Scammer Zohran Mamdani Pretended to Be Black on College Apps — Now He Wants to Be NYC Mayor
New York, July 2, 2025 — Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor and self-styled progressive hero, is facing major backlash after it was revealed that he pretended to be Black on his college application to Columbia University.
That’s right — the candidate now campaigning on immigrant pride and South Asian identity once checked the “Black or African American” box in what looks a lot like an attempt to scam his way into an Ivy League school.
According to hacked Columbia admissions data from 2009 — confirmed by The New York Times — Mamdani, who is Indian by ethnicity and born in Uganda, marked himself as both Asian and Black. This wasn’t a case of a confusing form or a missing category. The application had boxes for “South Asian” and “Other,” but Mamdani deliberately selected Black — a designation historically tied to centuries of systemic oppression in the U.S. and a category that carries weight in affirmative action admissions.
He didn’t get in — but the move speaks volumes.
A Scam Is a Scam
Let’s call it what it is: a scam. A calculated attempt to exploit a system designed to uplift Black Americans — not serve as a shortcut for ambitious politicians with Ivy League dreams.
This wasn’t some one-off mistake or youthful confusion. It was a conscious choice. Mamdani knew what Black identity meant in the context of college admissions. He knew the historical weight. And he tried to wear it like a costume — just long enough to get in the door.
Now that he’s running for mayor, he’s rebranded himself as a justice-first, anti-racist, immigrant-rights champion. But Black and Latino voters aren’t fooled.
In fact, during the Democratic primary, the only two voting blocs Mamdani lost? Black and Latino voters.
We know a scammer when we see one.
Mamdani’s Defense? “I Was Born in Africa”
In an interview with The New York Times, Mamdani said he doesn’t actually identify as Black, but was just trying to reflect his “complex background.”
“Most college applications don’t have a box for Indian-Ugandans, so I checked multiple boxes trying to capture the fullness of my background,” he said, adding that he wrote “Ugandan” in a supplemental section.
But Columbia’s application also allowed “South Asian” and “Other” as options — both of which were available to him. Instead, Mamdani chose “Black or African American,” a move that could have given him an edge in a race-conscious admissions process.
Obviously, he’s still out here scamming.
Progressive Hero or Identity Fraud?
Mamdani built his political brand on being a Muslim son of immigrants, a voice for the marginalized, and a proud socialist. But this latest revelation flips that image on its head.
It exposes a cold, strategic move to hijack the lived experience of Black Americans for personal gain. Not as a misunderstanding — but as a calculated admission tactic. And now that he’s in the spotlight, he’s trying to spin it as nuance and identity complexity.
But voters — especially Black and Latino voters — are seeing through it. They saw through it during the primary, when Mamdani lost both groups despite strong support from white progressives and younger Asian voters. And they’re seeing through it now.
What Happens Next?
With the general election fast approaching, this revelation could be a turning point. Mamdani hasn’t dropped out of the race, and his campaign has gone quiet — likely hoping the story fades.
But in a city like New York, where racial identity, trust, and authenticity matter more than ever, this may haunt him far beyond his college years.
Because once you’ve scammed your way through one system, it’s fair to ask: what else are you willing to fake to get ahead?