It’s been just over a month since Brian Benjamin left the state Senate and became New York’s highest ranking African American politician, taking over for Kathy Hochul as Lieutenant Governor.  A true son of Harlem, Benjamin joins In Focus to talk about the tough road ahead for the state as it works to recover from the pandemic.  He also lays out his priorities, like working hard to get New York’s African American community vaccinated, as it continues to lag behind the rest of the state’s residents.  Most of all, he talks about his support for groups like Harlem Grown, who create urban farms, community gardens and green spaces all across the city, not just for aesthetics, but to teach children about nutrition and sustainability, and to bring much-needed relief to the city’s food deserts.  He points out that Harlem is a full four degrees hotter than, say, Park Slope, because of inequities in climate change initiatives.  He also vows to keep fighting to keep organizations fighting food injustice funded.