Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams Formally Announces Run For Mayor
BROOKLYN – Eric Adams, who has served as Brooklyn’s Borough President since 2014, formally announced his run for NYC mayor this morning.
“We’re in a dark place right now. A dark moment for New York and America. Whether it’s the pandemic, or violence in our streets, we don’t feel safe. And too often, the city government makes things worse, with inefficiency that leads to inequality and holds our people back,” he said. “But I learned some time ago, sometimes when you’re in a dark place, you’re not buried, you’re just planted. The question is, what are we going to do with fruits of our harvest? I say it’s time to grow. And that means it’s time to rise up.”
He officially launched his run with a campaign video where he spoke about his past and how he became the person he is today. He spoke about carrying a garbage bag full of clothing to school because he was afraid they’d be evicted from their home. He talked about experiencing police brutality and then joining that very force in order to fix it from the inside.
Today, I'm sharing my story like I’ve never told it before:
It starts right here in NYC, growing up poor & on the brink of eviction. Then at 15, I was the victim of police brutality — but instead of accepting things as they were, I was determined to change them. pic.twitter.com/Y4GyCNxIdD
— Eric Adams (@ericadamsfornyc) November 18, 2020
“Some people talk about police brutality, I want to tell you how it is to live through it,” he began. “When I was 15, my brother and I fell into trouble. We were arrested and we were brought here to the 103rd Precinct in South Jamaica, Queens. One of the police officers stated, ‘How do you like a beatdown?’ He brought us downstairs and he beat us. He kicked us over and over again. My mom came to get us. They said, ‘Leave them, they are never going amount to anything.'”
“That was a dark place. My life could have gone a different way, full of bitterness. But I had people who loved me and a determination to change things. So, I became a police officer to bridge the gap between us. To make us all safer. And to take on systemic racism from within,” he continued. “It’s why I took on police brutality while I was a police officer myself. Why I became a State Senator to take on corruption and fight for civil rights for everyone. And why I’m proud to serve as Brooklyn Borough President to make local government work for people again.”
Adams was born in Brownsville and was raised in Queens by a single mother. After joining the NYPD, he served in the NYS Senate and voted in favor of marriage equality in 2009. In 2013, he was elected as Brooklyn Borough President and is now term-limited. He joins Maya Wiley, Comptroller Scott Stringer, Council Member Carlos Menchaca and others in the race for mayor.
“We’re facing a crisis, unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. Businesses are closing, crime is rising, homelessness is soaring, and our families are struggling. To be truly progressive and overcome these challenges, we have to fix the government and eliminate the efficiencies that are holding us back. We can’t have an education system that fails to put our children on the pathway to success and leaves them at a dead-end of crime and hopelessness,” he continued.
” To revitalize our city, New Yorkers of all backgrounds need to feel safe and secure that they’ll have quality schools, affordable healthcare and housing, and a fair shot to get ahead. I spent my life tackling these issues and proving our communities making New York families safer. Yes, we have big challenges. But we’re New Yorkers. We respond, we take action. And with the right leadership, we will rise up again.”