Mayor Eric Adams has sparked controversy after using the term “Negroes” at a Black History Month event, drawing sharp criticism and questions about his language. During the reception, Adams, who is currently facing a corruption case, referred to those calling for his resignation as “Negroes,” prompting both public backlash and media scrutiny.
Adams’ Controversial Remarks on ‘Negroes’ Term
“All these Negroes who were asking me to step down, God, forgive them,” Adams said, addressing his critics. “Are you stupid? I’m running my race right now.” The remark immediately raised eyebrows, with many questioning the appropriateness of the term, especially in today’s political and social climate.
During a subsequent media session, Adams was asked to explain why he used the term “Negroes” to describe those calling for his resignation. His defense was firm: “Well, those Negroes knew they were wrong. You know, who are we kidding? And why are we trying to classify the term Negro as being a derogatory term? You got the Negro Improvement Lead Organization, the United Negro College Fund, and the National Council of Negro Women. That’s not a derogatory term. I call myself, I say to myself sometimes, Negro, you dropped the ball.”
Mayor Adams Defends His Innocence in Corruption Case
Adams also used the opportunity to maintain his innocence regarding the federal charges he is facing. He argued that the true issue at hand should be the undemocratic nature of calls for his resignation, given that he has not been convicted of any criminal actions. “What people should have been really insulted about is, here is a person that did nothing wrong, was not convicted of any criminal action, but heard the optics of people and starts saying we should usurp the power of the voters,” he said.
Public Outcry and Questions on Racial Implications
Despite Adams’ defense, many have continued to question his choice of words, particularly in the context of his reelection campaign amid allegations of a “quid pro quo” agreement with the Trump administration. On Good Day New York, anchor Curt Menefee confronted Adams about his comments, asking if he was implying that Black people should automatically support him. “Are you implying that if you’re Black, you have to support you?” Menefee asked.
Adams replied, emphasizing that he wanted the support of all New Yorkers. When pressed further about who he meant by “Negroes,” Adams clarified that he was referring to those who had called for him to step down prematurely. “If you look at that whole speech, the speech talked about the continuation of lighting your flame and continuing to light and shine, and that’s what we’ve done in this administration with our team,” he explained.
Defending His Stance on Resignation Calls
Adams stood by his stance that calls for his resignation were undemocratic and unduly influenced by the optics of his legal issues. He also shared his belief that people should pray for his opponents, emphasizing that he had the support of a significant portion of the public. “In my definition of what I said, all New Yorkers — we got 8.3 million New Yorkers, [and] 8.3 million people didn’t call for me to step down,” Adams stated, adding that the reaction he received from the public in the streets was the opposite of the critics.
