Cousins! Governor Kathy Hochul has seemingly admitted to placing her entire foot in her mouth recently following remarks she made in a speech where she said that Black kids from The Bronx, New York area aren’t familiar with the meaning of the word computer!
According to NBC News, Gov Hochul’s bizarre statement was made earlier this week at the Milken Institute Global Business conference in California as she discussed artificial intelligence and the lack of opportunities for members of low-income communities.
“Right now, we have 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,” said Gov Hochul. Though her remarks weren’t initially commented on, she explained that her main initiative is to address social inequality by providing members of the Black community access to technology.
As her statement made major headlines, followed by backlash online by social media users and fellow government officials for her lack of discernment, Gov Hochul says that she regrets her choice of words, “I misspoke.”
“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,” Hochul said.
“That’s why I’ve been focused on increasing economic opportunity since Day One of my Administration, and will continue that fight to ensure every New Yorker has a shot at a good-paying job.”
The following day, New York Mayor Eric Adams came to her defense by saying that he knows her heart and thinks that her words were taken out of context.
“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,” said Mayor Adams while speaking City Hall to local reporters.
“I know her heart. I know what she was intending to say, and she was not trying to be disrespectful to the people of the Bronx.”
The NY Times reports that Democrat and Assemblywoman Amanda Septimo however, considered Gov. Hochul’s statement as harmful and deeply misinformed.
“Repeating harmful stereotypes about one of our most underserved communities, while failing to acknowledge the state’s consistent institutional neglect, only perpetuates systems of abuse,” she said. “I would invite Gov. Hochul to visit us in the Bronx to experience first-hand the intelligence, resilience, and joy that radiate from Bronx children and residents each day.”
Cousins, check out what social media users had to say below and let us know your thoughts in our comments.
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