Ariama Long

New York

Poet/Politics Reporter. #CUNY @NewmarkJSchool grad. @Report4America Corps Member @NYAmNews 21-22 @Poynter Koch Media Fellow from 20-21

Articles

Cross endorsements galore as mayoral candidates finally utilize RCV strategies

1 week ago | amsterdamnews.com | Ariama Long

Photo of mayoral candidates Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani (left) and former Assemblymember Michael Blake (right) at a press conference.
Black fathers hold deep talks about changing the narrative

1 week ago | amsterdamnews.com | Ariama Long

At a Father’s Day celebration and march in Brooklyn this past weekend, the Amsterdam News got a chance to ask parents how the myth of an “absent Black father” has affected them. Many agreed that the stereotype has finally lessened with time and a concerted effort from organizers, electeds, and men just being dedicated dads. As an example, the Dad Gang, founded by children’s book author Sean Williams, held its sixth March of Dads event at Fort Greene Park in Brooklyn on Sunday, June 15.
Election countdown: Cuomo and Mamdani rivalry captivates

1 week ago | amsterdamnews.com | Ariama Long

On Thursday, May 15, 2025, mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani joined D9 Harlem Votes coalition’s 2025 NYC Mayoral Candidates Forum at Mother AME Zion Church in Harlem. PHOTO CREDIT: Harry Watson. Photo of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo on campaign trail. PHOTO CREDIT: Cuomo’s campaign for Mayor flickr photo.
Omnibust? Criminal justice group says prison oversight bill didn’t go far enough

1 week ago | amsterdamnews.com | Ariama Long

New York State legislators passed an Omnibus Prison Oversight Bill earlier this June in response to worsening conditions in the state’s jails and prisons. The bill included some measures from the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, and Asian (BPHA) Legislative Caucus’s blueprint for reforms, but organizers say not nearly enough. The omnibus bill was a response in large part to the highly publicized death of Robert Brooks, a 43-year-old Black man who was beaten on Dec.
Public Advocate rolls out mayor and comptroller endorsements

3 weeks ago | amsterdamnews.com | Ariama Long

Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, the second-highest ranking elected official in the city, rolled out his endorsements for the mayoral and comptroller races last week. “I’m very concerned for a Cuomo mayoralty — bringing back something that didn’t work the first time and had to leave to replace something that’s not working now,” said Williams. “It’s not what we need to be doing, and we have amazing leaders in this city who never left. They’ve been doing the work, on the ground.
City Council approves Atlantic Avenue facelift

3 weeks ago | amsterdamnews.com | Ariama Long

Atlantic Avenue (IRT Eastern Parkway Line). 2010. PHOTO CREDIT: Gryffindor, C BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons New York City Council approved a major rezoning and housing plan last week that develops a part of the Atlantic Avenue corridor near Crown Heights and Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn.
Queens community packs District 28 City Council forum

3 weeks ago | amsterdamnews.com | Ariama Long

More than 250 community members packed Liberty Palace Banquet Hall in Richmond Hill on Thursday, May 22, eager to hear from five City Council candidates in the Queens District 28 race. The forum was a mixture of intensity and levity, but above all, showcased the commitment of the candidates and attendees to their community. New York City Council Speaker Adrienne E. Adams is the first Black woman to serve in that position. She is term-limited and currently running for mayor.
CM Williams passes groundwater flooding infrastructure bill

3 weeks ago | amsterdamnews.com | Ariama Long

The New York City Council Stated Meeting, Councilmember Nantasha Williams - May 28, 2025. Credit: Emil Cohen/NYC Council Media Unit Many of New York City’s Black and Brown neighborhoods are at high risk of coastal and stormwater flooding. Queens Councilmember Dr. Nantasha Williams passed a bill last week to address this long-overdue issue in Southeast Queens.
Electeds and community leaders remember late Congressmember Charles B. Rangel

1 month ago | amsterdamnews.com | Ariama Long

The revered former Congressmember Charles Bernard Rangel passed this Monday, May 26. Hordes of electeds and advocates are remembering his legacy as “The Lion of Lenox Avenue.” He was 94. A native Harlemite, Rangel had earned a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star in the U.S. Army. He went on to serve as a New York State Assemblymember from 1967 to 1971 and then in Congress from 1971 to 2017. He was also a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC).
Mayoral candidate AM Mamdani announces plan to create an Office of Deed Theft Prevention

1 month ago | amsterdamnews.com | Ariama Long

Photo of Councilmember Chi Osse (far left), Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani (center), and Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso (right). PHOTO CREDIT: Contributed by Mamdani’s campaign. Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani has gained quite a bit of ground in the mayoral race.