Famous Salsa musician Willie Colon endorsed candidate Bill Thompson for mayor yesterday. Colon who started his career as a musician, then became a civil rights & political activist by the age of 16. Mr. Colon has served as a member of the Latino Commission on Aids and United Nations Immigrant Foundation. He is the President of the Arthur Schomburg Coalition for a better New York, and is on the board of directors of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute. In 1995 Mr. Colon became the first minority to serve on the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) national board.
In 1994 Willie Colon ran for congress. In his first try for political office he narrowly missed victory over then four term incumbent Eliot Engel, and since then Colon and Engel have become good friends. Willie Colon has been an advisor and liaison to Latin Media Entertainment Coalition which includes Robert Deniro and Jennifer Lopez. Colon endorsed Hillary Clinton in 2008, and used his music to help campaign against Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez.
Colon in a statement said that "Billy has always listened to our concerns, and has given us a seat at the table working closely with the Latino community. He understands our values and our cultures, will put policies in place to improve our economy, preserve our communities, advance our education system, and create opportunities for small business. Colon added " As mayor of New York City I know that Billy Thompson has what it takes to overcome any problems our city may face in the future, and I hope you will help me Elect Billy Thompson our next Mayor".
Left - Willie Colon and Bill Thompson pose for photo as Willie Colon announces his support for Billy Thompson for mayor.
Right - Billy thanks his friend Willie Colon for the endorsement.
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