New York City Mayor-elect Zoran Mamdani has appointed Tamika Mallory to his community safety transition team. Mallory, an activist, has openly discussed her struggles with significant prescription drug addiction, which at one point saw her taking between 20 to 30 pills daily.
Earlier this year, Mallory revealed her battle with addiction and her journey through rehab while promoting her memoir, “I Lived to Tell the Story.” She shared how her reliance on drugs coincided with her role in a nationwide protest movement.
She also reached out for help from Jason Williams, a former NBA All-Star, now involved in recovery and trauma services. In a conversation on “The Breakfast Club,” Mallory recalled how she initially called Williams pretending to seek advice for a friend. He quickly discerned her true situation and encouraged her to get genuine assistance.
“When we first contacted him, we knew he had been through a lot,” Mallory said. “I started the conversation by saying, ‘Hey, my friend is having a hard time; what should I do?’ He insisted I call back multiple times until he finally said, ‘Sister, I already see what’s going on. It’s okay.’”
In a February appearance on the “Angie Martinez Show,” Mallory traced her addiction back to stress and public expectations, compounded by a friend’s offer of Xanax. She explained how, at first, she cut pills in half, then gravitated toward stronger medications, leading to a high dependency.
“I was taking 20 to 30 pills a day,” Mallory recounted. “During one dinner, a friend warned me, ‘This is a dark hole and it’s only going to get worse, so you need to stop.’ But I was thinking, ‘But wait, this makes me feel a bit better.’ I didn’t realize how unwell I truly was.”
She highlighted how the ability to function normally while using the pills posed a unique danger, making addiction less obvious. Mallory, who is a single mother, ultimately decided to seek help after witnessing many others struggling similarly.
Her new position under Mamdani connects to her work with Until Freedom, the activist organization she co-founded. Alongside Mallory, human rights attorney Angelo Pinto and activist Mysonne Linen will also join the mayor’s public safety and criminal justice transition team.
The group expressed on social media that this appointment reflects their longstanding commitment to advocating for Black and brown communities, particularly in areas of gun violence prevention and criminal justice reform.
Mallory, who hails from Harlem, has been a prominent figure in leftist activism, often advocating for the police abolition movement. She has faced criticism surrounding her affiliations and comments regarding various political figures and topics.
Despite the scrutiny, Mallory remains focused on her mission. Discussions surrounding her past and present roles highlight the complexities of her journey, but she is committed to contributing to community safety efforts under Mayor-elect Mamdani.
