New York City is a very important place in America and the world at large, and being the mayor of that city is a big deal. NYC is synonymous with Wall Street, UN, Time Square just to name a few. That is why, since winning the primaries and now heading into the general election in November, this young man has been one of the most talked-about politicians in America.
I usually do not like being told what to think or how to think. Now you know why I didn't like college. I like to do my own research and learn along the way. It is called being a free thinker. The times have changed; the world is not the same. Sometimes we all have to pivot to keep up with the times. His rise came seemingly out of nowhere and very suddenly. His popularity soared, and young people in the city that never sleeps quickly found trust in his politics like none other. NYC is the most famous city in America and home to over eight million people. Being a mayor is therefore not a small feat, and the combination of youthful energy and a promise to bring change has resonated with many, especially the youth who are catching hell economically.
Mr. Zohran Kwame Mamdani’s story begins far from the streets of New York City, where he now commands political attention. Most people don't like his political opinions, but can't ignore him when he speaks. He is highly gifted. He was born on October 18, 1991, in Kampala, Uganda, his early years were shaped by a family deeply rooted in intellectual and creative achievement. His middle name, Kwame, pays homage to Ghana’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah, signaling from the start a connection to postcolonial thought and African leadership. The kid was born with some mission to the continent of his birth.
Zohran lived in Kampala until he was five, before moving with his family to Cape Town, South Africa, where he attended St. George’s Grammar School. At the age of seven, his family made a life-changing move to New York City, a place that would eventually become his home and the stage for his political career.
His mother, Mira Nair, is a celebrated Indian American filmmaker whose work has earned international acclaim. Born in Rourkela and raised in Bhubaneswar, Nair studied sociology at Miranda House, Delhi University, before receiving a scholarship to Harvard University. She built her reputation with films such as Salaam Bombay!, Monsoon Wedding, The Namesake, and Queen of Katwe. Beyond cinema, she has championed education and opportunity, founding the Maisha Film Lab in Uganda to nurture East African filmmakers and the Salaam Baalak Trust in India to support street children.
His father, Mahmood Mamdani, is a renowned Ugandan scholar of Indian descent. Educated at Tufts University and Harvard University, he has become one of the leading voices in postcolonial political theory. His career spans teaching at Columbia University to directing the Makerere Institute of Social Research in Uganda. His writings examine colonialism, African politics, and the legacy of political violence, making him an influential figure in academic and policy circles.
In New York, Zohran attended the Bank Street School for Children on the Upper West Side and later the Bronx High School of Science. He went on to Bowdoin College, majoring in Africana Studies, where he co-founded the Students for Justice in Palestine chapter. His activism during these years reflected a deepening commitment to justice and political engagement.
In 2018, Zohran became a naturalized U.S. citizen. He identifies as a Shia Muslim of the Twelver tradition, an identity that informs his worldview and community connections.
On a personal note, February 2025 marked a new chapter in his life when he married Rama Sawaf Duwaji, a Syrian American animator, illustrator, and ceramicist. The couple first met on Hinge, held a private nikah in December 2024, and later a civil ceremony in New York City.
Mamdani’s trajectory from Kampala to Cape Town to Queens is one of cross-continental experience, cultural richness, and political awakening. With a filmmaker for a mother and a scholar for a father, his path has been shaped by both artistic storytelling and intellectual rigor. His rise in New York politics is as much about his personal history as it is about his vision for the city, a vision informed by a life lived between continents, cultures, and causes.
From an Assembly man to almost a mayor. There is a panic among the elites across the board. It looks like he is not what they want but the ordinary every day New Yorkers want him. He has already been called all kinds of names, socialist, marxist, you name it.
I for one developed an interest in him because he reminded me of the first president of Ghana. Nkrumah, with all his flaws, he was still a great man in a country that was corrupted too early, and as a result, destroyed him.
I also have admiration for Zohran’s choice to study Africana Studies in college. He is clearly very bright, he could have studied government, politics, or international relations but he chose Africana Studies. That tells you he was not just born in Africa; he was an African to the core.
Then there is his youth and the promise of change. Any young person will tell you that things are not working for them. The lies and deception are deep, it is a real house of cards. If someone rises from close to the bottom and comes promising change, I believe in giving them the opportunity to show what they can do. He definitely has something we can all learn from. Not the corrupt establishment.
If I were a New Yorker, I would rather throw my support behind this young blood and see what he can do. I like young people with their fresh ideas. They need the chance, not corrupt dinosaurs like Andrew Cuomo. I do not know the man personally, but as a healthcare professional, I hated how they all handled COVID-19. Shame on him for trying to make it seem like we have all forgotten. Some of us keep tabs and receipts. Go home and enjoy your corrupt millions, Mr. Cuomo.
That is my take. As far as Adams is concerned, he did not do much to curb crime in the city even as a former police officer. He served his term. Allow new blood to take over.
People sometimes wonder why I am so opinionated when it comes to politics. The answer is simple: I have always believed that we are impacted, for good or for ill, by everything politics touches. That is why in high school I took Government for three years. But as I grow older and gain more understanding of politics, it becomes apparent to me that the level of filth in it is beyond me.
I rest my case about filth in politics with what has been happening with Trump 2.0.
Where are the jobs? where is justice for all the young women who were trafficked and abused by the late pedophile Jeff Epstein? Where is the peace in Ukraine and Gaza as promised? And now there are talks of relocating the Palestinians to Juba, Sudan?
That is politics for you, son.
Stay wise. Stay clean. And trust only in God.
Have a wonderful day and weekend.
Pal Ronnie
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