The person tasked by the city with bringing “racial equity” to the Big Apple is affiliated with a radical organization that seeks to establish an “independent black nation” on US soil and is demanding reparations.
Linda Tigani, who was appointed chair and executive director of the Commission on Racial Equity last week by Mayor Adams and Speaker Adrienne Adams, worked as an organizer with the New York chapter of the Malcom X Grassroots Movement until 2019.
Among its principles is the pursuit of reparations and to “Free the Land,” or to establish an “independent Black Nation on land in north amerikka” comprising South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, according to MXGM’s website.
“We say ‘Free the Land’ because We want independence so that we can ensure our Human Rights are protected and that our land will be a zone and base for all who seek liberation and freedom,” the website reads.
Tigani proudly features the phrase “working to Free the Land” on her X account, which she made private after the Post last week reported on antisemitic messages she spewed on the platform in recent years. These included a slew of posts including the phrase “from the river to the sea,” which is a call for the eradication of the Jewish state of Israel and its citizens.
“It’s alarming to have someone in charge of a racial commission who uses language hinting at erasing any race or throws around racially loaded terms,” Councilman Bob Holden (D-Queens) told The Post.
“The city should remove her immediately to ensure the commission truly represents racial equity.”
Following The Post’s coverage of Tigani’s hateful posts, the Adams administration said it was discussing next steps with Speaker Adams’ office for the new CORE head, who earned $165,363 in fiscal year 2023 in her previous role as acting chief equity and strategy officer for the city Health Department.
“To be clear, Mayor Adams strongly disagrees with the messages in these posts and has repeatedly stated his support for the existence of a Jewish state of Israel,” a spokesperson said last week.
Tigani told The Post she was sorry for not realizing how her X posts had harmed the Jewish community, and that in her new position she would “be sensitive to the concerns of all New Yorkers.”
She also claimed phrase “Free the Land” is in fact “a call to end all forms of violence and harm to one another and to preserve the land we live on.”
“To achieve social justice, we must address the impact of climate change,” she added.
The independent Commission on Racial Equity is tasked with seeking out New Yorkers’ input to consider when the city develops its racial equity priorities.
The mayor and speaker’s offices as well as the Malcom X Grassroots Movement did not respond to requests for comment.
