New York State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani headed to Harlem to campaign for Black voters just days after winning the Democratic primary in New York City’s hotly contested mayoral campaign, leaning on the support of one of NYC’s most prolific leaders, The New York Times reports.
Mamdani stopped by the Harlem headquarters of National Action Network (NAN), founded by civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton, to speak out on his hopes of gaining the support of Black voters in November. His June 28 speech touched on a number of concerns facing the Harlem community, a staple of Black excellence, including making the neighborhood and the boroughs beyond more affordable to live. “It must be a morning where the worker comes first, a morning where a New Yorker does more than just struggle,” he said.
“It must be a morning where they know if they live in that rent-stabilized apartment, they will pay the same rent next year as well, and a morning where they know that child care will be universal.”
While neither NAN’s Sharpton nor director Spike Lee has yet to endorse the controversial selection, it is clear that Mamdani knows the importance of the Black vote, the same that secured victory for Mayor Eric Adams in 2022.
Sharpton rallied around the assemblyman’s courage to speak at the headquarters in lieu of reports that he wasn’t as popular in the polls from some of the city’s most solidly Black neighborhoods. “He could have went the other way and said, ‘It’s me against them.’ But he came this morning and he proclaimed something,” Sharpton said, according to the Associated Press.
And I gave him a lot of credit for that,” Sharpton said.
Former primary favorite Gov. Andrew Cuomo, however, did receive some support from Black voters, particularly in regions where nearly 70% of the residents were African American. The amount doubles Mamdani’s support — 59% to 26%.
Mamdani’s victory — making him potentially the first Muslim mayor of one of the country’s largest melting pots — was met with massive attacks of anti-Muslim rhetoric from social media users, both Democratic and Republican leaders, and even President Donald Trump. In a Truth Social post, Trump called him a “100% Communist Lunatic” who “looks terrible.”
After making claims that the 33-year-old was anti-semitic, Adams, who has faced federal corruption charges, was asked by CNN’s Jake Tapper what evidence he has to back up that claim. Adams pushed a narrative that his opponent was “pro-Hamas.” Adams said the primary winner once praised the terrorist organization, but when Tapper requested proof, he said,” a little research and you’ll be able to find it.”
But not all are pushing racist narratives against the leader. Those in attendance for his NAN speech, like local Harlem Democratic leader Alyah Horsford-Sidberry, called it “electrifying” with reminders of former President Barack Obama.
While she was concerned that his tone might not garner results, Horsford-Sidberry admitted that the lack of Black support may simply be due to some rejecting the unfamiliar, but making the effort to visit helps. “The more he’s out here and community members get to know him, the better he will be received,” she said.
“They’ve just got to get to know him and see him at more events like this. What’s important, though, is that his concerns are the community’s concerns.”
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