{"id":149094,"date":"2026-03-01T16:32:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-01T16:32:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/149094\/"},"modified":"2026-03-01T16:32:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-01T16:32:08","slug":"nyc-mayor-mamdani-apologizes-for-excluding-black-americans-in-previous-city-built-by-immigrants-comments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/149094\/","title":{"rendered":"NYC Mayor Mamdani apologizes for excluding Black Americans in previous ‘city built by immigrants’ comments"},"content":{"rendered":"

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani<\/a> had to set the record straight: Black New Yorkers helped build New York City. <\/p>\n

Speaking to historian and podcaster Latoya Coleman<\/a>, he admitted to \u201coverlooking\u201d the contributions of Black Americans in the city in his previous comments, where he said New York was a \u201ccity built by immigrants.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been guilty of this myself,\u201d Mamdani, who is New York City\u2019s first Asian and Muslim mayor, said. \u201cIf we\u2019re being honest, then we have to tell the full story. And when we tell a sweeping generalization like that, we lose sight of the fact that Black New Yorkers helped to build New York City.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mamdani\u2019s comments were not made in a vacuum. The New York City mayor, who was born in Uganda to Indian parents, is one of many political and public figures who have taken a stance in support of immigrants and against President Donald Trump\u2019s federal immigration crackdown<\/a>. Many have vehemently condemned the administration for flooding cities with immigration agents, which has resulted in intimidation and violence towards residents and has cost the lives of at least three U.S. citizens.<\/p>\n

But Mamdani acknowledged that in trying to uplift New York City\u2019s immigrants, he excluded Black Americans, specifically the descendants of American chattel slavery. <\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why I\u2019m here to apologize, because you learn from it,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd I think as much as we want to and should support immigrant New Yorkers, their incredible place in the city, doing so doesn\u2019t necessitate that we overlook the contributions of Black New Yorkers. We can tell that full story.\u201d <\/p>\n

Mamdani was not the only public figure made to reflect on this type of comment during Black History Month. Following his historic win at the Grammys, country music\u2019s rising star Shaboozey, who is Nigerian-American, apologized on his social media page<\/a> for saying in his speech that \u201cimmigrants built this country, literally.\u201d The speech prompted so much discussion that even Bernice King weighed in.<\/a> <\/p>\n

\u201cTo be clear, I know and believe that we\u2014 Black people, have also built this country,\u201d he wrote. \u201cMy words were never intended to dismiss that truth. I am both a Black man and the son of Nigerian immigrants and in the overwhelming moment of winning my first Grammy my focus was on honoring the sacrifices my parents made by coming to this country to give me and my siblings opportunities they never had.\u201d <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t