Office Of The Mayor Of New York City: Transcript: Mayor De Blasio Presents Keys To The City Of New York To George Gresham And Charles Rangel

West Village NY

19 December, 2021

12:51 PM

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Press release from Office of the Mayor of New York City: December 18, 2021 Mayor Bill de Blasio: It's going to be two good weeks, is what I can tell you. Two more weeks. We're going to get a lot done in the next two weeks. Everybody, it is a joy to be here. It is a joy to be here. Because today I get to honor two such worthy people. But I also want to say in, this particular incarnation, this will be the last time I get to speak from the stage potentially. And I want to just thank everyone. I want to just take a moment, this is the season of thankfulness. I want to express my thanks. I want to express my thanks, first of all, Rev, for every day fighting to make this city, this nation more, just more fair. And it makes an impact every single day. [Applause] I want to thank National Action Network, because in this city and around this nation, you make things happen for people. You really do. People should be so proud. This organization has become indispensable in the United States of America. And God bless everyone who is a part of it. [Applause] But I also want to just harken back for a moment. Rev, is right. That silent march, anyone who was a part of that silent march, 2012, raise your hand, if you were a part of that, that day. And you remember it felt a little lonely because the establishment, I still like to use that word. The establishment, that's a word from the 60's, but I still like to use it. The establishment in this town told us stop-and-frisk needed to stay, was part of keeping safety keeping order. And we knew it was a lie. We knew it was a lie. We knew it was a false choice. And we are presented with those false choices constantly. Being told, if we want safety, we need to give up our rights or give up the respect that people deserve. We are told it over and over. But on that day with that march, we punctured that lie here in this city. That day, that Rev referred to when we had a debate on this stage, we punctured that lie. And it is one of many things that we've been able to do over these last eight years together to change this city. But I just want to say before I turn to these honorees. We would've not been able to do anything if we had accepted the conventional wisdom that was foisted upon us time and time again. If we had accepted the lies we were told, we would still be sitting back there with stop-and-frisk of our children. We'd be sitting back there with no pre-K, no 3K. We would be sitting back there with a lot less affordable housing. We would not have the things we created together unless we said we see our own truth. And everyone in this room was part of bringing that truth to light. Look around you at all the good people. Look around you at the good people who helped change this city over these last eight years. We did this together. Give your neighbor a round of applause, everybody. [Applause] So, two very special people today. And the first is someone I have the deepest admiration for the role he has played in this city and this nation, in fact, in this world. In the year 1994, I had the honor of being the campaign director for Charlie Rangel's reelection campaign. And I often just sat in wonder watching his mind at work, watching his brilliance. Because the rest of us were playing checkers and Charlie Rangel was playing chess. He was always, he was many, many moves ahead of the people who were supposed to be quote unquote, managing him. But then I kind of got to the point where I realized maybe I should just see this as a seminar and a learning experience and learn from this great man. And I did. And I watched. And some of the things I hope I was able to do with this city and for this city is because some of the lessons I learned from him. His brilliance – you could applaud for that. [Applause] His brilliance has been clear to many of us, but I also want to speak about his heart. He's often talked about having survived the Korean War and coming very close more than once, to not coming back to us. And feeling the gratitude ever since that he stayed alive. And that gratitude fueled an extraordinary life of public service. He had an ability to go into an extra gear and to see what needed to happen long before many others did. He is one of the reasons I had the honor working for Mayor David Dinkins. There would not have been a Mayor David Dinkins, if it weren't for Charlie Rangel who helped to lead that movement and make it possible. [Applause] Charlie Rangel was talking about the injustices in this world, including the intolerable situation that used to exist in a white government dominated South Africa. When it was not fashionable in this country to say that apartheid was unacceptable Charlie Rangel was one of the people who created the movement to overthrow apartheid and bring Nelson Mandela to leadership in South Africa. [Applause] When people were struggling more and more in this country, hardworking, good people afflicted by poverty, and no one in Washington seemed willing to create a solution, it was Charlie Rangel who created the earned income tax credit and put money back in the pockets of struggling people. It was one of the most transcendent actions against poverty in the last half century. Charlie Rangel made that happen. [Applause] [Mayor de Blasio presents Key To The City of New York] [...] Charlie, that key opens the vault of all the banks in New York City. So, now you can continue to redistribute wealth as you did in the Congress. I feel like we just saw and heard a profound message. And we just got given a mission by a great man. Did you hear what I just heard? Did you hear the power of what Charlie Rangel just said to us? [Applause] Let's thank him because he gave us a lot of truth there. Let's thank Charlie Rangel. [Applause] Some amazing things happen on this stage, Rev. And that was one of those moments. Now I get to honor a second great New Yorker. And this man to me, he's is – it's very personal. Because first of all, he epitomizes what I believe in and I think what so many of us believe in. That someone who started out the grassroots, who did the work, who did the hard work, could become a leader of so many. And could represent their aspirations and their hopes and their needs with a full heart. George Gresham is someone who did the work. He worked in those hospitals. He did that tough work. He struggled day after day. He was not handed anything. He did not grow up with any privilege, but he had a vision of helping others that burned in him. And literally devoted his entire life to it in an exemplary way. So, it's personal to me because this is what we wish for in the world. That leaders would arise, who truly represent the people. And we know that doesn't happen all the time. When you see someone arise from the people, of the people, by the people, for the people, it moves me. But it's personal for me also because in the year 2013, as Rev talked about, I had a vision for a very different city. And I thought we were going in a dangerous direction. A city becoming more and more unequal, a city that if we didn't address this profound unfairness, very, very tough times would befall us. That we had to do something different. And it felt at times what I was saying felt like a voice in the wilderness until one day, one man took a chance on me. And I just want to say there are many, many reasons for this honor, but I want to make it personal and say, I would not have the honor of being your mayor and anything we did in these last eight years, Pre-K For All or 3K or ending stop-and-frisk, whatever it was. If you think anything we did is good, then we have to thank George Gresham who made it possible. [Applause] But beyond my own personal view is the fact that he has continued to build a union. Here in this city, in this state, in this nation that defines what the labor movement was meant to be. Because it is not just about the incredibly powerful work of protecting the individual members. That has to happen. That does happen every day, improving wages, improving benefits. That alone would make him a great labor leader. He has achieved that time and time again for millions of workers. But the George Gresham I honor is also the man who insisted that we organized a movement for that silent march, that movement that ended stop-and-frisk. That movement required 1199 and George Gresham's leadership. And he was there. [Applause] And if you think back to those days, and I remember they were not long ago where a few voices starting in this city talked about a $15 minimum wage and they were scoffed at. They were told they were being unrealistic, out of touch, impossible. But George Gresham, 1199 SEIU took up that cause. What once was said to be impossible now is considered a decent wage in the United States of America. $15 an hour because of people like George Gresham. [Applause] And finally, the notion in a country that still as Charlie Rangel said so powerfully, does not respect people of color sufficiently, does not re respect women sufficiently, and particularly gives its greatest disrespect to those who are the glue of this country, women of color. [Applause] The world turned upside down, someone had to say, we will change that and we will restore and endow the respect, particularly the women of color, they deserve. And we will do that through the power of a mighty union. So, every time you see that noble army in purple marching down the street, rallying for justice, that army exists because George Gresham has continued to build it. And not just for his own members, but for every working person everywhere. And for that, and for being a New Yorker who epitomizes the values of the city, it's my honor to present to George Gresham, the Key to New York City. [Mayor de Blasio presents Key To The City of New York]   ### This press release was produced by Office of the Mayor of New York City. The views expressed here are the author's own.