WHEREAS, in her 16 years of distinguished service on the bench, in her 13 years of public service in the Bronx District Attorney’s office, these past three years as District Attorney, Darcel Clark, has been a passionate advocate for UFT members; and

WHEREAS, as the first woman elected Bronx District Attorney and the first African American District Attorney elected in New York State, District Attorney Clark has been and continues to be a trailblazer; and

WHEREAS, as a graduate of Truman HS and the product of the public school system, District Attorney Clark has invested in the city’s teenagers by creating the Youth Trial Advocacy Program, an initiative that provides students from 11 Bronx high schools the opportunity to develop advocacy skills and explore a law career by working in teams with an Assistant District Attorney in a moot court competition; and

WHEREAS, District Attorney Clark used her office to foster community service and early childhood literacy by partnering with the Marshall England Early Childhood Learning Centers to hold weekly reading sessions, where volunteers from the Bronx District Attorney’s office read storybooks to children two to five years old; and

WHEREAS, as a livelong Bronx resident, District Attorney Clark has endeavored to earn the trust of the people of the Bronx, describing her mission as the Bronx District Attorney as “Pursuing Justice with Integrity”, she started “Creating Opportunities Necessary to Create Empowered Positive Teens” or “CONCEPT”, a life-skills curriculum for middle school students covering law, decision-making, conflict resolution, problem solving, peer pressure, cyber bullying, anger management, gang affiliation, unlawful weapons, violence, substance abuse, community awareness and goal setting in order to provide children the opportunity to develop positive relationships with peers and authority figures, develop a realistic view of criminality and become better thinkers; therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the UFT endorse Darcel Denise Clark in her re-election for Bronx District Attorney as we believe she will continue to be a strong ally in the arena of justice for our members, our schools and our borough.