"If we're 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. That's why I'm here to apologize, because you learn from it. And I think as much as we want to and should support immigrant New Yorkers, their incredible place in the city, doing so doesn't necessitate that we overlook the contributions of Black New Yorkers."
"I've been guilty of this myself. If we're 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."
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the city's first Asian and Muslim mayor, publicly corrected his previous statement that New York was built by immigrants, recognizing that Black New Yorkers, particularly descendants of enslaved Americans, were instrumental in building the city. Mamdani admitted to overlooking Black contributions while advocating for immigrant rights during Trump's immigration crackdown. He emphasized that supporting immigrant New Yorkers does not require erasing Black Americans' historical role. Similarly, Grammy-winning country artist Shaboozey, who is Nigerian-American, apologized for stating immigrants built the country, reflecting a broader pattern of public figures needing to acknowledge the complete historical narrative during Black History Month.
Read at TheGrio
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