State of the Borough Address

 

Wednesday night Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson gave her State of the Borough Address at the Raymond Kelly Student Center of Manhattan College in Riverdale. After the welcoming remark by Paola Martinez of Catholic Charities to show the diversity of the Bronx there were invocations by Brother Daniel Gardner President of Manhattan College, Rabbi Bob Kaplan Executive Director JCRC-NY, Imam Musa Kabba Masjid Ar-Rahman, Bishop Nancy Rosario Church of God's Children, and Rev. Helen C. Wingate The Greater Faith Baptist Church. 

The Celia Cruz Choir sung the United State National Anthem, Lift Every Voice and Sing, The Puerto Rican National Anthem, and the Dominican National Anthem. Deputy Borough President Janet Peguero announced the elected officials, Judges and commissioners in the attendance which included Mayor Eric Adams, New York State Attorney General Lettica James, and New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. There was a musical Performance by the Academy for Scholarship & Entrepreneurship Dance Troupe before Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson was introduced to give her State of the Borough Address.

Borough President Gibson thanked her team who she said acts like a family to her, and then thanked her mother, and the rest of her family who were in the audience. She then mentioned her two mentors, Former Assemblywoman and Deputy Bronx Borough President Aurila Greene, and her campaign manager and political advisor Venancio (Benny) Catala both no longer here. In her first month in office there was the tragic fire at Twin Parks where 17 people perished in the fire. 

She wants to move the borough forward thanking those who have brought to the Bronx needed funding to do so. She thanked Mayor Eric Adams and Speaker Adriane Adam for their help, then she brought up Bronx Week 2023 by saying that she would let the people of the Bronx decide one of the Bronx Week Honorees. She supports the LinkNYC kiosks where  800,000 residents connected two and one half million times.  The next subject was the Kingsbridge Armory where the city is back to step one, but she as Borough President will work with Councilwoman Perrina Sanchez and the community to find the right project to go into the armory. She then said everyone has a fundamental right to feel safe in their neighborhoods, streets are shared by cars, bikes, and pedestrians, and she thanked and asked the EMS workers in attendance to stand up to be recognized. She ended by saying that Black women are almost ten times greater to die in birth than their white counterparts. She wants a women's Health, Birthing, and Wellness Center in the Bronx to care for prenatal to post-natal care for the women of the Bronx. 

The Celia Cruz Choir under the direction of Ms. Jacqeline Bergland sang the four national anthems.

Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson walks down the middle aisle to her seat.

New York State Attorney General Lettica James speaks as Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson is seated between her mother and Chief of Staff. 

Before Bronx Borough President Gibson was introduced there was a musical performance by the Academy for Scholarship & Entrepreneurship Dance Troupe.

Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson is introduced to come up and give her State of the Borough Address.

Borough President Gibson is greeted by Mayor Eric Adams as she goes to the stage to give her State of the Borough Speech.

Borough President Gibson during her State of the Borough Speech.

During her State of the Borough Speech Borough President Gibson asked the men and women of the EMS who were in the audience to stand up and be recognized for the work they do. 

Pastor Jay Gooding who gave the ending Benediction poses with Borough President Gibson.