Biography: Bill Perkins
Hard Work, Passion, Results
From growing up in East Harlem, to earning scholarships to a top preparatory school and Ivy League college, to surviving colon cancer and running several New York City Marathons, to becoming the third highest ranking member of the New York City Council and now running for New York State Senate, Bill Perkins never has lost his street smarts and never has forgotten the road he traveled.
Bill Perkins walks everywhere. During his daily travel through his native Harlem, he keeps the young,
elderly and the most vulnerable New Yorkers on the top of his legislative agenda. Since his election
to the New York City Council, he has earned the respect of his City Council colleagues. As Deputy
Majority Leader, he’s also been able to get results. Legendary columnist Jack Newfield described
Bill Perkins as "a legislator who has no fear and limitless empathy for life's casualties."
Bill Perkins started his political career as a community activist. The strategies he used to win neighborhood battles are now used to win legislative victories -- successfully restoring millions of dollars to keep senior centers, libraries, parks, playgrounds and other essential services open, investing in culture and the arts and insuring the involvement of community-based organizations in the critical delivery of governmental services. The leadership of Bill Perkins resulted in the enactment of The Childhood Lead Paint Poisoning Prevention Act of 2004 to protect children from the deadly effects of lead in their homes. New York now has the best preventions in the country. For winning this fight, Juan Gonzales in the Daily News called Bill Perkins "a hero" and wrote, "It took the stamina of a long-distance runner to prevail against the city's powerful landlord lobby, which has resisted stronger lead paint removal laws for decades."
A colon cancer survivor, Bill Perkins knows how important early detection is. He has been successful
in setting up early detection programs in city hospitals so that other colon cancer victims will
survive and he has helped safeguard the health of children and adults by fighting asthma, infant and
maternal mortality, HIV/AIDS and making quality health care more accessible to all New Yorkers.
A strong supporter of public education, Bill Perkins has fought to give every single child the same chance to succeed that he was given. He made sure that funding for computer technology, public libraries and the rehabilitation of school playgrounds remain a municipal government priority. Fighting and winning funding to increase The City University of New York (CUNY) scholarships, full-time faculty staffing and college prep courses, Perkins is a leading voice to maintain the public university’s mission of access and excellence.
Called an "anti-rat crusader," Bill Perkins has fought the plague of rats on our streets. Serving as
Chair of Council's Select Committee on Pest Control, he organized a citywide Rat Summit, authored a
comprehensive strategy to solving the City's rat problem and forced the Mayor to act. Even now,
some newspapers still refer to him as the "Rat Man."
Going back to his roots as a Democratic District Leader and tenant activist, Perkins remains in good street-fighting form. As Chair of its Governmental Operations Committee, he continues to speak strongly on matters of basic justice, equity and just-plain fairness and to make city government more responsive to the people. Last summer, when peaceful demonstratators rallying during the Republican National Convention were wrongly arrested, held in unsafe conditions and denied basic rights, Bill Perkins was the first to hold hearings and expose the abuses. Vigilant in the protections of civil rights and liberties, Perkins introduced The Patriot Act Resolution that mandates that anti-terrorism laws and policies are implemented in New York do not infringe upon the fundamental right and liberties of New Yorkers. Standing tall for free speech and criminal justice, Perkins has opposed racial, ethnic and religious profiling. Perkins sponsored landmark Legislation to protect the rights of the gay, lesbian and transgender community and he led the fight for the Living Wage Bill to provide a minimum wage that was also a living wage.
Bill Perkins is a graduate of the Collegiate School and Brown University. He continues to be a dedicated, outspoken and active participant in community and political organizations, including the local branch of the NAACP and New York State Democratic Committee. Perkins has four lovely children and four grandchildren. Perkins is married to Pamela Green, District Leader and Administrative Manager for the Board of Elections.
