On April 10, 2025, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso delivered his 2025 State of the Borough address, bringing together over 800 New Yorkers to Boys and Girls High School in Bed-Stuy. Lamenting the city’s stagnant growth, the Borough President called on New York City to return to its roots as a city of big ideas; one that invests in its people and paves the way for the rest of the world to follow. Throughout his remarks, Borough President Reynoso announced several new initiatives supporting maternal health, workforce development, emerging artists, and more. Deputy Borough President Kim Council served as MC for the night, Pastor Steven Eugene Carter, Sr. of Mount Ararat Church of Brooklyn delivered the invocation, Mill Basin resident Suleila Clarke performed the National Anthem, and the Nelson Mandela and Boys and Girls Drumline performed an original piece. For the third year, BRIC served as the media partner.
“New York City was once synonymous with progress and opportunity – but not anymore. As the rest of the world builds, we’ve become obsessed with keeping things the same and keeping people out. New York City must return to the business of opportunity,” said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. “That means ensuring that every block, every neighborhood, every borough is a gateway to the resources – schools, jobs, public transit, healthcare, parks, and more – that can provide New Yorkers with stability and the pathway to a better life. A system based in possibility and hope is possible, all it takes is political will and a bet on Brooklyn.”
Launching New York State’s First Credit-Bearing Maternal Health Program
In his first year in office, Borough President Reynoso set an ambitious goal to make Brooklyn the safest borough in New York City to give birth. Building on that commitment, the Borough President announced a new partnership with Brooklyn College to launch New York State’s first credit-bearing Perinatal Mental Health (PMH) Advanced Certificate Program. The program will prepare healthcare, mental health, early intervention, and early educational professionals to support pregnant mothers and birthing parents experiencing mental distress.
Mental health conditions are the leading cause of pregnancy-associated death in New York City, underscoring a major need to create more mental health support systems for expectant mothers. Borough President Reynoso and Brooklyn College partnered to establish the program and designed the rigorous, year-long program that includes 120 in-person clinical hours in collaboration with the Borough President’s Maternal Health Task Force. Brooklyn College is piloting two PMH courses this spring and will host its first full cohort in Fall 2025.
Introducing Brooklyn’s First-Ever Arts Ambassador
Recognizing Brooklyn’s role as a global leader in arts and culture, Borough President Reynoso unveiled a new Brooklyn Arts Ambassador Initiative to spotlight emerging artists and connect Brooklyn creatives with opportunities. At the address, Reynoso introduced the public to Brooklyn’s first-ever Arts Ambassador: renowned multi-disciplinary artist and fashion designer Colm Dillane, also known as KidSuper.
Dillane – who spent his days as a student at Brooklyn Tech High School making and selling t-shirts – started KidSuper only a few blocks away from the Barclays Center. KidSuper blends fashion, art, and community storytelling through and is known for its bold, colorful designs and playful approach to streetwear. In 2021, Dillane was awarded the coveted Karl Lagerfeld Prize by global luxury goods corporation LVMH. In 2023, he guest-designed the Louis Vuitton Homme Autumn/Winter 2023 menswear collection. Dillane has collaborated with major brands like the Brooklyn Nets and PUMA. Today, KidSuper Studios is based in Williamsburg, where Dillane has built a hub for creatives that features not only his store but also an art gallery, podcast studio, screenprinting shop, and more.
As the inaugural Brooklyn Arts Ambassador, Dillane was charged with the unique honor of redesigning a limited edition run of the official Brooklyn pin. The new Brooklyn pins, inspired by the font Dillane used to doodle on his notebooks while at school in Brooklyn, revitalize a beloved tradition started by former Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, who handed out thousands of gold “Brooklyn” script pins throughout his 12-year tenure. All members of the audience at the Borough President’s address were the first to receive the limited-edition pins.
Planning For Brooklyn’s Future with The 2025 Comprehensive Plan for Brooklyn
Since his time as a Council Member, Borough President Reynoso has consistently called on New York City to join the rest of the world’s major cities by implementing a comprehensive plan to strategically guide the city’s long-term growth and investments. In 2023, as Borough President, Reynoso released The Comprehensive Plan for Brooklyn, the largest, borough-specific planning effort in the city’s history. Building on The 2023 Plan, the Borough President teased his 2025 Comprehensive Plan for Brooklyn which will offer a deeper analysis of existing inequities in the borough as well as an expanded set of policy priorities to ensure every Brooklynite is healthy, housed, and supported. Moving forward, The 2025 Plan will guide the Borough President’s land-use recommendations and decision-making
Among the most notable additions to The 2025 Plan is the creation of an Access to Opportunity Index. The tool weighs five major elements – education, transit, jobs, health, and climate risk – to identify areas of higher and lower opportunity across the borough. This index will help the Borough President’s office, advocates, community organizations, government partners, and everyday Brooklynites guide decision-making to address inequity and invest in opportunity.
Celebrating Brooklyn Through Service
In keeping with the Borough President’s commitment to leverage Borough Hall as a hub for resources and services, Reynoso highlighted additional initiatives that will be ramping up in 2025, such as:
- A partnership with Riseboro, Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow, and St. Nick’s Alliance to launch the Bushwick 1000 – a multi-year initiative to secure employment for 1,000 unemployed young adults from Bushwick.
- A Youth Advisory Council developed in partnership with the Sadie Nash Leadership Project empowering 20 Brooklyn high schoolers with developing and proposing policy-based solutions to our city’s problems.
- A Divine Dwellings initiative convening six houses of worship with Bricks and Mortals to facilitate housing development on their land.
