Brooklyn College journalism Prof. Ron Howell was at the Brooklyn Book Festival Sunday signing copies of “Boss of Black Brooklyn: The Life and Times of Bertram L. Baker,” his book about a Nevis-born immigrant who made political history in New York.
Among the many book titles, exhibits and appearances at the festival, Howell touted his book and the pioneering achievements of Baker — who was his grandfather.
The Brooklyn Book Festival’s free Festival Day and Literary Marketplace — featuring the works of more than 300 authors — was held from on Sunday Sept. 22 at Brooklyn Borough Hall and in the adjacent Columbus Park and the surrounding neighborhoods.
“Boss of Black Brooklyn” according to publisher Fordham Press, “presents a riveting and untold story about the struggles and achievements of the first black person to hold public office in Brooklyn.”
Born on the Caribbean island of Nevis in 1898, Baker arrived in the U.S. as a teenager. He rose in Brooklyn’s Democratic organization in the 1930s and 1940s and became an assemblyman in 1948, representing the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. He was Brooklyn’s first black elected official.
According to Howell, Baker would often state the fact that he was the second person from the tiny island of Nevis to serve in the Assembly. The first was Nevis-born Alexander Hamilton, who when on to become a Founding Father of the United States!
The publisher is offering a 30% discount off the book’s price when it’s purchased at fordhampress.com during the festival using coupon code BBF2019.
SOURCE: NY Daily News
