Governor Hochul Issues Proclamation for Juneteenth Observance

Pan-African Flag to be Flown at New York State Buildings

Sixteen Landmarks To Be Lit Statewide at the Governor’s Direction To Commemorate the End of Slavery in the United States

Governor Kathy Hochul today issued a proclamation in observance of Juneteenth. The Governor also announced that the red, black, and green Pan-African Flag will be raised over the New York State Capitol today, Friday, June 19, and that State landmarks will be illuminated red, black, and green.

“Juneteenth is a powerful reminder of how far our nation has come and how much work still remains,” Governor Hochul said. “This commemoration is both a celebration of freedom, and a reminder of the work ahead to ensure all New Yorkers are treated with dignity, fairness, and respect.”

The following 16 landmarks will illuminate red, black, and green this evening in honor of Juneteenth:

• One World Trade Center
• Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge
• Kosciuszko Bridge
• The H. Carl McCall SUNY Building
• State Education Building
• Alfred E. Smith State Office Building
• Empire State Plaza
• State Fairgrounds – Main Gate & Expo Center
• Niagara Falls
• The “Franklin D. Roosevelt” Mid-Hudson Bridge
• Grand Central Terminal - Pershing Square Viaduct
• Albany International Airport Gateway
• Lake Placid Olympic Center
• Fairport Lift Bridge over the Erie Canal - will light red only
• Moynihan Train Hall - will light red only
• Roosevelt Island Lighthouse

The Pan-African flag will be flown over the New York State Capitol and the following State buildings today:

• Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building, Harlem
• Eleanor Roosevelt State Office Building, Poughkeepsie
• Hudson Valley Transportation Management Center, Hawthorne
• Perry B. Duryea State Office Building, Hauppauge
• Empire State Plaza, Albany
• Alfred E. Smith State Office Building, Albany
• Executive Mansion, Albany
• Harriman State Office Building Campus, Building 18, Albany
• Binghamton State Office Building
• Dulles State Office Building, Watertown
• Henderson-Smith State Office Building, Hornell
• Homer Folks Facility, Oneonta
• Senator John H. Hughes State Office Building, Syracuse
• Utica State Office Building
• New York State Preparedness Training Center, Oriskany

 

On Juneteenth, Mayor Mamdani Releases Video Honoring the Legacy of Black New Yorkers

 

Video features a conversation with artist Dr. Lorenzo Pace, creator of “Triumph of the Human Spirit”

Today, in recognition of Juneteenth, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani released a short documentary highlighting the life and work of artist Dr. Lorenzo Pace, whose monumental sculpture, “Triumph of the Human Spirit,” stands in Foley Square as a testament to the resilience and enduring legacy of Black New Yorkers. 

  

The short documentary explores Pace’s artistic journey and the history behind the sculpture, which was commissioned to honor those buried at the African Burial Ground. The site contains the remains of more than 400 Africans buried between the 1630s and 1795 and is the oldest and largest known excavated burial ground in North America for both free and enslaved Africans. Its rediscovery in 1991 transformed New York City’s understanding of its own history, bringing renewed attention to the central role enslaved Africans played in building the city.  

  

Following the site’s discovery, a memorial was established to commemorate those buried there. Selected from among hundreds of artists, Dr. Pace was commissioned to create a public work that would honor their memory and tell a story long overlooked. The sculpture was funded through the Department of Cultural Affairs’ Percent for the Art program, which dedicates 1% of eligible City-funded construction budgets to public art.   

  

“Triumph of the Human Spirit” features a Chiwara — a ritual depiction of an antelope in West African culture — standing in a boat, symbolizing the arrival of Africans to New York City and their perseverance through generations of struggle and triumph. Rising nearly five stories and weighing approximately 300 tons, the sculpture stands as a powerful reminder that the story of New York cannot be told without the story of Black New Yorkers.   

  

“On Juneteenth, we honor not only the end of slavery but the generations of Black New Yorkers who fought for freedom, built our city and expanded the process of democracy. Dr. Pace’s work reminds us that our responsibility is to continue the unfinished work of extending freedom and justice to all,” said Mayor Mamdani.  

  

See Full Transcript of Video Below:   

   

Dr. Lorenzo Pace: This lock is the actual lock that enslaved my great grandfather Steve Pace in Alabama. This is the foundation of my history here in this country.   

