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NORTH AMERICAN Newsline SEPTEMBER 11, 2026 | The Indian Eye 26

Mayor Mamdani Releases New York

City’s First Citywide Racial Equity Plan

Plan sets eight citywide goals to address racial disparities across employment, maternal

health, child care and more

OUR BUREAU be able to see and feel the impact of
this work, and government must be
NEW YORK, NY
accountable for closing these dispar-
ayor Zohran Kwame ities.”
Mamdani and the Mayor’s The final citywide Racial Equity
MOffice of Equity and Racial Plan builds on the NYC True Cost
Justice have released the final City- of Living (TCOL) Measure, also
wide Racial Equity Plan (REP), New released in April, which found that
York City’s first government-wide 62% of New Yorkers cannot meet
framework for advancing racial eq- the true cost of living and that the
uity. burden falls disproportionately on
The final plan follows a 30-day Black and Latino households.
public comment period after the pre- MOERJ will report every two
liminary plan was released in April. years on progress toward each of the
During that period, the Mayor’s eight citywide goals, alongside the
Office of Equity and Racial Justice plan’s broader set of agency-level
(MOERJ) gathered feedback from goals, strategies and indicators. The
New Yorkers across the five boroughs NYC Commission on Racial Equity
and worked with 45 City agencies to (CORE) will continue to serve as an
strengthen the plan’s goals, strategies independent accountability partner
and indicators. Yorkers relative to 2026 rates, in- changes that. These commitments on implementation.
Alongside agency-level commit- cluding by improving workforce are specific, measurable and public, “SBS is proud of our role in
ments finalized this year, the plan development outcomes. and New Yorkers should hold us addressing systemic inequities and
sets eight citywide goals that New • Justice System: By 2034, reduce accountable for delivering on them. connecting New Yorkers from all
Yorkers can use to track the City’s the jail population, which is dis- Whether it means narrowing dis- backgrounds to free business and
progress: proportionately made up of New parities in unemployment, reducing workforce services that build real
• Housing: By 2034, address racial Yorkers of color, while operation- Black maternal mortality or making economic security,” said SBS Com-
disparities in rent burden and alizing smaller borough-based jail sure every child has access to a great missioner Kenny Minaya. “I want
homelessness by dramatically in- facilities. public education, this is what it looks to thank Mayor Mamdani, Deputy
creasing the production of afford- • Health: By 2034, improve preg- like to govern with equity in mind.” Mayor Su, and our sister agencies
able housing across New York City. nancy-related health outcomes for “This plan sets targets we intend for their partnership, and recognize
• Early Childhood Education: By Black New Yorkers, including by to meet and gives New Yorkers a way the Mayor’s Office of Equity and Ra-
2034, reduce achievement gaps reducing Black maternal mortality, to check our work along the way,” cial Justice for its leadership in bring-
and racial disparities in literacy, with progress tracked by race and said Deputy Mayor for Economic ing this plan together and ensuring
numeracy and social-emotional ethnicity. Justice Julie Su. “The goals around that race is never a barrier to success
development by expanding and • Transportation: By 2034, reduce unemployment and housing speak in New York City.”
improving early childhood educa- racial disparities in transportation directly to what we hear from work- “This racial equity plan will be
tion while advancing job quality for access by prioritizing faster, more ing New Yorkers every day: They our guide to ensuring that every New
child care workers – the majority of reliable and accessible bus service want a fair shot at a job and a home Yorker can fully participate in the
whom are women of color. in Task Force on Racial Inclusion they can afford in the neighborhoods cultural life of our city as artists, cul-
• K-12 Education: By 2034, increase and Equity (TRIE) neighborhoods they call home.” tural workers, and audiences,” said
the number of integrated New and communities experiencing the “The public feedback sessions Cultural Affairs Commissioner Diya
York City public schools with sta- greatest transportation burdens. gave New Yorkers the opportunity Vij. “New York’s vibrant cultural
ble enrollment, equitable access to • Connectivity: By 2034, increase to make this plan stronger and more ecosystem was shaped by generations
academic programs and services, home broadband adoption in the intentional,” said NYC Chief Equi- of advocates who fought for inclusion
and culturally responsive leader- city’s most under-connected neigh- ty Officer and NYC Mayor’s Office through public investment, but fund-
ship that improves belonging, en- borhoods, with data disaggregated of Equity and Racial Justice Com- ing and resources remain uneven for
gagement and academic outcomes by neighborhood. missioner Afua Atta-Mensah. “We communities that have experienced
for Black and Latino students, “New Yorkers told us what mat- heard a clear demand for baselines, generations of underinvestment.
multilingual learners, students tered to them, and this plan is built accountability and structural change. This plan recognizes that cultural
with disabilities and other histori- around those demands,” said Mayor Training sessions and outreach alone equity, racial equity, and econom-
cally underserved communities. Zohran Kwame Mamdani. “For too are not enough to change people’s ic justice are inseparable, and will
• Unemployment: By 2034, reduce long, government has been willing lives. The final Racial Equity Plan re- shape how DCLA distributes public
unemployment rates among Black, to acknowledge inequality without flects the input from New Yorkers of resources, designs programs, and
Latino and Asian American New setting goals for ending it. This plan all backgrounds. New Yorkers should measures success.”

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