New York City Council Speaker Adrienne E. Adams – southeast Queens’ own District 28 representative – gave her State of the City Address on March 13th at the Justice Sonia Sotomayor Houses and Community Center in the Bronx. The event was streamed online for free on the New York City Council website.
After a great many speakers and performers, Speaker Adams began her address by saying, “You are the prime example of why we do this work and who we do it for.”
She went on to discuss the recent pandemic and the effect it had on our community. “Three years ago, when the pandemic upended our world, workers kept going and kept us going,” Adams stated. “As we learned to rely on each other for our health and safety, it became clearer than ever who we depend on to survive. We relied on restaurant and grocery store workers to feed us, delivery workers to allow us to remain safely at home, municipal workers to keep our city running, and healthcare workers, who confronted great dangers every day to keep us healthy – and still do today.” She finished giving thanks by stating, “Let me be clear: workers run this city.”
Adams then spoke about one of the major crises facing New Yorkers today: the economy. “New Yorkers need access to economic opportunity through work or entrepreneurship, affordable housing, educational pathways to advancement, and community investments that keep us healthy and safe. Economic mobility, housing, and healthier and safer neighborhoods. Those are my main focus to advance the state of the city.”
Other topics discussed were women’s rights, benefits for underrepresented neighborhoods, and education.
A recording of the entire speech can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/live/HAmOKdsayTw?si=XCst2D95y1xfEhf0
More can be learned about Council Speaker Adams by visiting: https://council.nyc.gov/adrienne-adams/