   

What is art? Art is everything and anything. You can look at art as being a representation of our humanity. are to tell the history of the people. If they didn't tell the history, we wouldn't know what the Egyptians did three, four thousand years ago. You wouldn't know what the Greeks did. You wouldn't know what the Renaissance was like if you didn't have the artist telling the story.   

   

I was taught everything about me was bad. My nose too big, my lips too big, my hair too nappy, my skin too black. And so when the art came into me, I began to emphasize those negative things I was taught. The lips, the nose, and especially the hair, and you see the black, beautiful skin. In 1991, my father passed away in Birmingham. After the funeral, my uncle Julius give the lock to me, brought it back to New York.   

   

The first thing I saw big headlines in the New York Times African burial ground in the heart of New York City: Slavery in New York. Come on. You're kidding me.   

   

That was phenomenal for not only me, but for all New Yorkers. So I immediately went down to the site, I jumped on the fence and began to photograph because I felt that it connected my family with the enslaved population here in New York.   

   

And our mayor at the time, David Dinkens, he said, "Hey, everybody think of the South as slavery. We had it going on right here in New York.”   

   

The federal government is saying, "Hey, you know, this is invaluable land." The African-American community was like, "Hey, no, this is precious ground. We don't want nothing to be built on here." So, they said, "Well, okay, we got to figure out how can we build a monument to honor these enslaved population."    

   

New York City Department of Culture Affairs Present for the Arts put a call out for artists to build something that relates to that. I threw my head in the ring. Over 400 artists had plot. They narrow it down to five and I got the call. I was shocked, you know.   

   

So I went to the Metropolitan Museum. This image Chiwara just kept coming up in a number of different African countries. I said, "Oh, let me check this out." This what I came out with, Chiwara. This is what inspired me to build the monument.   

   

I said, "I can't copy the image per se." So, I said, "Well, why don't you see if you do something abstract that represents something?" This is the model that I brought to the committee to look at. And they was like, "Hey, this is what we want.”   

   

So you see the Chiwara on top of a boat in a pool of water. The boat represents the first Native Americans, the immigrants, and then also the boat represents my history, how we got here.   

   

It's a painful story. And New York City was the second largest slave port in the country. Taboo subject. Something like this is very difficult to talk about. Slavery is a very sensitive topic for us, as well as for white folks. It brings up all kinds of ghosts. It goes to the bedrock of our country.   

   

How could a people who have gone to so many atrocities after being in bondage coming from the slave trade freely survive?   

   

You see this big, five-story 300 ton monument. It must be representing something.   

   

Hopefully that will bring for a little bit of understanding of what we all are part of. Whether you like it or not, it is a part of us as Americans.   

   

Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani: And I'd like to begin by acknowledging Dr. Pace, because your sculpture triumph of the human spirit in Foley Square has become a rallying point for so many who dare to imagine a better future.    

   

Dr. Lorenzo Pace: I look back on the experience, it pushed me to go to the highest level I can go.

 

I feel that when the ancestors want to anoint you to do something, they will.   

 

Honoring the Legacy of Juneteenth

NYC Executive Budget Currently Balanced, But Risks Threaten Long-Term Fiscal Stability

Comptroller DiNapoli released a new report analyzing New York City’s $124.7 billion Fiscal Year 2027 Executive Budget, finding that it continued the city’s recent efforts to detail the substantial spending challenges it faces while identifying ways it plans to manage them, but defers critical decisions needed to achieve structural balance into the future.

Learn More

Comptroller DiNapoli's Statement on NYC Reserves

Common Retirement Fund Reaches Agreement with BJ's Wholesale

Comptroller DiNapoli announced the state pension fund has reached an agreement with BJ’s Wholesale, ahead of its shareholders meeting on June 18, 2026, to assess and disclose how deforestation risks could impact its private label products. This will bring the company in line with its corporate peers.

This Week in Pictures

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P O S T   O F   T H E   W E E K

Mayor Mamdani Announces Telemundo Will Livestream Spanish-Language Coverage of World Cup Matches on 200 LinkNYC Kiosks Across New York City

 

Five marquee World Cup matches to stream on 200 LinkNYC kiosks citywide from June 19 through July 19    

 

Twenty LinkNYC kiosks will feature official City World Cup branding during the tournament    

Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani today announced that New Yorkers and visitors will be able to follow five FIFA World Cup matches on 200 LinkNYC kiosks across the five boroughs between June 19 and July 19 as part of a free Summer Friday viewing series celebrating New York City’s role as a host city, as well as the World Cup Final on Sunday, July 19.

