 I also just want to take this opportunity in addition to the people of Morocco to also remember the people of Libya, who also suffered through the flooding. So our administration, Mayor Adams, all of us, our thoughts and prayers are with them and our community and we will be supporting everyone through this difficult time. So now over to Commissioner Castro. Thank you so much Deputy Commissioner. Give it up for Congolese in New York. Let's hear it. Give it up for Africans in New York. Let's hear it. Give it up for Mayor Eric Adams. Mix some noise. I want to take this opportunity to thank Leonard and the African Council and all the community organizations that who have been great partners in supporting nearly arrived immigrant communities here in New York without your support, without your support Len, I don't think we could do this alone. And you know, we've heard a lot in the last couple of weeks, but if you look across the country, no mayor has done more for our immigrant communities than Mayor Eric Adams and I want to thank him for that. If you look at our history, history of New York, no mayor has done more for immigrant communities to this day. So facts are facts and I want us to remember that. And so with that, please welcome the mayor of the city of New York, Mayor Eric Adams. I think that I say over and over again, when you celebrate the diversity of this amazing city, that it's both in a combination of substantive action and symbolic action. And today, we're looking at the symbolism right here for the first time. You may have 60 years of independence, but this is the first year that the flag from the Congo is going to be raised here at Bowling Green, acknowledging the contribution, acknowledging your participation in the greatness of this city. And you should feel pleased and happy because many people that are on this line right now, getting ready to go to the bull, they are part of, many are part of the unfortunate few of Americans. Because there are only two types of Americans, those who live in New York and those who wish they could. And you're one of the ones that are in New York, so you should be excited about being here. And this is so important and significant. Yesterday we celebrated all of the countries in Africa at Gracie Mansion. It was the first time in celebration of that magnitude and bringing the energies of the ancestors to Gracie Mansion. But this spot here is so important. Right on the same spot, all of our ancestors that were ripped away from the continent of Africa used to be sold here on these grounds. And many of them left the continent in slavery. And when I returned last year with the mayoralty, it showed the resiliency of the African people. And no one knows that better than the people from the Congo. Colonialized powers for far too long oppressed the people of Congo because of their natural resources. And you have continued to rise and you have continued to show the resiliency of the country. So we're proud today as we rise, as we raise the flag to the people of the Congo that you belong not only here in New York, but across the globe. There's so much debt that is owed to people of Africa who have undergone so much colonializing treatment on the continent. This is a moment of reclaiming the natural resources, reclaiming the dignity of the continent, reclaiming the relationships of your aunties and uncles and cousins that you lost during the slave trade of yesteryears. It is our obligation and responsibility to reunite ourselves. And I'm happy to be here to be the mayor that finally raises the flag of the Congo here in the center of Manhattan, the center of strength of this country. Congratulations to you. 60 years of independence. Keep being independent as we move forward. Thank you very much. Thank you so much, Mayor, for all you do for the African community. And it is now our pleasure to present some gifts to the mayor from the community. And Ankumo Katalai will do that for us. On behalf of our Congolese government, the community, the leaders, we want to thank you for this initiative to honor our people, to remind us that we are part of it. There's some symbolic gift. This, I ask Kinshasa on my own because I know what the leper represents for the Congolese culture. So we have this leper hat. I don't know if the mayor in his swag today feels like putting on a hat, but the representation of what this means is a lot for us. And our friends, our friends in Galerie Articular Cans, they are based in D.C. in Georgetown. They were able to craft this gift for Congolese artists who's based in Kinshasa, you know, for the mayor to have. And our friends at Congolese Village, Jimmy, he's one of the Congolese company, he owns a coffee company. Jimmy's right there with the suit. He was able to put a gift together for you to present. But more importantly, this is for me and everybody else and everything else I care for. Maybe I will invite my elder to present this better. This is a Cuba Claude. He's an historian who can speak more or less about this, but I wanted to see how beautiful it will look on one of the leader. This is Chaka Buena, a textile that comes out of the Kingdom of Cuba, right in the heart of Africa's woven by women. And this is called Raphia, made out of palm tree. There you go. It goes under the arm, under the arm. Chaka Buena. For now. There you go. So this is courtesy as well of our friend and gallery, Artica Cairns in DC. They were able to send me this so we could present to represent Congo. Please, when you think of Congo, I want you to think of Cuba Claude today. Please. Thank you, Mayor Adams. We have here the representative for the Congolese mission. Thank you, Mayor Adams. Thank you again, New York City. Merci. Now we're going to be raising the flag of the United States and the flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Thank you. Halley!