Attorney General Andrew Cuomo Says Brooklyn Landlords Discriminated Against African Americans

Andrew Cuomo, the attorney general for the state of New York, accused landlords in a Brooklyn apartment complex of discriminating against black residents and potential tenants. The AG sued the owners and managers of 1648 - 50 Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn, saying that they were in violation of civil rights and fair housing laws by not showing their units to black applicants.

"These buildings failed the test. They violated the law," Cuomo said.

The suit was filed after a probe by Cuomo's office found that black and white test cases were given disparate treatment. Black applicants were often told that there were no apartments available, when in fact there were. The company, Golden Touch Management, has refused to comment on the case against them.

This is not the only Brooklyn property Cuomo has gone after. He has also reached a settlement with owners of another Brooklyn complex that was also accused of violating fair housing laws and failing to provide anti-discrimination training for their agents.

I am a New Yorker, and it looks like Andrew Cuomo has a very good chance to become the next governor of our state. A Cuomo win might be good for New Yorkers, who have grown disgruntled with the current governor, David Paterson. I spoke with Paterson yesterday on Al Sharpton's radio show, and to be truthful, I believe he is just as competent as Cuomo. In fact, Paterson's ability to overcome his blindness makes him even more impressive than Cuomo.

But when economic times get tough, people seek out new leadership. Cuomo is part of the fresh start that New Yorkers are looking for, and this anti-discrimination suit is likely going to help him eat in to Paterson's African-American base. But if the economy fails to recover early in Cuomo's term, his fate may be similar to Paterson's.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce's commentary delivered to your e-mail, please click here.