Taking place March 11–15 at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, the 2026 Women of Power Summit will continue its legacy of bringing together Black women leaders for four days of inspiration, connection, and empowerment. From keynote talks and fireside chats to panel discussions, executive and financial coaching, and evening entertainment, the summit remains a cornerstone experience for professional women across every industry.
With the 2026 summit marking the event’s 20th anniversary, attendees can expect an especially meaningful experience focused on sisterhood, community, and professional growth. Last year, more than 1,800 women gathered for the Women of Power Summit, where trailblazers like Jemele Hill, Melba Moore, Monique Rodriguez, and Valerie Jarrett were celebrated, among others, as Legacy and Luminary honorees.
Attendees walked away with powerful insights on advancing their careers through sessions on leading with authority, securing corporate board seats, and addressing woman-to-woman bias in the workplace. Professional bootcamps further equipped women with tools in such categories as AI, branding, and skill-building.
“This summit is more than a conference—it’s an engine for empowerment,” Earl “Butch” Graves Jr., CEO of BLACK ENTERPRISE, said ahead of the 2025 Summit. “At a time when leadership and career advancement are top priorities in corporate spaces, the Women of Power Summit provides a critical platform for Black women to connect, strategize, and elevate their careers.”
Amid federal cutbacks, DEI rollbacks, and growing pushback against programs that support diverse leaders, the 2026 Women of Power Summit arrives at a critical moment. Continuing its legacy of offering career-shaping mentorship, networking, and leadership development tailored for Black women in corporate spaces, this year’s summit will feature new candid fireside chats, impactful executive coaching, boardroom-readiness sessions, and industry-focused panels made to ensure attendees leave with actionable strategies and powerful connections at a time when they matter most.
Registration for the 2026 Women of Power Summit is now open and available HERE.
Investigator Says Murder Suspect D4vid Also Had An Unused Chainsaw In His Home
The news comes after Steve Fisher revealed a "burn cage" incinerator was also found.
Over two weeks ago, private investigator Steve Fischer disclosed on social media that a “burn cage” was discovered at the rental home of recording artist D4vd. Fischer recently revealed that a chainsaw was also found.
During a late December appearance on NewsNation, the private investigator said the chainsaw was brand new and unused, and questioned why either of those items would be in the residence.
According to Complex, Fischer was hired by D4vd’s landlord, Mladen Trifunovic, to search the Hollywood Hills home. Trifunovic hired Fischer because he had not received any updates from the Los Angeles Police Department regarding its search of the home before they named D4vid a suspect in the killing of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
Hernandez’s dismembered remains were found in the trunk of a Tesla registered to D4vd (real name: David Anthony Burke) on Sept. 8.
On NewsNation’s Branfield, Fischer said, that since the chainsaw and the incinerator were not used, “it could go to show some intent of what this plan was, because whatever happened here, like, this was, it was no finalized plan, you know?”
He said that operating a chainsaw requires some training and that D4vid is not responsible for the residence’s upkeep that would require a chainsaw or a burn cavity.
“So what is the purpose?” he said. “And then when you couple it with, not just the incinerator, but now a deceased, 14-year-old in a Tesla that’s been parked at that property, it becomes really troubling. Hopefully, there’s gonna be some justice here soon.”
TMZ reported that D4vid would most likely be indicted in connection with Hernandez’s murder.
Black Maternal Health Advocate Dr. Janell Green Smith Dies After Giving Birth
Only in her 30s, Green Smith was known as the “Loc’d” Midwife,” working with the nonprofit organization and app, Hive Impact Fund, serving as a robust resource during Black Maternal Health Week.
The healthcare industry is mourning the loss of South Carolina midwife and highly respected advocate of Black maternal health, Dr. Janell Green Smith, who died from childbirth complications shortly after 2026 began, The Grio reports.
Only in her 30s, Green Smith was known as the “Loc’d Midwife” and worked with the nonprofit organization and app, Hive Impact Fund, serving as a robust resource during Black Maternal Health Week. In a GoFundMe campaign with a goal of $80,000, the fundraiser says donations “will help provide stability, relief, and care during a time when the family needs it most” as her husband, Daiquan, and newborn grieve such a devastating loss. “Every kind gesture, word, donation, and prayer is deeply felt and appreciated more than we can express,” the campaign reads.
