NYC Council members back Linda Tigani amid Mamdani plans to replace her

“Racial equity is law, hands off CORE.” 

“Hands off Linda, she’s our choice.”

Supporters of Linda Tigani, chair of the New York City Commission on Racial Equity since 2023, cried out the chants on the steps of City Hall Wednesday afternoon. Minutes later at an unrelated press conference in Brooklyn, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that Tigani’s term would be extended through next summer, at which point he still planned to replace her.

Wednesday’s rally followed The New York Times’ reporting that Mamdani wants to replace Tigani, who has been a vocal critic of how he has handled the city’s racial equity plan. 

A judge found that both Mamdani and former Mayor Eric Adams violated law by not meeting mandated deadlines to produce the inaugural report. The plan’s draft also cut out language that referenced diversity, equity and inclusion programs, or DEI. 

While chairs can serve up to three three-year terms, Mamdani’s comments Wednesday seemed to reaffirm that Tigani will only serve an extended single term. “Alongside the City Council, we have agreed to extend her term to next summer, and we’re excited to work with the same council to put forward Christopher Alexander as the next commissioner to pick up the mantle,” Mamdani said. 

Both the mayor and City Council Speaker Julie Menin have to approve new leadership of the commission. Menin had shown resistance to replacing Tigani, in line with the council’s Black, Latino and Asian Caucus coming out in support of her.

Several council members spoke up in Tigani’s defense at Wednesday’s rally, including Council Members Farah Louis, Althea Stevens and Carmen De La Rosa. “Work like this depends on continuity,” Louis said. “Changing leadership midstream risks losing institutional knowledge and the community’s trust. It risks delaying and derailing a process that Black New Yorkers have waited generations to see.”

Other Tigani supporters also criticized Mamdani’s intended replacement, Christopher Alexander, the executive director of the state conference of the NAACP.

“As a Black organizer, I have never been able to call the NAACP to help me help anyone. You know who I have been able to call? Linda Tigani,” said Tanesha Grant, executive director of Parents Supporting Parents NY and Moms United for Black Lives NYC. “She is also our contact to pull other agencies when we can’t reach them on the ground… Linda is the one who makes the connection and makes sure that the people are getting what they need in real time.”