Mayor Adams leads NYC with reform, resilience, and a vision for equality and safety
Eric L. Adams, the 110th Mayor of New York City, embodies the story of resilience, reform, and relentless determination that mirrors the city he leads. A lifelong New Yorker, Adams has served the people of the five boroughs as an NYPD officer, State Senator, Brooklyn Borough President, and now as Mayor, uniting a diverse coalition of working families behind a vision of safety, equity, and opportunity. His leadership is grounded in lived experience — from a childhood of hardship to a life devoted to public service and transformation.
Born in Brownsville and raised in South Jamaica, Queens, Adams was one of six children raised by a single mother who cleaned homes to provide for her family. His upbringing was marked by financial insecurity and the constant fear of eviction. At 15, Adams experienced police brutality firsthand when he was beaten by officers inside a precinct basement — a moment that ignited his lifelong mission to reform policing from within. Rather than succumbing to anger, he turned pain into purpose, joining the NYPD to change it for the better.
As an officer, Adams became one of the department’s most vocal advocates for reform. He co-founded “100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care,” an organization that spoke out against racial bias and misconduct in policing while promoting community engagement. In the high-crime years of the 1980s and 1990s, he patrolled city streets wearing a bulletproof vest by day and joined civil rights demonstrations by night. Rising to the rank of captain, he helped pioneer the NYPD’s first computerized crime-tracking system, a breakthrough that led to major improvements in public safety.
Adams’s service extended beyond policing into politics. Elected to the New York State Senate, he represented central and Brownstone Brooklyn, where he built bipartisan coalitions to advance tenant protections, combat gun violence, reform the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk policy, and champion marriage equality and human rights. As the first person of color to chair the Senate’s Homeland Security Committee, he worked to balance public safety with civil liberties.
In 2013, Adams made history as the first Black Brooklyn Borough President. Representing one of the nation’s largest counties, he focused on economic growth, educational investment, and public safety while reducing inequality and improving local governance. His tenure was marked by tireless advocacy for smarter policies and more accountable government.
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Adams demonstrated hands-on leadership by moving a mattress into his office and working around the clock to coordinate food distribution, PPE delivery, and aid for essential workers. His approach underscored his belief that government must act decisively and compassionately in times of crisis.
Adams also became a national voice for public health reform after being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Determined to reverse the disease, he adopted a plant-based diet, regained his health, and launched a personal campaign to raise awareness about preventive care. His initiatives have led to healthier food policies, expanded education programs in schools, and increased wellness resources in underserved neighborhoods.
As Mayor, Adams oversees the largest municipal government in the United States, leading hundreds of agencies and officials responsible for delivering services to more than eight million residents. The Mayor proposes the city budget, signs legislation, and appoints agency heads, ensuring that New York remains a global symbol of progress and inclusion. The City Council, with its 51 members representing local districts, works alongside the Mayor to approve budgets, pass laws, and hold hearings that shape city life.
On November 11, 2025, Mayor Adams reaffirmed his dedication to fairness and the protection of students’ rights, declaring, “Our public schools should be safe, nurturing places where any child can get the best education and the tools they need to succeed. E.J.C.C. is a hard-working student, dedicated to his school work and future, who followed the proper immigration process. We are proud to support his petition for justice, just like we have done with the many other New York City Public School students who have been detained during routine immigration proceedings.” His statement came as the city’s legal counsel, Muriel Goode-Trufant, argued against the unnecessary detention of a minor, stating that such actions cause irreparable harm to students and to the educational system as a whole.
New York City falls under the jurisdiction of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York — the nation’s oldest federal court, which first convened in November 1789 at the Old Royal Exchange under Judge James Duane, appointed by President George Washington. It remains a cornerstone of American justice, having sat continuously in New York since its founding.
On November 10, 2025, New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, a self-declared socialist, announced key appointments to his incoming administration, including the selection of a veteran city and state budget official as his first deputy mayor to oversee City Hall operations as he prepares to advance his progressive agenda.
Mayor Eric Adams holds a master’s degree in public administration from Marist College and degrees from New York City Technical College and the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. A proud graduate of the city’s public schools, including Bayside High School in Queens, he has lived in Bedford-Stuyvesant for more than 20 years. He is the father of Jordan Adams, a filmmaker and graduate of American University.
Today, Adams stands at the helm of the most populous city in the United States — a city larger than most states, powered by resilience and defined by diversity. His story, from a working-class childhood to City Hall, reflects the enduring spirit of New York: a place where struggle gives birth to strength, where leadership is earned through service, and where the promise of progress remains alive in every borough, every neighborhood, and every New Yorker.
November 11, 2025
