Story perspectives

Mayor Appoints Shawn Smith-Cruz, Champion for LGBTQ+ History

4/22/2026

Summary

Story summary

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani appointed Shawn(ta) Smith-Cruz, a Black lesbian archivist, as commissioner of the Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS).
The appointment signals Mamdani's commitment to LGBTQ+ leadership.
Smith-Cruz brings nearly two decades of archives experience and will oversee preservation of historical materials and public records requests.
She aims to include marginalized voices in city’s historical narrative amid national concerns about LGBTQ+ history and information access.

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Story summary

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani appointed Shawn(ta) Smith-Cruz, a Black lesbian archivist, as commissioner of the Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS).
The appointment signals Mamdani's commitment to LGBTQ+ leadership.
Smith-Cruz brings nearly two decades of archives experience and will oversee preservation of historical materials and public records requests.
She aims to include marginalized voices in city’s historical narrative amid national concerns about LGBTQ+ history and information access.