New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) is defending New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) after she made controversial comments about Black kids in the Bronx.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Adams said, “I am not the word police. I know the governor’s heart. And when you make thousands of speeches, when you’re in front of the cameras all the time, when you’re trying to be authentic and say the things that you’re really feeling, one can sit back and do a critical analysis of every sentence you say.”
“I know her heart. I know what she was intending to say. And she was not trying to be disrespectful to people of the Bronx,” he added.
Adams also thanked the governor for “highlighting the issues of technology,” and brushed off people who were trying to be the “word police.”
Watch the video below:
Eric Adams defends Gov. Kathy Hochul saying “we have young Black kids growing up in the Bronx who don’t even know what the word 'computer' is”:
— The Recount (@therecount) May 7, 2024
“I am not the word police. I know the governor's heart. … The people of the Bronx knew where her heart was.” pic.twitter.com/JNMuaCWiGN
During an event at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles on Monday, Hochul said there are “young Black kids growing up in the Bronx who don’t even know what the word ‘computer’ is. They don’t know. They don’t know these things.”
“And I want the world opened up to all of them because when you have their diverse voices innovating solutions through technology, then you’re really addressing society’s broader challenges,” she added.
OMG HAHAHA Governor Kathy Hochul thinks black people don't know what a computer is. pic.twitter.com/TSjMLmiOAc
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) May 7, 2024
In a statement to The New York Post, Hochul said, “I misspoke and I regret it.”
“Of course Black children in the Bronx know what computers are — the problem is that they too often lack access to the technology needed to get on track to high-paying jobs in emerging industries like AI. That’s why I’ve been focused on increasing economic opportunity since Day One of my Administration,” she added.
