Mamdani picks Sarsour ally, Farrakhan fan, and anti-semitic BLM activist for city safety committee

New York City’s mayor-elect, Zohran Mamdani has selected Tamika Mallory — a Black Lives Matter activist, supporter of notorious anti-Semetic Louis Farrakhan, and longtime ally of Linda Sarsour — to join the community safety committee for his transition team, signaling the direction his mayoralty might take.

Mamdani announced on Monday that Mallory — a former co-chair of the Women’s March — would be a part of his transition team’s "Committee on Community Safety." The self-described Democratic Socialist said during a Monday press conference that “we are announcing the formation of 17 transition committees that will focus on issues from housing to social services to community safety.”

A Just the News review previously reported that Mamdani embraced a nearly decade-long association with Sarsour, a high-profile anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian activist, as he rose from an activist to New York State Assemblyman and now the Democratic Party-backed winner to be mayor of America’s largest city. 

Sarsour’s commentary and views on Israel have stirred years of controversy and accusations of anti-Semitism, an allegation Sarsour denies.

Just the News has now found that Sarsour and Mallory have been closely linked for more than a decade, with their advocacy work and close friendship surviving the 2019 implosion of the Women’s March under their leadership following sustained allegations of anti-Semitism against the two of them.

Mamdani, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, leaned heavily on the backing of the DSA and of Muslim activist groups to win both the Democratic primary in June and the general election earlier this month.

“We just convened a meeting with more than 400 New York leaders — the best of our city that money can’t buy,” Mamdani said of Mallory and the hundreds of others on Monday. “These are the people that New Yorkers look to for wisdom and for guidance … and I have entrusted them with a mighty responsibility: to lead these committees and provide the policy and hiring recommendations that our transition team will turn to as we prepare to begin governing on January 1.”

Mallory and Sarsour were both co-chairs of an anti-Trump activist movement — the Women’s March — from 2017 until 2019, when they both left the group due to accusations of anti-Semitism against them. Mallory and Sarsour are both co-founders of the leftwing advocacy group Until Freedom, and have been friends for over a decade.

Mallory and Sarsour both also have a history of praising Louis Farrakhan, who has led the Nation of Islam for decades. 

Mallory has also said her parents were founding members of Al Sharpton’s leftwing National Action Network (NAN). Mallory began working for NAN in 2001, and Sharpton named her the executive director for NAN in 2009, a position she held for a number of years before she launched her own activist efforts. She is also a longtime BLM activist as well.

Mallory did not respond to a request for comment sent to her through her social media counts and through Until Freedom. Sarsour did not respond to a request for comment sent to her through her MPower Change leftwing advocacy group.

Mallory backs Mamdani in 2025

Mallory vociferously backed Mamdani in the Democratic primary and the general election this year as he ran against former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa.

She shared a late June video of convicted liar and MSNBC host Al Sharpton of Mamdani speaking at NAN, and she captioned her Instagram post with “I’m ranking @zohrankmamdani for Mayor of NYC. Guess who I’m NOT ranking? Cuomo. You got that right!”

She was upset with NYC Mayor Eric Adams meeting with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in late September.

“LET’S WRAP THIS UP EXPEDITIOUSLY!!!!” Mallory posted on Instagram. “This is a picture of Eric Adams TODAY. While other Black Mayors are with the people here in Washington, DC, Mayor Adams is in NY meeting with a war criminal who loves to m*rder Palestinian children. We need to march to the polls all over the city on October 25. Who’s down to organize?”

Mallory claimed in late October that “The New York Post, those rac*st commentators and cartoonists, people like Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa, and others spreading IGNORANCE are actually elevating @zohrankmamdani. By rallying the most vile among us, they’re helping people see the stakes of this election with pure clarity.”

“VOTE FOR ZOHRAN MAMDANI FOR NYC MAYOR,” she said on Instagram.

