Zohran Mamdani: “When black people were denied the right to gather in public…”

“1863. Now more than 250,000 formerly enslaved black Texans turned June 19 into a holiday. A holiday of barbecues, of rodeos, of singing, of red punch. When black people were denied the right to gather in public places for the holiday, they purchased private tracts of land and turned them into parks. where they could gather together. I am struck by the determined joy this holiday insists on that even after freedom was delayed time and again, even after rights were withheld …” (26:45–26:51)

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.