Fewer police, more housing: how Maya Wiley wants to transform New York

The daughter of civil rights activists says if you want to tackle Covid recovery, housing and racial justice, pick a Black woman'

When Maya Wiley announced her candidacy for New York mayor - known as the second hardest job in the US - it seemed like her resume was tailored to the moment.

It was early October last year, and the city was reeling from trauma. In the spring, New York City had been the center of the coronavirus pandemic, the city rife with ambulance sirens and hospitals erecting tents to house patients outside their overflowing doors. In the summer, thousands of New Yorkers flooded the streets to protest against the killing of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and countless other Black Americans killed at the hands of police officers.