Inez Dickens

Dickens is a lifelong resident of New York City. Her father, Lloyd E. Dickens, was a Democratic District Leader and a member of the New York Assembly, and her uncle Thomas K. Dickens was an assemblyman and a justice on the New York Supreme Court.{{cite web |url=http://amsterdamnews.com/news/2017/feb/09/inez-dickens-sworn-assembly-member/ |title = Inez Dickens sworn in as Assembly member |access-date=2020-10-28 |last=Boyd |first=Herb |date=2017-02-09 |work=Amsterdam News}} She attended P.S. 133 and Julia Richman High School, and later did undergraduate studies in real estate and land economics at New York University and later at Howard University and later continued education for graduation in Chicago. Dickens was first elected to office in 1974 as a State Party Committeewoman, and served in that capacity for 32 years.{{cite web |url=http://council.nyc.gov/d9/html/members/home.shtml |title=Official Bio - Inez Dickens |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160318202513/http://council.nyc.gov/d9/html/members/home.shtml |access-date=2016-03-18 |archive-date=2016-03-18 }}

In the 2004 presidential election, she served as one of New York's 33 presidential electors, casting her ballot for John Kerry. After Bill Perkins opted to run for the New York State Senate in 2005, Dickens entered the primary for City Council to replace him, and won. She won re-election handily in 2009 and again in 2013.

Inez became the councilmember for the 9th New York City Council District in 2006, serving the communities of Central Harlem, Morningside Heights, East Harlem and parts of the Upper West Side. As a newly elected council member, Inez was appointed majority whip and chair of the Committee on Standards and Ethics.{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/12/nyregion/12harlem.html |title=Faltering Harlem Housing Deal Won City Cash |access-date=11 October 2022 |last=Russ |first=Buettner |date=11 August 2010 |work=NY Times}} She became the first African-American woman in the history of the New York City Council to be appointed to the positions of deputy majority leader and chair of the Subcommittee on Planning, Dispositions and Concessions.

In August 2013, the New York Post wrote a series of articles detailing Inez Dicken's history as a landlord. As of July 2013, she had $265,000 in unpaid code violations dating as far back as 2004,{{cite news |url=https://nypost.com/2013/07/29/defiant-harlem-pol-owes-265g-in-rat-trap-fines-bills-and-taxes/ |title=Defiant Harlem pol owes $265G in rat-trap fines, bills and taxes |work=NY Post |date=2013-07-23 |access-date=2015-09-22 }} earning her a spot on the Public Advocate's "Worst Landlord's Watch List."{{cite news |url=https://nypost.com/2013/07/30/cofflaw-city-pol-is-the-law/ |title=$cofflaw city pol is the law |work=NY Post |date=2013-07-30 |access-date=2015-09-22 }} She had previously voted to improve "slumlord accountability."{{cite news |url=https://nypost.com/2013/08/02/aint-that-the-dickens/ |title=Ain't that the Dickens! |work=NY Post |date=2013-08-02 |access-date=2015-09-22 }}

In 2016, Assemblyman Keith L. T. Wright, who had served in the Assembly for over 25 years, announced he would run to succeed long-time Congressman Charlie Rangel. However, his campaign was unsuccessful, losing to state Senator Adriano Espaillat in a very close race.

{{cite web

| title = Keith Wright Weighs Options Amid Uptown Power Shifts

| url = http://www.gothamgazette.com/state/6534-keith-wright-weighs-options-amid-uptown-power-shifts

| access-date = 2017-01-04

}}

While Wright had the opportunity to again run for his Assembly seat, he had promised not to, and instead retired to the private sector.

{{cite web

| title = Keith Wright supports Inez Dickens to get her city council seat

| date = 17 July 2016

| url = https://nypost.com/2016/07/17/keith-wright-supports-inez-dickens-for-her-city-council-seat/

| access-date = 2017-01-04

}}

As a result, Dickens, term-limited at the end of 2017 in the Council, was selected to run for the seat. She was unopposed in the primary, and won the general election against Republican Heather Tarrant by a 93% to 7% margin.

{{cite web

|title = Councilwoman Inez Dickens Wins Assembly Seat to Represent Harlem in Albany - Central Harlem - DNAinfo New York

|url = https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20161109/central-harlem/inez-dickens-state-assembly-heather-tarrant

|access-date = 2017-01-04

|url-status = dead

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170105084627/https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20161109/central-harlem/inez-dickens-state-assembly-heather-tarrant

|archive-date = 2017-01-05

}}

Dickens was sworn into her first term in the Assembly on January 1, 2017. State Senator Bill Perkins, who held Dickens' council seat until 2005, was elected to replace her in 2017.

