{"id":694935,"date":"2026-10-29T11:53:48","date_gmt":"2026-10-29T11:53:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/?p=694935"},"modified":"2026-10-29T11:53:48","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T11:53:48","slug":"mamdani-move-to-oust-nycs-racial-equity-commission-chairwoman-sparks-backlash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/?p=694935","title":{"rendered":"Mamdani move to oust NYC\u2019s racial equity commission chairwoman sparks backlash"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/div>\n

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is looking to oust the chairwoman of the Big Apple\u2019s Commission on Racial Equity.<\/p>\n

Hizzoner and Linda Tigani haven\u2019t seen eye to eye on implementing the city\u2019s long-delayed racial equity plan, sparking criticism from the former social worker and community advocate after references to toxic diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) were removed from a draft of the committee report earlier this year.<\/p>\n

Voters approved a ballot measure in 2022 that created the commission, with a\u00a0mandate<\/a> to implement\u00a0\u201ca study on Reparations and a Truth, Healing, and Reconciliation process.\u201d Tigani has been the commission\u2019s chair since 2023.<\/p>\n

The New York Times first reported<\/a> that the Uganda-born socialist was seeking to boot Tigani from her spot and replace her with Christopher Alexander, who serves as executive director of New York\u2019s chapter of the NAACP, asking the City Council to sign off on the move.<\/p>\n

\n

NEW: @NYCMayor seeks to oust head of Commission on Racial Equity, over objections from City Council\u2019s BLAC and some faith leaders, @JeffCMays reports:<\/p>\n

https:\/\/t.co\/dRiXT4eaFC via @NYTimes<\/p>\n

\u2014 Sally Goldenberg (@SallyGold) October 28, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cIt takes a leader like Christopher Alexander to ensure we deliver on that vision and hold us accountable when we fall short. That\u2019s because he has spent his career working in and outside of government advancing the cause of racial equity,\u201d Mamdani said.<\/p>\n

But the move drew instant protest from Tigani\u2019s supporters in the black community, with protesters descending on City Hall on Wednesday bearing signs reading \u201cStand up to Zohran.\u201d<\/p>\n

The New York City Council\u2019s Black, Latino and Asian Caucus fired off a letter to the mayor urging him to keep Tigani on board.<\/p>\n

\n

https:\/\/t.co\/HMtSUXdORp<\/p>\n

\u2014 NYC Black, Latino and Asian Caucus (@BLACaucusNYC) October 27, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cThe Council has entrusted CORE with significant responsibilities, including an expanded mandate under Local Laws 91 and 92 of 2024 to advance a truth, healing, and reconciliation process and a study on reparations related to slavery and its legacies in New York City,\u201d the letter read.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese responsibilities reflect deliberate legislative action taken by the Council and require sustained leadership, institutional knowledge, and meaningful community engagement. As this work enters a critical foundational stage, retaining Ms. Tigani would preserve continuity in its planning, partnerships, and implementation,\u201d the caucus wrote, arguing that a change in leadership risks interruption of the process.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe wants to put it under his thumb, because she criticized him,\u201d one insider said, according<\/a> to the New York Post. \u201cYou can\u2019t retaliate against someone because they are criticizing their administration.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe one commission that is supposed to deal with issues in the black community, and he tries to fire her,\u201d the insider added.<\/p>\n

According to The New York Times, Tigani described Mamdani\u2019s effort to kick her to the curb as a \u201cdeeply political decision\u201d that \u201cundermines the independence\u201d of the commission.<\/p>\n

Tigani also called into question Mamdani\u2019s \u201ccommitment to racial equity and justice\u201d and suggested that she was being treated differently because she\u2019s black, pointing out that white New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch is allowed to stay in her position despite complaints from civil libertarians and advocates for police reform.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo you\u2019re willing to keep Jessica Tisch, who is allowing for our people to be beaten and killed with no accountability to officers,\u201d she said. \u201cBut the black woman that\u2019s holding you accountable in racial equity, this is the leadership that you\u2019re saying you don\u2019t want in the city.\u201d<\/p>\n

The backlash has caused the mayor to at least temporarily back off on replacing Tigani.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlongside the City Council, we have agreed to extend her term to next summer, and we\u2019re excited to work with that same council to put forward Christopher Alexander as the next Commissioner,\u201d Mamdani said at a Wednesday news conference.<\/p>\n

<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is looking to oust the chairwoman of the Big Apple\u2019s Commission on Racial Equity. Hizzoner and Linda Tigani haven\u2019t seen eye to eye on implementing the city\u2019s long-delayed racial equity plan, sparking criticism from the former social worker and community advocate after references to toxic diversity, equity, and inclusion… Continue reading Mamdani move to oust NYC\u2019s racial equity commission chairwoman sparks backlash<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[17,22,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-694935","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-border-security","category-immigration","category-immigration-reform","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/694935","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=694935"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/694935\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=694935"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=694935"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=694935"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}