In an April 2024 Instagram post, Green Smith discussed the importance of midwifery care, especially for Black women, and what brought her to practice. She provided the statistic that Black women are three times more likely to die in pregnancy and childbirth than any other race. “In hearing these alarming statistics, I wanted to do something about it. I wanted to be a part of the solution and step into a role as the provider that would listen to my patients when they were in pain,” she said.
“I wanted to be the provider that would answer the questions and that will go above and beyond to allow my patients to feel comfortable in their journey of pregnancy and in labor.”
The discussion of Black maternal health and having a midwife has been at the forefront for Black women for decades, but it seems like heightened advocacy sparked a recent decline in deaths. Data from the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health revealed that fatalities decreased from 817 in 2022 in comparison to 669 in 2023. Unfortunately, research that would seemingly keep these numbers from climbing was cut short by the Trump administration.
In March 2025, a $2.4 million grant for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) was cut, with officials claiming that priorities were being shifted — and research would not significantly increase life expectancy. Epidemiologist Jaime Slaughter-Acey said the grant’s termination, which would follow over 500 Black women in Detroit, was “heartbreaking and, honestly, infuriating given the high rates of maternal and infant mortality in this country.”
The work conducted by Green Smith was praised over the years by industry leaders and nonprofit organizations such as the American College of Nurse-Midwives. The group labeled her loss as “the persistent and well-documented reality that Black women—regardless of education, income, or professional expertise—face disproportionate risks during pregnancy and childbirth due to systemic racism and failures in care.”
“We grieve Dr. Smith’s loss and recognize it as a profound failure of the systems meant to protect birthing people. In her honor, ACNM commits not only to reaffirming our values, but to intensifying our actions to dismantle racial inequities in maternal health, strengthen accountability in care systems, and work alongside Black midwives, clinicians, and communities to prevent future tragedies,” the group said in an Instagram post.
Atlanta Falcons Fire Head Coach Raheem Morris, General Manager Terry Fontenot
'I have great personal affinity for both Raheem and Terry and appreciate their hard work and dedication to the Falcons, but I believe we need new leadership in these roles moving forward,' said Falcons' Owner and Chairman, Arthur M. Blank
“Black Monday,” coined as the day when NFL teams fire coaches a day after the regular season ends, got an early start with the termination of Atlanta Falcons’ head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot just hours after the team finished the season on a four-game winning streak on Jan. 4.
The Falcons announced the personnel move after the team’s 19-17 victory over the New Orleans Saints. The team finished 8-9 (the Falcons had the same record last season), missing the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season. The franchise’s previous playoff appearance was in the 2017-2018 season.
After both men met with the Falcons’ Owner and Chairman Arthur M. Blank, they were informed that their employment with the team had ended.
Blank issued a written statement after the terminations.
“I have great personal affinity for both Raheem and Terry and appreciate their hard work and dedication to the Falcons, but I believe we need new leadership in these roles moving forward,” said Blank. “The decision to move away from people who represent the organization so well and have a shared commitment to the values that are important to the organization is not an easy one, but the results on the field have not met our expectations or those of our fans and leadership. I wish Raheem and Terry the absolute best in their future pursuits.”
Fontenot joined the franchise in 2021 and named Morris the head coach after the 2023 season. In the 2020 season, Morris served as interim head coach for 11 games, with a 4-7 record. As head coach over the past two seasons, he posted a 16-18 record, bringing his overall head-coach record to 20-35. Meanwhile, over five seasons as general manager, Fontenot’s record stood at 37-48. The Falcons did not make the playoffs with both men at the helm.
The New York Post reported that Morris, a New Jersey native, started his coaching career at Hofstra University before getting the opportunity to join the Falcons staff.
The team stated that ZRG Partners will assist with the search for the next head coach, while Sportsology Group will take on the search for a general manager.
Shanice Talks ‘Dream Come True’ Of Playing Michelle Obama In ’44’ The Musical
Shanice has played Mrs. Obama since the show's debut in 2022.
Shanice is entering her own renaissance era with new stages and singles on her horizon.
The 90s singer known for her hit track “I Love Your Smile” has delighted fans with her starring role in 44 the musical. She’s put her five-octave vocal range to good use in the play, allowing her long-time singing prowess to shine in this new arena. The opportunity to star as Michelle Obama in the satirical musical by Eli Bauman has Shanice back in the spotlight.
