In a landmark election that reshaped the political landscape of America’s largest city, Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani has been elected as New York City’s 111th mayor, defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa. For many Haitian Americans, the victory feels deeply personal , a reflection of their collective power, civic engagement, and unwavering support for a leader who has long championed immigrant rights, affordable housing, and equitable public safety.
Mamdani, a 34-year-old Queens Assemblymember born to Ugandan-Indian immigrant parents, captured voters’ imagination as a fresh, progressive voice in a crowded race. His decisive win expanded on his earlier primary success, drawing support from across the city’s diverse communities, particularly Black and Hispanic neighborhoods. As the first Muslim and South Asian mayor in New York City’s history, Mamdani’s election symbolizes a growing wave of inclusive, coalition-driven politics.
The Haitian American community played an instrumental role in his rise, rallying behind Mamdani’s vision of justice and opportunity for all. His outspoken advocacy for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) recipients, affordable housing protections in immigrant-heavy neighborhoods, and police reform resonated strongly among Haitian New Yorkers. He also pledged to expand multilingual city services, increase support for small businesses owned by immigrants, and address the economic challenges faced by families still recovering from Haiti’s political and humanitarian crises.
One moment that captured Mamdani’s connection to the community came on June 28, when he took the stage at the BAYO concert alongside Haitian DJ and producer Michaël Brun at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. Addressing thousands of cheering Haitian New Yorkers, Mamdani invoked the spirit of the Haitian Revolution. “We’re going to stand up for Haiti,” he declared. “Because you taught the world about freedom — it’s time for us to return the favor.”
His campaign was also buoyed by record youth voter turnout, particularly among 18- to 34-year-olds. Energized by grassroots organizers, viral social media campaigns, and Mamdani’s focus on student debt relief and climate justice, young voters helped deliver one of the most transformative electoral outcomes in New York’s modern history.
As Mayor Mamdani prepares to take office, many in the Haitian community see his win as more than political, it’s a shared victory for representation, unity, and progress.
![Three of the Haitian music industry’s most recognizable names did not roll on Eastern Parkway for this year’s West Indian American Day Parade. The West Indian American Day Carnival Association says T-Vice, Tony Mix and SakPase Nation were barred because they failed to meet carnival rules. The bands tell a different story. T-Vice says it was not refused and chose to stay off the route. Tony Mix publicly announced he would not take part.
The annual parade stepped off Monday, Sept. 7, along Brooklyn’s Eastern Parkway. Days earlier, The Haitian Times reported that WIADCA had kept the three groups off the official lineup. As of that Thursday, five other Haitian groups had been approved to participate. Haitian flags, mas and music were still on the Parkway. The missing piece was the big konpa trucks that usually stop traffic.
Cecile Ford is WIADCA’s board secretary and chair of the Mas Committee. She said organizers had warned the groups that the rules would be enforced.
“We’ve tried to work with them and each year there was a promise… they just take it as a joke,” Ford said. Ford later pointed to overcrowding on trucks as a safety problem.“We have pictures & photos [they] were not compliant with the number of people they have on their trucks, which is a security issue & safety issue,” she said.
WIADCA’s written rules state only bands with a WIADCA permit can enter the parade. Participants must be costumed. Artist trucks, advertising trucks and “T-shirt bands” are excluded. Band leaders are required to put marshals on the route, keep vehicles insured and stay within height and safety limits set with police and the city. Failure to comply can mean removal from the parade.
T-Vice answered Ford by name. The band said it was not refused. T-Vice said the Parkway absence was its own choice, while the carnival association said the group was barred. Tony Mix also spoke with an official announcement circulated that he would not take part in the 2026 Labor Day carnival. SakPase Nation did not respond.
Haitian mas and music was still on the route, including Lespri Ayiti and RAM among groups carrying the Haitian presence.
