Democrats in the Bronx added another club Nov. 17 to grow their political power in the borough.  Formally known as Northwest Bronx Democrats for Change, the group is led by Oswald Feliz, a housing lawyer and Democratic district leader for the 78th Assembly District.

Locally, Feliz has been involved in representing the tenants of Bedford Park Manor in their dispute with the owner, the Stagg Group, over living conditions including broken elevators, bug infestation, and water damage inside apartments.

The group was formed, according to Feliz, in response to a larger threat than just local landlords failing to deliver on basic services.

At the swearing-in ceremony attended by Bronx Democratic Party chair and Assemblyman Marcos Crespo and Norwood Congressman Adriano Espaillat, Feliz mentioned President Donald Trump as a threat to the community.  “We need to make sure that we are organized, and we are engaged so we can successfully defend ourselves against any attacks by the current administration,” Feliz said.

The upcoming 2020 Census is of particular interest to Feliz as a point where the local needs intersect with federal governance.  “We need to make sure that every single person is counted so we can have fair representation in Washington [,D.C.] and throughout the country,” he said.

Feliz will be joined by seven other members in the group

Rachel Miller-Bradshaw will serve as first vice president and wants the group to push for meaningful change in the Bronx and beyond.  “We are not a status quo group, I didn’t join for that,” said Miller-Bradshaw.  “We want to be a do-action group and we want to be very effective so that the community really sees good results,” she added.

Some have wondered whether another political action group is needed in this part of the Bronx.  For example, the Louella Hatch Democratic Club which also serves the northwest Bronx and has been associated with Councilman Fernando Cabrera, share many of the same goals as Feliz’s group, namely, to increase civic engagement, expand voter registration, and promote Democratic Party values.

Anthony Rivieccio, whose own political club nearly bears the exact same name as the newly formed club, is not concerned that another political group is organizing in the Bronx as long as they learn to work collaboratively and not see each other as competitors.

“This is now the third or fourth [political] club in the Fordham Kingsbridge area,” Rivieccio said.  “Maybe this club can enhance the others.” 

Editor’s Note: Rivieccio is a contributor to the Norwood News.

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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.