Mallory posted on Election Day in November: “Don’t listen to the pollsters. Don’t believe the naysayers. Don’t trust those racist, lying a** TV commercials. Get up right NOW and GO.”

Just after Mamdani’s win, she shared a picture of herself, Mamdani, and Mamdani campaign political director Afua Atta-Mensah.

“Good morning! Sending BIG LOVE to a Black woman who helped @zohrankmamdani make history. As Political Director, Afua Atta-Mensah was always ON. Every call. Every text. Every tough conversation. She took time to sit with complicated questions and real emotions. She understood the layered concerns within the Black community and worked every single day to meet us in that uncertainty,” Mallory said. “I remember an article describing Zohran’s team as a group of young white ‘kids.’ Folks I know shared it. Meanwhile, Black people were working both inside and outside the campaign, showing up, strategizing, and putting in real WORK.”

Mallory added: “Socialism was definitely a main character. What we know: the work WORKED. MANY MANY MANY hands laid the foundation for this victory. Now we turn toward governing. I will be reminding the Mamdani administration that Black voters asked serious questions, raised real concerns, and showed up with some things still up for discussion. Nevertheless, we delivered.”

Mamdani selected her for a transition team role less than a month later.

Mallory and Sarsour allied on leftwing activism for more than a decade

One of Mallory’s pinned Instagram story highlights is a clip of a January 2019 Women’s March speech that she gave with Sarsour standing alongside her.

After the Women’s March in 2019, Mallory and Sarsour continued working together through the co-founding of "Until Freedom," which says it is “an intersectional social justice organization rooted in the leadership of diverse people of color to address systemic and racial injustice.”

Mallory posted in July about deceased Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., — linking him to herself and Sarsour.

“Today we honor the legacy of Congressman John Lewis, a giant in the struggle for freedom, dignity, and democracy,” the post said. “His life was a blueprint for courageous leadership and principled resistance. Standing alongside Linda, Tamika, and Carmen, he reminded us that movements are built by everyday people with extraordinary vision. We carry his spirit in every step we take toward justice.”

Mallory shared pictures of herself with Sarsour in March, wishing her a happy birthday.

“Oh Linda, I know you so well. The way this world is going, you don’t feel like celebrating your birthday today. You are probably on the phone walking back and forth trying to figure out the best strategies to protect our communities. That’s just who you are…but I hope you take some time to thank God for all his blessings,” Mallory posted on Instagram. 

“We love you so much. We pray for your beautiful heart […] that you may remain kind and caring in the face of a world that works overtime to harden us. Always remember, you are not alone. Your crew will forever have your back! Happy Birthday and may this year be your best year yet.”

Mallory wrote a memoir this year — I Lived to Tell the Story — which includes discussing her time leading the Women’s March with Sarsour, who promoted the book in a lengthy post on Instagram in February.

“You already know how much I love @tamikadmallory. Y’all don’t know ride or die until you experience the kind of sisterhood we have. Lots of people think they know Tamika but my God this woman is multidimensional and has a story that can move mountains. Many of you have seen the glam, her incredible orator skills and her feet on the pavement building power for our people. Ever wondered how this woman came to be? What brought her to being one of the bravest and boldest of our generation?”

Criticizes behavior of "white women"

Sarsour added: "So much pain. So much hurt. So much trauma. But also triumph. Overcoming things some can only imagine. All odds were against Tamika being here and alive with us but SHE LIVED TO TELL HER STORY. Go order her book now and let the world know that stories of Black woman [sic] matter. Black women authors matter. All I can guarantee is you will be INSPIRED and you will get to say you know ALL of Tamika! Get on it and let me know in the comments when you order it!”

Mallory told Vanity Fair when promoting the book in February that “Linda Sarsour and Carmen Perez, we tell our story. And if you don’t tell it, then people will not learn from it. They won’t be able to say, Damn, this really hurt them. And our behavior, the behavior of white women, the behavior of black and brown women who often find themselves siding with people who want to be the oppressor, it’s dangerous.”

