On Monday, January 19th, New York Governor Kathy Hochul celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), for a great turnout.
This marked the 40th annual Brooklyn Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who is remembered for his famous speech, which he delivered on August 28, 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial: “I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.”
Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II served as the keynote speaker, and it featured readings by New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, New York Attorney General Letitia James, Alvin Bragg, Jumaane Williams, and Oscar-nominated actor Jeffrey Wright (“American Fiction”), along with performances by The Fire Ensemble, Ailey II, and dancers from Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE dance company.
They also recognized Dr. King’s “Drum Major Instinct” sermon. It was a day of reflection and celebration for all that carry Dr. King’s vision of justice and equality forward.
Governor Hochul on the need to foster a New York dream of inclusivity
In her remarks, Hochul underscored the need to live Dr. King’s dream, as well as fostering a New York dream of inclusivity. She reminded the BAM audience that the Women’s Rights Movement and the LGBTQ+ movement all started in the state of New York.
Governor Hochul stressed Dr. King’s enduring message of nonviolence, hope, equality and justice. As governor, her goal is to help make New York a more affordable, just, and equitable place for everybody.
Governor Hochul’s speech at Brooklyn Academy of Music
In her rousing speech, Hochul thanked everyone for joining her in this celebration and describe the late civil rights leader as a “rightful king.”
“Dr. King represented justice, the King that I know represented hope of a better future,” Hochul said.” The King that we know, showed us a path forward. The King that we know stood up and rejected the status quo and said, we will continue the March for Civil Rights and Justice for as long as it takes.”
“One year ago during this celebration, we talked about the legacy of Dr. King and what it means to our lives today and how we’re lifting families up — those in poverty, those in prison, those who seek justice, and what that means back in 2025,” Hochul recalled.
“One year later, the threats that we have seen coming out of Washington – again, a self-appointed king fly in the face of everything that Dr. Martin Luther King ever stood for and shed blood for,” she elaborated.
“We will not accept that in America in 2026, we’ll stand up and fight,” Hochul stressed. “We’ll march forward, we’ll say enough is enough. And my heart breaks over the knowledge that in Minnesota, a six-year-old woke up with a mom and went to bed an orphan in America.”
“I honor those who stand up in that city, and the Governor and the Mayor. But let me tell you about New York State because we have been at the beginning of so many critical movements,” she said.
“The Civil Rights Movement, now there’s other historians will say otherwise, but I’m from Buffalo, and I’m going to lay claims that it started in Buffalo. Because the Niagara Frontier movement was the precursor to the NAACP, and it started up there as they were crossing,” she elaborated.
“New York will always stand strong,” Hochul enthused. “We still have the Statue of Liberty in our harbor. We’re going to make sure that that flame never is extinguished under the king that we have in Washington right now.”
The Governor continued, “So, Dr. King, we will not let you down as you look upon us and people decades, generations, a hundred years from now, look back and say, did they stand up in that time when their democracy was on the line and civil rights were being trampled on — did they stand up for each other the way Dr. King taught us?”
“My friends, the resounding answer must be yes. We did stand up, we marched on and we honored the name of Dr. King,” she acknowledged.
Illuminating 17 New York State landmarks red, green and black in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.
Governor Hochul directed 17 New York State landmarks to be lit red, green and black on the evening of January 19th the perennial relevance and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
These iconic landmarks that were illuminated red, green and black included One World Trade Center, various bridges, the State Education Building, Empire State Plaza, Niagara Falls, the Grand Central Terminal —Pershing Square Viaduct, Albany International Airport Gateway, Lake Placid Olympic Center, MTA LIRR, Moynihan Train Hall.
Filmmaker and bestselling author Dar Dowling remarked, “Martin Luther King Jr. changed everything by proving that real justice requires both critical thinking and deep compassion.”
As part of the festivities that were going on in New York in preparation for Martin Luther King Jr. Day a few days prior, a preschool in Queens, New York, taught its early childhood children the following song (in the style of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”): “Freedom, freedom, let it ring. ‘Let it ring,’ said Dr. King. Let us live in harmony, peace and love for you and me. Freedom, freedom, let it ring. ‘Let it ring,’ said Dr. King.”
