NEW YORK — New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani declined to rule out supporting cash reparations for descendants of enslaved people if a city commission studying the issue ultimately recommends the payments.
During an interview on The Root podcast with columnist Charles M. Blow, Mamdani was asked whether he would back cash reparations if the commission concludes they are appropriate. The commission’s findings are expected next summer.
Mayor says he will wait for commission’s recommendations
Blow read part of a written statement Mamdani submitted while running for mayor that said, “New York City participated actively in the slave trade and furthered its legacy through racist institutions, policies and laws. The city should reconcile and repair this legacy of slavery, stolen wealth and discrimination.”
Mamdani said he continues to stand by that statement. The exchange was first reported by the Gateway Pundit.
“It’s the truth; it’s not a personal assessment,” Mamdani said.
When asked directly whether he would support cash reparations if recommended, the mayor declined to give a definitive answer before the commission completes its work.
“I can’t give you an answer in advance of them, but I can tell you that this is critically important, because this is also what it looks like to acknowledge what history truly was,” Mamdani said.
Commission continues reviewing reparations proposals
Mamdani said many people associate slavery primarily with the American South but argued New York City also played a significant role.
“We often think about slavery and the complicity in slavery as being exclusively to certain geographic areas of the country,” he said. “Here in New York City, we were very complicit, and so I look forward to whatever those findings are.”
The city commission is reviewing New York City’s historical role in slavery and considering possible recommendations for addressing its lasting effects. The commission has not yet released its final report or any formal recommendation regarding direct cash payments.
