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(WNY News Now) – New York – Governor Kathy Hochul has solidified New York’s commitment to racial equity by signing legislation, S.1163-A/A.7691, establishing a commission to study reparations and racial justice. The move reflects the state’s acknowledgment of the profound role slavery played in shaping its history.

Prior to the American Revolution, New York City held more enslaved Africans than any city except Charleston, with 20% of the population enslaved and 40% of colonial households participating in slavery. Governor Hochul emphasizes the legislation’s significance, urging New Yorkers to confront the state’s historical complicity in benefiting from slavery.

Governor Hochul: “Today, I challenge all New Yorkers to be the patriots and rebuke and not excuse our role in benefiting from the institution of slavery.”

“The lesson I learned at a young age was sometimes moving the ball down the field takes more time, but the goal is always worth pursuing. I’m sharing this because I want New Yorkers to know the small steps in my development. Many of us grew up in very homogeneous communities – all Black, all Brown, all Asian, all white. And sometimes it’s just difficult to expand beyond that, to embrace differences and experiences so foreign to us, so different. Understanding each other takes work, and we rarely get it right all at once. But I say this: it’s essential that we try.”

The newly formed commission, comprised of nine qualified members, will scrutinize the legacy of slavery, subsequent discrimination against people of African descent, and their enduring impacts. Governor Hochul encourages embracing differences, acknowledging that understanding each other takes work, and the pursuit of racial justice is a goal worth striving for. This legislation marks a critical step in addressing historical injustices and fostering a more inclusive future.