To commemorate Black History Month, Gov. Kathy Hochul visited Metropolitan College of New York in the South Bronx for a wide-ranging conversation on the state’s efforts to further justice, equity and quality of life for communities of color.
The Feb. 17 event was hosted by the New York chapter of 100 Black Men Inc. and Le Roi Capital and moderated by famed anchor Errol Louis of Spectrum News, who questioned Hochul about standing up to the Trump administration, her choice of Adrienne Adams as running mate, creating a more affordable city, how to preserve the city’s Black population, among other issues.
Though the fellowship was warm between the many attendees, the occasion was heavy — not only because of the challenges facing New Yorkers today but also because of the death of Rev. Jesse Jackson, which was announced that day.
At the event, Robert B. Brown, president of 100 Black Men Inc. of New York, called Jackson “one of our soldiers” and led the group in a chant of “Run, Jesse, Run,” a phrase made famous during Jackson’s two presidential campaigns in the 1980s.
Dr. Charles Gibbs, president of the college, remarked on the disparity between the warmth of the gathering and the harsh reality just outside the doors.
“While we’re here and enjoying this moment, there’s 200 Black men across the street incarcerated at Horizon Juvenile Center,” he said.
Gibbs said that while the neighborhood can be rough, “you keep your head on a swivel” — he remained dedicated to continuing the college’s mission of education and inclusivity in the Bronx.
“We’re here to stay. This is where we are,” he said.
Affordability and opportunity
Hochul highlighted her working-class roots in Buffalo that she said inspired her public service and fight for equity. Her parents and grandparents were Irish migrant farm workers, domestic servants and steel workers and her parents lived in a trailer park. She also said she lost a nephew to a drug overdose after he cycled in and out of incarceration and homeless shelters.
Hochul said these experiences drive her fight for dignified housing, including ownership opportunities, good-paying jobs, affordable childcare and even infrastructure projects like the Gateway Tunnel rail project, constructed by union laborers.
Louis and Hochul began by discussing the city’s declining Black population. Though the phenomenon is not unique to New York City, 200,000 residents over the last two decades have left, he said.
The issue comes down to affordability and opportunity, Hochul said.
“Too many people feel they’re trapped in their circumstances, and they just throw caution to the wind and say, ‘I’m getting out of here. I can’t make this work.’”
Childcare, which can cost up to $40,000 per child annually, is a major component of the issue, Hochul said.
She said that she had to leave the workforce when she first had a child, due to a lack of affordable childcare options — and today, her daughter and grandchild face the same challenge. “In a whole generation, nothing changed.”
The conversation turned several times to challenges New York residents are facing under the Trump administration, including projected cuts healthcare and SNAP, loss of federal infrastructure funding, immigration enforcement, among others.
Louis specifically asked Hochul to address the security of the 2026 elections and concerns that polling places could be raided by ICE agents, creating a chilling effect among citizens and noncitizens alike.
Hochul said local leaders and elections workers have been “laser-focused” on preparations to safeguard the upcoming elections, which have potential to tip the balance in Congress back in Democrats’ favor.
“Even people who have supported [Republicans] know that they’ve gone too far, particularly when it comes to the ICE enforcement,” Hochul said. “This could have a really suppressive effect on our elections, and I think they want that to happen.”
But given the horrors endured by Black leaders to win the right to vote, letting the Trump administration keep people away from the polls was not an option, she said.
“The people in this room know the story of the ancestors and those who came before in the civil rights movement and shed blood to secure the right to vote,” Hochul said.
“We sure as hell in New York aren’t gonna let that evaporate. We’re gonna fight hard.”
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
