Transcript: Mayor Adams Calls in Live to Q 104.3 FM Radio's "The Jim Kerr Rock N Roll Morning Show"

March 17, 2023

Jim Kerr: Eric Adams, who is joining us at the breakfast here today. Mr. Mayor, welcome back. We have for you, I don't know if you can hear me yet, we've got headphones for you, Mr. Mayor. We have a nice fresh Guinness for you.

Shelli Sonstein: This Guinness was just poured for you.

Kerr: Mr. Mayor, thank you so much. This is your microphone here.

Mayor Eric Adams: Thank you, thank you. Really, really, really good being here with you. I'm drinking this glass of water.

Kerr: All right.

Sonstein: We are so honored to have you with us, Mr. Mayor. I have to ask you, you're having your Guinness, what's your favorite St. Patrick Day food? I know you're vegan, right?

Mayor Adams: I don't want to insult the Irish spirit, but I have this vegan cabbage mix that I make, and with my little burger, vegan burger. But you won't even realize it's vegan when you eat it, trust me. But I think today folks doing corned beef, so just do you.

Kerr: Yeah. Well —

Sonstein: There you go.

Kerr: Well, Mayor Adams, you're from Brownsville. Now, when you were a young kid in Brownsville, could you ever have possibly imagined that one day you would be the mayor of the largest Irish population in the world?

Mayor Adams: No. No. Who would've thought, 262 years later, the first parade being here in the city? But it was not until I was in Ireland, and I met some of the people there and we talked, and I realized why there's so much pride and spirit here. It's about the family name. When you instill in every child, don't do anything that's going to tarnish the family name, because it will follow for generations. I see why the Irish community really holds this level of pride, that that name means something, and it's something that you can really respect.

Kerr: Now, Mr. Mayor, our uniformed services provide so many important functions that keep us safe as a city. Our NYPD, you, of course, a police captain, our FDNY, our FDNY EMS, our corrections officers. But when there's a big parade, a big event like St. Patrick's Day, I like to give a shout out to the Strongest, the SDNY, because you have a couple of million people participating in this parade, either as marchers or as spectators, and shortly after the parade, the parade route is spotless.

Mayor Adams: Yes, yes, yes. Commissioner Tisch is amazing, and all the commissioners that preceded her, they understand the role of really, we want a clean city. But when you think about the Irish community, it's so important. I think the young people should speak with their grandparents and great-grandparents, because when you think about building the Brooklyn Bridge, you think about the MTA system, you think about the darkest, one of the darkest moments during the Great Depression, in one year we built the Empire State Building. Those were Irish men who participated in lifting up our spirit. So, tied to anytime we talk about resiliency, we’re talking about the Irish people, and it just adds to the diversity of this city. So, Irish Americans should be really proud of their contribution, and their legacy here in this country.

Kerr: Well, you were at mass just a little while ago at St. Patrick's Cathedral, and you will be marching in the parade. I was mentioning to some people before, that the first time that I had an opportunity to meet you, Mr. Mayor, was when you were Brooklyn Borough President, and you came to a Cathedral Club of Brooklyn dinner, that I was emceeing. It's so important. The mayor has a lot of different jobs. You're a politician and that gets controversial. You're an administrator, you have to administrate an enormous budget larger than some countries.

Mayor Adams: Yes.

Kerr: But you also have a ceremonial role as the head of the city, as the mayor of all people, not just the people who voted for you. Participating in things like ethnic events and parades and civic activities, that's a part of your job. Most of your predecessors in my lifetime have done a really good job of performing those functions, not all. But so far, you seem to be just jumping right into the entire community.

Mayor Adams: I enjoy it. I think it's a Shakespearean tragedy to live in a city and don't really explore the diversity of this city. The music, the sound, the dance, the culture. So, I know some people, they see me go to mass and they get upset because I believe in God and faith. But all I can say is, get over it. Faith is what lives and inspires us and drives us. Many mayors did not really express their strong belief in faith as much as I do, but if you would have watched my journey and realized how broken I was as a child, only faith can take me to where I am, to go from that brokenness to be the mayor of the greatest city on the globe. Every day I wake up and I give thanks to God for that. I did it today, when I was at the mass, and I'm going to do it as I walk along the parade. Right now, this city needs prayer and we've got to pray together.

Kerr: All right. Well, Mr. Mayor, thank you so much for joining us this morning.

Mayor Adams: Thank you.

Sonstein: It was your second year joining us, so I hope you will join us a third year and onward, because you are making it so much more special for everyone here, Mayor Adams.

[Applause.]

Mayor Adams: Let me say thank you. Happy St. Patrick's Day.

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