Transcript: Governor Cuomo Delivers Easter Sunday Remarks at Calvary Baptist Church in Queens
Earlier, Governor Cuomo proudly received the key endorsement of 20 prominent Black and Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) clergy members in the city, each representing culturally rich and spiritually devoted congregations.
We have always been in the process of renewal and betterment. You knock us down. We get up stronger than ever before. You knock us down in 9/11, we get up stronger than before. You hit us with Hurricane Sandy. We come back stronger than ever before. You hit us with COVID—life and death. We come together as a community and we do what they said was impossible
- Andrew Cuomo
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, candidate for Mayor of New York City, today delivered remarks at Calvary Baptist Church in Jamaica, Queens. He was joined by Pastor Reverend Victor Hall, Reverend Marion Phillips III, New York State Senator James Sanders Jr., Assemblymember Clyde Vanel, and Assemblymember Alicia Hyndman.
Earlier in the day, Governor Cuomo proudly received the key endorsement of 20 prominent Black and Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) clergy members in the city, each representing culturally rich and spiritually devoted congregations.
A transcript of his remarks appears below:
Happy Resurrection Sunday! What a beautiful day to be here and Reverend Pastor is right, you do look beautiful. You do look beautiful.
Reverend Pastor Hall, we are so blessed to have him, not just what he does for the congregation, what he does for the entire community. He is bringing the church outside of the church and putting the church in action, doing community development, affordable housing, shelters. That's exactly what we need churches to be doing. And Reverend Hall is a visionary. Let's give him a round of applause.
Reverend Marion Phillips I used to work with in the state of New York. He was extraordinary. He left me in the State of New York to go work for a higher calling. Reverend Marion Phillips, we love him.
First Lady Hall, pleasure to be with you. Thank you. First Lady Hall, my colleagues, your elected officials who are doing a great job for you. We have State Senator Sanders here and your Assemblymember Alicia Hyndman. I hope you are proud of them because I am proud of them.
I'm blessed to have my family here today. I have my Cara, my Mariah, my Michaela with me, my three girls. I have my brand new son-in-law with me today. Eight months. Eight months. Brand new son-in-law. We got off to a little rocky start. Early on, they felt that I didn't embrace him fully initially.
Parents have to be protective nowadays and you need to ask some questions before you just start embracing somebody they bring into the house. It's not like you bring them into the house, I'm going to hug you and embrace you, make you part of the family. There are questions. I wanted to have a basic conversation. They made me feel so guilty about it but there are questions you have to know. Would you give me your social security number so I can do a background check? Can I have your voting history? I mean, you need to know these things. Would you mind if I do a tax audit? Those are the kinds of questions that have to be asked. Am I right? Yes, I told you. But I want you to know he passed all the tests. The first day must have been great and we'll see how it goes.
Tellef Lundevall, I've also given him a tour of the Cuomo homeland because this is the Cuomo homeland. My father was raised a few blocks from here and this has a special place in my heart, and my father's looking down today and he is smiling because we are here.
Today, we celebrate the power of resurrection. Luke 24:6 reminds us He is not here, He is risen. And that simple, yet profound proclamation reminds us of renewal that we can all rise again with God. And I believe it is true individually, I believe it is true collectively, and I believe not only do we have to rise above and be better for it, but collectively we have to rise above and in this City of New York, we have work to do. To be honest, this city needs work. We have to make this city safe once again.
We have to make it affordable once again. We have to make it family friendly once again. We have to make it promising and exciting and not threatening once again. And that we can do. Isaiah 61:4 says, they will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities, and that's what we're going to do here in New York City– and that's what New York City has always done. We have always been in the process of renewal and betterment. You knock us down. We get up stronger than ever before. You knock us down in 9/11, we get up stronger than before. You hit us with Hurricane Sandy. We come back stronger than ever before. You hit us with COVID—life and death. We come together as a community and we do what they said was impossible. And we save lives.
And there's also a message for our nation during this time because in this season of renewal, there is too much negativity. There is too much of us versus them, rather than we, and we must reject the voices of anger and hate and division and amplify the cause for compassion and unity and love. Let us rise above the chaos and the clamor so that America may hear it's better angels and we all have a responsibility to do. Peter tells us that by doing right, you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. You may silence the ignorance of foolish men. You can fill in the rest. Resurrection was a divine act, but then it sparked a movement of people who believed and came together and who carried the mission forward.
I'm asking for your prayers and your partnership to carry that mission forward and to make this city a better city, a better city for all of us, and to let this country live up to his promise. The best is yet to be and we will make it so together.
Thank you for having me. God bless you. Happy Resurrection Day.
Photos Available Here
Watch the Full Remarks of Governor Cuomo’s Speech Here
###