A "grassroots" non-profit organization, "New York 4 Harlem", solicited donations of $500 to $5,000 and was reported in 2018 to have been a front for Dickens and three other Harlem elected officials.{{Cite web|url=https://nypost.com/2018/02/19/grassroots-nonprofit-group-has-ties-to-powerful-politicians/|title='Grassroots' nonprofit group has ties to powerful politicians|first=Carl|last=Campanile|date=February 19, 2018}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.harlemworldmagazine.com/harlem-grassroots-nonprofit-ties-powerful-politicians-reports-ny-post/|title=Harlem 'Grassroots' Nonprofit Has Ties To Powerful Politicians Reports NY Post|first=Harlem World|last=Magazine|work=Harlem World Magazine |date=February 19, 2018}}

In addition, a flyer organizing a free bus trip to Albany for a conference organized by the NY State Assn. of Black and Puerto Rican Legislators with the New York 4 Harlem's name on it featured a picture of Dickens and the three other officials.{{Cite news|url=https://nypost.com/2018/02/19/grassroots-nonprofit-group-has-ties-to-powerful-politicians|title='Grassroots' nonprofit group has ties to powerful politicians|date=2018-02-19|work=New York Post|access-date=February 28, 2018|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=http://harlemworldmag.com/harlem-grassroots-nonprofit-ties-powerful-politicians-reports-ny-post|title=Harlem 'Grassroots' Nonprofit Has Ties To Powerful Politicians Reports NY Post|date=2018-02-19|work=Harlem World Magazine|access-date=February 28, 2018|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=https://nycinquirer.com/2018/02/20/harlem-non-profit-accused-secretly-working-local-politicians|title=Harlem Non-Profit Accused Of Secretly Working For Local Politicians |date=2018-02-20|work=NYC Inquirer|access-date=February 28, 2018|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180221100108/https://nycinquirer.com/2018/02/20/harlem-non-profit-accused-secretly-working-local-politicians/|archive-date=2018-02-21|url-status=dead}} Nonprofit organizations (501c3 organizations) except 501c4 organizations are not allowed to take part in campaign activity. The contact person for the event was a staffer working in the office of one of the other three legislators.

Dickens was the wealthiest member of the Assembly in 2014, with an estimated net worth of $2.1 million. She is the owner of 201 West 139th street estimated value $50 million. {{cite news |url=http://observer.com/2014/12/in-bloombergs-shadow-new-york-citys-wealthiest-elected-officials/ |title=In Bloomberg's Shadow: New York City's Wealthiest Elected Officials |work=The Observer |date=2014-12-10 |access-date=2015-09-22 }}

Dickens was appointed to leadership of the New York State Assembly to Deputy Majority Whip in 2023 {{cite web | url=https://nyassembly.gov/mem/leadership/ | title=Assembly Leadership | New York State Assembly }} Throughout her leadership and decades of knowledge and experience, Dickens has helped pave the way for the creation of a new 400,000-square-foot mixed-use complex on 125th St. set to include a civil rights museum and 170 affordable housing units {{Cite web |url=https://nul.org/news/national-urban-league-empowerment-center |access-date=2024-03-11 |website=nul.org |title=We're Proud to Share That NYC Will Remain Our Home, with Historic Plans for Our Future Move to Harlem! | National Urban League }}{{Cite web |title=Governor Cuomo Announces Groundbreaking for $242 Million National Urban League Headquarters in Harlem |url=https://hcr.ny.gov/governor-cuomo-announces-groundbreaking-242-million-national-urban-league-headquarters-harlem |access-date=2024-03-11 |website=Homes and Community Renewal |language=en}}

Deputy Majority Whip Dickens retired from the New York State Assembly at the end of her term on December 31st, 2024 {{Cite web |date=2024-01-22 |title=Longtime Harlem lawmaker Inez Dickens to retire as candidates angle to replace her |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/2024/01/22/longtime-harlem-lawmaker-inez-dickens-to-retire-as-candidates-angle-to-replace-her/ |access-date=2024-03-11 |website=New York Daily News |language=en-US}}

• Paterson, David "Black, Blind, & In Charge: A Story of Visionary Leadership and Overcoming Adversity." New York, New York, 2020

{{reflist}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20170105085956/http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Inez-Dickens Assemblymember Inez Dickens] official website

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{{s-ttl|title=New York City Council, 9th district|years=2006–2016}}

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{{s-bef|before=Keith L.T. Wright}}

{{s-ttl|title=New York Assembly, 70th District|years=2017–present}}

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{{New York State Assembly}}

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Category:Living people

Category:New York City Council members

Category:2004 United States presidential electors

Category:Women state legislators in New York (state)

Category:New York (state) Democrats

Category:2000 United States presidential electors

Category:2008 United States presidential electors

Category:Women New York City Council members

Category:21st-century American women politicians

Category:David Paterson

Category:Julia Richman Education Complex alumni

Category:African-American state legislators in New York (state)

Category:1949 births

Category:21st-century members of the New York State Legislature