Transcript: Mayor de Blasio Delivers Remarks at Groundbreaking Ceremony for the American Musuem of Natural History's Richard Gilder Center for Science

June 12, 2019

Mayor Bill de Blasio: Thank you, thank you, thank you. Ellen, I’m making a height adjustment here.

[Laughter]

Everybody, this is an extraordinary day. It is a great day for this museum, it’s a great day for this city, it is particularly a great day for the children of New York City. And I hope like me you were moved by Ramon’s words to hear – in just one young person’s case, but imagine the many, many thousands who will benefit from this center – to hear how this place changes lives, opens up minds, opens up possibilities, it’s something everyone here should be very proud of. Now, as with all forms of progress, there are always challenges, and Ellen I think you’ll understand this, I like to say that I represent a city of 8.6 million highly opinionated people –

[Laughter]

So not everybody understood immediately why it was so important to foster STEM education, why it was so important to create this center. But perseverance is a virtue and we’re all here today because we believed together that this was important for our future. And if you think about perseverance, and you think about vision, and you think about a resolute nature, I think I can say that this museum is so blessed to have as its leader Ellen Futter. Let’s thank her for all she does.

[Applause]

I want to thank all the members of my administration, they’ve all been named, I thank them all, all the City agencies that did so much good work here. I want to thank everyone who is a part of this museum because you’re a treasure. This museum is a treasure for this city and it’s a very moving place. It’s a moving place for all of us who have been to it many times and consider it part of our lives. It’s a moving place for folks who see it for the first time from all over the world. Special thank you to Lewis Bernard for his leadership, thank you so much.

[Applause]

To all the board members, thank you for all you do for this museum, for this city, thank you to all the employees, everyone who’s supported this amazing center. And from the bottom of my heart, on behalf of all 8.6 million New Yorkers, Dick Gilder, thank you, you’ve done something great here. Appreciate it.

[Applause]

And I want to, from the public sector, thank my fellow investor, Borough President Gale Brewer, thank you for your support.

[Applause]

Now we can look at this museum and this center in some – if you will – more traditional lights. When we think about the museum, we think about the experience people have, we think about the impact it has on our economy, we think about the tourists who come here. We’re at all-time high for tourism, and this is one of the places that people want to see the most. And that’s all very good, but I want to talk about something that’s maybe a little more personal and human, which is the magic of this place. Why it is quintessentially New York, because things happen in this museum that don’t happen any place else.

And I remember one time my son, Dante, said that when he has friends who come to visit New York, he considers this one of the places he has to take them because you’re really going to feel the magic of New York and the fact that here extraordinary things happen, and this place epitomizes it. And it’s a very moving place. Even the installations that were done many, many years ago, they grab you in a particular way. Every time I look at those representations of nature and animals and it draws you in a way that’s so compelling – makes you think, makes you feel something. That’s why this place is special. And so many young people come here – 400,000 students every year. And I think for the vast majority of them it’s one of those memorable experiences, it changes their lives.

Now this center is going to add something very powerful because here our young people and everyone are going to get to understand the work of our scientists, and I agree with that one. Science is under attack, I’ll say it a little more bluntly. Science is under attack and that is a danger to our nation and our world. This is not a partisan statement, this is a statement of fact, and yes, my friends, there’s still some facts out there in this world. The fact is we need to double down on science, we need to focus evermore crucially on science.

[Applause]

So I hope that this will be where a whole new generation learns a devotion to science. Because we’re all responsible for saving this Earth right now, and the generation coming up will have even greater responsibility. So, here at the Gilder Center, I think those connections will be made and those sparks will fly where young people will become devoted to the work of preserving our planet, protecting all of us.

I’m very proud to say the City of New York has been at the forefront of this effort. We have invested $78 million because we believe the Gilder Center is really important for this city.

[Applause]

And we believe this museum also epitomizes that great New York tradition of bringing everyone together. When you come in here you see people from all over the world, you see every faith, every nationality represented, you see folks who are blessed to have done well and folks who are struggling every day but they’re all in the same place learning together, experiencing something special, and this museum is devoted to making sure there is an opportunity for everyone to participate.

When we came forward some years ago with the IDNYC initiative, the Museum of Natural History was one of the strongest supporters, and really bought into the idea that if we opened up the gates further, if we made it more possible for folks who hadn’t experienced the museum or didn’t know if it was for them, to come in here and be a part of it that we would create a whole new generation of museum-goers, a whole new generation of devotees to this museum, and in fact, as a result of the initiative we did together around IDNYC, the museum gave away 81,857 free memberships to IDNYC cardholders. Thank you, Ellen, and thank you everyone here.

[Applause]

And I guarantee you, you’re going to see that passed on generation to generation – a devotion to this place and all it means. So I’ll conclude with this. In the end, what we try and do every day in our City government is foster fairness and inclusion and opportunity. And it’s so good to be in a place that does that for New Yorkers all the time, and understands how crucial it is to keep that flame alive. This city has been so great for generations because it’s a place for everyone, and it’s our turn to make sure that continues to be the case. Here at the Museum of Natural History, our values play out in such beautiful and compelling way, and the Gilder Center is only going to make it more wonderful for all of the generations ahead. Everyone, this is a day to celebrate. Thank you, God bless you all.

[Applause]