Whew! New York Governor Kathy Hochul is apologizing after finding herself in the hot seat over her poor comments.
As we previously covered, in her recent address at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles, she made a remark that has stirred up controversy. She stated that young Black kids are growing up in the Bronx who don’t even know what the word “computer” means… Her intention was to generate publicity for the state’s $400 million “Empire AI” initiative, aimed at funding artificial intelligence in New York and expanding access to cutting-edge technology training in low-income areas, including the Bronx.
However, her comments immediately drew backlash from officials and lawmakers in the Bronx. They criticized her for perpetuating stereotypes and making generalizations about Black children’s knowledge and access to technology. The remarks were seen as insensitive and offensive, as they ignored the reality that many Black children are indeed familiar with computers and technology. Recognizing this problem, Governor Hochul issued an apology through a statement to the New York Post. She said:
“I misspoke and I regret it,” Hochul told the outlet. “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.”
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Of course, this is not the first time she apologized for her public comments.
In February she envisioned what would happen if Canada attacked a US city. She was in the middle of talking about the Israeli military operation in Gaza in response to the 7 October Hamas attacks when said, “If Canada someday ever attacked Buffalo, I’m sorry, my friends, there would be no Canada the next day,” she said.
At the time, she also issued an apology for a “poor choice of words.”