Applications are open for stewardship of the historic Van Cortlandt House — a stone dwelling built by the owner of a slave plantation in the Bronx. It’s now curated by The National Society of Colonial Dames of New York, an organization whose membership is limited to descendants of white colonialists. The Dames want to extend their stewardship. And the people of The Bronx shouldn’t stand for it. more

(This is in response to Danielle Herbert Guggenheim’s point of view on the National Society of Colonial Dames of New York’s stewardship of the Van Cortlandt House.) On behalf of the NSCDNY (National Society of Colonial Dames of New York), I appreciate Mrs. Guggenheim’s candor and welcome the dialogue that we hope will follow. While I do not agree with every point that she makes in her letter, I firmly agree with her sentiment that America is not defined by one type of person or perspective. The Dames’ mission is one of preservation, education, and patriotic Service for ALL Americans, and I hope that comes across in the work that the Dames do. more

(The following is a letter sent to residents of the 81st Assembly District, encompassing the neighborhoods of Riverdale, Norwood, Wakefield, Fieldston, Woodlawn, Kingsbridge, North Riverdale, and Spuyten Duyvil.) Here is some positive news from Nov. 15’s New York State Democratic Committee meeting:  more

As U.S. election officials gear up for the 2024 Presidential election, judges in over a dozen states could decide whether the 14th Amendment’s Section 3 disqualifies former President Donald Trump from future office. Recently, the Colorado Supreme Court removed candidate Trump from the state’s 2024 ballot, finding that the safeguard covers the office of U.S. President and that Trump personally engaged in insurrection. Trump has already appealed to the Supreme Court. more

On Dec. 19, 2023, in an interview on a cable TV station that reaches nearly 2 million viewers each weeknight, a former senior advisor in the Trump White House spoke about what he characterized as the “complete resettlement of America.” He attributed that phenomenon to the arrival here of millions of people from far and wide, bringing with them their cultures, traditions, and belief systems. more

As chair of the Senate Health Committee, I have made it my mission to fight for New Yorkers who are forced to navigate a broken health care system that has shamelessly become a profit making enterprise. As I prepare to return to Albany in a few days, I am focused on practical, ambitious solutions that will transform our system into one where care decisions are between providers and their patients. more

William Adams, my father, did not talk about the war — not to his wife nor to his children. Just once, I asked him a question: How close did you come to being hit? He spread his thumb and forefinger no more than two inches apart. more

I was 17 or 18 the first time I took a bus to a march on Washington. It was a giant peace march against the war in Vietnam. Protesting to end the war was what got me involved in the political process in the first place. more

In the last courtroom in which I sat as a potential juror, huge brass letters stretching across the front wall spelled out the words “In God We Trust.” more

In the past month, we have seen an unprecedented loss of human life. First, there was the brutal attack on Israeli civilians and foreign nationals by the terrorist organization Hamas. Communities across the world are experiencing profound grief and fear. Here in the Bronx, I want you to know that I am with you as our community navigates deep sorrow and uncertainty. I am doing everything in my power as a state senator to provide comfort, support, and to ensure New Yorkers can feel safe. more