New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani faced questions Tuesday regarding the sudden disappearance of specific “DEI” (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) terminology from the city’s latest racial equity report.
The document, which was released this week, has drawn scrutiny after reports surfaced that language standard to previous drafts was edited out before the final version went public.
During a press briefing, reporters asked why the administration chose to remove the DEI phrasing and whether the Mayor stood by that decision.
Mamdani responded by framing the move as an effort to fix a document his office inherited from the previous administration—one he characterized as “heavily diluted” and stalled.
“Our administration inherited a report that the prior administration had refused to release,” Mamdani said. “We took the time to strengthen this report to ensure that it was actually an accurate reflection of the city that we all love and know as our home.”
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The report, which includes a “true cost of living” analysis, highlights massive economic gaps between New Yorkers of different backgrounds.
Data in the report shows the median wealth for a white household in the city sits at more than $200,000, while the median for Black households is less than $20,000. Mamdani called these figures “stark” and described them not as a reflection of individuals, but as an “indictment of policies and politics that have persisted for far too long.”
Despite the focus on the data, the Mayor was pressed again on why the specific “DEI” language was stripped away. He did not explicitly name the words that were removed but insisted the current version is more effective than what was originally drafted.
“We put forward a stronger report that actually reflects the realities New Yorkers are living through,” Mamdani said.
City Hall has now opened a 30-day public comment period for residents to weigh in on the findings. The administration stated that the goal of the report is to create a framework that places equity at the center of city policy while “reckoning with the long history of racism here.”
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