 He is also the executive director of the Bayard Rustin fund Thank you. It's friends. Okay. Thank you for coming out It's nice to be out for a happy occasion these days You don't have too many of those and to acknowledge and celebrate a great day in our nation's history I want to thank Valerie Joe Bradley and the staff of safe Harlem now Mayor Eric Adams and And his staff especially community fairs advisor Patrick Kwan State Senator Claire and Lisa Krasavich from the Landmarks Preservation Committee. I Also want to thank the Kilgore family For sharing Reverend Thomas Kilgore with us and for continuing to carry on his spirit and devotion to service Byrd always spoke very highly of Reverend Kilgore And it was for that reason that he was invited to officiate at the memorial service held for Byrd in October of 1987 On the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington There is a plaque that indicates the spot where Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King stood when he spoke at the March on Washington That is all well and good But I want to tell you if it were not for the weeks of work that took place in this humble building behind me That March would not have been possible Think of a hot summer Working on a four-story walk-up no elevator no air conditioning and Managing to pull together the miracle that took place on August 28th 1963 This is where it happened typewriters Mimeograph machines telephones Remember landlines folks No computers no faxes no cell phones This is where the press came where the marshals came Were trained where the mailings were assembled and where so much of the transportation was coordinated and Fortunately sometimes contributions came here, too Occasionally there were meetings at mr. Randolph's office on 125th Street and sometimes down at Byrd's apartment on West 28th Street But this was March Central What made it happen with a talented and enthusiastic young people of under the guidance of two inspiring leaders a Philip Randolph and Byrd Rustin Some of you may have seen the articles that were in the New York Times and the Washington Post and Yesterday our own Mayor Eric Adams had a fine op-ed column about this headquarters in the March in the Daily News Some of the articles talked to some of the people who had worked in this building on our homes in Orton Rochelle Horowitz Joyce Ladner Cortland Cox Patricia worthy and Norman Velma Hill most of these folks that reside in Washington, but we are lucky to be joined today by Norm Hill and Elliott Linser who worked at the March office And we are also fortunate to have with us Marsha young Cantorella The daughter of Whitney M. Young the late head of the National Urban League Who was one of the big six civil rights leaders who led and spoke at the March? Folks we live in a time when forces are trying to erase history and Rewrite it to conform to an inaccurate vision of what our country was and is It is our job to see that that doesn't happen and to correct the misrepresentations of the past For a long time Bard was marginalized Because of his radical politics and because he was unashamedly gay a Number of biographies and films have helped bring him from the shadows and grant him the recognition. He deserves Just today a new book More than a dream the radical March on Washington for jobs and freedom by Uhura Williams and Michael Long has been published Norm and Velma Hill have a memoir coming out in October climbing the rough side of the mountain Recounting their decades of working for civil rights inequality But I would be derelict if I did not acknowledge the groundbreaking work of Jervis Anderson and Jim Haskins Who were the first to publish books that recognize the breadth of Byrd's contributions to our democracy as well as his Personal courage and integrity to live of life of authenticity and truth Lastly, but certainly not least Former president and mrs. Obama's production company higher ground will be releasing a feature film Rustin on November 4th, which tells the story of Byrd's leadership in Making the March on Washington happen Starring Coleman Domingo or Jim McDonald's Glenn Turman and Chris Rock It is a gripping and moving film that celebrates the work that took place on these grounds and the triumph that resulted in Washington As we like to say now, I hope this event and marker will encourage you to do a deeper dive into the history of what happened here And to carry on and build on the progress we've made Thank you. We're gonna go out of order a little bit because you all saw him walking Oh Your staff won't get me Thank you, though, I just want to recognize I see assemblyman Reverend Al Taylor here with us today And I want to say this too From the moment From the moment I Contacted the mayor's office They have been extremely Support supportive isn't even the word. It's not even the word Their response to this we had to get this street closed down. We had to get a permit We had to see if we could put it on the building I mean, there was so much involved. You think it's just a little simple thing, right? No It was a there's a permit for everything in this city and uh They were just wonderful uh commissioner carry on. Thank you. Thank you so much from HPD. We appreciate you And I see the deputy our own Sheena Wright All right, I'm over got me some time too But I thank you so much for your commitment and your dedication And um, I'm gonna say my name for him because he never he yeah this time cordell clear Senator cordell clear, um, but I'd like you to come on up mayor, please and I remember when sister clear was working for Then bill perkins and I had to go do a meeting for and I walked in the room and I said sister Your skin is definitely kissed by the sun and they're blessed. That's all You know, uh, there isn't a a challenge and permit process for everything in the city The challenge comes when we want to do something and what uh, first deputy mayor Sheena right and I and our entire team and our analysis whenever we wanted to do a parade It was a challenge whenever we wanted to do some form of festivity It was a challenge when we went to put a sign on the building. There was a challenge There was always a challenge and people can be uh theoretical on why we can't do something How about how about being Practical on why we can't do something we got to make these things happen in our community because our community We have often be been sidelined now so many levels, you know communities have been locked out The japanese community could not have a parade on the street They had to march in a park and we said that's not happening anymore If something simple as flag raising Of cities were not allowed to appreciate all that government was supposed to do For the people of cities and there was just a different city Some were able to just seamlessly go through the process and get whatever they want done when they want to do it But whenever folks from the outer boroughs or from hollum from the bronx in other areas It was always a challenge not in this administration It's one city one process one way and we wanted to make this happen We had an amazing senator as a partner And getting and getting it done and thank you, uh valerie joe bradley and save hollum now 60 years later There's so many stories that come out of the march on washington that i believe people don't know One of them that was inspiring for me around the front and the side Of the march on washington were people like clarence surgeon one of the longest Standing first grade detectives in the transit Bureau at the time and he