On Monday evening at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, the last stately mayors of New York City-Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa tramps on stage to tackle their plans to meet the needs of black women in New York when they play the role.
The mayor elections of New York have attracted worldwide attention, with an international audience that was invested deep in the outcome after a newcomer and the current state assemblyer Mamdani defeated the former Governor Cuomo as the Democratic nominee in June.
The current mayor of the city, Eric Adams, was noticeably absent. The forum took place on the heels of Adams who dropped his bid for mayors re -election, only one day earlier, so that renewed interest was brought into battle to win the hearts of New Yorkers – or at least their voices.
The event was organized by The links, recordedan international non -profit for African -American women; Higher Heights Leadership Fund; The National Action Network; the National Urban League; And the New York Urban League, and took place in the Apollo phases in the Victoria where it was open to the public.
“The importance of our voices in today’s world is crucial”
The group tapped NY1 news anchor Cheryl Willis to interview every mayor candidate about how they intended to tackle different issues because they are unique experienced by black women – in particular topics with regard to health care, domestic violence, entrepreneurial efforts and the activities.
Interestingly, the forum was devoid of face-to-face contact between the candidates: they were individually brought to the public to participate in a series of 20 minutes of interviews.
[Photo: Courtesy of Shahar Azran for The Apollo]Housing
Housing insecurity is a major challenge that black women experience. When demanding his plans to secure safe and affordable homes, Sliwa suggested opening the 8,000 NYCHA apartments that are currently not occupied – which Willis was quickly closed, pointing out how the empty apartments are “expired” and therefore not feasible.
Sliwa replied by saying that he would come up with plans for New Yorkers to become homeowners, especially for apartments in which they had been living for years.
“I think I know what can be done, and the tax limitations for what can’t be done,” he said.
Mamdani, whose mayor’s campaign has defended a rental home for two million New Yorkers who live in rental-stabilized apartments, repeated these plans and points how such a tactic would influence black families.
“The previous mayor manager did it three times,” he said. “We know it’s a matter of political will.”
He added that affordability is not only about tenants, but that landlords and homeowners point to the A matter of deed thefts And his plans to protect homeowners.
Cuomo’s solution was to ‘build more housing’, although Willis clarified that new homes were usually priced at market rate
“What we are doing now is to destroy historically black communities with gentrifiers, where people have to move because they are priced from their neighborhoods,” he said.
[Photo: Courtesy of Shahar Azran for The Apollo]In the workplace and leadership
Willis pressed every candidate on their opinion on the attacks on the policy of diversity, fairness and inclusion (dei) by the Trump government, as well as the rinsing of jobs of the government, who reportedly led to an exodus of 300,000 black women from the American activities.
A concern for many in the room was the visibility of black women in senior leadership positions. Mamdani, often critical about Eric Adams’s term of office as mayor, made a positive observation about his opponent: “His leadership team resembles the city.”
“When we talk about the need for excellence and diversity and a team that looks like the city it serves, that it is intentional,” Mamdani added.
Sliwa emphasized the need for the vocational school and training and said: “Naturally, qualified black women must be priority. They raise families for a future generation.”
Willis refuted by mentioning that many black women are highly trained beyond the vocational school.
As far as Cuomo is concerned, he emphasized that his administration would look like New York City.
“I believe deep in the power of black women,” he said. In response to a question about broadening wage gaps between white men and black women, he insisted that lawsuits were the answer.
[Photo: Courtesy of Shahar Azran for The Apollo]About mental health
Willis said that domestic and intimate partner violence against women is particularly high in black women.
When asked what he would do to protect this vulnerable population, Sliwa stated that “sending social workers is not the answer” – a clear excavation at Mamdani, who previously shared this strategy as part of his plans for public safety.
“You work the police together with social workers – if a man is constantly offensive, he has to get out of the house, he must go through therapy,” said Sliwa, with reference to his experience as founder of The Guardian Angels.
The organization -based organization calls in people to defend themselves against crime about the public transit system of the city and, recently, to perform wellness controls on homeless people.
Mamdani clearly stated in his answer: “One of my primary responsibilities is to elevate the existing agendas.”
The intentional branchedown of the Trump government of dei efforts and its subsequent impact on the black community was an accused subject, and one that the candidates seemed to be aligning against reducing.
When asked how he would deal with Trump’s attempts to interfere in local politics, Mamdani said: “I would remind them of whom I work, namely the people in New York City.”
Cuomo, who treated Trump with Trump during his earlier term of office as Governor, said, “Let him come with his demands, and we will say no, we will not go.”
The mayor elections of New York are on November 4. Most polls show Mamdani in the leadership With a considerable margin.
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