New York State Sen. Zellnor Myrie released his Black Agenda for NYC ahead of his New York City mayoral campaign, reports New York Amsterdam News.
His agenda tackles four pivotal points of growth for the Black community–intergenerational wealth, public health, economic development, and climate resilience and infrastructure repair–all based on his experiences growing up in Brooklyn. “I grew up around Black New Yorkers, who understood that if you work hard, you had opportunity in this city to be successful. To be on the path to success,” Myrie said during a press conference.
“But for too many Black New Yorkers, that is no longer a reality. The city is different, and the next mayor of this city has to have an agenda that will help Black New Yorkers.”
Myrie’s tenure as a state senator since 2019 has positioned him to advocate for Black New Yorkers’ civil rights.
With the new Trump administration in office, the 38-year-old politician feels the focus should be on protecting civil rights pioneered by Black leadership since he says, “We have a president who is explicitly targeting Black people throughout this entire country. A president that is eliminating civil rights litigation is charging employees charged with enforcing civil rights,” the Afro-Costa Rican candidate said.
“Victories we fought for decades to achieve are now being erased under this president.”
He has a strategy to tackle all the points on the public agenda, with one of the premises being affordability for all. As parents struggle with obtaining affordable childcare around the city, Myrie proposed an after-school program that would be free and cover children from three years old to high school seniors, according to The New York Times. The program would run until 6 p.m. on weekdays and guarantee spots in the city’s free summer academic and enrichment youth program.
Other focuses of his agenda include establishing a first-generation homebuyers fund and leaning on anti-discrimination laws in mortgage lending. Tackling public safety, Myrie announced plans to expand the Every Block Counts program, a pilot program launched in October 2024 that targets gun violence prevention. Addressing public health, his agenda positions funding to dedicated birthing centers in Black-majority neighborhoods and expanding Medicaid coverage for doulas and midwives in hopes of reducing high maternal mortality rates among Black women.
His plan will also address mental health resources, implement free mental health services and career pathways for young Black men, and launch a trauma center in the Rockaways neighborhoods of Queens.
With the Democratic primary taking place on June 24, 2025, Myrie has raised close to $4 million in donations during his campaign but is one of four Black candidates running for the mayor’s seat. Candidates include incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, and former Assembly Member Michael Blake.
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