shared the story with me with him and bill Bill ben patten and others How the guardians association was there in washington the black police fraternal organization was there in washington to protect dr king brother rustin brother The other leaders who came together They played a significant role for me when i became a garden association chairman of the guardian as a police officer And when revan r. Sharpton's life was threatened black police officers stood up and said we are going to be there And protect revan sharpton during those most difficult times here in his family his two daughters Who we were there to provide that protection for and they inspired me and that moment Was significant but today's day 60 years later is significant because it is saying something the grandest of ideas Do not take place in the grandest of places It takes place in the basements in the hall and small church environments. That's how it was done That's how it's done and when people are able to go in these small spaces, you know This march was dealing with housing was dealing with jobs Was dealing with economic recovery was dealing with employment. Does that sound familiar? So we had the rustins of yesteryears. We had to dr. King's of yesteryears We had all those leaders who were meeting to move the conversation forward. So 60 years later the question becomes We still need the rustins of today. We still need to dr. King's of today We we must still meet in these basements To get things done And let's be clear on this during the time when dr. King was pricking the consciousness of america They wouldn't they wouldn't they were not treating them kind Let's not let's not all of a sudden romanticize and have a false impression of what was happening Go look at some of those articles back then go look at how they treated dr. King and what he was trying to do So yes, everybody's celebrating them now. Everybody's talking about the march on washington But go back and google some of those articles and how dr. King was treated and then you're going to fast forward and say Wait a minute. Well, they're talking about dr. King or was they talking about uh, hakim jeffries He was the majority who's the minority leading congress Are they talking my andrew stewart-cousins? Are they talking about uh, deputy mayor schiena right or deputy mayor? Williams isam who who are they talking about if you fast forward today? We don't control our narrative someone else will control our narrative and that is why it's important when you have a senator Like claudair claire holding Holding down You gonna say this right today cordell Cordell claire, you know, I'm always doing a number on her name When you have her doing what she's doing in hollum senator claire has really led In a very significant way in hollum. It comes from the ground up That's the message today. That's why this was so important to do This plaque naming and she understood it. So when folks walk past here They will see this and they it would inspire them it inspired me As a child looking with mom and dad sitting down on the couch watching that a period of time It impacted us watching brownsville burn the day that Dr. King was assassinated It impacted all of us We were all traumatized and we continued to live through that traumatization And so as we placed this plaque Unless we knew our spirits of today's time we have so many challenges in front of us But we can't overcome if we do it together and if we unify around a sense of purpose I think believe keep guard at the center of our lives and stay true to our mission and stay focused On what we have to do. So senator, I thank you For being a visionary and I thank the entire team for making it happen. Thank you so much Thank you And you stay right here with me because we are going to do the unveiling out of order Out of respect for the uh for the mayor's schedule, but there's some people here I really have to mention and and if I if I don't call your name, you know, just tell me I'll But I gotta say this, you know and starting with the mayor's office tiffany brown who's always here. Where are you tiffany? Always with us always david johnson Please don't block my calls You see i'm doing this right so when I need you again remember I did this No, thank you always a son of hollam always here with us. Thank you We love you. Um, I want to talk don jones nan. You're here. Thank you dawn My dear friend And um, such a knowledgeable gentleman passionate You either like him or you don't michael henry adams And I like him Thank you. He keeps us together on that history. Thank you so much Hold on i'm coming Very good. That's that's his job 8 57 8 57 riverside drive I love it and the way to do it is just you know hit me on my cell phone and ask me You know, you don't have to wait for this, you know, everybody has my number Just reach out and say brothers. We want to we want to accomplish the task and let's sit down Let's navigate to make it happen. We are trying to gsd. Get stuff done. That's all you have to do brother. Just ask With with what's here's the rule in this administration. I follow the law, but I make policy If it's within my strength to do it i'm going to do it I follow the law, but I make policy And so let's sit sit down and figure out how to get this done And if it's when within policy, we're going to get it done Thank you. That's so important michael 8 57 riverside drive Was a site of the underground railroad Yeah, so we have to protect that we've been working on that Queen mother's here with us Delores Blakely Good to see you and we have curtis young with the public advocates office The one and only over rice from the new york urban league And we got mr. Kevin mathews from the schaumburg center for research in black culture. Where's kevin? Okay, I see you I should say cool Our dear family members street corner resources Out here helping us get this done always out here on the ground kareem hudson And I mentioned assemblyman as al teller earlier a woman who I have a great deal of respect for and admiration Miss roberto washington an architect Yes, yes Miss peck breen from the landmark conservancy. Thank you so much for being here And marta gutman dean spitzer of i'm sorry school of anthropology city college. Thank you so much for being here I'm sorry. Oh, I'm sorry. I had it wrong marta jutman. I'm sorry Gutman, okay We have hazel dukes Everybody know hazel dukes In double acp and I have to shout out Uh, my local precinct here, uh, captain yaka tali and the 32nd precinct In a matter of minutes. They made it happen. Thank you Y'all are always there always supportive and we appreciate you for that. Thank you so much your great partners Detective collado and all the others who have helped us Officer pinoc. Are you here? Okay, oh detective. I'm sorry Detective pinoc. Yeah, okay. Come on And right here just walked in A great part of our Harlem history the imam of the historic malcom shabazz masjid Thank you for coming and joining us right on time and there's so many Others that are out here today, and I'm I know you'll tell me I know you'll tell me you were here But we're going to move on with the unveiling Of this beautiful plaque that is going to be installed by hpd We're not going to install it today because they want to make sure it's done correctly and it's done You know where it stays up there and it's in a prominent space But we have it here for you to see thanks to valerie joe bradley and save Harlem now So, uh, we'd like to will you join valerie and the unveiling mayor Come in Always telling me what to do. Okay Have a seat