Amidst an historic week for New York City and the nation, HIS client New Yorkers for Reparations, was prominently featured in Capital B’s recent reporting on Zohran Mamdani’s historic election as New York City’s next mayor. The article, “Will Zohran Mamdani Make New York the First City to Confront Its Debt to Slavery?”, explores the momentum building around reparations advocacy in NYC and highlights the coalition’s crucial role in advancing this movement.
Capital B spotlights polling commissioned by New Yorkers for Reparations showing that 48% of respondents support comprehensive state reparations, including financial compensation, with 39% of voters willing to support candidates who champion the issue. The article also features insights from Trevor Smith, executive director of the BLIS Collective, a key member of the coalition, on closing the “hope gap” and making reparations seem possible to communities who support the cause but doubt its feasibility.
The piece chronicles how New Yorkers for Reparations—a coalition that includes legacy civil rights organizations like the ACLU of New York, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, and National Action Network—successfully advocated for the City Council’s 2024 authorization of a reparations study. Mayor-elect Mamdani was the only candidate to sign a pledge championing reparations policies, signaling a potential breakthrough moment for the movement.
Read the full article here to learn more about this pivotal moment for racial justice in America’s largest city.
