New York City Mayor Bill deBlasio has bestowed special honor on Dr Una Clarke, the first Caribbean-born woman to be ever elected to the City Council.

He also praised her Brooklyn-based Progressive Democrats Political Association (PDPA) at a gala ceremony commemorating the 25th anniversary of the group that was founded by the Jamaican-born Clarke.

“You did something powerful that will help everyone,” said the mayor, after reading part of a New York City Proclamation.

Prior to bestowing the honor, deBlasio described PDPA’s 25thanniversary as “extraordinary,” stating that the organization has the ability to reach many.

“There was a time when many doubted PDPA,” he said. “I had the honor to serve as Yvette’s (Congresswoman Yvette D Clarke) campaign chair. So, I wanted to be here to celebrate, because everyone in this room has made a profound difference.

“And I must tell you, I wouldn’t be Mayor of New York City if it wasn’t for PDPA. I want to congratulate PDPA.

New York State Assemblywoman Diana Richardson, representative for the 43rd Assembly District in Brooklyn and the daughter of Caribbean nationals, also dispatched a State citation to PDPA, read by PDPA St Vincentian-born president Veronica Phillips.

PDPA, in turn, honored 14 community figures during the four-plus-hour-long gala celebration.

“We have come to celebrate our Silver Jubilee, our 25th year, as a strong political movement within Central Brooklyn,” said Dr Clarke, who hails from the parish of St Elizabeth.

“We honor those early pioneering members who had faith in the future of our central Brooklyn community. They were the bold ones who endorsed me for my first New York City Council campaign, thus laying a solid foundation upon which we have built a movement.”

She said PDPA has become “a strong political movement, which has conducted many successful campaigns, successfully electing not only our Congress Member the Honorable Yvette D Clarke but also other federal, state and city officials, including judges and community leaders.