The musical, which had runs in Chicago, Los Angeles, and off-Broadway, has garnered positive reviews within the theater scene. The show reflects on the former President’s two-terms in office from a light-hearted perspective, allowing audiences to reminisce on the historic milestone. The musical’s song selection also allows Shanice to show off her R&B background and future.
The singer spoke toBLACK ENTERPRISE‘s Director of Multiplatform Content, Selena Hill, on what it means take on this role in today’s political climate, while also charting her new course in music.
Since its debut in November 2022, Shanice has taken on the role of First Lady Michelle Obama, staying on throughout its entire production history. She touched on how it shocked audiences with its dynamic storytelling, bringing light amid a dark time.
“It’s hilarious. When I tell you, I think people don’t realize how funny it is. When you hear of a story about Barack Obama, you think it’s going to be all serious. But when I tell you, if you want to get out and laugh and have a good time. 44 is the place to be,” she told BE.
The Grammy nominee continued,” And I know I have a lot of people tell me after the show, you know, I just felt so heavy coming into this beforehand, because what I’m seeing on social media and the news, it’s a lot of heaviness going on in the world. And when you come to our show, you’re gonna feel like just joy.”
She called the opportunity to play Mrs. Obama a “dream come true,” allowing herself to recognize the similarities as women in the spotlight. Married to actor Flex Washington for 25 years, Shanice feels deeply connected to Obama as a fellow public figure and Black woman, albeit in different realms.
However, Shanice is still hip on what’s going on in the evolving music industry. Although she got her rise in a different era, the 52-year-old misses the old ways, but appreciates how social media can deepen the fan-artist relationship.
“I think there’s a lot of great talent out right now. I love social media because we get to connect like, directly. The thing that I miss is people having to go to the record store to buy the CDs, read the credits and look at the artwork . . . Now people are just downloading things, you know, online. But I do love media, and we have Instagram and Facebook and YouTube and all that, because I can connect with my fans, like on a personal level. And back in the 90s, we couldn’t do that.”
Being a 90s R&B star has its perks, and Shanice notes that AI could disrupt many emerging music careers today.
She continued, “I’m so thankful that I got to experience the industry in the 90s, and I got to release my music in the 90s . . . I feel like the AI is gonna stop a lot of people from working, like the producers and the writers. It’s kind of unfair, but I know that’s where everything is going.”
While cautious about the state of the industry from politics to entertainment, Shanice still aims to do what she has done best for decades, performing for her fans. With a Christmas movie already streaming on BET Plus, as well as a holiday single titled “Love At Christmas Time,” Shanice continues to make her mark in this new era of the arts.
Property records show the sprawling Beverly Hills estate was taken off the market on Dec. 24, just two months after Combs received a four-year sentence for transporting individuals for prostitution, Realtor.com reports. The mansion is the same property tied to allegations of Combs’ alleged “freak off” parties, which made it a focus of a 2024 Homeland Security raid as part of a sex-trafficking investigation.
The 17,000-square-foot estate sits inside the ultra-exclusive, gated enclave of Holmby Hills, with A-list neighbors reportedly including Kylie Jenner and Combs’ ex-girlfriend, Jennifer Lopez. Built in 1933, the residence features 10 bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, and luxury amenities, including a 35-seat theater, library, wine cellar, gym, and indoor sauna.
The original listing made no mention of its scandal-filled ties to Combs or reports that investigators previously searched the property and allegedly recovered weapons, sex toys, drugs, and dozens of bottles of baby oil. The home first hit the market in September 2024, just days before Combs was arrested in New York on sex-trafficking, racketeering, and prostitution-related charges.
He moved to sell the estate, purchased for $39 million in 2014, after Homeland Security agents raided the property in March 2024 as part of their investigation, along with his $48 million Miami residence. There were reports that the raids caused “significant property damage” to the home.
After a highly publicized 2025 trial, Combs was acquitted of the most serious charges but still received a 50-month prison sentence after being convicted on two prostitution-related counts. He was also ordered to pay a $500,000 fine.
Real estate insiders note that, if the mansion ultimately remains off the market, it could be rented as a high-end ‘trophy property,’ with similar estates fetching up to $20,000 per night on Airbnb. Still, experts say the $61.5 million listing may be tough to move given the home’s controversial ties to the case.
“[He] could be asking too much,” said Justin Paperny, a crisis manager for White Collar Advice. “People might not want the affiliation to him.”
