I LOVE NY Will Promote Black Travel Destinations, Events and Cultural Attractions to Encourage Black Travelers to Explore New York State

Builds on I LOVE NY LGBTQ and Accessible NY Programs to Boost New York Tourism Among Diverse Populations

Governor Hochul: "I'm really excited to make an announcement here today that we are going to be launching through I Love New York Tourism, the I Love New York Black Travel Initiative. First time ever. First time ever to celebrate unparalleled Black history and culture right here in New York State and welcome more Black travelers to our state, as well as encouraging local residents to understand that story."

Hochul: "I want to share those stories with everyone. Every New Yorker needs to go experience that firsthand and be in awe of what individuals have done, who believe so deeply, not in their own security, their own safety, but are willing to break out to save other people and give them a better life. In that case, a life of freedom. That's why we're doing this."

Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul announced plans for an I LOVE NY Black travel initiative, designed to grow New York State tourism and encourage Black traveler visitation. The Governor made the announcement at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater as part of the state's commemoration of Black History Month. The program will build on the success of the state's tourism programs like I LOVE NY LGBTQ and Accessible NY which highlight destinations of interest to and supportive of specific travel communities.

VIDEO of the event is available on YouTube here

A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:

Good morning, everyone, and thank you. First of all, Happy Black History Month. No better place to celebrate than right here. I think this is extraordinary. I want to acknowledge Robert Battle. Your contributions to lifting up this beautiful, spiritual experience that we all just went through, and what you've done replicating this on and on and on to audiences from all around the world. People come here, they know the power of the story and the experience that you've created and the legacy that you've inherited, but also that you propelled forward. So, I thank you for your leadership of this outstanding, wonderful part of our New York State story. Let's give another round of applause to Robert Battle, the Artistic Director of Alvin Ailey Dancers.

And we are also joined by someone you're going to hear from. I hear from her a lot because she always tells me what I have to do, and that is the voice - the conscience of America spoken through our own piece of American and Black history, Hazel Dukes. Let's give her a round applause. Our President of Empire State Development, our President and CEO, Hope Knight. Please recognize Hope Knight. Ross Levi, the Executive Director and Vice President of the New York State Division of Tourism. Thank you, Ross. Erik Kulleseid, the New York State Parks Commissioner. Commissioner Kulleseid, thank you for joining us here.

Again, just to be here in this space, there's something magical about it. I've heard about it. I've never had a chance to experience this in person, and boy, I'm going to make sure I come back over and over and over and tell others that this is just an incredible story of someone who redefined our image of what dance is and can be. And I'm so proud to be here and to realize, you know, and Robert started to tell the story back in 1958, but young Black dancers performed at a time when there was racism that was not just systemic and behind the scenes, but prevalent. But it was visceral, it was real. It was out there in the open - 1950. And to be able to be groundbreaking, have a new company that celebrated these gifts, this talent, and it was quite visionary at the time, but necessary. Necessary. And so, I'm so proud to be here. And what Alvin Ailey said, I wanted to say, I wanted to show Black people they could come down to concert halls and it was their culture that is being celebrated here. So, welcoming people to come and understand the shared story that had been kept behind the scenes for far too long.

So, that's why we're here. We're here to celebrate that as part of Black history. And that's just a beautiful sentiment of what he left and what Black History Month means, what Black culture means. And I'm really excited to make an announcement here today that we are going to be launching through I Love New York Tourism, the I Love New York Black Travel Initiative. First time ever. First time ever to celebrate unparalleled Black history and culture right here in New York State and welcome more Black travelers to our state, as well as encouraging local residents to understand that story. You know, this is not something where some other states want to sweep a story under the rug and pretend nothing ever happened. We lean into that story here in New York. That sets us apart. And we think about our local residents who live among, whether it's in New York City, all the way up to the far reaches the northern part of New York, all the way to Western New York. People live there not knowing that in their own communities that extraordinary things happen by extraordinary people, and I feel it as our moral responsibility to educate this generation and to pass on those stories to the next. That's how you keep the flame alive. And that's critically important to me.

So, I've been to so many places. Every single thing that's worth seeing in the State of New York, I have seen. Okay. We have things that you just never think about. Like we have a Jell-O museum. Okay. The birthplace of Jell-O is in New York State. So, but I also have had the chance to, because of my own desire, my own quest to know the stories, I've been to countless sites, and it has been a treasure for me to know them, but now it's time to make sure everybody else knows them. So, take a minute, watch this video that's going to queue up, and then I'm going to talk more about our initiative. Take it away.