#lunionsuite #haitianamerican](https://www.lunionsuite.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/809209156_18633930094023307_3630959692441275516_n-512x640.jpg)
![Three of the Haitian music industry’s most recognizable names did not roll on Eastern Parkway for this year’s West Indian American Day Parade. The West Indian American Day Carnival Association says T-Vice, Tony Mix and SakPase Nation were barred because they failed to meet carnival rules. The bands tell a different story. T-Vice says it was not refused and chose to stay off the route. Tony Mix publicly announced he would not take part.
The annual parade stepped off Monday, Sept. 7, along Brooklyn’s Eastern Parkway. Days earlier, The Haitian Times reported that WIADCA had kept the three groups off the official lineup. As of that Thursday, five other Haitian groups had been approved to participate. Haitian flags, mas and music were still on the Parkway. The missing piece was the big konpa trucks that usually stop traffic.
Cecile Ford is WIADCA’s board secretary and chair of the Mas Committee. She said organizers had warned the groups that the rules would be enforced.
“We’ve tried to work with them and each year there was a promise… they just take it as a joke,” Ford said. Ford later pointed to overcrowding on trucks as a safety problem.“We have pictures & photos [they] were not compliant with the number of people they have on their trucks, which is a security issue & safety issue,” she said.
WIADCA’s written rules state only bands with a WIADCA permit can enter the parade. Participants must be costumed. Artist trucks, advertising trucks and “T-shirt bands” are excluded. Band leaders are required to put marshals on the route, keep vehicles insured and stay within height and safety limits set with police and the city. Failure to comply can mean removal from the parade.
T-Vice answered Ford by name. The band said it was not refused. T-Vice said the Parkway absence was its own choice, while the carnival association said the group was barred. Tony Mix also spoke with an official announcement circulated that he would not take part in the 2026 Labor Day carnival. SakPase Nation did not respond.
Haitian mas and music was still on the route, including Lespri Ayiti and RAM among groups carrying the Haitian presence.
#lunionsuite #haitianamerican](https://scontent-yyz1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/809209156_18633930094023307_3630959692441275516_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=108&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0FST1VTRUxfSVRFTS5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=x34GLS09I-MQ7kNvwFqHCNl&_nc_oc=AdowqDCN9YT1Ab6Xr9C2sg7ga-9vqDxpgpSPQVu_SMkTWY4MV-DSZ2lzrsiKmJkeEI4&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-yyz1-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=qlB1vP6V_eDQg1o7FGdtOg&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQL-bKN_EHZ9Gzp5Rk9r2OzSJ1HKHdYF3wRo8SXze8kPvQ696AO-fQX8qH2durYArOjcy2b3tYRb&oh=00_AQJYJ5-vca4WTXW0SF8NeZC34lm9RovgQb3DXZk0AlsT0Q&oe=6AB0ECDD)
![Three of the Haitian music industry’s most recognizable names did not roll on Eastern Parkway for this year’s West Indian American Day Parade. The West Indian American Day Carnival Association says T-Vice, Tony Mix and SakPase Nation were barred because they failed to meet carnival rules. The bands tell a different story. T-Vice says it was not refused and chose to stay off the route. Tony Mix publicly announced he would not take part.
The annual parade stepped off Monday, Sept. 7, along Brooklyn’s Eastern Parkway. Days earlier, The Haitian Times reported that WIADCA had kept the three groups off the official lineup. As of that Thursday, five other Haitian groups had been approved to participate. Haitian flags, mas and music were still on the Parkway. The missing piece was the big konpa trucks that usually stop traffic.
Cecile Ford is WIADCA’s board secretary and chair of the Mas Committee. She said organizers had warned the groups that the rules would be enforced.
“We’ve tried to work with them and each year there was a promise… they just take it as a joke,” Ford said. Ford later pointed to overcrowding on trucks as a safety problem.“We have pictures & photos [they] were not compliant with the number of people they have on their trucks, which is a security issue & safety issue,” she said.
WIADCA’s written rules state only bands with a WIADCA permit can enter the parade. Participants must be costumed. Artist trucks, advertising trucks and “T-shirt bands” are excluded. Band leaders are required to put marshals on the route, keep vehicles insured and stay within height and safety limits set with police and the city. Failure to comply can mean removal from the parade.
