Billionaire heiress backing Zohran Mamdani linked to nationwide woke math push
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Philanthropist and billionaire heiress Liz Simons, known for her generous donations, recently contributed $250,000 to New Yorkers for Lower Costs, a Political Action Committee (PAC) supporting Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani. Reports suggest that Simons oversees a foundation that is spearheading the introduction of “woke math” into public schools.
Critics, as highlighted by the New York Post, have expressed concerns that this math program is designed to indoctrinate children with socialist ideologies.
The traditional approach to math problems focuses on numerical solutions, while “woke math” incorporates social issues into the equations, moving away from a solely numbers-based curriculum. While some states like California have embraced this approach, others, such as Florida, have rejected it.
Heising-Simons Foundation’s Support for Racial Justice in Mathematics
The Heising-Simons Foundation, co-founded by Liz Simons and her husband Mark Heising, has reportedly donated $1.7 million since 2023 to the Racial Justice in Early Mathematics (RJEM) Project at Chicago’s Erikson Institute. This initiative aims to address systemic racial injustices in math education for young learners.
Established in December 2019, the RJEM Project is led by Dr. Jennifer McCray of the Erikson Institute and Dr. Danny Bernard Martin of the University of Illinois Chicago. The project seeks to spark conversations about racism in early math education and empower educators to promote racial justice within their teaching practices.
Political Support for Zohran Mamdani
Zohran Mamdani, a self-proclaimed Democratic socialist, secured the Democratic nomination for New York City mayor, garnering support from figures like Rep. Jerry Nadler and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Despite his progressive platform, some establishment Democrats, like Sen. Chuck Schumer, have been more reserved in their endorsements.
Mamdani recently held an event in Brooklyn alongside Sen. Bernie Sanders, emphasizing their shared commitment to fighting against oligarchy.
For inquiries, Fox News Digital reached out to the Heising-Simons Foundation for a statement but has not received a response at this time.
