From The Desk Of…Andrea Stewart-Cousins
State Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins of Westchester County weathered one of the closest elections in state history in 2005 when she lost by 18 votes, only to come back and win by several thousand votes two years later. Today political observers mention her as a possible candidate for a leadership position in the state Senate. Fortunately, she’s got a lot of meaningful mementos to remind her where she came from.
- Photos by Aaron Adler
- “Where Life Takes You” mug
“This is from a big development that’s really changing lives in Yonkers. That’s their slogan. I like the slogan because who knows where life takes you? My career has certainly been unexpected and unpredictable.” - Miracle League baseball
“It’s an opening day ball from April 29, 2010. We helped fund it so disabled children could play on the field. It is beautiful to see disabled children, who never had the hope of playing baseball, play there.” - Dog box
“This is a supporter of mine. His name is Jack. He’s an avid campaigner, and he comes with me to train stations. This is Jack on the box.” - Hillary Clinton photo
“I think this is my first run, when I lost by 18 votes. What she was saying to me there was, ‘I’m so proud of you.’ I really couldn’t believe she was saying that. I told her I’m so proud of her. It was a shared moment.” - 1870 map of New York
“This is a historic map. It is on loan from a constituent who wanted to share this with me. I thought it was fitting.” - Sun drawing
“This was drawn by elementary schoolchildren in Yonkers. This is their vision of the world. The sun is pretty straightforward, happy, with eyes wide open.” - Afghan
“This was made by girls at the Pleasantville Cottage School. I went to their graduation, and they gave it to me in gratitude.” - Harriet Tubman quote
“It’s so important to remember. We forget we have within us the strength if we have the passion to change the world.” - Yonkersopoly
“That’s exactly what it is. Some entrepreneurial spirit decided Yonkers was so much fun that it was a board game.” - African doll
“This is recycled. It’s an angel. I was a speaker at a college program at Manhattanville College. It’s made of brown paper bags.” - U.S. flag
“This is my dad’s flag. He was a World War II vet, and earned a Purple Heart. My parents were great. They came up in a time when it was difficult for African-Americans.” - Painting of Yonkers Pier
“It’s there. Yonkers has had such a difficult time, and the pier is one of the first symbols of its revitalization.” - Sister to Sister International Award 2007
“I’ve been involved with the group since its inception. I made presentations to the group to encourage women to know their states and be proactive about their health. It’s a gorgeous award. That’s why I have it up there.” - Placeholder
“It’s a sculpture that I like. It’s very simple, but it reminds me of connectedness.” - Westchester County Press front page
“Don’t you love this? Senators Obama, Biden and Stewart-Cousins. When do you get an endorsement like this? Who would have thought of that headline?” - African print
“This was a print from children at St. Christopher’s’ Greenburgh Academy. They got it in South Africa. It’s a village that is the school. It means you can get help in a lot of different ways.” - Human Rights Commission document
“This was a big deal, because I helped create the county’s human rights commission and authored the state’s human rights laws. Our commission is different from the state’s because we have subpoena power.” - Swearing-in photograph
“This was in January 2007. That’s Judge Judith Kaye. My husband died in 2007. That was the only time he had to see me in office. We worked so hard. Those are all of my kids.”
Tags: Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Harriet Tubman, state senate, Westchester County, Yonkers Pier, Yonkersopoly