New York City’s Parks Department is telling supervisors in new woke training materials to “yield positions of power” as part of “antiracism” training, even as the agency faces a $33 million budget cut and ongoing staffing shortages across the system.
Records show the department’s Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEI) is running “microaggressions” training for senior staff, with materials aimed at leaders who oversee maintenance, safety, and daily operations across the city’s parks system, not entry-level staff.
The materials include a progression model for supervisors:
The final “Growth Zone” includes those who “promote and advocate for policies and leaders that are Anti-Racist” and “yield positions of power to those otherwise marginalized.”
One internal guide includes recommended materials from leftists race-baiters like Nikole Hannah-Jones, Ibram X. Kendi, and Robin DiAngelo, presented as part of the agency’s supervisor training. Supervisors are also directed to participate in “reflections” on race and bias, with training guides prompting them to examine their own assumptions and to create opportunities for discussions about race within their teams.
The slides include questions supervisors are expected to consider:
“Do I encourage trainings around issues concerning race, unconscious/implicit bias, and diversity and inclusion?”
“Do I create opportunities for discussing race and racism in ways that are relevant to the work in my unit?”
Those expectations apply to an agency that manages more than 1,000 playgrounds, courts, pools, and recreation facilities across the city, placing those directives on managers responsible for daily operations in widely used public spaces.
The city’s proposed budget allocates roughly $654 million to the Parks Department, about half a percent of the total budget, and $33 million less than the current level, which falls short of the long-standing push to dedicate 1 percent of the city budget to parks and recreation. That funding gap has been a consistent concern among parks advocates and outside groups.
The report details ongoing problems across the system, including maintenance backlogs and basic upkeep issues:
The Parks Department remains “short-staffed and struggles to maintain parks and recreation facilities,” with complaints about trash, outdated equipment, and needed repairs.
Testimony to the New York City Council has warned that the agency lacks enough workers to keep parks clean and safe, reinforcing concerns about whether it can even keep up with basic maintenance.
Read More: Mamdani Hammered for Statement on Infant Shot and Killed in His NYC: ‘Should Be Ashamed’
City officials point to expanded programming and increased access to low-cost recreation, with Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura saying the agency is working to expand offerings within current budget limits. The administration says it plans to increase funding over time, though that is not reflected in the current proposal, leaving the gap unfilled for now.
The documents were obtained after Mayor Zohran Mamdani took office at the start of 2026, though the exact date the slides were created is unclear.
The documents show where leadership attention is focused. The budget shows what the system is losing.
Editor’s Note: New York City is now facing the consequences of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s socialist takeover.
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