In the Press:
Hudson mayor beating odds in a tale of two cities
News 10, October 20th, 2020
By Louis Finley
Excerpt:
The city of Hudson is seeing a historic year filled with challenges stemming from racial tensions and the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s adding to the landmark year in the election of Kamal Johnson as the city’s youngest and first Black mayor.
“A lot of people think about legacy. For me, I really want it to be about my impact that I made on people in the community,” Johnson said.
Johnson has dubbed his town a tale of two cities. He took NEWS10 ABC along Warren Street which is known for its high-end stores, but just a block away is a stark contrast.
Hudson’s New Mayor Combines the Past and Future
The River, March 8th, 2020
By Roger Hannigan Gilson
Excerpt:
RHG: You grew up here, and Hudson has changed a lot since then. What’s the biggest difference you’ve noticed between now and then?
KJ: Yeah, Hudson has changed so much. It used to be a very close-knit community. You used to see a lot more families on the street and kids outside playing, and I think we’ve gotten away from that, and I want to see families come back into the city. I want stores to be affordable to people who live here, and I want it to be an actual community with soul.
The Rural We: Mayor Kamal Johnson
Rural Intelligence, October 25th, 2020
By John Campbell; Photo by David McIntyre
Excerpt:
JC: If we took away the conversation of COVID-19 and racial injustice, which have clearly been the greatest topics of 2020, what have been your biggest challenges as mayor?
KJ: I would say dealing with the financial crisis is the biggest challenge. Some people already came into this in poverty, and are now being hit even more. Some were right on the brink. I think one of our highlights of this year has been the universal based income initiative, and the Spark of Hudson, where we partner with Andrew Yang and his Humanity Forward. With those two establishments, 25 residents of the city are going to be the recipients of $500 a month over the course of five years. That will take away some of the financial burden, and it shows when people have more money they spend it in their community, which benefits a larger amount of people and businesses.
Hudson Mayor Kamal Johnson: 8 Months In
WAMC, August 14th, 2020
By Dave Lucas, Photo of Mayor Johnson with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand
Excerpt:
When he took office, Hudson's first African-American mayor told WAMC:
"This is something I've wanted to do since I was 15 years old."
Two decades later and eight months in, Kamal Johnson says he has no regrets and plenty of ambition. When the pandemic forced Hudson City schools to switch to remote learning, Johnson initiated a program in conjunction with not-for-profit Spark of Hudson to get internet access to families without it.
"You know we don't have a universal kind of internet service for people. So, a lot of the kids they get their internet online at school. So, the school was able to provide chromebooks but the gap was people didn't have internet, actually. So the Spark of Hudson was able to provide hot spots in the form of mobile phones to over 50 families in Hudson: I was able to get out there and deliver it, each phone to each family so that we could keep our kids on distance learning."
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