Mallory had shared a video post by Sarsour in January, and Mallory included the caption of “Free Palestine.” 

Sarsour said in the video that it was a message to “our beloved brothers and sisters in Gaza.”

“We are with you and we love you and we will continue to support you, and we promise to continue to fight that the ceasefire is just the beginning,” Sarsour said. “We will work to lift the siege on Gaza. We will end the occupation of the Palestinian people.”

Mallory brought Sarsour on to her TMI podcast in December of last year. When sharing a clip of the episode on Instagram, Mallory said that “I think White women should ask Black & Brown women to stand down.” She also shared a clip from the episode on Instagram where Sarsour hinted that Kamala Harris had lost to Donald Trump because the Democratic Party had supported a “genocide” in Gaza.

The episode — featuring Sarsour and fellow Women’s March co-founder Carmen Perez — was about “Solidarity and Collective Responsibility.” Mallory said during the episode that Sarsour was a “friend” and “sister” who she “respect[s] so much.” She also quipped that “three-fifths of the Women’s March co-chairs” were on the show and added, “We’ve been together. We’ll always be together.”

The friendship and alliance between Mallory and Sarsour is not just ongoing — it stretches back for more than a decade.

“@lsarsour [Linda Sarsour] for president!” Mallory tweeted in February 2015.

Glamorizing hardcore Islamist culture

The New York Times wrote an August 2015 profile on Sarsour titled, “Linda Sarsour Is a Brooklyn Homegirl in a Hijab.”

“When you look at the Muslim community and its relationship with the police, it’s very similar to the black community’s relationship. It’s all about finding common ground,” Mallory was quoted in the story as saying. “It’s like Linda says, ‘I’m gonna help y’all get your people straight and I expect you to come help me get mine straight.’”

Mallory tweeted “I love you” to Sarsour in October 2015. She said in December 2015 that Sarsour “is the ultimate organizer.” Mallory also tweeted in April 2017 that “I just want to state for the record that o [sic] support @lsarsour & I will give my life 4 her. Just so folks are clear. #noconfusion.”

She tweeted in November 2017 that she was “so proud of my amazing sister @lsarsour.”

Mallory tweeted in December 2017 that Sarsour “will continue her important work because she has an army of love and supporters” and insisted that “we will not be fooled, tricked or divided. We have work to do. #IStandWithLinda.”

Mallory called Sarsour one of her “sisters” in a March 2018 tweet, adding that “I wish people knew your hearts & how much you sacrifice every day.”

Mallory shared a photo of Sarsour and numerous pictures of herself with Sarsour in March 2020.

She promoted Sarsour’s book on Facebook that month, saying that “TONIGHT my dear sister and friend will be celebrated for her latest accomplishment - becoming an author with a BEST SELLING BOOK (my prediction). Come share with us and experience Linda and her story. … Join @untilfreedom … for @lsarsour’s New York PREMIER book launch event!”

Mallory also posted another photo of herself with Sarsour that month, saying that “@untilfreedom is headed to Selma, Alabama for the 55th anniversary of the crossing of #edmundpettusbridge. Black history month continues all year long! #untilfreedom.”

Sarsour tweeted in May 2020 that Mallory “is the co-founder of @untilfreedom & she is one of the greatest leaders we have in this country.”

Mallory shared a picture of Sarsour and herself in September 2020 with the caption of “Good people! #UntilFreedom.” She also shared photos of herself with Sarsour on Facebook in October and December 2020.

“Y’all ain’t ready for @TamikaDMallory at The Grammys. It’s gonna be EPIC,” Sarsour tweeted ahead of Mallory’s performance, adding after the show, “.@untilfreedom, Until Freedom, Until Freedom, Until Freedom!!!! My sister makes me proud every day. You did that @TamikaDMallory. [fist raised emoji] #GRAMMYs.”

Mallory shared a photo of Sarsour and herself in April 2021, saying, “@lsarsour and me out here looking 25 and fine without foundation. Pulling up to the courthouse in Minneapolis. We REALLY hope we can keep these calm looks on our faces. The anxiety is so thick. #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd.”