T-Vice answered Ford by name. The band said it was not refused. T-Vice said the Parkway absence was its own choice, while the carnival association said the group was barred. Tony Mix also spoke with an official announcement circulated that he would not take part in the 2026 Labor Day carnival. SakPase Nation did not respond.
Haitian mas and music was still on the route, including Lespri Ayiti and RAM among groups carrying the Haitian presence.
#lunionsuite #haitianamerican](https://scontent-yyz1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/788924694_18633930097023307_3043638025784358712_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=110&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0FST1VTRUxfSVRFTS5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=2C7Wl-aKuL0Q7kNvwF0SU-y&_nc_oc=AdqS67UJ5kM67AfhglIGf79iRqaHlSsnp0FyZd7KoG7qEtb5unEgcDoOFORhGwog7BI&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-yyz1-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=qlB1vP6V_eDQg1o7FGdtOg&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQI1s5GYu7aaG0jgGZVu2P_IvMpC7yCMPrTtiZ2LtWYnNCEmUty78rNy79sBQ_qp9X6J5aHzHWdC&oh=00_AQK3KjdJkhVDxEBGidExGQ1pLdOoLIK8fADPc03fJDf3Qw&oe=6AB11186)
![Three of the Haitian music industry’s most recognizable names did not roll on Eastern Parkway for this year’s West Indian American Day Parade. The West Indian American Day Carnival Association says T-Vice, Tony Mix and SakPase Nation were barred because they failed to meet carnival rules. The bands tell a different story. T-Vice says it was not refused and chose to stay off the route. Tony Mix publicly announced he would not take part.
The annual parade stepped off Monday, Sept. 7, along Brooklyn’s Eastern Parkway. Days earlier, The Haitian Times reported that WIADCA had kept the three groups off the official lineup. As of that Thursday, five other Haitian groups had been approved to participate. Haitian flags, mas and music were still on the Parkway. The missing piece was the big konpa trucks that usually stop traffic.
Cecile Ford is WIADCA’s board secretary and chair of the Mas Committee. She said organizers had warned the groups that the rules would be enforced.
“We’ve tried to work with them and each year there was a promise… they just take it as a joke,” Ford said. Ford later pointed to overcrowding on trucks as a safety problem.“We have pictures & photos [they] were not compliant with the number of people they have on their trucks, which is a security issue & safety issue,” she said.
WIADCA’s written rules state only bands with a WIADCA permit can enter the parade. Participants must be costumed. Artist trucks, advertising trucks and “T-shirt bands” are excluded. Band leaders are required to put marshals on the route, keep vehicles insured and stay within height and safety limits set with police and the city. Failure to comply can mean removal from the parade.
T-Vice answered Ford by name. The band said it was not refused. T-Vice said the Parkway absence was its own choice, while the carnival association said the group was barred. Tony Mix also spoke with an official announcement circulated that he would not take part in the 2026 Labor Day carnival. SakPase Nation did not respond.
Haitian mas and music was still on the route, including Lespri Ayiti and RAM among groups carrying the Haitian presence.
#lunionsuite #haitianamerican](https://scontent-yyz1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/793639979_18633930061023307_6775081790007234048_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=103&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0FST1VTRUxfSVRFTS5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=959UMb3qNvsQ7kNvwH6rJK5&_nc_oc=AdoHvjiCVJ4RZCft2Zf1MqTKYnS3MeeZCdOl2uaqrtKnTljvUZTVU0tPPq5vVVaaMfI&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-yyz1-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=qlB1vP6V_eDQg1o7FGdtOg&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQJuKAOOqNEZULTIo3TOU9IrwMHYGLHExT5GjSty82rbVDg_9gbh6qQsnzQt5aMQKF1r9IDzgiW-&oh=00_AQJe7TmB5PkTL0Pbh2hAhL-9hDCcoVKJqd7Dv665B4RI2A&oe=6AB0F2D4)
![Three of the Haitian music industry’s most recognizable names did not roll on Eastern Parkway for this year’s West Indian American Day Parade. The West Indian American Day Carnival Association says T-Vice, Tony Mix and SakPase Nation were barred because they failed to meet carnival rules. The bands tell a different story. T-Vice says it was not refused and chose to stay off the route. Tony Mix publicly announced he would not take part.
