County Freeholder Candidate Bankston Chats with BC Student

Editor's note: Bloomfield College Beat is a weekly feature written by BC students focusing on life on campus. This week's column is written by junior broadcast journalism major Shakirah Gittens.

Terrance Bankston, an undergrad alumnus from Bloomfield College, is running Essex County Freeholder. During his years at Bloomfield College, he served as student ambassador, resident advisor and was a founder of Team Infinite, a campus organization designed to raise awareness of social issues. His name is still alive and well on Bloomfield College campus because of the example he set, the involvement on campus and his lasting impact on student leadership.

“We didn’t go in saying we were going to create the largest organization on Bloomfield College campus, that would go eight and nine and ten years,” said Bankston about Team Infinite, created in 2001. “We wanted to produce leaders … I want to take what I did at Bloomfield and bring it to a larger scale.”

Some members of this organization are participating in his campaign and in the New Jersey Network of Young Professionals, an organization Bankston founded as well. Bankston said that he had a “bug” for politics since the age of eight. He was also student government president in his high school. His aunt was the first woman to serve as chief of staff for the city of Newark and his grandfather served as a commissioner.

Last week, I was able to catch up with him and discuss his campaign for the office of freeholder. Freeholder is a county-level position within the legislative branch. Freeholders review and modify budgets to oversee the funds for Essex County by reviewing the activities of the county.

“The county has a lot of resources but a lot of folks, particular in the urban communities, don’t really have information or are as informed about the county level of government and what Freeholders do,” said Bankston. “So I wanted to be that person to ring that energy and represent that in the campaign.”

If elected, Bankston will be the first to have a satellite office in the District to bring a more intimate relationship between the freeholder and the people.

Bankston ensures residents they will get the most out of their tax dollars by being a visible and relevant ambassador to the community. He believes in the responsibility of educating people in the areas that need help the most. It will help to cultivate the talent that lies undiscovered in Essex County.

With Bankston’s previous experience in government as a campaign manager, deputy field director and a political consultant, he is able to lead his own campaign. Working as a political consultant to Newark Mayor Cory Booker and nine other candidates best prepared him for this election.

Team Bankston is one of the aspects of his campaign that I found unique. It is this team that volunteers to help with the campaign and the goal of bringing political awareness to the community.

It was an honor to sit and talk with one of the most influential people from Bloomfield College. It was an experience I will always remember and feel is needed for young leaders to connect with a figure that can inspire and encourage us to be the best “you” that you can be.