She posted a photo of herself and Sarsour on Facebook in January 2022 with the caption, “LOVE these people deep. #tested #family.”

“We love and admire you,” Mallory tweeted of Sarsour that month. “So proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with such a brilliant and vibrant strategist! We are UNITED!”

Sarsour tweeted in May 2022 that “my sister @TamikaDMallory makes me so proud every single day. I am incredibly blessed to witness her brilliance and her love for her people every single day. Keep shining. Your light reflects on us all.”

“To my sisters @TamikaDMallory & @msladyjustice1, you didn’t deserve any of it either,” Sarsour tweeted in September 2022. “I love you & I am glad while bad faith actors tried to sow discord in our movements - we are still here.”

The Farrakhan connection: "Powerful Jews are my enemy”

The Nation of Islam has been led for decades by Farrakhan, and Mallory and Sarsour are both closely linked to him.

The religious group includes a belief in the superiority of black people over white people, including the view that white people were created by an evil scientist 6,000 years ago. Elijah Muhammad, who led the Nation of Islam for three decades before Farrakhan and considered himself a "messenger of Allah," and often called white people "devils."

Farrakhan, who has led the group for decades, is known for his racist and anti-Semetic rhetoric. He said in 1984 that “Hitler was a very great man,” and in 2018, he referred to Jewish people as “termites.” In 2015, he said that “white people deserve to die.” Mallory praised Farrakhan on Instagram in March 2017, saying, “Thank God this man is still alive and doing well. He is definitely the GOAT [Greatest of All Time]. Happy Birthday @louisfarrakhan! [black heart emoji] [fist emoji].”

Mallory also attended the Nation of Islam's “Saviour’s Day” event in February 2018, where Farrakhan unleashed an anti-Semitic tirade to the crowd.

A summary of the speech by the Anti-Defamation League quoted Farrakhan as declaring in that speech that the “powerful Jews are my enemy.”

“Satan is going down. Farrakhan has pulled the cover off the eyes of the Satanic Jew and I’m here to say your time is up, your world is through,” Farrakhan told the audience, which included Mallory. “You good Jews better separate because the satanic ones will take you to hell with them because that’s where they are headed.”

Farrakhan also alleged that “the Jews have control over those agencies of government” — the FBI in particular — and claimed that “when you want something in this world, the Jew holds the door.”

The ADL added: “He even mentioned the Women’s March, saying that while he thought the event was a good thing, women need to learn how to cook so their husbands don’t become obese. Tamika Mallory, one of the March organizers, was in the audience, and got a special shout-out from Farrakhan. Mallory posted two Instagram photos from the event, which Carmen Perez, another Women’s March organizer, commented on with ‘raise the roof’ emojis.”

The Nation of Islam event reportedly “ended with Ishmael Muhammad promoting the multiple volumes of the Nation of Islam’s virulently anti-Semitic book series, The Secret History Between Blacks and Jews,” the ADL said.

Mallory wrote a defense of her attendance at the event for Newsone in March 2018.

“I proudly serve as a leader for one of the largest women’s advocacy organizations in the world. For that reason, my recent presence at the Nation of Islam’s Saviour’s Day convocation troubled some of the very people who I have fought for and worked alongside for most of my life,” Mallory said, adding, “I didn’t expect my presence at Saviour’s Day to lead anyone to question my beliefs, especially considering that I have been going to this event regularly for over 30 years. I first went with my parents when I was just a little girl, and would begin attending on my own after my son’s father was murdered nearly 17 years ago. In that most difficult period of my life, it was the women of the Nation of Islam who supported me and I have always held them close to my heart for that reason.”

Tablet also later reported that “Mallory went on to defend Farrakhan to over 40 women” on a Women’s March call in March 2018.

Mallory refused to directly condemn Farrakhan during an appearance on The View in January 2019.

