 Thank you, Commissioner Combo. Please, everyone, join me in welcoming Commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Equity, Sadiah Sherman. Thank you so much, and thank you for those remarks, Commissioner Combo, so very inspiring. I'm Sadiah Sherman, I'm Commissioner of the New York City Mayor's Office of Equity, and it's really wonderful to be here today to celebrate what is a bittersweet holiday, but certainly a holiday that signifies the steps that our country has come to realize democracy. Juneteenth is an acknowledgement of our history, our country's history, and it's very painful and violent past, but it's also a reminder of our long fight for freedom. Juneteenth, it went from an intimate family holiday, backyard barbecues, community festivals, to a city and a federal holiday, and now us standing here raising the flag to commemorate Juneteenth, who could imagine? To say that I'm deeply honored to be here today is an understatement, because I'm not just honored, I'm proud. Us being here today, our very presence is a revelation. I'm proud to be part of an administration that demonstrates daily why diversity matters. I'm proud to be the granddaughter of Ms. Mary, who came to New York from the rural South and faced discrimination in this city, and now I get to lead an office that's focused on equity and racial justice in that same city. So, in a time across our country where there are book bans and there is an A historical accounting of contemporary issues, it's critical that we celebrate and we lift up holidays like this. Holidays that acknowledge our tragedy and our triumph and keep us honest about the history of this country. And so, by gathering here today, we're celebrating the accomplishments of us as a people. As Commissioner Combo said, we're standing here being our ancestors' wildest dreams. We're honoring them, we're lifting them up, we're thanking them for this fight, for this fight towards freedom and for never giving up. And so, now it's my honor to introduce a man who exemplifies, never giving up, the fight towards freedom and the fight for New Yorkers every day, the 110th mayor of New York City, Mayor Adams. Thank you. Thank you so much. And to Brother Ben, who created the flag that we're going to raise today, thank you so much, brother. The symbolism that is associated with it. And the long road, I think that Commissioner Combo, who I'm sure she's the first commissioner in cultural affairs that ever doing a tired away to Commissioner Combo is doing. So, showing that African diaspora, the spirit and energy. This is a significant moment. The first time this flag is being placed on this pole here at Bowling Green, it placed assembled powers. And it just shows you how much and how we should always remain resilient because it was right here where people of color were sold into slavery. It was right here where many of the auctions took place. And just a few distance and yards away, you see the Indian Museum, where many of our Indian brothers and sisters saw their land removed and taken from them. And so this is a historical moment that we raised the flag for the first time here in Bowling Green. But it also is a moment of reflection. Slavery brought a level of draconian and terrible deeds. We saw even some of the famous songwriters describing the tone of strange fruits. When you saw a large number of African American men and women hung from trees. We saw the demonization, we saw the challenges of giving birth in the cotton fields and then going out in heaven to continue to pick the cotton. We saw the clansmen riding through, destroying homes. We saw Tulsa, Oklahoma, and how Black Wall Street was destroyed. We've come so far and we stated that we never surrender to violence again. If that is our real belief, as we focus on Juneteenth, we must also reflect what happened across our country during Juneteenth. Right here in the city of New York, we had 10 shooters, six homicides. On the day that we acknowledged our ancestors, it became one of the bloodiest days of violence in our city. And the hands of those who inflicted that violence were those who we are raising this flag with. We cannot believe that it's all right to stamp our slavery but be enslaved to violence in our city and in our country. Look what happened in Chicago, St. Louis, Atlanta, all across the country as we paused on Monday to reflect on our ancestors and what they fought for. They did not fight and die for us to fight and die among each other. And our honesty on this moment, I refuse to submit to the belief that someone with a white hood should not kill us but it's all right with someone in black skin to kill us. It's not acceptable. It's not acceptable. We have an obligation as we acknowledge Juneteenth, our liberation, our freedom, our fight, our fortitude, our discipline, our resiliency. We have an obligation to make sure that these young boys and girls grow up to understand the contributions that we have made in this country. America is America because of the black and brown people who built this country. As Dr. King would say, we made Cotton King. We built the foundation of this country and we did not build this foundation to watch it turn to violence across this entire nation. So I thank all of you for coming here, acknowledging the importance of Juneteenth, going from a federal holiday and I was able to sign it into law as a city holiday. The 110th mayor, it took 110 mayors before we realized that we should raise the flag and raise the rich tradition of our community. Thank you so much. Let's continue to say for it ever, back with never. The mayor has agreed to accept an award on behalf of a great African who has never been honored from the colonial period, from the Revolutionary War. Most of you know even better than I that thousands upon thousands of enslaved Africans and even some non-enslave all refer to themselves as Cato. Cato was used, the name they used in white society and for many of them we don't have their original names. One of those individuals who may have been enslaved but not enslaved, he spied for the American cause. He risked his life for the American cause, carrying information about British troop movements from here in Lowam Manhattan to George Washington and Alexander Hamilton in New Jersey. He was in prison, he was tortured, he was not the British who were never convinced that he was and they freed him. In all this time, this Cato has never ever been honored once. I'm so proud, as modest as it may be, that the Bowling Green Association has the privilege of being the first to honor this great African. Let me read this citation if I may. A New York City hero, New York City as our nation's largest city creates many heroes all the time. Many are unsung heroes from every part of our city and from every ethnic and racial group we have so many ever since the arrival of Juan Rodriguez at the Southern Temple of Manhattan Island which is today's Bowling Green. We have the honor and opportunity to recognize just some of them each year. Today we have one of those heroes in his life has made a difference and a better city and a better nation for all of us. Today on the occasion of the raising of the June Team Flag high over New York City here at Bowling Green we honor on this day, June 22nd, 2023, a New York City hero, Cato, African American New Yorker and American Patriot spied for the American cause and saved George Washington's life. I hope his spirit is here and the spirit of other thousands he would never have thought that an African American mayor would accept an award in his honor. Mr. Mayor. We'd like to thank everybody for coming here today and the number of groups are numerous so I won't give them all a shout out but to the organizations who have worked tirelessly to continue to support their communities. Thank you. I see that many of you are here and I've helped partner in this event right now. To Mr. Mayor, thank you so much for being here this afternoon. Again, like we said before, black history is American history and to steal the words from Commissioner Combo Mr. Mayor from the auction block to Gracie Mansion you are setting the standard for us all we want to thank you for leading leading the black community and everything that you do. And so now we are going to go and raise the flags and we're going to have two singers, Tanet Spann and Yodit Steven Smith sing the national anthem as we raise the flags. So let's all focus on to my left as we raise the American and the Juneteenth flag. Who say can