New York’s Caribbean Community mourns Dr John Flateau

Dr John Flateau, former Dean at Brooklyn’s Medgar Evers College’s (MEC) School of Business and Office of External Relations, passed away suddenly on Saturday at the age of 73.

An African-American educator known for his vast intellect, penchant for public service and dedication as an educator, Dr Flateau was a significant figure with in the local community. Dr Flateau spent a considerable amount of time as a professor in the Department of Public Administration, apart from which he was the Director at the Dubois Bunche Center for Public Policy in the Crown Heights, Brooklyn college.

Having joined a predominantly black college, Dr Flateau spend a lot of time teaching and guiding young Caribbean students and is remembered quite fondly by many in the Caribbean community.

Dr Clinton Crawford, a Professor Emeritus in Art at MEC, who was born in Guyana, worked alongside Dr Flateau and spoke highly of his colleague following his passing. He explained that Dr Flateau was quite vocal in his fight against the prison industrial complex and was one of the most significant forces behind the founding of the Ralph Bunche DuBois Center.

He added, “John’s passing is definitely a page removed from the physical annals of Medgar Evers College. Fortunately, we have his contribution and works. Another ancestor has taken his place in the illustrious pantheon of MEC greats.”

Dr Zulema Blair, who is the Jamaican-American chair in MEC’s Department of Public Administration, recalled the time when Dr Flateau became her first supervisor at MEC.

Herself the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, she called Dr Flateau a true warrior whose loss will be felt in the black neighborhoods of Brooklyn, NYC and NYS. She added that Dr Flateau will never be forgotten in the communities he worked with. Congressman Hakeem Jefferies, who represents the Caribbean majority 8th Congressional District in the US House of Representatives as a Democratic Minority Leader expressed his thoughts on Dr Flateau’s passing, saying that he is “deeply saddened by the passing of Dr John Flateau, a brilliant strategist, electoral tactician, scholar and community leader.”

He added, “An important part of a powerful movement led by the late, great Al Vann, Dr Flateau helped to usher in an era of Black political empowerment in Central Brooklyn in the 1980s and 1990s that positively transformed the community and lives on to this day.”

The Haitian-American chair of the Brooklyn Democratic Party, New York State Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, said that the passing of Dr Flateau, a staunch advocate for the community with a profound record of public service in Brooklyn, is a sad affair and that he will be missed by the entire party.

In a statement she added, “Dr. Flateau significantly impacted civil rights, he will be greatly missed, and his legacy will be felt for generations. We’re praying for his loved ones.”

The son of Grenadian immigrants, New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, stated that he was saddened by the passing of Dr Flateau, calling him “a cerebral giant, acclaimed educator and dedicated public servant for the city and state of New York.”

He added that “His long tenure as a professor, administrator and dean at Medgar Evers helped shape the lives of countless students, and his work in both the city and state government helped advance justice and equity for communities across New York.”

“As a former commissioner of the NYC (New York City) Districting Commission, he helped ensure our districts accurately reflect the population and demographic changes of our city. Without his work, I’m not sure I would be where I am today.”

The MEC also issued a statement, describing Dr Flateau as a lifelong learner who “led by example when it came to his students, earning a Ph. D in Political Science, Public Policy and American Politics from CUNY (City University of New York), while also obtaining Masters degrees in Philosophy in Political Science, Public Administration and Political Science, Urban Policy.”

Dr Flateau’s life and the way he used his education and credentials to serve his community became an example for many of the students he taught, even inspiring some within the community to run for congress. Thus, Dr Flateau became a pillar with in the community and became a significant guiding force young Caribbean and black students, cementing his legacy in New York City.