On Sunday, August 17th, Zohran Mamdani made his rounds to churches in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and to the Harlem Day festival, to make his case to Black voters ahead of the mayoral election.

And as November approaches, the Mamdani’s path to victory depends on whether he can translate that same energy he has been using to connect to young progressive renters to trust with the older Black communities that have long shaped New York City politics.

“I’m running against a name that many have known, and mine is one that they’re just starting to know, and my job is to ensure that I make the case everywhere such that we continue to expand this coalition,” Mamdani told the Associated Press.

Black New Yorkers stand as one of the city’s most influential voting bases, comprising not only African Americans but also mixed racial and migrant populations, all of which whose needs expand beyond just rent, but also immigration protection and public safety for their families.

Much of the 33-year-old democratic socialist campaign strategy has been through social media, where young voters have been attracted to his authenticity and ability to enact progressive policies in a way that they say is easy to understand. Many younger Black voters also fall in this category, with many resonating with his message for more affordable housing, which has caused the New York metro area to lose nearly 82,000 Black residents between 2020 and 2024—the steepest decline of any metro area in the U.S. during this decade so far, according to Census Bureau estimates.