Maya Wiley, one of contenders for mayor of New York City, touts her experience on the current mayor’s leadership team as evidence that she is the right person to lead New York City.
Wiley’s campaign did not respond to a request for an interview. This story was prepared through a review of her campaign website and recent press coverage of her candidacy.
Background
Wiley was raised by parents who were involved in civil rights activism. She attended law school and then took a position at the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund before joining the civil rights division of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Later she helped found the Center for Social Inclusion, a nonprofit, which she has described as a “$12 million dollar national nonprofit organization working on issues such as digital equity and climate justice.” She went on to serve as counsel to Mayor Bill de Blasio and, in that role, she oversaw the City Commission on Human Rights and managed the Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprise program. After leaving that role, she became a university professor at the New School and served as a legal analyst for NBC News and MSNBC.
Platform
On her website and in press coverage, she showcases her New Deal New York economic initiative, which will invest $10 billion in a works progress, infrastructure, stimulus and jobs program. As she envisions it, the plan will create 100,000 new jobs, including 30,000 for artists and construction, technology and engineering workers, and 70,000 for childcare, librarians, home healthcare and manufacturing positions. She also touts a Gun Violence Prevention Plan that views gun safety measures as a means of addressing racial inequity, a renewed effort to fight homelessness and an eviction prevention plan to assist lower income residents in staying in their homes. Additionally she has promised to “demilitarize” the NYPD and help reengineer how they respond to crisis situations.
Fighting Antisemitism
Wiley characterizes her career as one that demonstrates a strong commitment to fighting against hate and for equity. She has stated that as mayor she will institute a citywide education campaign to discourage hate crimes and implement “new citywide educational curricula against antisemitism, islamophobia, transphobia, anti-Asian bias, and more” in the public schools. She has also promised to consider adding NYPD cameras outside high-risk locations.
Israel and BDS
Wiley has stated that she does not support the boycott, divestment and sanction movement against Israel yet asserts as well that “I do support all people’s First Amendment right to protest and boycott,” which includes BDS.
Regarding whether or not she will visit Israel if elected mayor, she says that she has not been there previously and is “not opposed to going.” While other candidates have affirmatively stated that they would visit Israel if elected, she makes no promises to do so.
Secular Education at Charedi Schools
Wiley has remarked that she would “ensure that investigations into schools that communities have identified as a concern are prioritized,” but would make sure that these investigations are done in a transparent manner and would include an open discussion with school leadership and parents. She has also vowed to enhance oversight and institute measures to make sure yeshivot follow city educational standards for secular education.
COVID-19 and the Frum Community
Wiley criticizes the “crisis on confidence” that resulted from the way the city handled the COVID-19 crisis and says that had she been mayor at the time, she would have convened a council of community leaders whom she would have met with regularly. She contends that such an approach would have enabled the city to craft “culturally appropriate solutions” that would have steered clear of measures that appeared drastic or antagonistic.
For more information on Maya Wiley’s campaign for mayor, see https://mayawileyformayor.com.
