NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- David Dinkins, New York City’s first Black mayor, was remembered at a memorial in Harlem on Saturday.
Rev. Al Sharpton led the remembrance of Dinkins, who died Monday at the age of 93.
“David Dinkins was our mayor, our hero,” Sharpton said inside the National Action Network headquarters as more people gathered outside to remember the late mayor.
“We did not think that the Harlem community and those around should let the week end without showing our love and affection and admiration for a man who changed the course of history,” Sharpton said.
He said Dinkins inherited a city that was broke and crime ridden in 1990.
“Crime went down under Dinkins. By the time he left, it was a decrease of 25%. Write that in the paper,” Sharpton said.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said Dinkins changed not only the city but the world when he invited Nelson Mandela to New York.
“They helped Nelson Mandela to the presidency of South Africa,” de Blasio said.
The mayor said city kids continue to benefit from Dinkins’ legacy.
“The Beacon programs are alive and well. The beacon schools are helping children today, because of what David Dinkins did decades ago,” de Blasio said.
Assemblywoman Inez Dickens described the former mayor as a gentle giant who served with dignity.
“(He) was a warrior who knew how to fight without picking up a gun,” Dickens said.
Sen. Chuck Schumer said Dinkins became mayor at a time when the city was divided and that he tried to bring people of different races and backgrounds together. The former mayor famously called the diverse city a “gorgeous mosaic.”
“We need a gorgeous mosaic in America,” Schumer said.