Governor Kathy Hochul was forced to apologize after making a controversial claim that 'young Black kids growing up in the Bronx who don't even know what the word "computer" is'.
The New York Democrat claims she 'misspoke' when she issued the highly criticized remark at an on-stage forum in California on Monday and, in a statement later that evening, said: 'I regret it.'
She attempted to clarify the intent of her remark, alleging she was trying to highlight her focus on increasing economic opportunity for children in the Bronx, which has the highest rate of poverty in New York City.
'Of course Black children in the Bronx know what computers are,' Hochul's statement said. 'The problem is that they too often lack access to the technology needed to get on track to high-paying jobs in emerging industries like AI.'
But despite her lackluster apology, residents and lawmakers alike have hit back, claiming the Governor is 'disconnected from reality', needs to 'do better' and 'should resign in disgrace'.