That is what we call just a teaser video, and we're in the process of developing a whole marketing campaign around this. And why are we doing this? Studies show that Black travelers are making a more significant share of leisure travelers - 64 percent of Black travelers surveyed said that the availability of Black cultural sites in history is part of their decision making on where to go. So, you put that together, more individuals are traveling. This is part of their thought process in deciding their destination. And so, that's what we're going to capture. That's who we're going after. And it also tells the story of New York State, the good, the bad, areas to improve. There's a story here, but it's also in light of what's happening in other states. It tells our story of inclusion and how we embrace this story.

So, we're rolling out the red carpet to travelers near and far, Black travelers, other travelers who want to have a shared experience and highlight our vibrant, extremely vibrant Black culture here. So, we have attractions and museums that bring black history and activism to life. And we'll shine a light on abolition - The Underground Railroad, the Civil Rights Movement, Black Lives Matter, and beyond. All those significant movements and what happened here in New York State. And as I mentioned The Underground Railroad, we have incredible, we have over 24 sites and we've been working hard to uncover them and tell the stories. They just showed the site in Niagara Falls. Yeah, there was a fascinating story where individuals, Black porters, working at a local hotel - by night would help people cross the turbulent waters of Niagara River at Niagara Falls to cross into freedom into Canada. They did that at risk to themselves. So, there's amazing stories.

You know, you think about Frederick Douglass, you know, if you go into the Rochester Airport, it's beautiful. There's a huge mural of Frederick Douglass and his impact, on not just that part of our state, but the whole story, the statue there. I was just there a couple weeks. And I think about this because next month we're hitting Women's History Month and Frederick Douglass is really the intersection of both, given that he was there in 1848 at Seneca Falls, when there was those 300 brave and audacious women who decided, let's come up with some radical ideas, like how about no longer being the property of a man and maybe even having the audacious, audacious idea that maybe we should have the right to vote. Frederick Douglass stood up and spoke in support of women having the right to vote, even though for black women, it didn't happen in 1917, it took the Voting Rights Act in 1964, but it shows the long journey that people were on for basic rights, civil rights, and freedoms, and the people who never gave up, even if they didn't live long enough to see the freedoms that they were fighting for.

Those are the stories that touch my soul and inspire me in my role as the Governor of New York. That's why I want that story told. I've been to his grave site. He actually became good friends with others. He was close to Susan B. Anthony. You're almost exactly the same age. They share the same birthday week. Think about that. Think about that in a little place in Upstate New York. Sojourner Truth - I was able to unveil a statue at a bridge just over a couple years ago in her home in Ulster. I mean, how she took her story and traveled and traveled and told the truth. And the John Brown Site in Historic Lake Placid - people up there going skiing, enjoying the weekend. How many people know that behind that Olympic ski jump is the farm where an abolitionist plotted the raid on Harpers Ferry? And he and his sons were captured and executed in pursuit of his belief that no man or woman should be in bondage because of the color of their skin. It's happening way up in Upstate New York. That's worth seeing. I was there during the height of the Black Lives Matter movement protests, and up there in the middle of this rural country were Black Lives Matter flags all over the lawn in John Brown's home. I was touched by that intersection of the past and the present and bold people who stand up as allies as well.

But also, we have world-class cultural institutions, arts, Colored Musicians Club in Buffalo, New York. We've spent money to bring that story back. The Studio Museum in Harlem, people love going there. The Universal Museum of Hip Hop, 50 years, which is under construction in the Bronx. And anybody who wants to have a good time celebrating that 50th anniversary, I'm looking for ideas, alright? I'll be out there. I'll be out there. I know how to do this. And also, the world-class food, the cuisine, you know, and no elected official or no one who wants to be an elected official can get through New York City politics without a stop at Sylvia's. How many times we met there? How many times have we sat there, Hazel? And Melba's, you know, and people like that who just endured so much during the pandemic, but they kept going and kept going. And I've supported them, and I love them. And we have Top Taste up in Kingston, a renowned Jamaican restaurant, which has been nominated for a James Beard Award. Dynamic Black-owned businesses across the State of New York because people don't know they're there if you don't live there. And we have to tell their story. We've got the Mushroom Spirit Distillery in Seneca Falls. Did anybody else know that? Home to one-of-a-kind, mushroom-based spirits? Haven't tried that yet, but I'm always willing. The Fahari Bazaar in Chatham, which has wonderful gifts from around the world, especially Tanzania.

