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Will Black voters stand by Mayor Adams amid crisis? Some Harlem residents say no.
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Sep 19, 2024
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Benny Polatseck/Mayoral Photography Office
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Sep 19, 2024
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When Eric Adams was running for mayor, L’Tanya Smith supported him at a get-out-the-vote drive.
“Give him a chance,” the 65-year-old lifelong Harlemite recalled telling her neighbors. She believed a Black mayor would stem the nastiest elements of gentrification that were pushing out Black residents like her.
Three years later, Smith watched Adams march last Sunday in the African American Day Parade, which runs through the heart of Harlem. But she wasn’t in the mood to cheer on the city’s second Black mayor, who’s been engulfed in a growing crisis as his inner circle and campaign fundraising come under increased federal scrutiny.
“The investigations are not for nothing,” Smith said. She told Gothamist she had grown disillusioned with the mayor because of the federal inquiries surrounding his administration and because of what she sees as City Hall's policy failures under his watch.
Black voters have long been Adams' strongest source of political support. Although the mayor has yet to suffer any defections from high-profile Black allies, interviews with Smith and others at the African American Day Parade suggest some voters' patience with him may be wearing thin. The erosion of this critical base could spell trouble for Adams as he heads into an election year, with an expanding field of primary challengers vying to take his seat.
Smith, a case worker who works with immigrants, said she felt the mayor had lost sight of residents like her. She said she can’t afford to retire and struggles to pay the rent on the apartment where she’s lived since 1961. She told Gothamist she’s interested in electing someone “who can do the best job for all the people, not the 1% elite.”
Her concerns are consistent with polling numbers dating back months. Last November, a survey found the mayor’s support among Black New Yorkers was eroding, with 39% of Black residents saying they disapproved of Adams' performance, compared to 21% the previous year. Most of the increase was tied to policy decisions, including budget cuts and his handling of the migrant crisis.
When he was asked about Smith’s concerns at his weekly press conference on Tuesday, Adams said they weren’t representative of the community.
“I don't know what parade you were at, because that was definitely not the energy,” he said.
At the same time, the mayor acknowledged that the city was “getting out of reach” for some residents. He pointed to several initiatives intended to address affordability, including his “City of Yes” proposal to update zoning codes and spur more housing; an effort to connect low-income New Yorkers with financial assistance; and reduced fare MetroCards. “We know people are hurting,” he said.
Adams has long been able to rely on his Black base. During the 2021 primary, he won more than 50% of first-round votes in districts heavily populated by Black voters. In a poll last December where he received a historically low approval rating, Black voters were the only group who gave him a positive approval rating — 48%, compared to 38% disapproval.
The survey, which came out after news of federal agents seizing the mayor’s phone, also asked about the federal investigation into his campaign. Only 8% of Black voters polled said they believed Adams had done something illegal, while 34% said he had done nothing wrong.
Paradegoers in Harlem expressed a variety of opinions about the federal investigations Adams faces. Some cited a long history of racist treatment by law enforcement and the media.
“We have to be a little more reluctant to accept their truth as truth,” said Herman Smalls, a 60-year-old fitness trainer. He added, “I think we're a little too quick to throw him under the bus without at least hearing and seeing what could be at hand here.”
Stacey Miller, a 60-year-old construction worker, agreed.
“I very thoroughly understand that the system is designed to totally be against us,” she said, adding that she had recently attended an event with the mayor at Gracie Mansion and came away impressed by him and his aides.
Basil Smikle, a former Democratic strategist who teaches at Columbia University, said Black voters are “not unmindful” about the swirling investigations. “But they are giving him a little grace,” Smikle said. He added that their feelings might change “if and when the charges become clear or the investigation seems to be more focused on him.”
Tyrone Jackson, 52, who works in real estate, rejected the notion that Adams was being singled out, and described it as using the “race card.”
“It’s about your actions,” he said. Jackson blamed Adams for what he saw as the increasing use of stop-and-frisk policing in the neighborhood. A federal monitor has repeatedly reported that illegal police stops have risen under Adams.
“He’s corrupt,” Jackson added. “That's why his administration is under investigation right now.”
Neither Adams nor his top officials have been accused of any wrongdoing.
Smith, for her part, pointed to the recent departures of Adams’ police commissioner and chief counsel.
“All these people are stepping down,” she said. “So there's something to it.”
Many older voters keenly remember David Dinkins, the city’s first Black mayor, who failed to win a second term. Dinkins would later blame his loss to Rudy Giuliani on racism, which he said also shaped media coverage of him.
Adams has referred to himself as “David Dinkins 2” and implied that the press is refusing to recognize his accomplishments.
Sitting on his stoop, Charlie Saunders, a 79-year-old retired construction worker, said he was waiting to see what the various investigations turned up. But he objected to the Dinkins comparison.
“Dinkins was clean,” Saunders said. “I don't know about this guy because...” His voice trailed off.
Then he added, “Time will tell.”
Tagged
new york city
harlem
Race And Justice Unit
Politics
eric adams
Elizabeth Kim
Elizabeth Kim is a reporter on the People and Power desk who covers mayoral power. She previously covered the pandemic, housing, redevelopment and public spaces. A native of Queens, she speaks fluent Mandarin. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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