It looks like @NYGovCuomo is trying to move from the nation’s COVID-19 savior to a national voice for “police reforms.” Before he starts going on national TV to promote his bullshit platform, I’d like to remind folks who the Governor really is. THREAD. 1/
In 2016, The NY Times found a “scourge of racial bias” in NYS Prisons. Black People were placed in solitary confinement and denied parole release more than their white counterparts. Cuomo ordered an investigation that no one has heard about since. nytimes.com/2016/12/03/nyr… 2/
In 2017, @NYGovCuomo vetoed, for the 2nd time, a bill to reform NY’s gravity knife law. Cops arrested almost exclusively people of color for what often amounted to knives used in construction jobs. Under pressure, Cuomo finally signed the bill in 2019. nytimes.com/2017/10/24/nyr… 3/
In 2018, @changethenypd & family members of NYers killed by cops called on Cuomo to #Repeal50A. He ignored their letter & many similar efforts. The bill has existed since 2015. Cuomo’s pledge to sign the bill today is only thanks to years of activism. timesunion.com/news/article/N… 4/
In 2019, Cuomo granted zero clemencies to NYers in prison. Thousands of mostly Black & Latinx people submitted clemency petitions that Cuomo’s office didn’t even respond to. Cuomo has one of the worst clemency records of all governors nationwide. thecity.nyc/special-report… 5/
2020 has been a doozy for Cuomo. He successfully pushed for rollbacks to bail reform during COVID-19 that will lock up thousands more people, mostly Black and Latinx People, in local jails throughout New York State. colorlines.com/articles/new-y… 6/
In 2020, Cuomo has also ignored national calls to grant clemency to incarcerated people who are vulnerable to COVID-19. Benjamin Smalls is one of many elder NYers of color who’ve died of COVID in prison after Cuomo’s refusal to release them. nytimes.com/2020/05/31/obi… 7/
These are just a few examples of the many racist actions Cuomo has taken during his time as governor. He has proven, time and time again that Black lives do not matter to him. New Yorkers are outraged by racial injustice and Cuomo is in large part to blame. 8/
As Cuomo begins his national tour for “police reform,” let’s remember who he is & what he has always done. He doesn’t have any solutions to racism & no one should look to him for leadership. I’m taking my orders from people in the streets, not the guy in the Gov’s mansion. END/
