wonks, residents from Red Hook Houses, activists and kids (who often had the best and boldest ideas). She believes these members of the community are the true stakeholders, not rich developers or bureaucratic politicians, and they should inform the solutions to the issues that the community is facing today.
Whitney believes that New Yorkers shouldn’t have to worry about their ability to meet basic needs such as food, housing, safety, transportation and healthcare, which means we need to be developing policies that make New York City affordable and accessible for all. She firmly stands by the fact that over-policing should not be the chief way that New Yorkers of color are interacting with their own government. District 38 needs more resources and investments to reduce the friction in daily lives, so they can focus on their families, work, and contribute towards a stronger community from Red Hook to Sunset Park.
This platform is just the beginning. Have an idea? Want to set up coffee with Whitney to talk about your block or an issue you’ve been facing? Email her at whitney@hu2021.com.
Students Ride for Free & Free 3-K for Pre-K
Whitney will work to ensure every student in New York City can ride for free across the MTA. Kids should be focused on their studies — not whether there is enough money on their MetroCard, or if they’ll get in trouble for jumping the turnstile. Because the schools of District 38 are in D15 alongside Park Slope, they are given less funding, despite the benefits that individual schools and residents would receive. Whitney will start by advocating for free 3-K for Pre-K, and making sure that our public schools and students are given the resources they need to succeed.
Community-Led Climate & Flood Response
We know our neighborhoods best. Whitney wants to build both a visioning and rapid response plan with neighbors, community partners and experts. Let’s dream of what a climate justice future looks like, while also preparing for the next climate-related disaster.
Demanding for a Comprehensive Rezoning & a Better Vision for Us
There are far too many “projects” and rezoning proposals happening in our District with very little transparency, oversight or overall planning. Whitney is pushing for a comprehensive rezoning that accounts for our climate vulnerabilities, protection of our waterfront, and our small manufacturers who are still there despite real estate interests and big-box retail stores.
Supporting Small Businesses & Commercial Rent Stabilization
Too many unique small businesses have been lost in our neighborhoods because their rents are hijacked by greedy landlords who would rather have an empty storefront than maintain the character of the community. We must work toward providing commercial rent stabilization and more support for small businesses navigating tricky permits and the new e-commerce era.
The Tiniest Town Halls
Sometimes the smallest things are the most radical. Whitney plans to address the needs of the district street by street such as where we need more street trees, sidewalks that need to be fixed, places we can bring a community garden, and potholes to be filled. When elected, she and her team will do this regularly to cover every block and invite the residents of that block to meet with her for these mini-town halls.
Redefining Sanctuary
Whitney is passionate about making sure that New York City is not just a sanctuary city in name only. She seeks to expand on who “sanctuary” applies to and make sure it includes not only immigrants, but also queer / trans folks, black lives, sex workers and anyone who has been repeatedly victimized or targeted. To her, sanctuary also means working to end the carceral state from abolishing ICE to committing to adding no new jails and closing Rikers.
Support Whitney Today
Every dollar an NYC resident gives is matched 8-to-1 under the city’s new campaign finance reforms. That means every $10 you give is equivalent to a $90 donation. Help us run a competitive race, and help Whitney win in 2021!
If you can’t support her monetarily, spread the word about her campaign and volunteer with us today.