NEW YORK — It wasn’t a shock to many Black New Yorkers that Mayor Eric Adams has surrounded himself with African American civil rights leaders, clergy and grassroots activists since his indictment last week on federal bribery charges. Adams, a Brooklyn native who rose from the city’s working class to its highest political office, is seen as more than the city’s second Black mayor. To many, he’s family.
“Four more years!” chanted a sizeable group of Black clergy leaders that had gathered to pray for the mayor outside City Hall Tuesday evening. “What I want in your prayer is to continue to lift me up, and this administration, with the strength to move forward,” Adams said to the group. “This is what we fought for and many of you were part of the campaign,” the mayor said about when he was elected.
But even the closest of families feud. The five-count indictment has prompted loud calls for Adams' resignation from Black New York activists, elected leaders and residents. It’s also sparked debates about whether to stand behind a controversial figure who, for many, represents a milestone for Black representation in government.
Adams' actions have precedent in Black political history; a child raised in the community who rose to the highest echelons of leadership, then faced legal troubles for potential improper conduct, and later returned to voters for support. Nearly two years ago, New York voters elected Black leaders to a historic number of local and statew.