 

In partnership with Telemundo, the viewing series will bring the world’s biggest sporting event directly to neighborhoods across the city, transforming everyday public spaces into gathering places where New Yorkers can experience the excitement of the World Cup together.

 

“New York is a city of sidewalks as much as it is stadiums, and this summer the World Cup belongs to both,” said Mayor Mamdani. “You shouldn’t need a ticket to MetLife to feel connected to the world’s game. Whether you’re heading home from work, meeting friends or just walking to the bodega, you’ll have a chance to stop, watch and share in a moment that brings incredible soccer moments directly to you.”

 

“This is a massive community partnership. It expands Telemundo public viewing access for World Cup matches — into every borough of our city. We were thrilled to work with LinkNYC, Telemundo Network and the City to bring this once-in-a-lifetime moment directly to the viewers and the neighborhoods we serve,” said Eric Lerner, President and General Manager of Telemundo 47 and NBC 4 New York.

 

“The FIFA World Cup is more than a sporting event — it’s a cultural moment that brings people together across communities, generations, and backgrounds,” said Claudia Chagui, Executive Vice President, Marketing, NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises. “As the exclusive Spanish-language home of the tournament, we’re excited to partner with the City of New York and LinkNYC to bring the World Cup directly into neighborhoods across the city and create new ways for fans to connect with the matches and each other.”

 

The public viewing series will feature five marquee matches spanning the group stage through the tournament final:  

•   Friday, June 19, 3 p.m. – United States vs. Australia  

•   Friday, June 26, 3 p.m. – Norway vs. France  

•   Friday, July 3, 2 p.m. – Round of 32 Match  

•   Friday, July 10, 3 p.m. – Quarterfinal Match  

•   Sunday, July 19, 3 p.m. – FIFA World Cup Final  

  

As part of the activation, 20 LinkNYC kiosks across the five boroughs will feature official City World Cup branding, joining ferries, sanitation vehicles, subway cars and other public assets celebrating New York City’s role as a host city.

 

NYC PUBLIC ADVOCATE'S STATEMENT IN COMMEMORATION OF JUNETEENTH

 

“For me, and I’m sure for many, there is an inherent tension in Juneteenth celebrations. We should rightly celebrate the freedom won and the people who fought for it, the progress made and victories secured. And at the same time, we have to acknowledge not only injustices still uncorrected, but the ways that those in power are seeking to undo the progress of decades.   

 

“The powerful have mounted an all-out effort to erase the history and strip away the rights of Black Americans. From ignoring this very holiday to the dismantling of the Voting Rights Act and racist gerrymandering, this White House and its allies pretend – wish – that Black America did not exist.  

 

“In that context, our celebration today is an act of defiance and statement of purpose. 

 

“Enslaved people in Texas did not learn of their freedom until two years after it had been declared. Black Americans today are still waiting for true liberation, that which tears down systems of injustice propped up by the powerful. 

 

“A country founded on freedom failed to truly deliver it to all Americans – not only through 1865, but throughout its history. As we mark one holiday based on the idea of freedom, and approach another, I’m led to paraphrase Frederick Douglass’ enduring question: 

 

“What, to Black Americans, is the 250th Anniversary of the United States?”

Housing Lottery Launches for 1938 Prospect Avenue in Tremont, The Bronx

 

The affordable housing lottery has launched for 1938 Prospect Avenue, a four-story residential building in Tremont, The Bronx. Designed by Node Architecture Engineering & Consulting and developed by Fredi Bori of Bori Con Corp., the structure yields 14 residences. Available on NYC Housing Connect are three units for residents at 80 percent of the area median income (AMI), ranging in eligible income from $76,629 to $122,160.

Amenities include bike storage lockers, shared car services, recycling center, laundry service, common area Wi-Fi, recreation room, community events and classes, babysitting and afterschool services, and green space. Residences are equipped with intercoms, air conditioning, hardwood floors, smart controls for heating and cooling, and name-brand kitchen appliances, countertops, and finishes. Tenants are responsible for electricity, including stove, heat, and hot water.

At 80 percent of the AMI, there are two studios with a monthly rent of $2,000 for incomes ranging from $76,629 to $108,560, and one one-bedroom with a monthly rent of $2,092 for incomes ranging from $82,149 to $122,160.

Prospective renters must meet income and household size requirements to apply for these apartments. Applications must be postmarked or submitted online no later than July 7, 2026.

Happy Juneteenth! + 24 Years of AFC!

 

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