“As a leader, as a black leader in a country that is still dealing with some very serious unresolved issues as it relates to the black experience in this country, I go into a lot of difficult spaces. Wherever my people are, that’s where I must also be,” Mallory said on the TV show.

When asked about her praise of Farrakhan, Mallory said, “I didn’t call him the greatest of all time because of his rhetoric. I called him the greatest of all time because of what he’s done in black communities."

Then, when asked to condemn Farrakhan, she replied, "We didn't make those remarks. I don’t agree with many of Minister Farrakhan’s statements […] I don't agree with these statements. It’s not my language, it’s not the way that I speak, it’s not how I organize [...] I should never be judged through the lens of a man."

Sarsour, who spoke in 2015 at the 20th anniversary of the Million Man March, tweeted in 2012 that “when we write the history of Islam in America, the Nation of #Islam is an integral part of that history.” She again tweeted in 2014 that one “can't learn or teach about the history of Islam in America without talking about the Nation of Islam.” 

The unraveling of the Women’s March over anti-Semitism

Teresa Shook, a leftwing activist who helped start the Women’s March movement in 2016, posted her criticisms of the Women’s March leadership — including Mallory and Sarsour — in a Facebook post in November 2018.

Shook said that Mallory, Sarsour, and the other Women's March leaders “have steered the Movement away from its true course. I have waited, hoping they would right the ship. But they have not. In opposition to our Unity Principles, they have allowed anti-Semitism, anti-LBGTQIA sentiment and hateful, racist rhetoric to become a part of the platform by their refusal to separate themselves from groups that espouse these racist, hateful beliefs.”

Shook called upon Mallory, Sarsour, and the others “to step down and to let others lead who can restore faith in the Movement and its original intent.”

Jewish people bear "a special collective responsibility"

“Today, Teresa Shook weighed in, irresponsibly, as have other organizations attempting in this moment to take advantage of our growing pains to try and fracture our network,” Mallory, Sarsour, and the other Women’s March co-chairs said in response in a joint statement at the time. “We are grateful for people who HAVE been with us for the past two years, wrestling with the challenges and opportunities of what we are trying to build. Our ongoing work speaks for itself. That’s our focus, not armchair critiques from those who want to take credit for our labor.”

Tablet reported in December 2018 that, during a November 2016 Women’s March planning meeting just after Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton, “Perez and Mallory allegedly first asserted that Jewish people bore a special collective responsibility as exploiters of black and brown people—and even, according to a close secondhand source, claimed that Jews were proven to have been leaders of the American slave trade. These are canards popularized by The Secret Relationship Between Blacks and Jews, a book published by Louis Farrakhan’s Nation of Islam.”

The outlet also quoted left-wing activist Evvie Harmon recounting an alleged conversation at Mallory’s apartment in January 2017.

“Tamika told us that the problem was that there were five white women in the room and only three women of color, and that she didn’t trust white women. Especially white women from the South. At that point, I kind of tuned out because I was so used to hearing this type of talk from Tamika,” Harmon said. “But then I noticed the energy in the room changed. I suddenly realized that Tamika and Carmen were facing Vanessa, who was sitting on a couch, and berating her—but it wasn’t about her being white. It was about her being Jewish. ‘Your people this, your people that.’ I was raised in the South and the language that was used is language that I’m very used to hearing in rural South Carolina. Just instead of against black people, against Jewish people. They even said to her ‘your people hold all the wealth.’ You could hear a pin drop. It was awful.”

Mallory has denied both the November 2016 and January 2017 allegations.

The Democratic National Committee reportedly dropped its partnership with the Women’s March in January 2019. The Women’s March announced that co-chairs Mallory and Sarsour were leaving the group in September 2019.

Despite the major setback, the women stayed close, continued their advocacy efforts, and backed Mamdani in 2025. Sarsour showed that her cultivation of Mamdani was worth the years-long effort, and Mallory will be advising the incoming mayor on community safety.