Latest Updates

Due to recommendations from New York City Department of Health and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Brooklyn Young Republican Club will be transitioning our Wednesday, March 25 “Women’s History Month: Advancing HerStory” panel to online streaming platforms: Facebook, Twitch, and YouTube. During our time of social distancing, we think it’s important to continue our celebration of Women’s History Month and continue to drive conversation on important issues.

According to the New York City Department of Health, “Limiting the number of people who congregate and interact with one another within a facility and allowing more physical space between people can help to curb spread of this infection.” We want to do our part to mitigate exposure and transmission of COVID-19.

INFORMATION TO PROTECT AND UNDERSTAND COVID-19 BELOW:

COVID-19 Facts

COVID-19 Fact SheetRead

How does COVID-19 spread?

• The virus can spread to people who are in close contact (within about 6 feet) with an infected person when that person coughs or sneezes.

• The virus is spreading between people with no link to travel or to another positive case.

• Scientists disagree on how long COVID-19 lives on surfaces, but it can live on surfaces that people frequently touch. The virus can then be spread if someone touches their eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.

• Public health officials are still learning about the virus that causes COVID-19, but it is believed that people who are experiencing symptoms (coughing and sneezing) are most likely to transmit the virus to others.

Stop The Spread

We are exceptionally grateful to the New York City Department of Health for their meticulous and careful guidance during this State of Emergency.

New Yorkers are longing for good government and parties who foster meaningful competition in order to serve the people objectively well. We should be holding our elected leaders to a higher standard and hold them accountable for not addressing the needs of the community. Kicking the can down the road for the next election or opposing any proposal due to blind partisanship is not cutting it nor has it ever. It does not serve the people. The solutions that can create substantive transformations transcend partisan purity by seeking to serve the greater good of all. The goal is to advance good solutions on issues that matter. The Brooklyn Young Republican Club is committed to building the kind of political organization you can come to trust will advance life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all.

Even under a system of due process and the rule of law, there must always be room for compassion, context and mercy–for not even one of us is perfect.

We are committed to civil self-government that respects individual liberties, justice, and equal rights for all people. A person’s race, religion, immigration status, gender, sexual orientation, and gender expression should have no bearing on a person’s ability to enjoy our unalienable rights, “that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

Let’s work together to advance equity. Any one of us can find ourselves struggling from hardship, misfortune, mistake or oppression. Too many have and too many still do. That’s why we must stand together as one nation, united, and pledge to aid each other mutually and equitably whenever required, so we can all live up to our fullest potential as a free and just people. It’s our goal to advance policies of inclusion that will expand opportunity for all.

Ideological purity has been a disaster on both sides of the political aisle.

Compromise is not capitulation. Compromise towards progress is instead the cornerstone of success and prosperity for all people throughout history. Brooklynites are tired of the status quo, and they deserve bold leadership that is positive, constructive, and cognizant of their needs, their desires and their dreams. We should not be trying to move Brooklyn right or left. We should be working together to move Brooklyn forward.

Lastly, it’s okay to disagree. Engaging in civil discourse is what makes this country the greatest country in the world. We need a bullish market for ideas. Our republic needs it to survive. Doing so will make our government more proactive in improving the lives of all people in Brooklyn and beyond.

It’s time we advance a party with an agenda focused on advancing our unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. A vision that will move America forward.

A new way of getting things done. Together.

In late August of 1619 a ship docked at Point Comfort in the British Colony of Virginia with a cargo of about 30 enslaved Africans, thus marking the beginning of a system of chattel slavery that would last for the next 250 years (Silverstein, 2019). The United States of America was built upon the backs of an entire generation of enslaved people. Black History Month is a time to reflect on the blood, sweat, and tears that made this country great, the contributions that sowed the fabric of American culture, and how much more we need to do, so that all people have the opportunity to achieve the American Dream.

Black history is American history, and the BKYR made a special effort to recognize, learn, and celebrate our shared history.

In recognition of Black History Month, the Brooklyn Young Republican Club (BKYR) hosted a very special “Advancing Black Equity” panel, moderated by Spectrum News Anchor, NY1, Errol Louis on Wednesday, February 26, 2020, in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. The panel featured Republican congressional candidate running against Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, Jineea Butler, Black Lives Matter Brooklyn President Anthony Beckford, and John Jay College of Criminal Justice Professor Dr. Janice Johnson-Dias.

The purpose of this event was to drive a conversation that is often neglected on both sides of the political aisles. It was a heated, but an inspiring discussion with one goal in mind: Advancing Black Equity in Brooklyn and beyond. The panel discussed: systemic racism, building wealth, black advocacy, and the barriers hindering the advancement of black equity.

