Jumaane D. Williams (/dʒuˈmɑːni/ joo-MAH-nee; born May 11, 1976) is an American activist and politician who has served as the New York City Public Advocate since 2019.

[7] Williams was elected after defeating incumbent Councilmember Kendall Stewart in the September 2009 Democratic primary by a margin of 12 points.

[15] On June 29, 2015, Mayor Bill de Blasio signed Williams's legislation, the Fair Chance Act, commonly known as Ban the Box.

700, Williams's legislation, which, along with bills sponsored by Council Speaker Melissa Mark Viverito and Council Member Dan Garodnick, established regulations for "tenant relocation specialists", people landlords employ to buy out tenants.

[17] Williams has cited his religious beliefs as an influence on his views on issues such as gay marriage and abortion.

[18][19][20] As of 2019, Williams had reportedly received a 100% rating from the Planned Parenthood of New York City Action Fund.

[25] Williams and Cynthia Nixon, who challenged incumbent governor Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, endorsed each other.

The New York Daily News broke the story of his 2009 arrest in a domestic dispute, publishing records that had been sealed, which were used by rival candidates.

[35] On September 28, 2021, Williams announced the formation of an exploratory committee to seek the Democratic nomination for governor in 2022.

[39] On September 5, 2011, during the West Indian Day Parade in Brooklyn, Williams and Kirsten John Foy, director of community relations for then-New York City Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, were arrested and handcuffed for walking along a closed-off sidewalk, after having received permission to do so from other officers.

[45] Williams was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and Tourette syndrome as a child[46] and has advocated for people with those conditions.