Latest news with #BronxHighSchoolofScience
NDTV
16 hours ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Who Is Zohran Mamdani, Indian-Origin Contesting New York Mayoral Polls
Indian-origin New York State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani has emerged as a surprise contender in the 2025 New York mayoral race. Representing Queens, the 33-year-old is now polling second, just behind front-runner and former Governor Andrew Cuomo. Once relatively unknown, Mr Mamdani gained traction with strong fundraising, progressive policies, and viral social media content. Pitching himself as the candidate to beat Mr Cuomo, Mr Mamdani is focusing on housing, public transit, and economic justice to win over voters. Who Is Zohran Mamdani? Zohran Mamdani was born on October 18, 1991, in Kampala, Uganda. His father is Mahmood Mamdani, an Indian-born Ugandan Marxist scholar, and his mother is Mira Nair, an Indian-American filmmaker. At the age of five, Mr Mamdani moved with his family to Cape Town, South Africa. The family relocated to New York City when he was seven. He attended the Bank Street School for Children and later graduated from Bronx High School of Science. Mr Mamdani studied at Bowdoin College and graduated in 2014 with a Bachelor's degree in Africana Studies. While in college, he co-founded the Students for Justice in Palestine chapter. Zohran Mamdani began his political journey as a foreclosure prevention counsellor, later volunteering for local campaigns. These include roles with Ali Najmi, Khader El-Yateem, Ross Barkan, and Tiffany Caban. He joined the Democratic Socialists of America in 2017. Zohran Mamdani won the 2020 Democratic primaries and took office in 2021 as New York State Assembly member for Queens' 36th District. He was re-elected unopposed in 2022 and 2024. A leading member of the Democratic Socialists of America, he serves on key committees and has sponsored 20 bills, three of which have become a law. Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist inspired by Bernie Sanders, is in favour of free city bus rides, rent freezes, city-owned groceries, and a $30 minimum wage by 2030. He led efforts for fare-free buses and congestion pricing. On Israel-Palestine, he backs BDS, opposes illegal settlements, and calls for Gaza ceasefires, while rejecting antisemitism and supporting Israel's right to exist. He also champions anti-discrimination laws and protests funding cuts to gender-affirming care. Zohran Mamdani became a naturalised American citizen in 2018. He married Syrian artist Rama Duwaji in 2025. A hip-hop enthusiast, Mr Mamdani released a single called ' Nani ' in 2019 under the stage name 'Mr Cardamom', featuring actress Madhur Jaffrey.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Who is Zohran Mamdani? Meet the NYC mayoral race candidate with a Mira Nair connection
Six months ago, many New Yorkers did not know Zohran Mamdani's name. Now, he's in second place in the mayoral race. Mamdani, a progressive state assemblyman from Queens, has surprised the political world with his strong fund-raising numbers, populist proposals, and videos that have gone viral on social media. The 33-year-old has been making the case that he is the strongest candidate to beat the front-runner in the race, former Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, who has a well-funded super PAC supporting him. Born on October 18, 1991, in Kampala, Uganda, to acclaimed Indian filmmaker Mira Nair and noted academic Mahmood Mamdani, Mamdani moved to New York City at the age of 7. His middle name, Kwame, pays tribute to Ghana's revolutionary leader Kwame Nkrumah. He attended the Bronx High School of Science and went on to graduate from Bowdoin College in 2014 with a degree in Africana Studies. During his time at Bowdoin, he co-founded a chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, marking the start of his political activism. He became a naturalised US citizen in 2018. He was elected to the New York State Assembly for the 36th District in 2020, becoming the first South Asian man, the first Ugandan, and the third Muslim to hold that position. Mamdani is a practising Shia Muslim. He recently married Rama Duwaji, a Syrian-born illustrator whose work has been featured in publications such as The New Yorker and The Washington Post. As per a report by NYT, the self-described democratic socialist, Mamdani has pledged to tackle the city's affordability crisis with bold proposals, including rent freezes for nearly one million rent-stabilised apartments, free public buses, and city-owned grocery stores. He plans to fund these initiatives by raising taxes on the wealthy, a stance that has unsettled business leaders who support Cuomo. 'We live in the most expensive city in the United States of America, and it's a city that used to be one of dreams that is now just one of struggle,' he said on MSNBC this week. Known for his progressive vision, Mamdani has captured attention with his populist platform and viral social media presence. He has used his platform to push left-wing policies and shift the ideological centre of Albany politics, as he is now vying to become the city's first Muslim mayor. Mamdani, a millennial, is also drawing comparisons to Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who endorsed Zohran for mayor on Thursday for the upcoming June 24 Democratic primary. A post shared by Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@zohrankmamdani) 'Assemblymember Mamdani has demonstrated a real ability on the ground to put together a coalition of working-class New Yorkers that is strongest to lead the pack,' Ocasio-Cortez said as quoted by NYT. 