New York City – New Equity Chief, Afua Atta-Mensah, To Publish Long-Delayed Racial Equity Plan Draft Families Can Review

New York, NY — New York City’s new mayor has tapped a veteran racial justice organizer to lead the city’s equity agenda and deliver a long-promised plan that could shape how agencies address disparities that affect families, students and neighborhoods.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Thursday that Afua Atta-Mensah will serve as the city’s Chief Equity Officer and commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Equity & Racial Justice. Her first major assignment: coordinate work across city agencies to create and publish a Preliminary Citywide Racial Equity Plan within the administration’s first 100 days, City Hall said.

City officials said the preliminary plan will be opened for public comment before a final version is released later this year. The citywide planning requirement traces back to a 2022 ballot proposal approved by voters that amended the City Charter to require racial equity plans on a recurring schedule.

Atta-Mensah’s past roles include Chief of Programs at Community Change, executive director of Community Voices Heard, and director of litigation and policy at the Urban Justice Center, according to the mayor’s office.

For parents and caregivers, the process matters because equity planning can influence how agencies measure and respond to gaps in services that intersect with school and child well-being, from access to supports and language services to neighborhood-level resources. The city’s equity office says the planning effort includes timelines for preparing the preliminary citywide plan.

What parents should know

• Watch for the preliminary plan release and comment period so you can weigh in on priorities for your community.
• Check city updates through NYC’s equity office pages and official mayoral announcements.

This article was produced by a education parenting today journalist with the assistance of AI. This is not legal advice. All content is reviewed for accuracy and fairness.

Source: https://www.nyc.gov/mayors-office/news/2026/01/mayor-mamdani-appoints-afua-atta-mensah-as-chief-equity-officer-