Wings With A Side Of Hate: Black Couple Describes Trauma After Racist Slur Found On Buffalo Wild Wings Receipt
While Inspire Brands, where BBW operates under, says the company believed in diversity, some actions from locations suggest otherwise.
Marc Loman, a disabled veteran, says he was instantly reminded of his deep south upbringing after a racial slur was printed on his receipt after dining at a Buffalo Wild Wings (BWW) in Woodbridge, Virginia, in November 2024, The Independent reported.
Loman and his wife, Natasha, who are Black, have filed a $5 million lawsuit in Prince William County Circuit Court against the food chain after claiming the receipt referred to the couple as “nigs,” an abbreviation for the n-word instead of their name. Loman says the experience reopened “deep emotional wounds,” as the ordeal reminded him of the “pervasive, brutalizing, and degrading racism” he dealt with during his upbringing.
The couple is accusing the popular chain of inflicting intentional emotional distress after they claim they placed an order, ate, and packed up leftovers to go. When they asked for the check, the Lomans noticed the racial slur printed on both the bag and the order receipt.
Mrs. Loman spoke about the ordeal in a TikTok video, saying the server never asked for their name and showed the receipt with the word “nigs” printed on it. “It’s 2024. This lady has lost her mind,” Natasha, who goes by the handle @mrsbonafide on the app.
As Loman mentions in the lawsuit, missing work and going to counseling after the incident, the complaint argues the employee who entered the slur into the system “knew, or should have known, that referring to the Lomans by a shortened version of a well-known racial slur was likely to result in emotional distress.”
Their argument is supported by claims that after reporting the issue of hate speech to corporate, a BBW vice president allegedly called the couple and admitted that the employee “intentionally placed the racial slur on their order,” resulting in the employee being fired.
While Inspire Brands, which owns BBW, said it believes in diversity, some actions from its locations suggest otherwise.
This isn’t the first time the company, founded in 1982 and known for “21 mouth-watering signature sauces and seasonings,” has been under fire for racist antics. In 2019, a Black family was told to move after a white man allegedly complained to an employee that he didn’t want Black people sitting near him, giving them “dirty” looks.
According to NBC News, a manager approached Justin and Mary Vahl and instructed them to switch tables at an Illinois location while they were celebrating one of their children’s birthdays. After the couple refused and instead took their business elsewhere, the manager and another employee were terminated, and the bigoted customer was banned after exhibiting “inappropriate behavior” at all Buffalo Wild Wings sports bars for life.”
From Layoffs To Leverage: How Black Women Are Navigating The New Economic Frontier
Developing a short-term financial game plan and using AI are among tools unemployed Black women can apply to help bounce back from dire job cutbacks.
Black women — reportedly more so than any other U.S. working group — have been devastated by joblessness.
Financial instability, less income, and reduced living standards are some of the meltdowns for those women. Beyond the economic collapse, fear, self-doubt, and the abrupt effect of job loss are other traumas that Black women continue to carry.
DEI expert Mary-Frances Winters shared why Black women being dismissed is a systemic shock with broad ramifications, impacting households and communities.
“This adversity is significant because job loss for Black women — particularly single mothers and primary breadwinners — threatens far more than professional identity. It can immediately destabilize housing, healthcare, childcare, and family wellbeing, often without sufficient financial or social safety nets.”
However, the silver lining is that there are many moves Black women can apply to help overcome the dilemma. Those shifts are needed, given the dismal trend in the 2025 labor market. For instance, the number of Black workless women rose from 598K to 796K between January and November, according to an analysis of the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data by Creative Investment Research.
That means their joblessness surged by a robust 198,000 in under a year. Their unemployment rate peaked at 7.5% in September and only fell to 7.1% in November. Conversely, the overall U.S. unemployment rate, including all racial groups, remained relatively unchanged, rising from 4.4% to 4.6% during that time. The October jobs report was halted due to the federal government shutdown.
William Michael Cunningham, an economist and owner of Creative Investment Research, told BLACK ENTERPRISE, “These data make clear that rising unemployment among Black women is not the result of labor force withdrawal, but of job losses and weak hiring in sectors where Black women are heavily concentrated.”
Many of those job losses for Black women have purportedly come from cutbacks in the federal government, DEI downsizing, and discharges in professional services, education, and healthcare.
