Is Zohram Mamdani The Answer?
As a longtime community activist and advocate for Black economic development, I can't say I'm excited about Zohran Mamdani’s recent primary win for New York City Mayor. Black people are often treated as political pawns—used and discarded by both the left and the right like collateral damage.
And I say this as someone who identifies as an independent, though I’ve often voted Democrat. So-called Democratic Socialists like Bernie Sanders and Zohran Mamdani focus heavily on workers' issues. But critical Black concerns—like reparations, lack of business capital, limited access to government contracts, police brutality, banking exploitation, and redlining—are usually treated as side issues, if acknowledged at all.
To complicate my mayoral decision It's disheartening to see yet another Black mayor—Eric Adams—come under constant legal and media attack, only to be turned on by segments of the Black community. Some of the same people criticizing Adams are willing to overlook similar flaws in leaders like Andrew Cuomo. It’s a double standard.
Let’s not forget that Eric Adams earned the support of many Black New Yorkers because of his history fighting police brutality, even from within the NYPD. Unfortunately, some younger activists seem unaware of his and others' historic efforts to address gang violence and crime in our communities.
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Zohran Mamdani's Primary Win For
NYC Mayor Continues Below...
There are claims that stop-and-frisk policing increased under Adams. That hasn't been my experience. I remember the Bloomberg and Giuliani eras, when Black New Yorkers were stopped randomly on the streets or constantly pulled over in their cars—like we were living under apartheid. It hasn’t felt like that in Black neighborhoods in Queens or Brooklyn under the current administration.
If Black voters were unhappy with Eric Adams, I believe they could have rallied behind Queens Council Speaker Adrienne Adams. Instead, we now have Mamdani, who talks a good game—but many of his ideas seem fiscally unrealistic. Eliminating all NYC bus fares? Sounds like a bait-and-switch tactic to me.
Yes, I support affordable housing and even the idea of community-run grocery stores. But will Mamdani actually deliver? And how will his proposals affect the small business owners—many of whom are Black and Brown—who already run grocery stores? Could government-controlled supermarkets put them out of business?
What about the billions being invested in upgrading NYC’s two major airports? Will Mamdani continue to support Black businesses receiving a fair share of those contracts—something that happened under the Adams administration?
Up until recently, Mr. Mamdani rarely appeared on Black media platforms. That should speak volumes. Too often, Black communities are mobilized for progressive causes, only to have our real needs and concerns swept aside.
Obviously, I remain guarded—and yes, a bit cynical—about this political shift. Still, I can understand the sentiment of voters who want to shake up the establishment. Mamdani’s win is clearly a signal that many New Yorkers are ready for change.
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