Eric Leroy Adams, born September 1, 1960, in the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City, grew up in a working-class family and faced challenges including poverty and crime in his youth. Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes as a teenager after being shot by police at age 15 (an incident he later attributed to a toy gun misunderstanding), Adams pursued a career in law enforcement, joining the New York City Transit Police in 1984 and later the NYPD, where he served over 20 years, rising to the rank of captain before retiring in 2006. During his police tenure, he founded the organization 100 Black Men to support minority youth and advocated for police reform from within. Entering politics as a Democrat, Adams was elected to the New York State Senate for Brooklyn's 20th district, serving from 2006 to 2013. In 2013, he made history as the first Black American elected Brooklyn Borough President, securing re-election in 2017. Campaigning on a platform of public safety and economic recovery post-COVID, Adams won the 2021 New York City mayoral election and served as the city's 111th mayor from January 2022 until 2025. His administration focused on crime reduction, housing, and migrant issues, though it faced criticism over federal investigations into campaign finance and foreign influence.