'In the final stretch of the race, we need to get very real about that.' While only a few of the 20+ bills he has introduced have become law, Mamdani is recognised more for mobilising public opinion and supporting broader movements like Good Cause Eviction and Build Public Renewables. An outspoken advocate for Palestinian rights, Mamdani has also drawn controversy for his positions on Israel. Most recently, as per a report by NYT, a Republican city councilwoman from Queens, Vickie Paladino, sparked outrage by calling for his deportation, despite his citizenship, citing his political views and naturalisation timeline. Mamdani responded by denouncing the rhetoric as Islamophobic and emblematic of Trump-era politics, the report added. Thank you Sunset Park for rallying and canvassing with us on this beautiful Sunday afternoon. Always so proud to stand with my incredible colleagues in elected office, @alexaforcouncil and @marcelaforny. — Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) June 1, 2025 While former Governor Andrew Cuomo leads Mamdani slightly in current first-choice polling, ranked-choice simulations show Mamdani closing in by the final round. Backed by the Working Families Party and UAW president Shawn Fain, Mamdani's campaign has over 20,000 volunteers canvassing citywide. In a recent debate, he branded Cuomo 'corrupt' and called himself 'Donald Trump's worst nightmare — a progressive, Muslim immigrant.'
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
NYC high schoolers protest Trump administration's policies on education, immigration
NEW YORK — Several hundred New York City high school students walked out of class Tuesday to protest the Trump administration's threats to immigrant students and higher education. Around noon, students from at least 25 schools, including the Bronx High School of Science, Stuyvesant High School and Frank Sinatra School of the Arts, descended on Union Square Park with a shared message to protect democracy and oppose recent actions by the federal government. The teens took turns passing along a megaphone behind signs that read: 'We the Students' and 'Protect Our Schools.' They shared their fears — as well as their hopes — for the future. Some sported red, white and blue 'war paint' under their eyes; at least one student wrapped himself in an American flag. 'This isn't something happening to someone else,' Nava Litt, a senior at Bronx Science, told a lively crowd of her peers. 'This is our future to protect — or our future to lose.' In a break from standard practice, a public schools spokeswoman would not provide an initial estimate of how many of their students walked out of class. Some organizers believe it could have been more if not for a chilling effect from federal action. 'I have friends who really support what we're doing here today and helped us make posters, or really wanted to be involved, but they couldn't come today because they're not citizens, and they rightfully don't feel safe standing up and protesting — and that is unacceptable in the United States of America,' Litt told the Daily News after her speech. The walkout, which had been in the works for the last couple of months, happened to take place less than 24 hours after news broke of the first known New York City high school student detained by federal immigration authorities in the second Trump administration. The story of ELLIS Prep student Dylan, 20, alarmed students who learned of his arrest the next day. 'I don't understand how any high school student could sit around and let that happen — it's a stain on all of our moral conscience,' said Naomi Beinart, a junior at St. Ann's. She worried it could happen to any immigrant family with shaky legal status, noting, 'These things are not executed with logic. They are random and destructive.' Beinart added that she was motivated to join the protest because of federal cuts to higher education: 'Defunding universities is not protecting Jews,' she said. 'If anything, it's putting us more at risk and more unsafe. That's one of the reasons that drove me out here.' Nomi Solmsen, a sophomore at School of the Future, raised the fact that she and her friends will be eligible to vote in the next presidential election. 'To actually educate yourself is really, really important, especially to me,' Solmsen said. 'I don't want to treat it like a trend. I want to be aware about the (threat of the) removal of habeas corpus, about the increased demonizing of illegal immigrants.' In a statement, Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos said students should remain in school, though expressed her respect more generally for students voicing their opinions. 'We are committed to supporting every child and family — regardless of immigration status,' she said, 'and we respect the voice of students as they speak out on the difficult issues of our time and advocate for their peers.' Any student who left school before their dismissal time will be marked absent from class, according to the statement, which did not threaten any disciplinary action against the protesters. Lior, a tenth-grader at High School of American Studies at Lehman College who did not give her last name, was most concerned that while she cannot yet vote, she is still significantly impacted by the actions of the Trump administration — while most people, she said, are just 'sitting back and watching.' 'We need to let it be known that, if the adults aren't going to do something about it, then we will,' Lior said, 'because it's still our country.' ______
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
NYC high schoolers protest Trump admin policies on education, immigration
