Mamdani agrees to extend NYC racial equity chair’s term

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he and the City Council agreed to extend Commission on Racial Equity Chair Linda Tigani’s term through next summer, easing a dispute over his plan to replace her. Mamdani said he still intends to put forward Christopher Alexander as the commission’s next chair. The announcement followed opposition from City Council members, including the Black, Latino and Asian Caucus, which urged Mamdani to retain Tigani. The caucus argued in a letter that changing leadership could disrupt the commission’s work on a study of reparations and a truth, healing and reconciliation process. Council Speaker Julie Menin also opposed replacing Tigani, according to reports on the dispute. Mamdani said the extension was agreed with the Council and that he looked forward to working with it to put Alexander forward. A Council spokesperson said members were vetting Alexander as a potential successor. The reporting describes an agreement and an intended nomination, but does not establish that the Council has formally approved a new chair. Tigani has led the commission since 2023 and has criticized the administration’s handling of the city’s racial-equity plan. The...