New York City Mayor Eric Adams commemorated Good Friday by receiving a jailhouse baptism from the Rev. Al Sharpton, together with a group of prisoners detained at the problematic Rikers Island jail.
The service took place as part of a visit to the jail complex, where Adams was due to speak with detainees on the Christian holiday.
“Having been arrested and then elected mayor, I reminded these young men that where you are is not who you are,” Adams, a Democrat, said in a statement. “For the first time in their lives, their mayor didn’t look down at them — I sat side by side with them to be cleansed and recommit ourselves to getting on the right path.”
The mayor’s office shared images from the event, which appear to show Adams praying with Sharpton, the reverend washing Adams’ feet, and Adams being baptized.
Adams and the civil rights leader have maintained close ties throughout their long careers in New York politics. Adams frequently calls into Sharpton’s satellite radio show, and the two have appeared together at City Hall events.
The city-run jail complex, plagued by violence and neglect, is the subject of an ongoing legal struggle that could end in the facility being taken over by the federal government.
Earlier this week, the mayor visited Rikers to meet with detainees. In an appearance last week on the New York City radio station “The Breakfast Club,” Adams stated that he met with “a group of 12 young brothers who recommitted themselves to Christ.”
“I’ve been on Rikers Island more than any mayor in the history of the city, talking with inmates and correction officers to turn around what’s happening on Rikers Island,” Adams said in a passionate radio interview that aired Friday.