Transcript: Mayor de Blasio Delivers Remark at Evangelical Crusade Church

December 5, 2021

Mayor Bill de Blasio: Good morning, everybody. First, I want to give honor to God. Without Him, this day would not be possible. 

[Applause] 

And I want to make a confession in front of Pastor Sam. Pastor, I love this church. I love this church and I love this community so deeply. Pastor, had a – I would hate to correct him, but he had a slight slip of the tongue when he said I've had more Haitians in important positions than any previous Haitian. And I guess that made me an honorary Haitian, which is a great honor. 

[Laughter] 

This is a home. It's a powerful place of faith, but it's also so a home in so many ways to this community, in good times and bad. And that is because of an extraordinary tradition started. so nobly Bishop Nicolas, and now continued and deepened Pastor Samuel Nicolas. And this good man who I have known for over 20 years takes the word and puts it into action in the community, for the people.  

[Applause] 

So, this holiday season, it is so important to reflect and to count your blessings. You have a pastor who is exemplary as a man of God, but also exemplary as a leader of a community, helping always to uplift and empower the community. What a blessing. Let's thank Pastor Sam. 

[Applause] 

I want to tell you that it’s so important to recognize the people who make all things possible for us in our lives, but there was a traditional way of doing that. And you may know my wife Chirlane McCray. She is a strong woman and a strong leader in her own right. And she said that we're going to use a new kind of language, because they used to say, behind every great man stands a great woman. But at Gracie Mansion, that phrase has been banned. And we now say beside every great man stands a great woman. So, let's thank your first lady, Faride Nicolas, for all she does for this congregation and this community.  

[Applause] 

And I also have to say, I travel all over the city, and Pastor is right, I go to many wonderful houses of worship. But I can tell you if you want to feel the spirit, and be moved, and be energized, the praise and worship team here at Evangelical Crusade is one of the very finest. We commend you. We thank you. 

[Applause] 

For this community. And I want to say, if you said, choose one word for the Haitian community, I would say resilient – strong, persistent, resilient. You have been through so much. I remember after all the years, all the challenges, I remember when the worst earthquake came. And I know many people had that same sinking feeling, how is it possible that a people who have suffered so much are suffering again? God's children. Good people. And there have been more challenges since. And that is not to belittle the challenges of those of you who have come here, trying to make a way in this city, in this country, when often there is not the embrace and the welcome you deserve. It's been challenging. It's been painful, whether you're talking about your homeland or your experience here. And yet, you persist with strength, with focus, with determination. That's who you are, strong to the core. And I see it, and I feel it, and I respect it. And I say, God bless you. God bless you.  

[Applause] 

This church has been a place of both solace and hope for this community. This has been a rock for this community. And pastor, I hope you understand that, for so many people, despite all the trials and tribulations, there was one thing they could depend on, they could depend on you and this place. 

[Applause] 

So, I will be very quick. But I want to say another thank you. It's eight years, we've been together in my time as Mayor. I could not have become Mayor without you. I want to thank you. It would not have happened without you.  

[Applause] 

And we could not have changed this city without you. And on the topic of persistence and resilience, I want you to know that I've experienced something I imagine many of you can personally relate to. I have experienced being told over and over again what I can't do. I've been told, don't do that. I've been told you're not going to be able to do that. I've been told, that's impossible over and over again. They told me pre-K for all our children just couldn't possibly happen. It was too big. It was too fast. It couldn't happen. Well, because of you, every child in New York City today has a right to pre-K for free. 

[Applause] 

And it works so well, we said, let's do the same thing for three-year-olds. And now, every three-year-old will have an education for free. You made that happen. They said it was impossible to create that affordable housing that Pastor talked about to give people more and more opportunities, like the extraordinary Bishop Nicolas Residence. They said it was impossible. We said, we'll make 200,000 apartments. We'll build them, or we'll subsidize them, preserve them. 200,000 families would have a place to live that they could afford for decades to come. They said it was impossible. It has happened now in New York City. 200,000 families will have affordable housing. And soon, it will be 300,000. They said it was impossible to provide to the entrepreneurs, to the small business people, to the folks who had worked so hard, people of color, women who had created their own businesses – they said it's impossible for the government to give them more and more opportunity. Well, guess what? We are well on our way to providing $25 billion in contracts to minority- and women-owned businesses. They said it was impossible to find community solutions for public safety. Well, what we have created – many of you know the extraordinary work of the Precinct Council, the God Squad, and all the other Cure Violence organizations. We have created an approach to safety from the ground-up, safety created by the people. They said it was impossible. We have put over $100 million dollars into creating community solutions based on the people. 

[Applause] 

And they said – and this is so close to my heart and my wife Chirlane’s. They said it was impossible to reach those struggling with a mental health challenge. That stigma was too strong, it's impossible to break through. Well, I honor my wife, Chirlane, because she created an entirely different discussion in this city, and she a powerful initiative. And now, our mission is mental health for all. Whoever you are, you deserve it and we will get it to you. Every one with a mental health challenge, it is just another human challenge. It's just a part of human life. It is not a question of character. It is not something that should be judged. It's a human challenge that deserves support and respect. And, thanks to Chirlane, this city is now committed to mental health for all – for all.  

[Applause] 

So, as I conclude, I want to say, everything I just said – if you liked one of those things or you liked to all of those things, it's because of you. It's because of you. It only happened because of you. 

[Applause] 

The people demanded change and we created change. And every time they say it can't be done. Don't believe them. Don't believe them, because there's always more hope around the next corner. There's always the next step. There's always the next opportunity for change. I'm going to move forward from this point in my service and continue to serve in other ways. The one thing I am 100 percent devoted to is continuing to support our families, to make it easier. We know with pre-K and 3-K, we lightened the burden on families. We know we were able to say, you were guaranteed something. You didn't have to fight for it. You didn't have to struggle for it. You didn't have to pay for it. It was there for you. And that's what families need, right? You need some guarantees in life. You need less stress. You need more opportunity for your children. 

Here's what I want to do for this city, for this state. I want to make sure that every child, going forward, if they need to stay in the school building until the end of the afternoon, because parents don't stop working at 2:30 or 3 in the afternoon, parents have to work the whole day. Every child to be able to stay in their school building until six o'clock, and get more education, more culture, more recreation, and be safe and supported for free. That should be a right. 

[Applause] 

And in the summer where so many parents struggle to figure out what's a good option for their child – we did it this summer, we should do it all over the city, all over the state, it should become permanent – you should know that your child can go to your neighborhood school, they can be dropped off at eight in the morning, picked up at six at night, and have a wonderful summer experience full of rich activities and academic support. Keep learning, also, during the summer, get stronger. Joy and learning together, that should be a right for every family for free. It should be something you can depend on. 

[Applause] 

So, brothers and sisters, that is what I will devote my life to. And I just want to say, I believe it can happen, because everything else that we fought for together has happened. I believe we can keep going farther and farther. And I end with a profound sense of gratitude. There are so many good people here in this beautiful house. There are so many good people. There are so many good people in our beloved Brooklyn, so many good people in New York City. Doesn't matter if sometimes when we watch the news or read the newspaper or go online, we feel troubled. We feel set back. In fact, look around you. Look around you at all the good. Look around you at all the hope. This is what animates me. This is what keeps me moving forward. You prove to me how good people can be and the best is yet to come for all of us. Thank you and God bless you all. 

###