From Personal Tragedy To Public Service: Nathaniel Hezekiah III’s 16-Year Record And Community-Driven Fight For South East Queens
By Edwin Freeman for Black Star News Photos: Edwin Freeman In Southeast Queens, where community ties run deep and resilience is a way of life, Nathaniel Hezekiah III is making his case for the New York State Assembly not just as a candidate, but as a son of the neighborhood shaped by both tragedy and purpose. “Born here. Raised here. Fighting for here. This is personal for me.” That message anchors Hezekiah’s campaign for the 32nd Assembly District, capturing a life story that reflects both the pain and promise of the community he seeks to represent. Hezekiah’s connection to Southeast Queens is not political, it is personal. At just six years old, he lost his father to gun violence. Years later, as a high school senior, tragedy struck again when his stepfather was killed outside his middle school. These moments did not distance him from his community, instead they rooted him more deeply within it. “When tragedy struck, my mother brought us back home to Southeast Queens, the same neighbors, the same streets, and the same community that held us together,” Hezekiah recalls. Educated in the local public school system, Public School 160, New Preparatory Middle School I.S. 8, and Benjamin N. Cardozo High School, Hezekiah grew up surrounded by a culture of mutual support, even in difficult times. That foundation carried him to Penn State University, where he earned dual degrees in Business and Finance. Yet despite opportunities elsewhere, he chose to return home. “I came home not because I had to, but because this community had given my family everything when we needed it most,” he says. “That gratitude gave me purpose.” That purpose translated into public service, most notably through 16 years working for Gregory Meeks. In that role, Hezekiah served the people of Queens both locally and in Washington, DC, rising to become Deputy Chief of Staff. Over nearly two decades, he helped families navigate government systems, advocated for resources, and worked to ensure that Southeast Queens had a voice at the federal level. His experience spans grassroots organizing and legislative advocacy. He has worked alongside labor through Transit Workers Union Local 1056, partnered with community leaders like Erica Ford of Life Camp to combat gun violence, and remained consistently present in the neighborhoods he now seeks to represent. For Hezekiah, gun violence is not an abstract policy issue, it is a lived reality. “Gun violence is not a policy paper for me. It is the absence of phone calls. It is a parent who does not come back home,” he says. This perspective shapes his approach to leadership. He argues that Albany needs representatives who are not only politically aligned with their communities but personally shaped by them. His campaign emphasizes prevention, community-based intervention, and sustained investment in neighborhoods that have long borne the brunt of violence. Hezekiah is running to continue the work of Vivian Cook, who has endorsed him to succeed her and fill the seat she currently holds in the 32nd Assembly District. Her support adds significant weight to a campaign already grounded in deep community ties and public service. “I understand firsthand what it means when government shows up and what it costs when it doesn’t,” he says. With strong endorsements from elected officials, labor unions, and community organizations, Hezekiah’s campaign is gaining traction. But beyond political backing, his message resonates because it reflects a shared experience among many residents of Southeast Queens. Election Day is June 23rd, and Hezekiah is asking voters to see his candidacy not just as a campaign, but as a continuation of a lifelong commitment to service. “That’s why this is personal for me,” he says. For more information about Nathaniel Hezekiah III’s campaign, his platform, and how to get involved, visit his official website.
Black News 
By Edwin Freeman for Black Star News
Photos: Edwin Freeman
In Southeast Queens, where community ties run deep and resilience is a way of life, Nathaniel Hezekiah III is making his case for the New York State Assembly not just as a candidate, but as a son of the neighborhood shaped by both tragedy and purpose.
“Born here. Raised here. Fighting for here. This is personal for me.” That message anchors Hezekiah’s campaign for the 32nd Assembly District, capturing a life story that reflects both the pain and promise of the community he seeks to represent.
Hezekiah’s connection to Southeast Queens is not political, it is personal. At just six years old, he lost his father to gun violence. Years later, as a high school senior, tragedy struck again when his stepfather was killed outside his middle school. These moments did not distance him from his community, instead they rooted him more deeply within it.
“When tragedy struck, my mother brought us back home to Southeast Queens, the same neighbors, the same streets, and the same community that held us together,” Hezekiah recalls.
Educated in the local public school system, Public School 160, New Preparatory Middle School I.S. 8, and Benjamin N. Cardozo High School, Hezekiah grew up surrounded by a culture of mutual support, even in difficult times. That foundation carried him to Penn State University, where he earned dual degrees in Business and Finance. Yet despite opportunities elsewhere, he chose to return home.
“I came home not because I had to, but because this community had given my family everything when we needed it most,” he says. “That gratitude gave me purpose.”
That purpose translated into public service, most notably through 16 years working for Gregory Meeks. In that role, Hezekiah served the people of Queens both locally and in Washington, DC, rising to become Deputy Chief of Staff. Over nearly two decades, he helped families navigate government systems, advocated for resources, and worked to ensure that Southeast Queens had a voice at the federal level.
His experience spans grassroots organizing and legislative advocacy. He has worked alongside labor through Transit Workers Union Local 1056, partnered with community leaders like Erica Ford of Life Camp to combat gun violence, and remained consistently present in the neighborhoods he now seeks to represent.
For Hezekiah, gun violence is not an abstract policy issue, it is a lived reality.
“Gun violence is not a policy paper for me. It is the absence of phone calls. It is a parent who does not come back home,” he says.
This perspective shapes his approach to leadership. He argues that Albany needs representatives who are not only politically aligned with their communities but personally shaped by them. His campaign emphasizes prevention, community-based intervention, and sustained investment in neighborhoods that have long borne the brunt of violence.
Hezekiah is running to continue the work of Vivian Cook, who has endorsed him to succeed her and fill the seat she currently holds in the 32nd Assembly District. Her support adds significant weight to a campaign already grounded in deep community ties and public service.
“I understand firsthand what it means when government shows up and what it costs when it doesn’t,” he says.
With strong endorsements from elected officials, labor unions, and community organizations, Hezekiah’s campaign is gaining traction. But beyond political backing, his message resonates because it reflects a shared experience among many residents of Southeast Queens.
Election Day is June 23rd, and Hezekiah is asking voters to see his candidacy not just as a campaign, but as a continuation of a lifelong commitment to service.
“That’s why this is personal for me,” he says.
For more information about Nathaniel Hezekiah III’s campaign, his platform, and how to get involved, visit his official website.
