In 2019 April Baskin made history when she became the youngest person to be elected as chairwoman of the Erie County Legislature. Baskin was unanimously reelected to serve as chair again during the 2020-2021 annual reorganization. She currently represents District 2 in the city of Buffalo, a post she has held since 2018. WBFO spoke with Baskin to discuss the leadership role and lessons from her childhood.
“I feel honored, blessed and privileged to serve as the youngest person to ever serve the Erie County Legislature as chair. I think there are times I come with a little bit of innovation and a perspective that is just different because I am new to the role; however, being in a leadership role also presents some challenges, but you have your colleagues there to help navigate because that history that they have in serving the public and in public service definitely helps shape me in a more immediate fashion. I’m probably getting lessons a little bit quicker being in the role of Chair then someone who’s only been elected to office for four years usually would."
Baskin is a part of the modern day women who multitask in their lives by juggling family and work.
“It’s not something that comes really natural. I think that leaders find themselves especially female leaders find themselves just doing very easily because we juggle a lot and when you are a person who wants to operate in excellence, you want to make sure that everything that’s on your checklist is always done and I have a very, very high standard not just for myself but for my community, my colleagues, my staff and my children. With that you can get convoluted with a lot of pressure. I just make sure that I talk to myself in the morning and that I’m very intentional about being present in whatever moment that I’m in and then when I leave that moment whatever is undone, whatever has not been figured out, it will be there when I return."
Baskin says that she draws inspiration from women who have broken glass ceilings like Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman elected to the United States Congress and Vice President Kamala Harris, the country’s first Black and Asian American vice president.
Baskin realizes that navigating the road to success may be difficult at times because she is a woman and a woman of color.
“The barriers that I face to get there are going to be way more complex than my male counterparts or my white counterparts but I just have to create a little bit more time for myself, strategize and be very again, intentional about achieving the goal. So I would say to any woman, especially women of color that are thinking about serving their community first make the decision and commit to it. Be intentional about what it is you want to do. Create a strategy, create a plan, because it is not set up to welcome you with open arms. Make sure you pack your folding chair and do your research, reach out to people who are like minded and have gone through the journey you are about to embark on. Try to get mentorship and just go for it. Don’t take no for an answer. But really strategize and really be intentional. Make up your mind in the beginning that you’re going to do it because like I said there isn’t going to be a big welcoming party all the time and you still have to be dedicated to getting into the party and pulling out your folding chair at that table”.
Reminiscing on her teenage years Baskin shared what advice she’d give to herself, then.
“Fourteen year old, back then I was April McCants. Fourteen year old April McCants, I remember her. She was pretty dope. I would just tell her be nicer to herself. It’s because I wasn’t always nice to myself again, because society just doesn’t set that up for young women enough that I struggled with being kinder to myself now like a lot of women do. I put a lot of pressure on myself, put a lot of timelines that just aren’t needed and aren’t healthy. I would tell 14-year-old April that she is beautiful, I would definitely tell her that she was smart."