The following day marked the 160th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s historic “Right Makes Might” speech in Cooper Union’s Great Hall; a speech that would forever change the direction of the United States of America. President Lincoln stood in front of the masses on February 26, 1860, to condemned slavery, appealed to the righteous position of the free states, and spoke truth to power on what is right and wrong.

BKYR members attended The Lincoln Project’s “Country Over Party ” event at Cooper Union on Thursday, February 27, 2020. The event opened with an excerpt of Lincoln’s speech that would define the evening, “Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith, let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it.” The Lincoln Project filled the room with a sense of hope and reaffirmed the notion that political choices are moral choices, and that unity comes not from compromise, but through shared conviction. Abraham Lincoln ended slavery because it was right. In 1880, you couldn’t become a member of the BKYR unless they supported the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth amendments, because it was right. We stood up for what was right, fought for moral reasons, and we struck down laws for moral reasons.

The BKYR’s mission and the historical mission of the party of Lincoln is to “Advance life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all,” no matter who you are and where you come from, because we are human and most importantly we are Americans. It is in this mission and the historic reform legacy of the Republican Party towards this objective that we should see ourselves as Republicans.

Let us never forget that “Right Makes Might.”

We have now reach that time of the year for the Brooklyn Young Republican Club, in which our greatest experiment in human history is utilized. Democracy.

Pursuant to our bylaws, the Brooklyn Young Republican Club is once again preparing to hold elections for our Club Officers and Board of Directors, which will be held at our annual meeting this summer.

The positions up for election are:

• President, currently held by Joel Acevedo
• Vice-President, currently held by Andrew Windsor
• Treasurer, currently vacant
• Secretary, currently vacant
• Eleven Members of the Board of Directors, currently held by Jonathan Judge, Jay Cruger, Joseph Colella and Joshua Ferraiuolo; with seven vacancies.

All nominees for Club Officers, “shall be eligible for office, who at the time of their nomination and election, shall have been a Regular member in good standing from the prior calendar year and shall have attended at least 50% of the minimum number of required Regular meetings of the Club, or no fewer than (2) Regular or Special meetings of the Club, in the prior calendar year, as documented on the official attendance sheets maintained by the Club Secretary” (Article V, Sec 2). Nominees for Board of Directors, “shall be eligible for a position of Director of the Board, who at the time of their nomination and election, shall have been a Regular member in good standing from the prior calendar year and shall have attended at least 50% of the minimum number of required Regular meetings of the Club, or no fewer than (2) Regular or Special meetings of the Club, in the prior calendar year, as documented on the official attendance sheets maintained by the Club Secretary” (Article VI, Sec 2).

Nominations for positions on the Executive Team and Board of Directors, are submitted via email to the attention of the Elections Committee Chair, Avery Pereira, who was appointed on January 2, 2020 by the Board of Directors, pursuant to our bylaws. Nominations may be made by any club member in good standing by emailing their list of nominations to Averyn94@yahoo.com.

Please provide the Election Committee Chair with your full name, so he could cross check if you are eligible to submit your nominations (Failure to do so will result in your nominations being void for consideration.) The Elections Committee will certify that nominees are qualified to serve and will ensure that they disclose compliance with our bylaws’ conflicts of interest provisions.

Nominations must be received on or before 12:00 AM, Wednesday, March 25, 2020. No nomination made by a member who is not in good standing may be accepted. If you would like to make a nomination or run for a position but have not paid your dues yet for 2020, please visit our website, brooklynyr.com and renew online today. Nominations will be read out and seconded at our March 25th Meeting. Any nominee who is not seconded will not be eligible to run for office at the club’s Annual Meeting.

If you have any questions, please refer to the club’s bylaws or email us at info@brooklynyr.com.

The Brooklyn Young Republican Club is proud to announce our “BKYR Agenda 2020: Taking Action Together” agenda initiative. On Monday, January 6, 2020, the BKYR Board of Directors voted unanimously on the adoption of Resolution #2-2020 to establish a process for the adoption of the Club’s yearly agenda initiatives. The purpose of this initiative is to fulfill our Club’s mission of advancing life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all in Brooklyn and beyond. We want to understand individual or/and community concerns and form actionable task forces that will move the needle on the issues that young Brooklyn cares about. 

