Fact Check: Did Mamdani say white New Yorkers must pay cash reparations for slavery?
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: According to a viral rumor circulating on social media platforms, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has said that white residents in the city must pay cash reparations to the descendants of Black slaves. The claim has triggered criticism, concern, and questions about its authenticity, prompting a fact-check into the rumor.
Claim: White New Yorkers to pay reparations for slavery
The viral rumor claims that Mamdani had called for cash reparations for the descendants of Black slaves in the city, which will be paid by white New Yorkers.
The rumor spread after his interview in July, where he said New York City cannot ignore its active role in the legacy of slavery.
Social media posts interpreted the remark as the mayor explicitly expressing support for cash reparations.
One viral X post stated, “If Mamdani would like me, a white New Yorker who never owned slaves, to pay a black New Yorker who never was a slave, then I propose: Every Muslim in NYC starting with Mamdani should pay us for 9/11. Please explain why the latter makes no sense, but the former does.”
Fact Check: Zohran Mamdani neither supported nor rejected the idea of cash reparations
The claim, however, is false, as Mamdani neither supported nor rejected the idea of cash reparations for slavery during his video interview with The Root's Charles Blow.
Instead, he said that he would wait for the findings from the city's Commission on Racial Equity before making any recommendations himself.
In 2025, as part of his written responses to a New York City mayoral candidates' forum questionnaire on reparations, Mamdani said that if elected mayor, he would support the state's Reparations Commission recommendations and pursue policies to address the historical legacy of slavery and racial discrimination.
According to a report by ‘The New York Times,’ "The mayor said in recent interviews that it was important to acknowledge the city's role in slavery but that he could not commit to payouts before his racial equity commission completes its report."
Benjamin Netanyahu accuses Zohran Mamdani of fomenting hate
Recently, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said about Mamdani, “Look at what he's doing. He's fomenting hate."
"He's supposed to be the mayor of all New Yorkers, Jews, Christians, Muslims, everyone," the Israeli prime minister continued.
"But he's trying to turn one group against the other, and he's foisting hate and fear. I speak to Jewish Americans in New York, and they're afraid right now."
Mamdani declined to escalate his public dispute with Netanyahu, stating, “I'm not interested in getting into a back and forth."