Contrarily, Alicia Lyttle, CEO of the consultancy firm AI InnoVision, says unemployed Black women can use AI to help them recover financially. She maintains that AI literacy is now the most in-demand skill in the job market.
Based on LinkedIn’s workforce data, she argues that understanding how to work with AI tools such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Microsoft Copilot is now essential across industries. “Employers increasingly expect candidates to come in already AI-literate, and those who are not are often viewed as less competitive.”
For workless Black women, she says learning AI is one of the fastest ways to become employed and boost earning potential. “There are many free AI certifications available, including those offered by Google, and adding these credentials to a résumé immediately increases value. People with AI skills tend to earn higher salaries because they are more productive and efficient.”
Budget-wise, Lyttle says apps and other tools AI provides can help them manage money, monitor expenses, and help them pay bills and build savings. That includes an emergency fund to help them survive if they don’t already have one.
Further, AI can identify unnecessary expenses and wasted money. It can suggest cost-cutting strategies, recommend ways to redirect savings toward an emergency fund, and help prioritize bills. “Because AI evaluates finances without emotion or bias, it often highlights financial gaps and opportunities people may overlook.”
Winters and her daughter, Mareisha Winters Reese, co-authored the second edition of BLACK FATIGUE. It dives into the lingering impact of systemic racism on Black health and shows ways to counter its effects. It will be published in June 2026. Mary-Frances is the founder/CEO of The Winters Group, and Mareisha is the firm’s president and chief operating officer.
They reflected on how policies by the Trump administration, including the weaponization of DEI and mass government layoffs, have worsened matters for Black women.
Despite that, they offered some quick strategies to help Black women cope with the massive layoffs. One way is to develop a short-term financial game plan that includes reviewing what your employer owes you and immediately applying for unemployment benefits. They advise checking your state’s rules, as some states have a waiting period before unemployment benefits can begin. Also, get a clear picture of your immediate cash flow and prioritize essential bills.
Other tips Winters and Reese offered to Black women:
Pause before making any major decisions. Clarity comes after your mind and body settle, so you should take an intentional restorative pause, which could be a 72-hour reset with movement, hydration, and sleep.
Turn setback into strategy. Reframe the layoff as an opportunity to architect a new path that honors your well-being and aspirations. When you feel positioned to begin mapping out a strategy, consider short-term income-producing options such as consulting, freelancing, temporary contract roles, or other gig work. Consider your ideal profession or job and ask yourself what you would love to do even if you are not paid.
Create a healing ecosystem. Join affinity groups for Black women in similar situations, connect with faith communities, participate in healing circles, and engage with sisterhood cohorts. Lean on kinship networks, not just professional networks. Be mindful that “Isolation accelerates Black fatigue; community disrupts it.”
Additionally, Lyttle explained AI tools can help identify side hustles, flexible or remote work opportunities, and pathways into higher-paying roles. Entrepreneurially, she says AI can assist women with business ideas, pricing strategies, marketing plans, and scaling revenue.
Her firm plans to host a free summit this month that will teach Black women how to start or scale a business using AI.
How Michael Jordan And Dennis Rodman Overcame A ‘Bad Boy’ Rivalry To Build A Bulls Dynasty
While playing with the Detroit Pistons, Rodman was one of the reasons Jordan couldn't get the Bulls past them
In a 1995 interview, NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan discussed his relationship with former nemesis-turned-teammate Dennis Rodman and why he never anticipated becoming friends with him, even though they played on the same Chicago Bulls team that won several championships.
The Basketball Networkrecalled a conversation Jordan had with the Los Angeles Times, in which he said he did not know what to expect from Rodman as a teammate rather than an adversary. When Rodman was winning NBA championships with the Detroit Pistons, the team known as “The Bad Boys” won two championships (1989 and 1990) with a style reminiscent of neighborhood players who used bullying tactics to overcome their opponents.
As Jordan and the Bulls were starting to become a force in the NBA, the Pistons always knocked them back, infuriating Jordan because they never could beat the league’s bullies. The Pistons, particularly Rodman, brought “The Jordan Rules,” a simple plan to harass and bully Jordan whenever he touched the ball. It worked. So, welcoming a man who was more aggressive than the average NBA player into the fold was extremely risky.