The annual parade stepped off Monday, Sept. 7, along Brooklyn’s Eastern Parkway. Days earlier, The Haitian Times reported that WIADCA had kept the three groups off the official lineup. As of that Thursday, five other Haitian groups had been approved to participate. Haitian flags, mas and music were still on the Parkway. The missing piece was the big konpa trucks that usually stop traffic.
Cecile Ford is WIADCA’s board secretary and chair of the Mas Committee. She said organizers had warned the groups that the rules would be enforced.
“We’ve tried to work with them and each year there was a promise… they just take it as a joke,” Ford said. Ford later pointed to overcrowding on trucks as a safety problem.“We have pictures & photos [they] were not compliant with the number of people they have on their trucks, which is a security issue & safety issue,” she said.
WIADCA’s written rules state only bands with a WIADCA permit can enter the parade. Participants must be costumed. Artist trucks, advertising trucks and “T-shirt bands” are excluded. Band leaders are required to put marshals on the route, keep vehicles insured and stay within height and safety limits set with police and the city. Failure to comply can mean removal from the parade.
T-Vice answered Ford by name. The band said it was not refused. T-Vice said the Parkway absence was its own choice, while the carnival association said the group was barred. Tony Mix also spoke with an official announcement circulated that he would not take part in the 2026 Labor Day carnival. SakPase Nation did not respond.
Haitian mas and music was still on the route, including Lespri Ayiti and RAM among groups carrying the Haitian presence.
#lunionsuite #haitianamerican](https://scontent-yyz1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/809209149_18633930070023307_3587221757907574561_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=107&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0FST1VTRUxfSVRFTS5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=sYH5oewDRocQ7kNvwFk8Eq8&_nc_oc=Adpwz3K5sapCkiMCDx4LctPqoIenB0Nce8S0xMHw-b-HP0E3OWmHWtHLSPU4-nwMh-c&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-yyz1-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=qlB1vP6V_eDQg1o7FGdtOg&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQK6ob3lrLwMAQUwWe15FVuiP24U-2z13S8BEnVPFPVZCM35oUsLdUBbPdqIBx8XyeMe5WlWrjvK&oh=00_AQJNgEuvmCjMtKeDfeDv1XnisQ2E5TyN0BAilBjf9UmU0A&oe=6AB0E8FE)
![Three of the Haitian music industry’s most recognizable names did not roll on Eastern Parkway for this year’s West Indian American Day Parade. The West Indian American Day Carnival Association says T-Vice, Tony Mix and SakPase Nation were barred because they failed to meet carnival rules. The bands tell a different story. T-Vice says it was not refused and chose to stay off the route. Tony Mix publicly announced he would not take part.
The annual parade stepped off Monday, Sept. 7, along Brooklyn’s Eastern Parkway. Days earlier, The Haitian Times reported that WIADCA had kept the three groups off the official lineup. As of that Thursday, five other Haitian groups had been approved to participate. Haitian flags, mas and music were still on the Parkway. The missing piece was the big konpa trucks that usually stop traffic.
Cecile Ford is WIADCA’s board secretary and chair of the Mas Committee. She said organizers had warned the groups that the rules would be enforced.
“We’ve tried to work with them and each year there was a promise… they just take it as a joke,” Ford said. Ford later pointed to overcrowding on trucks as a safety problem.“We have pictures & photos [they] were not compliant with the number of people they have on their trucks, which is a security issue & safety issue,” she said.
WIADCA’s written rules state only bands with a WIADCA permit can enter the parade. Participants must be costumed. Artist trucks, advertising trucks and “T-shirt bands” are excluded. Band leaders are required to put marshals on the route, keep vehicles insured and stay within height and safety limits set with police and the city. Failure to comply can mean removal from the parade.