Several hundred New York City high school students walked out of class Tuesday to protest the Trump administration's threats to immigrant students and higher education. Around noon, students from at least 25 schools, including the Bronx High School of Science, Stuyvesant High School and Frank Sinatra School of the Arts, descended on Union Square Park with a shared message to protect democracy and oppose recent actions by the federal government. The teens took turns passing along a megaphone behind signs that read: 'We the Students' and 'Protect Our Schools.' They shared their fears — as well as their hopes — for the future. Some sported red, white and blue 'war paint' under their eyes; at least one student wrapped himself in an American flag. 'This isn't something happening to someone else,' Nava Litt, a senior at Bronx Science, told a lively crowd of her peers. 'This is our future to protect — or our future to lose.' In a break from standard practice, a public schools spokeswoman would not provide an initial estimate of how many of their students walked out of class. Some organizers believe it could have been more if not for a chilling effect from federal action. 'I have friends who really support what we're doing here today and helped us make posters, or really wanted to be involved, but they couldn't come today because they're not citizens, and they rightfully don't feel safe standing up and protesting — and that is unacceptable in the United States of America,' Litt told the Daily News after her speech. The walkout, which had been in the works for the last couple of months, happened to take place less than 24 hours after news broke of the first known New York City high school student detained by federal immigration authorities in the second Trump administration. The story of ELLIS Prep student Dylan, 20, alarmed students who learned of his arrest the next day. 'I don't understand how any high school student could sit around and let that happen — it's a stain on all of our moral conscience,' said Naomi Beinart, a junior at St. Ann's. She worried it could happen to any immigrant family with shaky legal status, noting, 'These things are not executed with logic. They are random and destructive.' Beinart added that she was motivated to join the protest because of federal cuts to higher education: 'Defunding universities is not protecting Jews,' she said. 'If anything, it's putting us more at risk and more unsafe. That's one of the reasons that drove me out here.' Nomi Solmsen, a sophomore at School of the Future, raised the fact that she and her friends will be eligible to vote in the next presidential election. 'To actually educate yourself is really, really important, especially to me,' Solmsen said. 'I don't want to treat it like a trend. I want to be aware about the [threat of the] removal of habeas corpus, about the increased demonizing of illegal immigrants.' In a statement, Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos said students should remain in school, though expressed her respect more generally for students voicing their opinions. 'We are committed to supporting every child and family — regardless of immigration status,' she said, 'and we respect the voice of students as they speak out on the difficult issues of our time and advocate for their peers.' Any student who left school before their dismissal time will be marked absent from class, according to the statement, which did not threaten any disciplinary action against the protesters. Lior, a tenth-grader at High School of American Studies at Lehman College who did not give her last name, was most concerned that while she cannot yet vote, she is still significantly impacted by the actions of the Trump administration — while most people, she said, are just 'sitting back and watching.' 'We need to let it be known that, if the adults aren't going to do something about it, then we will,' Lior said, 'because it's still our country.'
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Socialist NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani pledged freebies to classmates during HS election — and still lost: ‘Ass whooped'
Socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani's propensity for making pie-in-the-sky Marxist campaign promises dates back to his high school days, when he promised 'fresh juice' daily to classmates if they elected him vice president. Mamdani, a 2010 graduate of the Bronx High School of Science, also tried to win votes with the pipe-dream promise of free gym credits for just attending sporting events. He couldn't come through on either promise — and got his 'ass whooped' in the race, he confided in a 2017 podcast. Mamdani — who is polling second among NYC Democratic mayoral candidates — delivered the pledges through rap songs he wrote and performed, he told AirGo podcast host Daniel Kisslinger while promoting himself as a rapper named Mr. Cardamom. 'I promised fresh juice for everyone — every day, using locally sourced fruits,' says Mamdani, a Queens assemblyman and son of Indian filmmaker Mira Nair. 'There was a supermarket like four minutes away.' 'Oh, that's what you mean by local? Not that we didn't grow the oranges [at the high school], but we pop by FineFare [supermarket]?' Kisslinger jokes back. 'I promised that! I promised credits for going to after-school games instead of having to go to gym,' says Mamdani, laughing. 'Those were like two concrete promises that I had done no viability study on.' Mamdani claimed 'a lot of people enjoyed' his rapping delivery, but admitted one teacher advising, 'I just don't think this was the right decision.' Mamdani's mayoral campaign promises reads like something out of the Politburo with vows of free bus service, government-run grocery stores and freezes on the city's roughly 1 million rent-stabilized apartments. Critics say he's yet to outline where the money to pay for any of this will come from. 'While I continue to believe in the importance of access to fresh fruits and produce—and am proud to be the only mayoral candidate with an evidence-based plan to make groceries cheaper, there is little else that my run for Bronx Science student body vice president (go Wolverines) has in common with our surging campaign for mayor to deliver New Yorkers a city they can afford,' Mamdani said in a statement.
