New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's Jan. 1 inauguration and block party reflected a diverse city looking to make good on the34-year-old democratic socialist's promises to address affordability.
On a freezing New Year's Day, theDemocratic mayor took his ceremonial oath of officeon the steps of City Hall, with thousands of people lining several Manhattan blocks and a slate of celebrities championing him with Millennial cultural touchstones. Mamdani acknowledged people, includingthose outside the five boroughs, want to see how a leftist will manage a municipal government.
The former state assemblyman from Queens vowed to govern the in same as manner as he was elected: as anunapologetic democratic socialist.
Here are five takeaways on his inauguration.
Zohran Mamdani sworn in as mayor of New York City
Mamdani's faith on full display
Mamdani's Muslim faith was front and center during his inauguration.
He took the oath of office at midnight byswearing in on a pair of Qurans, Islam's holiest book, and then again during his public inauguration ceremony.
Imam Khalid Latif, joined by representatives of multiple faiths, offered an invocation focused on how Mamdani's coalition speaks for ordinary New Yorkers, not the wealthy or the powerful.
Mamdani is the first Muslim mayorof the nation's largest city. He is an outspoken proponent of Palestinian rights and critic of Israel. His election sparked concern among many conservatives and Israel supporters. Some political adversaries have sought to link him to Islamist terrorists. Mamdani has previously said he had been told to downplay his faith when seeking elected office.
Latif is the executive director and co-founder of the Islamic Center of New York City, and was appointed a New York City Police Department chaplain in 2007.
"Never let him forget that this office exists to serve the people, not to rise above them," Latif said in his prayer. "We lift up all those who came together to make what many said could never happen, happen."
He continued: "Let no one have to choose between rent and dignity, between medicine and meals, between staying and surviving," Latif said. "Let policy be shaped by compassion and budgets reflective of our values."
Democratic socialists take power
Nearly a decade ago, democratic socialism was an obscure term, unknown to most Americans.
A few lawmakers have since brought it to the forefront, including Mamdani.
Before administering Mamdani's oath of office,U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, a fellow democratic socialist and a Brooklyn native, said Mamdani's agenda on addressing affordability is not radical.
But Sanders said supporters needed to keep pushing for his policies such as free buses, universal childcare and even city-run grocery stores. Sanders' trademark message, to have wealthy and large corporations pay more in taxes, was met by chants of "tax the rich."
"The billionaire class in this city and country have got to understand that in America they cannot have it all," Sanders said. "That America, our great country, must belong to all of us, not just a few. And that lesson begins today in New York City."
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, another democratic socialist, opened the inauguration with an introduction. Ocasio-Cortez and Mamdani look to Sanders as a source of inspiration for progressive politics.
Ocasio-Cortez highlighted Mamdani's campaign platform focused on addressing affordability through free universal childcare, affordable rent and "clean and dignified" public transit for New Yorkers.
"We have chosen that over the distractions of bigotry and the barbarism of extreme income inequality," Ocasio-Cortez said. "We have chosen this path because we know that it's the right thing to do, it's the smart thing to do. And that, if we can make it here, we can make it anywhere."
In his speech, Mamdani said he was elected as a democratic socialist and will govern as a democratic socialist. On stage, Gov. Kathy Hochul and former Mayor Eric Adams, two moderate Democrats, sat by listening.
Time to govern, acknowledging the world is watching
Mamdani acknowledged the world was watching what ademocratic socialist can do in office. National Republicans including President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson have usedMamdani as a boogeyman, but his inauguration address didn't reference them or Congress. Instead, he focused on New Yorkers and their city.
His campaign promised to ease the cost of living, a message that has expanded far beyond New York and has transformed Democratic politics. But now, he said his administration has to implement his platform.
"They want to know if the left can govern," Mamdani said. "They want to know if the struggles that afflict them can be solved. They want to know if it is right to hope again."
Mamdani said New York City will make an example for the world. "The work, my friends, has only just begun," he said.
Mamdani is thoroughly Millennial
Mamdani, like a not-insignificant number of Millennial men, had a past rap career, under themonikers Mr. Cardamom and Young Cardamom, complete with a SoundCloud.
His inauguration music, from a wide array of genres, highlighted his generation.
Broadway actor Javier Muñoz, who starred in Lin-Manuel Miranda's "In The Heights" and "Hamilton," delivered the national anthem. New York-based disc jockey DJ mOma served as master of musical ceremony playing welcome music ahead of the inauguration and during a seven block-long street party.
His set included an international selection includingJennifer Lopez's2001 song "Play" to "Thari Mummy Ne Chawe Pawno Delhi Walo" by Bharatraj Masinia, a singer from India's Rajasthan region. Mamdani, whose parents were born in India, is the first New York mayor of South Asian descent.
Jay-Z and Stevie Wonder got multiple plays in the set. Jay-Z tracks included "Beware of the Boys" a remix of the 1998 song from the British-Indian recording artist Panjabi MC, itself a remix of an original song is performed by Indian bhangra singer Labh Janjua, and, of course, "Empire State of Mind," his duet with Alicia Keys. Also in the playlist: "As" and "Another Star," from Wonder's 1976 album "Songs in the Key of Life."
Popular hits fromBad Bunny("NUEVAYoL") mixed with the seventies pop track "Dancing Queen" from ABBA. Walkup music continued during the swearing-in with snippets heard of "Everyday People" by Sly & the Family Stone and "This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)" from Talking Heads.
Now a national political figure, Mamdani also represents a change in Democratic politics that have skewed heavily old and gray.
Mamdani inspires supporters in freezing cold
Temperatures in Manhattan, even with sun peering between buildings,hovered in the 20s. But that didn't stop thousands of Mamdani supporters from standing in city streets, or celebrities honoring the new mayor.
The celebration at times felt more like a concert than a political celebration.
Mandy Patinkin, the Emmy- and Tony-winning actor whocelebrated Hanukkah with Mamdani, had a musical performance with public school students. Grammy-award winning singerLucy Dacusperformed a political song often associated with the labor movement at Mamdani's inauguration ceremony.
Dacus, a solo artist and a member of supergroup Boygenius, performed "Bread and Roses," a song from the early 20th century that was derived from a poem and political slogan during the women's suffrage movement and labor protests that called for fair wages and better working conditions.
The "Night Shift" singer, 30, who is originally from Richmond, Virginia, has been outspoken about abortion rights, LGBTQ+ issues, including denouncing anti-drag legislation in Tennessee, and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Assembling in front of City Hall, celebrants bopped to music from Jay-Z, Daddy Yankee andBollywood performers, along with the classic "New York, New York" song popularized by Frank Sinatra. The songs blasting from the stairs of City Hall were a love letter to the city itself, signifying New York's diversity and multiculturalism as well as Mamdani's South Asian background.
But even amid the dancing and singing along, the audience was moved to tears by several speakers, each describing their vision of a new New York.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani's inauguration takeaways
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's Jan. 1 inauguration and block party reflected a diverse city looking to make goo...
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