Level up with Chi Osse

This next issue of SPV's interview series is with everyone's fav Council Member: Chi Osse. The deadline to vote in June's primary election is this Thursday, Feb 13th

Did you know that the mayor’s race is often decided in the JUNE Primary and not the General Election in November? Since NYC votes largely Democratic, some consider the June Primary the real mayor’s race. However, because New York has closed primaries, only voters who are registered as Democrats can participate in the Democratic Primary—yes, that means if you’re an Independent or Working Families Party voter, you’re left out of the primary process. Don’t get left out!

As Councilmember Chi Ossé says below, much of our political system is quite old school and that’s designed to disenfranchise people. If you want to participate in the Primary Election on June 24th, the deadline to update your party affiliation is February 13th. Update it at e-register.vote.nyc/registration!

Important note: This is not an endorsement of the Democratic Party (actually, EW!), but an important detail of New York’s political process.

Follow @SoftPowerVote for more updates on NYC elections!

Leading up to the Democratic Primary on June 24th, Soft Power Vote is partnering with Gunk on an interview series with NYC folks you should know about. Up next: District 36 Councilmember Chi Ossé (Bedford-Stuyvesant, N. Crown Heights).

As one of the city and nation’s youngest elected officials, Chi Ossé, 26, is redefining politics in NYC by making it more accessible. His office began making quippy social videos to celebrate District 36, highlighting block parties and the local Fire Department, but also sharing important PSAs and calls to action—which mobilized thousands of New Yorkers to city meetings. Chi also introduced the recently passed FARE Act, which “prohibits landlords from passing the fees of brokers they hire onto prospective tenants.” Essentially whomever hires the broker, pays the fee—this is considered a big win for renters and will go into effect this June. Chi is doing great things and with City Council also on the ballot this June, he’s up for re-election this year!

This is an excerpt from an interview with City Council member Chi Ossé, conducted on July 20, 2023 for the Level Up podcast by Soft Power Vote.

SOFT POWER VOTE—What’s your favorite artist or album of all time? (No pressure)

CHI OSSÉ—I would say Coastal Grooves by Blood Orange.

As someone who was born and raised in Brooklyn, what is the most New York City thing about you?

I don't know how to drive, nor do I have a driver's license.

Respect. What's something that's misunderstood about New York City and New Yorkers?

That's a great question. That we're all progressive and on the left.

CitiBike or Subway?

MTA.

What sets you apart from other City Council members aside from your age?

A lot of politics is communication and getting the word out to the people. Government can do 8 million good things, but when we're not getting that information out to people that would benefit from those good things, that's where some of, or many of our problems within governing lie.

I am a child of the internet. I grew up using social media at a very young age, and I think a lot of that has been incorporated into how I govern and operate as an elected official, especially when it comes to communicating things to my neighbors.

We’ll touch on social media again later, but first: How does your background serve you in this role as a city councilperson? Having grown up in NYC, being a founding member of Warriors in the Garden, having worked in nightlife, and so on.

I bring all my experiences to what I do as an elected official. One of the first bills that I passed—providing Narcan within nightclubs and bars within New York City and now working expanding that to as many different establishments in New York—comes through a lived experience of not only working in nightlife but also having a friend who passed away through overdose of fentanyl.

When I was in Warriors in the Garden, and even prior to that, I was always frustrated with complacency that has existed within our democracy. I'm so fed up with the government sometimes.

The Met Ball. What's the strategy behind going, and why is it important to attend such a high-profile event?

I chair the Committee on Cultural Affairs, so I work with our city's cultural organizations, including The Met, the Brooklyn Museum, the Brooklyn Children's Museum—from big to small. I'm invited to their benefits and their galas, to support them and their efforts to raise money. [Editor’s note: In January 2024, Chi, along with other progressive City Council members, lost their chair positions in retaliation for voting against the city budget which had cuts to essential services like libraries and schools.]

People come to New York because of its culture. Culture is an economic powerhouse to New York. It accounts for money that goes into tourism or small businesses, an array of different industries within our city. Culture creates public safety within our schools that allows people to express themselves through who they are. I believe that we should be investing in our cultural institutions at every opportunity and chance that we can, and if I get to wear something fashionable to it, too, I’m more than happy to be a part of that.

Let's talk about social media. How do you leverage social as a tool as an elected official?

Listen, in 2024, 40 percent of our electorate will be made up of millennials and Gen Z’ers, and that number is only going to increase over time. Many voters within those generations are leaning towards the left and they're trying to pay attention to what's happening within our democracy—social media is how we reach those voters.

The way that government acts in its current form, on all levels, is very antiquated. There's a bit of intentionality behind that, right? It's to leave many folks out of our democracy. I want to change that through bringing who I am through the medium of social media.

Your social videos about the Rent Guidelines Board meetings vindicates that! You were able to mobilize a crowd to those meetings which shaped the outcome to benefit renters not landlords.

When the Rent Guidelines Board was holding their final hearings, traditionally nobody shows up. When we don't participate in our democracy, many of those [decisions] that harm us are going to continue to happen.

I used social media and TikTok to turn out a record number of people to come participate and testify at a Rent Guidelines Board hearing in Brooklyn. And even though the final rent increased [5.25%] for two-year leases and [2.75%] for one-year leases, that is so much better than [the proposed] 16% and 8% increases. That speaks to how much further we can go if we start activating people earlier within the democratic process.

We love where you're headed, but where do you see yourself in five or 10 years?

I've always struggled with that question because my life is nowhere where I thought it would be five years ago. I don't ever want my existence in life to add to someone else's suffering or sadness or pain. I want to be a contributor to making someone have a better day, year, life, eternity. Whatever I do, I hope it's in that direction; I think that will give me happiness and pleasure.

IG @chiosse

TikTok @chi4nyc

BlueSky @chiosse.bsky.social

X/Twitter @CMChiOsse

Interview with Melissa Gordon Saenz

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ˋ°•*⁀➷ GUNK CLASSIFIEDSˋ°•*⁀➷

is your band (or solo act) looking to connect with other bands or performers to put together a bill for an upcoming show? send GUNK a little intro to your music (no links sorry) including an email address for a reply and we’ll publish the listings!

—> thegunkyard@gmail.com **if you’d rather your email address not listed let us know and we can get you in touch with interested parties**

“Seeking submissions for a long term project surrounding grief/ritual/loss/compulsion to be exhibited alongside the release of a short film. all mediums encouraged! Including writings, paintings, tattoo, floral arrangements, sewing, music, recipes, etc. For more information and questions: contact@Mamieheldman.com”

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this album is crazzzy (good)

xx ceci and hannah