T-Vice answered Ford by name. The band said it was not refused. T-Vice said the Parkway absence was its own choice, while the carnival association said the group was barred. Tony Mix also spoke with an official announcement circulated that he would not take part in the 2026 Labor Day carnival. SakPase Nation did not respond.
Haitian mas and music was still on the route, including Lespri Ayiti and RAM among groups carrying the Haitian presence.
#lunionsuite #haitianamerican](https://scontent-yyz1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/806298814_18633930079023307_5240743489890819950_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=110&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0FST1VTRUxfSVRFTS5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=JU6IDP_NkRAQ7kNvwGfn0dr&_nc_oc=AdodvcfcPm44koOpzSTOCErsPDONaFZ_QLfgYMtozzJNRqpTvybWCeMMsYnm2J9cuiU&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-yyz1-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=qlB1vP6V_eDQg1o7FGdtOg&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQKUafMnB1Ijgdy2xv-tORivQEi4eK_iP68XuZLjZqma1eMBZs3fos9KKkcroJ925w8rpv8LCaQ4&oh=00_AQIh7G-bKCYVSEzSZCHZumDOwvS_ms5If9v7EJJouDRzsQ&oe=6AB0FAB9)
![Three of the Haitian music industry’s most recognizable names did not roll on Eastern Parkway for this year’s West Indian American Day Parade. The West Indian American Day Carnival Association says T-Vice, Tony Mix and SakPase Nation were barred because they failed to meet carnival rules. The bands tell a different story. T-Vice says it was not refused and chose to stay off the route. Tony Mix publicly announced he would not take part.
The annual parade stepped off Monday, Sept. 7, along Brooklyn’s Eastern Parkway. Days earlier, The Haitian Times reported that WIADCA had kept the three groups off the official lineup. As of that Thursday, five other Haitian groups had been approved to participate. Haitian flags, mas and music were still on the Parkway. The missing piece was the big konpa trucks that usually stop traffic.
Cecile Ford is WIADCA’s board secretary and chair of the Mas Committee. She said organizers had warned the groups that the rules would be enforced.
“We’ve tried to work with them and each year there was a promise… they just take it as a joke,” Ford said. Ford later pointed to overcrowding on trucks as a safety problem.“We have pictures & photos [they] were not compliant with the number of people they have on their trucks, which is a security issue & safety issue,” she said.
WIADCA’s written rules state only bands with a WIADCA permit can enter the parade. Participants must be costumed. Artist trucks, advertising trucks and “T-shirt bands” are excluded. Band leaders are required to put marshals on the route, keep vehicles insured and stay within height and safety limits set with police and the city. Failure to comply can mean removal from the parade.
T-Vice answered Ford by name. The band said it was not refused. T-Vice said the Parkway absence was its own choice, while the carnival association said the group was barred. Tony Mix also spoke with an official announcement circulated that he would not take part in the 2026 Labor Day carnival. SakPase Nation did not respond.
Haitian mas and music was still on the route, including Lespri Ayiti and RAM among groups carrying the Haitian presence.
#lunionsuite #haitianamerican](https://scontent-yyz1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/806298829_18633930142023307_1624406619840916561_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=107&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0FST1VTRUxfSVRFTS5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=sKWnTcy_VlAQ7kNvwGCmhxy&_nc_oc=AdqvFfjX_kn-mTDnUKIP8dtT-baGWOg-iCYo3fFbWLtRf5RE118QJG9tBiT0-lgJU_Q&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-yyz1-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=qlB1vP6V_eDQg1o7FGdtOg&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQKhvaor3bRStWf3w6477576MuNa2LVCyqjwTGKuzdVq5fN9uy16KTuuj0oRxi_NkYb7M4ZW7jKk&oh=00_AQIClBxZmws_BVVC4dFXOIReLmTjks3tiAYOEUwKXTEmaw&oe=6AB0FCB2)
