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Rita Joseph is a Haitian-born American educator, activist, and politician. She is the Democratic nominee for the 40th district of the New York City Council – tantamount to election in the heavily Democratic district, which covers Flatbush and several other neighborhoods in central Brooklyn. Early life and Education

Joseph grew up in Flatbush after immigrating from Haiti at a young age. Joseph graduated from the now-closed- Sarah J. Hale High School. Joseph holds a bachelor’s in science in Liberal Arts from St. Francis College and a dual master’s degree in General and Special Education from Touro College.

Career

Joseph began her political involvement at just nineteen years old, when she organized her first rally with a group she founded, Haitian Enforcement Against Racism in order to protest the FDA's discriminatory "bad blood" rules that prevented people of Haitian descent from donating blood. The rally succeeded in its mission, and the FDA rescinded the rule. Joseph has organized numerous community events such as toy drives, community street fairs. She served as Chairwoman of the Neighborhood Advisory Board and has been a part of the Citywide Participatory Budgeting Committee since 2018. At PS6, Joseph serves as the ESL Coordinator. 2021 City Council Campaign In 2019, Joseph announced her 2021 campaign to succeed Mathieu Eugene for the 40th Council district. Rita Joseph received endorsements from State Senator John Liu, former NYC Council speaker Melissa Mark Viverito, 21 in ‘21, 1199SEIU (her sole union endorsement), and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez’s Courage to Change PAC. Notably, Joseph was not endorsed by her own union, the UFT, who endorsed her opponent, Josue Pierre. Joseph won the 11-way primary in a landslide victory, with 25.3% of the first-round RCV vote and 59.6% of the final-round RCV vote. Her main competition came from Josue Pierre, the cousin of Assemblymember and Kings County Democratic Party Chairwoman Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn. Joseph announced victory following the primary and faces minimal resistance in the November election. Joseph’s 2021 platform was focused on improving public schools, fighting for affordable housing, and enacting criminal justice reform. Joseph intends to govern in a collaborative manner with her constituents, writing “For too long, elected officials have made decisions for, rather than with, working people. My candidacy is dedicated to changing that.” Personal Life

Joseph currently lives in Flatbush. She is a member of the Holy Innocent Catholic Church in Flatbush.