BEDFORD-STUYVESANT — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, Attorney General Letitia James and Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez were among the notable attendees who recently visited central Brooklyn the morning of June 5 to speak at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, 145 Brooklyn Ave.
Gov. Kathy Hochul and Rev. Dr. Robert Waterman. Photo: Wayne Daren Schneiderman/Brooklyn Eagle
The event, which took place on the museum’s rooftop, was hosted by the African American Clergy and Elected Officials, a Brooklyn-based civic and political organization.
Hochul began her remarks by calling the United States “a broken country.”
“I truly feel like our country is broken, and it’s become more so as of late,” she said. “My plan is to take on Washington D.C. every single day alongside our great attorney general Tish James, because if we don’t stand up, then who will?”
Hochul cited voting rights, including the dilution of congressional districts represented by Black members of Congress, as issues that need to be addressed.
New York Secretary of State Walter T. Mosley. Photo: Wayne Daren Schneiderman/Brooklyn Eagle
“They’re trying to take away the power that people fought for, and we cannot let that happen,” she said. “This is really what we are up against. We must stand up to that.”
Hochul spoke to affordability for all New Yorkers as well. “We know your utility bills are off the charts, and I’ve been working with our leaders in the legislature and allocated $1 billion dollars to go back into your pockets to help you pay your bills,” she said.
Hochul said she will “keep making investments in Brooklyn,” and spoke about education and healthcare.
Pastor A.R. Bernard speaks. Photo: Wayne Daren Schneiderman/Brooklyn Eagle
“All those people who were thrown off their health insurance by Donald Trump and the Republicans will be saved,” she said. “We’re not going to leave anybody behind here in the state of New York. With the power that I’ve been given by God and all of the voters of the state of New York, I will continue to use it to lift people up, because that is what God intended for me to do.”
Hochul discussed her background, in addition to her entry into public service.
“As a child, growing up in a blue collar family, we didn’t have much money,” she explained. “My dad worked at a steel plant. My grandparents were very poor and off the boat from Ireland, trying to find a better life, like all the immigrants. But it was the power of education that lifted my dad out of that job and put his daughter on a path to where I am today. I’ve truly been given a gift.”
Former Congressmember Edolphus “Ed” Towns Jr. Photo: Wayne Daren Schneiderman/Brooklyn Eagle
Gonzalez, who addressed the crowd next, said Brooklyn has never been safer in terms of crime. This year, 2,000 guns have been removed from city streets, “and that is a big point of why our homicide rate, shootings and shooting victims are all at record lows,” he said.
“It wasn’t like that when I was growing up in Brooklyn in the ‘80s and ‘90s,” Gonzalez recalled. “It wasn’t even like that five years ago. That said, we always want to acknowledge the New York City Police Department for what they’ve done to help bring crime down to record lows.”
According to Gonzalez, New York is down 30% in homicides from last year’s record low, and shootings are also down 22% from last year.
“Those aren’t just numbers,” he said. “Those are people’s lives. We’re on a very good path.”
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul addresses the audience. Photo: Wayne Daren Schneiderman/Brooklyn EagleA bridge between government and neighborhoods
In addition to the remarks from Hochul and Gonzalez, there was also a memorial tribute honoring AACEO member Marilyn Mosley, mother of New York Secretary of State Walter T. Mosley.
Mosley served in the New York State Assembly from 2013 to 2020, representing parts of central Brooklyn including Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights, Crown Heights and Bedford-Stuyvesant.
Mosley thanked his mother for being “the woman she was to Brooklyn, New York City and New York State.”
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez. Photo: Wayne Daren Schneiderman/Brooklyn Eagle
“She definitely left her mark on so many lives, and I’m honored that she was my mother,” he added.
The AACEO’s goal is to bring together religious leaders, elected officials and community leaders to advocate on community issues such as housing, public safety and education. The organization plays a role in local politics and endorsements by organizing events, forums and outreach efforts. It serves as a bridge between government and neighborhoods, especially in central Brooklyn.