NYC Mayor Mamdani Won’t Rule Out Slavery Reparations

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has declined to rule out implementing cash reparations for slavery, stating the city was historically "very complicit" in the institution. The mayor's comments came during an interview with journalist Charles Blow that was released on July 28, 2026.

When asked if he would support a recommendation for cash payments from the city's Commission on Racial Equity (NYC CORE), Mamdani said he could not give an answer in advance of the commission's findings. He affirmed his past written statements, submitted during his mayoral campaign, which said the city "should reconcile and repair this legacy of slavery, stolen wealth, and discrimination." Mamdani added that the commission's work is critically important to acknowledge history.

The commission was established by local law in 2024 to study reparations and develop a process for truth, healing, and reconciliation. Its mandate includes examining Wall Street's historical involvement in the slave trade. NYC CORE is expected to release its final report in July 2027. In a statement, the commission's chair thanked the mayor for acknowledging the city's history, noting that New York was home to the...