Legislators from The Bronx blasted Governor Kathy Hochul for claiming that Black students in the neighborhood are unfamiliar with the meaning of the word “computer.”
At a May 6th event, Hochul took the stage in Los Angeles at the Milken Institute Global Conference to brag. Hochul attempted to convey her goal of building a diverse workforce in emerging fields like AI, but she placed her foot in her mouth, up to her shins.
She didn’t stop there. Hochul said these things are unknown to blacks, and she wanted the world to be accessible to all of them.
Bronx authorities swiftly joined the chorus of voices denouncing Hochul’s discouraging remarks, which the governor had made.
New York State Assembly Member John Zaccaro Jr. expressed profound concern about Governor Kathy Hochul’s recent remarks. He said it is truly heartbreaking and disturbing that black and brown kids from The Bronx are portrayed in such a negative light.
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie characterized Hochul’s statements as inartful and unpleasant, while Assembly Member Amanda Septimo characterized them as destructive, profoundly uninformed, and really repugnant. Septimo accused the governor of perpetuating harmful stereotypes.
Karines Reyes, an assembly member, expressed her great distress about Hochul’s comments and her implicit bias against black and brown youngsters from The Bronx. According to Reyes’s letter, the children of our country are more than worthy of the possibilities given to other youngsters since they are intelligent, talented, and very bright. She added to the letter telling Governor Hochul to ‘do better. ‘
Hochul expressed regret for her comments in a statement she sent to a news organization after the well-deserved criticism.
The governor said she expressed remorse for her words. Obviously, black kids living in The Bronx understand what a computer is. The issue is that students do not have enough access to the necessary technology to begin preparing for well-paying careers in new fields, such as artificial intelligence. She claimed that is why, from the very beginning of her administration, she has worked to expand economic opportunities.