So, no one can beat us. I mean, I've got other states that think they've got tourist attractions. They can't touch what we have here in New York State. So, I'd lay down the gauntlet to all people planning their vacations, their trips, especially as we focus on the needs and desires of Black travelers who have more discretionary money, who want to travel, want to teach their children this story. And I'm saying, where else you going to go but New York? So, that's what we're focusing on. We've done a lot of market research. We're going to be having more outreach to stakeholders. I want others to identify what's missing, what needs to be amplified, the stories, where people should go, and make sure that we're focusing on our currently very dynamic Black communities as well, bringing people to all parts, all of our boroughs as well, and the rest of the state.

So, we're going to roll out a promotional campaign, highlighting us as the premier, the best travel location for the Black community. We'll have a dedicated section on our I Love New York website, and we're going to make sure that we're a hub for content as people share their stories and let this be a real conversation about what people learned when they went to these sites. And I'm real excited about this, and I, as I mentioned, know a lot of these sites. And I want to make sure we unite the stories and amplify the stories and enhance the stories. And I go back to why it's important to bring families to these sites and kids.

On my own, I checked a book out of the library when I was eight years old. Now, when you're eight years old in a big Irish Catholic family with a lot of rambunctious siblings, your only escape is to walk by yourself to the library when you're eight years old. I pulled a book off the shelf on this section, "Childhood of Famous Americans," and I read the story of Harry Tubman. I could recite that book for you right now verbatim because I read it so many times. The librarian said, "Why don't you just keep it?" Because I kept checking it out and checking it out - sometimes I was a little bit late, but the fines were about a quarter. But I loved the story as I was just a kid thinking, my God, how did this little woman go through the night, leading people to freedom while the dogs were at bay, the overseers were coming at her with whips. And she had to figure out how to get North by touching the trees because the moss grew on the North side. I read that when I was eight years old. I'll never forget that story.

And so, to be able to know that she spent the last 50 years of her life in a little community called Auburn, where she started, after the Civil War, a home for, she called it Home for Aged Negroes. So, people who had served in the Civil War, could not go back to their places in the South, could live in dignity. She spent the rest of her life doing that with the help of one of President Lincoln's at the time, greatest political opponents, challengers, William Seward lived down the street. But he became Lincoln's Secretary of State when Lincoln beat him at the convention. A lot of story there. What's that got to do with Harriet Tubman? Seward got to know Harriet Tubman during the Civil War. And he offered her the land. That's what brought her to Auburn. And for all those years, and there's a museum there now, and there's gifts that she received from around the world, including from the Queen of England. There's a white shawl that was given to her as a gift from the Queen of England, and a little teapot she used. And the bed is still there. And she used to walk down the road with all the letters she got because she never learned how to read. And William Seward's wife would read them to her because she never knew how to. They became great friends. That's a story, hundreds of years ago that still resonates with me today, and I don't want to keep that to myself.

I want to share those stories with everyone. Every New Yorker needs to go experience that firsthand and be in awe of what individuals have done, who believe so deeply, not in their own security, their own safety, but are willing to break out to save other people and give them a better life. In that case, a life of freedom. That's why we're doing this. I want those inspirations to be there for our kids and people today and for the next generation. That's the power of what we're going to do here. And so, I'm going to continue on this journey. Yes, it's good for our economy. Tourism is one of our signature economies - it's a big driver of money for the state. It's our third largest industry - supports one out of 10 jobs. That's all good. And tourism is just something I've always cherished because it reflects our thirst for adventure and excitement.

But I want this campaign to do more than just provide adventure and excitement. I want this to ***** the conscience of others. To know the struggles as we take for granted perhaps where we are today and know that others didn't have the blessings and the gifts we have. And they weren't given to anybody - they were fought for. Lives were lost, lives turned upside down. But a lot of good people came to this state. And I'm going to suggest we also have to celebrate those who are making history living among us today. So Hazel Dukes, I don't know if you'd want me to do this, but I think we should put your house on the video because we are blessed to have someone who has seen history, experienced history, but continues to make history every single day.

So, Hazel Dukes, my great friend. Please share some words of wisdom at this time as we celebrate the promotion, the launching of our Black tourism campaign. Thank you, Hazel Dukes.