PJ Media's Lincoln Brown covered the story earlier this week about a revealing gaffe by New York Governor Kathy Hochul.
Speaking at the Milken Institute Global Conference. Hochul explained why black kids aren't doing very well in school despite the state spending $38,000 a year to educate them.
“Right now we have, you know, young black kids growing up in the Bronx who don’t even know what the word ‘computer’ is,” she said.
“They don’t know, they don’t know these things. And I want the world opened up to all of them,” she continued.
After a pro forma apology on Wednesday, she told reporters, “I chose the wrong words. I know I hurt a lot of people. I took full responsibility for it. I said that before, I said that the first day and I’ll continue to say it.”
The issue isn't an "apology." No matter how heartfelt it might be, the real issue is the condescending attitude on Hochul's part toward black kids which reflects a general attitude on the left of how they see themselves as "saviors" of black people.
“Deep down, White liberals see themselves as our saviors and only need our votes to protect their power. These aren’t gaffes. This a result of the racism of low expectations,” Michigan representative John James, a black Republican, said on X. “Apparently being a powerful Democrat is a license to spout racist filth without accountability.”
Hochul may want to "open the world" to black kids but she's not going about it the right way. Get a lot of those kids out of public schools and give them a choice. That might just improve public schools in the Bronx as well.
Naturally, Bronx politicians were angry.
“Our children are bright, brilliant, extremely capable, and more than deserving of any opportunities that are extended to other kids,” Reyes added.
“Our children, far from being underestimated, are the epitome of brilliance, resilience, and untapped potential,” Assemblyman John Zaccaro (D-Bronx) wrote in a statement.
“They are not only capable but deserving of every opportunity that their counterparts are offered. It’s disheartening to witness such a portrayal that undermines their abilities and aspirations,” he continued.
The coalition of Black activists who gathered Friday said not having equitable access to computers does not equate to not knowing what a computer is. They showcased young people who are capable and college-bound, one of whom said he was so shocked at Hochul’s remark that he believed the video to be AI.
The Newsomes and their allies demanded the governor help make the Bronx “a tech hub” by investing in technology infrastructure, expanding partnerships between colleges and government tech officials and appointing a Black “tech czar” for the borough.
Hochul's intentions may be fine. But the haughtiness of her attitude toward kids in the Bronx isn't going to help black people in the near future where access to technology like AI will be vital for success.
“Our children, far from being underestimated, are the epitome of brilliance, resilience, and untapped potential,” Assemblyman John Zaccaro (D-Bronx) wrote in a statement.
“They are not only capable but deserving of every opportunity that their counterparts are offered. It’s disheartening to witness such a portrayal that undermines their abilities and aspirations,” he continued.
Indeed it does.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member