Through the creation of the BKYR Policy Committee, chaired by Felicia Kalan, “A standing Policy Committee (the “Committee”) shall be constituted to review all Club business concerning matters of public and party policy in order to prepare informed recommendations to the Board of Directors and/or to the Club membership, as appropriate, before further consideration is made. The Committee shall also prepare an annual agenda (the “Agenda”) of priority issues and initiatives for the Club to undertake. The Agenda shall be prepared and submitted for consideration by the Club membership no later than April 30th of each year” (Resolution #2-2020).

On January, 26th, 2020, we launched the “Policy Committee 2020 Agenda Submissions Form,”the first step in the process of developing the BKYR platform. The form allows us to understand the needs of Brooklyn and then use that information to advance solutions. According to the Resolution, “Issues and initiatives (“Submissions”) to be considered for inclusion in the annual Agenda may be made by eligible Club members, as well as non-members at the discretion of the President, to the Committee in accordance with the following requirements:

Submissions may only be made by individuals who live, work or attend an academic institution in Brooklyn under the age of 40; Any Submission that intentionally seeks to exclude, demean or harm any class of individuals based on any of the following criteria shall be deemed ipso facto out of order from any further consideration:  race, color,  creed, age, national origin,  religion, citizenship status, gender, sexual orientation,  disability, marital status, partnership status, caregiver status, sexual and reproductive health decisions, uniformed service,  any lawful source of income; and status as a victim of domestic violence or status as a victim of sex offenses or stalking.”

We invite you to submit an issue or initiative that matters to YOU and/or YOUR COMMUNITY that you would want us to take ACTION on. For example: “The following issue or initiative should be undertaken by the Brooklyn Young Republican Club to ensure life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are more equally enjoyed by everyone in Brooklyn and beyond:

• The New York City Police should be better trained to deal with mental health crises or have a task force dedicated to responding to mental health crises; 
• High Schools should make financial literacy classes a requirement in high school;
• Give tax breaks to employers to promote biking to work; 
• Legalize marijuana; 
• Combat mold in public housing

The Brooklyn Young Republican Club looks forward to advancing life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; and advancing equity wherever it may lack in Brooklyn and beyond! DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: FEBURARY 29, 2020.

LISTEN! ORGANIZE! ACT! Is how we take care of Brooklyn at the BKYR.

They say hindsight is 20/20, if that is the case, then it is imperative that we don’t make the same mistakes twice. The Brooklyn Young Republican Club is starting the new decade off a little differently. We are doing something current republican groups are not doing.

We are going to listen.  

The BKYR is taking it back to basics and will reconnect our vision with local communities — by speaking their language (even literally). What is our vision for Brooklyn and beyond? To advance life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all people. No matter a person’s religion, color, gender, sexual orientation, economic status, or citizenship status. We are going to reach out to communities, listen, and refocus our priorities on issues that the Mayor, the City Council, and Albany have consistently dropped the ball on. But to solve issues locally, we need to think globally. 

We need to think beyond our borders because as the melting pot of the world, its success and mission rests in the advancement of all people to have life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In this aspect, thinking globally is the most efficient mechanism to guarantee our continued enjoyment of those rights here at home. Whether that is organizing for climate action, tackling student debt, or the fight to end “never-ending” wars, we will work to bring solutions to these issues.

We aim to cultivate an ethos that fosters true unity as Americans; standing up for all human beings struggling to make it, who yearn to start a family, or are struggling to raise one. Through community building, shared values, and a commitment in promoting the general welfare as the constitution requires, together we will move Brooklyn forward.

We will strive to advance equity, wherever it may lack, towards the many major issues facing the world, all while dedicated to cultivating and supporting strong, forward-thinking leaders to participate in the political process, and work to bring transparency, accountability, and reform to Brooklyn and beyond.

Through our bold new agenda initiative over the course of a few months, we will orient ourselves to what the people need, and develop a platform of solutions to those issues. We will fight for people, not abstract concepts. As we move forward into the new decade, remember one thing, the “R” in republican means reform.

The Brooklyn Young Republican Club is proud to present our new and improved website. The website’s design fully captures the essence of the Club and who we are. Not only do we have a sexy new look, we have a bunch of cool new features for our members. We have made becoming a member much simpler, while also providing  all members with a membership login/account. Members can update subscriptions, access special tickets or products we may be offering in the future, and downloadable content.

The public can now smoothly navigate upcoming events and register for those events. And if you don’t want to become a member but still want to support the movement, there is now a donation feature where you could choose and know exactly where your generous contribution will be going; FULL TRANSPARENCY.

We ain’t your granddaddy’s version of Republicans, so buckle up, it’s gonna be one hell of a ride.

-Joel Acevedo, BKYR President