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    North                       The Indian Eye

                              AMERICANNewsline

             14                                                                                                              JANUARY 23, 2026

                                 Mamdani Administration Signals

                  Early Governing Priorities with Equity, Small

                              Business Relief, and Childcare Push

             In a decisive first week, Mayor Zohran Mamdani rolled out a series of appointments and executive actions that underline his
              administration’s focus on racial equity, economic justice, and expanding access to early childhood education across NYC.

            OUR BUREAU                                                                                            to keep them open.” The admin-
                                                                                                                  istration’s framing positions small
            New York, NY
                                                                                                                  business relief not as deregulation
                    ayor Zohran Mamdani                                                                           for its own sake, but as a corrective to
                     used  his  first  full  week  in                                                             policies that disproportionately hurt
            Moffice  to  lay  down  clear                                                                         neighborhood enterprises.
            markers of how his administration in-                                                                     Julie Su echoed that senti-
            tends to govern, combining structur-                                                                  ment, saying small business owners
            al reform, policy urgency and visible                                                                 have “too rarely been considered in
            political messaging. From appointing                                                                  the backrooms where decisions are
            a nationally recognized racial justice                                                                made.” She linked the initiative di-
            strategist to cutting red tape for small                                                              rectly to Mamdani’s electoral appeal,
            businesses and launching  an  aggres-                                                                 noting that he spoke to small business
            sive outreach campaign for 3-K and                                                                    owners “as partners” and recognized
            Pre-K enrollment, the decisions taken                                                                 that they often feel economic stress
            this week reflect an effort to translate                                                              before the rest of the city does.
            campaign promises into early admin-                                                                       The third pillar of the week’s
            istrative action.                                                                                     agenda focused on families and early
                At the center of the week’s an-                                                                   childhood education. Mamdani and
            nouncements was Mamdani’s ap-                                                                         Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels
            pointment of Afua Atta-Mensah     across our work in City Hall.” For the   prominently in Mamdani’s decision   marked the opening of the 3-K and
            as  Chief  Equity  Officer  and  Com-  new mayor, equity is not framed as   to sign Executive Order 11, aimed at   Pre-K application cycle with a visit
            missioner  of  the  Mayor’s  Office  of   an abstract ideal but as an organizing   easing the regulatory burden on small   to a childcare center in Cypress Hills,
            Equity & Racial Justice (MOERJ).  principle that will guide policy design   businesses. Signed at the counter of   launching a citywide outreach push
            Atta-Mensah, a long-time organizer   across departments.            a locally owned business in Cypress   to boost enrollment. Applications
            and policy strategist, will be tasked   Atta-Mensah brings a resume   Hills, Brooklyn, the order directs sev-  are open until February 27, 2026,
            with coordinating racial equity efforts   rooted in advocacy and institutional   en city agencies, under the supervi-  and are available in 13 languages on-
            across city agencies and, crucially,  reform. Her previous roles include   sion of Deputy Mayor Su, to create a   line, with interpretation services in
            delivering the Preliminary Citywide   Chief of Programs at Community   comprehensive inventory of fees and   more than 200 languages via phone
            Racial Equity Plan within the admin-  Change, Executive Director of Com-  civil penalties that businesses face.  and in-person support at 13 Family
            istration’s first 100 days.       munity Voices Heard, and Director     The scale of the challenge is sig-  Welcome Centers.
                The move addresses a long-stand-  of  Litigation  and  Policy  at  the  Ur-  nificant. Small businesses in New York   The administration is deploying
            ing gap in city governance. New York   ban Justice Center. Across these po-  navigate more than 6,000 regulations   a new video campaign across TaxiTV
            City voters approved the creation of a   sitions, she has focused on building   and rules, many of which carry fines   and  LinkNYC, underscoring Mam-
            Racial Equity Plan by a wide margin   political power for working people,  and fees that raise operating costs and   dani’s emphasis on visible, accessible
            in 2022, but the previous administra-  advancing fair housing and defend-  discourage entrepreneurship. Under   governance. “We’re using every tool
            tion failed to meet the City Charter’s   ing racial justice initiatives in New   the executive order, agencies must   at our disposal to get the word out,”
            timeline for publishing it. Mamdani’s   York and beyond.            identify fees that can be reduced with-  the mayor said, stressing that applica-
            commitment to release a preliminary   Accepting the role, Atta-Mensah   in 45 days, determine which can be   tions  are  not  first-come,  first-served
            plan within 100 days — followed by   said the administration was commit-  eliminated through rulemaking with-  and that every family applying by the
            a public consultation period before   ted to “doing big things — and to   in  90  days,  and  flag  those  requiring   deadline will receive an offer.
            finalization later this year — signals   doing them boldly,” and emphasized   legislative changes within 180 days. A   The push builds on the recently
            both a policy reset and a political mes-  collaboration with community lead-  report on the feasibility of an amnes-  announced 2-Care initiative, unveiled
            sage about accountability.        ers and city agencies to develop and   ty and relief programme for business   jointly by Mamdani and Governor
               “Afua  Atta-Mensah has dedi-   implement a comprehensive equity   owners is expected within a year.  Kathy Hochul, which aims to expand
            cated her career to serving the New   plan. Deputy Mayor for Economic   “You cannot tell the story of New   childcare access starting in high-need
            Yorkers who are so often forgotten   Justice Julie Su reinforced that fram- York without our small businesses,”  areas before scaling citywide. The
            in the halls of power,” Mamdani   ing, noting, “There is no economic   Mamdani said, arguing that the city   mayor  has  also  committed  to  fixing
            said, adding that there was “no one   justice without racial justice.”  has made it “too hard for these same   gaps in the existing 3-K system to deliv-
            I trust more to advance racial equity   Economic justice also featured   businesses to open their doors, and   er on the promise of universal access.

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