Rodman was known around the league and to NBA fans as an uncontrollable player, yet he was a rebounding machine and always found ways to get in his opponents’ heads during and even before games. So, when Rodman joined the Bulls, he was still unsure how they would mesh, especially since Jordan was usually the target of Rodman’s harassment.
“I didn’t really know his attitude, if his desire to win would be strong enough to accept the system that we have here,” he stated in the Los Angeles Times article. “He’s still got a lot to learn about the system, but his enthusiasm, his work ethic — it’s not surprising, but it’s welcome.”
By the time Rodman became a Chicago Bull, he had already won two NBA championships and two Defensive Player of the Year trophies. He also led the league in rebounds for four straight years and had amassed six NBA All-Defensive First Team selections. Jordan stated that they had talked when he joined the team, but not about their past interactions; he also knew that Rodman could help the team win the championship.
“I mean, we’ve talked, but in terms of just sit down and iron things out? Nah. I don’t know if that’s going to happen,” Jordan said. “I mean, I think we respect each other as professionals. So we may not know each other from a personal standpoint. . . . I don’t think either one of us wants to make that approach.”
The chemistry, along with the other components of the team, worked as they won the championship in Rodman’s first season with the Bulls, also breaking a record (since surpassed by the Golden State Warriors) by winning 72 games.
Jordan said they got along once they got to know each other, and he ended up genuinely liking Rodman.
“Frankly, they’re more about basketball than anything else because that’s the one area of common ground we share,” Jordan said. “But he has opened up a lot to me during the season, which I didn’t necessarily expect, and I do like him.”
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani Signs ‘Rental Ripoff’ Order For All 5 Boroughs In Fight Against Shady Landlords
The rising costs of rent and the livelihood of renters has been a big concern for the former assemblyman and now youngest and first Muslim mayor to ever serve the Big Apple.
Just days after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was sworn in, he is keeping his campaign promises of fighting back against “unconscionable” business practices by NYC landlords by ordering “rental ripoff” hearings, CBS News reports.
In one of his first executive orders, Mamdani has assigned the new Office of Mass Engagement and other city agencies to hold hearings within his first 100 days in office, during which residents will be able to testify about their biggest rifts with landlords and the challenges they face as renters. On X, Mamdani says the days of New Yorkers getting ripped off are over.“ Too many New Yorkers are getting ripped off—paying obscene rents for apartments that fail basic health and safety standards. When tenants speak up, landlords threaten eviction,” he said on the social media platform.
“That ends now. Today we launched a citywide crackdown on rental ripoffs, like landlord neglect and outrageous fees.”
Too many New Yorkers are getting ripped off—paying obscene rents for apartments that fail basic health and safety standards. When tenants speak up, landlords threaten eviction.
That ends now. Today we launched a citywide crackdown on rental ripoffs, like landlord neglect and…
The rising costs of rent and the livelihood of renters have been a major concern for the former assemblyman and now the Big Apple’s youngest and first Muslim mayor. However, Mamdani has openly spoken out about working with both renters and landlords, as he knows they face significant pressures. During an October 2025 television appearance, he called out former mayors who used their powers to hike rent prices, which has caused friction between the parties — and pushed people out. “I believe that tenants across our city deserve relief and I also believe that city government can work to alleviate those pressures for landlords of those units without having to put that burden on those same tenants,” Mamdani said.
“It’s possible to keep New Yorkers in this city and to help landlords with rising insurance costs, water bills, Con Edison, and a broken property tax system,” said Mamdani.
City Hall can help landlords deal with the rising cost of insurance, utilities and a broken property tax system.
But we will not pad their profits by crushing tenants in rent-stabilized homes. We will freeze the rent. pic.twitter.com/MIDcV9FavW
Hearings will take place in all five city boroughs of the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. The person leading the hearings will be Dina Levy, who Mamdani named as the head of the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), according to La Voce di New York. He described Levy as a “true force” whose housing advocacy has resulted in organizing tenants facing eviction and giving them access to an HPD loan of $5.6 million to help buy out their landlord — and replace them with one more responsible.
Prior to signing the executive order, Mayor Mamdani spent a few hours after being sworn in inspecting rundown apartment buildings and talking with tenants. In one building, he was seen picking up broken floor tiles and reviewing rusty pipes and sketchy bathtubs.
When he asked the tenant if she had spoken to her landlord about the issues and what the response was, the woman said, “No one wants to do anything about this.”
