February 21, 2021Mayor Bill de Blasio: So, everyone, first of all, I always like to make sure we celebrate people who do this amazing work, reaching to people all over the city, helping them get the information they need, helping them find a way to get signed up for testing, get signed up for vaccination. The amazing folks from the Test and Trace Corps, let’s give them a round of applause. We appreciate you. [Applause] They""re smiling behind those masks. So, we’re here at Red Hook, and I want to tell you, for a long time, I""ve been involved with the Red Hook community, going way back to when I was a school board member in District 15, starting in 1999, and one of the things I know is Red Hook is a strong community and a proud community that has so often not gotten its fair share. If you spend time with people in Red Hook Houses, you hear an extraordinary strength and resiliency and people know how to fight to get things to be better for their community. I remember when Hurricane Sandy struck, I remember joining with resident leaders, joining with the Red Hook Initiative. I remember Chirlane and I walking the halls of one of the buildings and seeing what people are going through: days and days and days without electricity. I remember going up the stairwells through the building, no lights that went on for a long time. People were suffering, but they helped each other. They really helped each other. They stood by each other and I learned so much respect for the Red Hook community during that crisis, and I know we""ve seen the same in this crisis. People have been there for each other, but we have to be there for Red Hook. So, we wanted to create an opportunity for public housing residents, for NYCHA residents, seniors, to get the vaccinations they needed right here in their own community, for them to be prioritized as an act of fairness and justice. This community has been through so much, needed its own vaccination site, and I want to thank Congressmember Nydia Velazquez. You""ll hear from her in a moment. She called me personally. She said, we""ve got to get this going right away. This community needs help, and we heard her call to action and met, and we""re going to keep being here to make sure that people Red Hook yet what they need. So, this is, is about equity. It is about creating a recovery for all of us. When I say recovery for all of us, that means we are not here to just replace the status quo that was before the pandemic. We are here to change things, and that means making sure that""s something as precious as the vaccine goes to the communities hardest hit, making sure they get the priority they deserve.
So, that""s what we""re doing here today. The seniors I just spoke to – folks who came here to get vaccinated. There is a joy. When you talk to a senior citizen or an essential worker, who""s getting vaccinated and they have been waiting for that moment and dealing with all the fear that comes with COVID, and then finally getting to that moment where they know they are protected by the vaccine. There""s an incredible passion. There""s a beauty in that moment. I want to thank all the folks who work here because everyone in there providing those vaccines is doing something beautiful to help their fellow New Yorker, and it""s just a beautiful thing when you hear people say, now they can start to feel they""re going to be okay, they""re going to be safe. That""s what we""re here to do. Let me say a few words in Spanish. [Mayor de Blasio speaks in Spanish] […] So, we do this because it""s the right thing to do, but also vaccinating New Yorkers, we’re going vaccinate 5 million New Yorkers by June, and that""s going to bring this city back strong, bring people""s livelihoods back, bring our city back to our strength we had before and then go farther, and with that, I want to turn to someone who fights for us every day in Washington, which is not always easy to do, but she has consistently brought back help for the Red Hook community, and she fights with passion. She""s now chair of a major committee in the House of Representatives, and we are so proud of her, our Congressmember Nydia Velazquez. [Applause] […] Mayor: Thank you, Congressmember, and we are looking forward to that vote on the stimulus. Thank you for your leadership. Now, I want to hear from two resident leaders, who""ve done extraordinary work, advocating people of this community. First, President of Red Hook Houses West, Lillie Marshall. [Applause] […] Mayor: And now, President of Red Hook Houses East, Frances Brown. [Applause] […] Mayor: Thank you. And everyone, thank you to the resident leaders for the great work you do. Thank you to everyone who""s working here, and again, special thanks to the folks who go out every day, including going door to door, to sign people up for appointments. Some seniors don""t feel so comfortable online. These ones go to their door and get them the appointment they need. Pull out a device, sign them up right there. That is amazing work to make sure people get what they need. So, we end where we began, thanking these good folks from Test and Trace. Thank you so much.