New York Gov. Kathy Hochul issued an apology for saying Black children in the Bronx "don't even know what the word 'computer' is."
"I misspoke and I regret it," Hochul said in a statement to the New York Post. "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. That's why I've been focused on increasing economic opportunity since Day One of my Administration."
Hochul, 65, was speaking at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles on Monday, where she appeared to brag about New York being at the forefront of creating opportunities in the field of artificial intelligence for low-income communities.
"I talk to a lot of other people who say, 'I wish my governor had thought of that first.' I say, 'No no, this is New York. We like to be first,' with all due respect to you from other states," Hochul said. "It's sort of our attitude. We will be the best, we will be the first and I want others to follow because right now we have, you know, 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."
New York State Assembly Member John Zaccaro Jr. shared a statement on social media, saying he was "deeply troubled" by Hochul's remarks.
"The underlying perception conveyed about Black and brown children from the Bronx is not only disheartening but also deeply concerning," Zaccaro tweeted.
Karines Reyes, Assembly Member and a Bronx resident for nearly two decades, echoed a similar sentiment to Zaccaro and urged Hochul to "do better."
"Our children are bright, brilliant, extremely capable, and more than deserving of any opportunities that are extended to other kids," Reyes wrote on X.
Assembly Member Amanda Septimo also released a statement in response to what she referred to as Hochul's "harmful, deeply misinformed, and genuinely appalling" comment.
"The Bronx I know and love is full of children who are smart, curious, and eager for opportunities to learn and grow. As leaders in New York we have a responsibility to uplift all children and help them reach their greatest potential. 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," Septimo stated.
