In one of his first public appearances as the new speaker of the Assembly, Carl Heastie spoke before the largely African-American audience at the Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network.
"This is a tremendous opportunity for our community," said Heastie, the Assembly's first black speaker. "All of you are going to be sitting at that table with me for the first time in history."
While he didn't flesh out what he thought those opportunities would be, here's hoping Carl Heastie does pay attention to the special concerns of the black community.
Because it's high time New York abandoned a government-first approach that relegates so many of our African-American citizens to the outer edges of the American Dream.
We'll start with our public schools. Last week, a report from the Schott Foundation for Public Education revealed what should be regarded as a scandal: Just 28 percent, barely a quarter, of black males graduate from our high schools on time.
And no surprise, either, in a state where the majority of African-American children in our traditional public schools are failing their state proficiency tests.
Or take jobs. While overall unemployment in New York has dropped in recent years, black joblessness remains double that of whites.
Speaker Heastie should know, because at 9.3 percent, his own home borough of The Bronx has the state's highest jobless numbers. For black teens, the unemployment is several times that.
And what about housing? Anyone who believes the answer is public housing probably hasn't spent much time in a NYCHA apartment.
The point is, up to now, New York's idea of improving life in the African-American community has been more government.
We have a better idea.
How about allowing more charters to open, so black kids could go to a school where they can learn, rather than the second-rate government-run failures so many are stuck in?
Or how about a voucher so they can live in a nice private building, instead of the second-rate NYCHA housing?
And what about a growing economy that is essential if blacks are to climb the ladder of opportunity rather than find themselves languishing at the bottom?
How about it, Mr. Speaker? Surely, New York's African-American citizens deserve genuine equal opportunity — instead of the same old inferior, government-run substitute.
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