I believe that my job is to represent my community’s point of view. As a leader, I will listen to my community and lead accordingly.

I have made it a priority in my office to have incredibly good constituent services and because of that I hear people’s stories. I’ve had the incredible good fortune to meet so many amazing people through my tenure on the Council and I have learned from all of them. I know in the end that when you listen to people and work to understand where they’re coming from, you can incorporate that into the way you approach things.

It’s why constituent service is such an important thing in our community. I feel like many people don’t feel heard and what I need to do is listen, and then I need to act and respond. Solving constituent problems helps instill confidence in the city. At the core of this basic city services are an expectation so when someone’s garbage isn’t picked up, or a corner sidewalk isn’t plowed, or someone needs help with a crime report, I believe it is my job and the job of every city council member to be there for our communities when the lights aren’t the brightest and solve those problems that keep a city healthy, happy and functioning.

Public Safety

How will you keep young Black and brown kids safe — those who are simultaneously the most at risk from gun violence but also most at risk during interactions with the police? What do you believe are best practices for solving these issues in tandem, and how will you involve the communities most affected in problem solving and determining next steps?

This question highlights the immense challenges that we face in addressing our public safety crisis in Minneapolis. Everyone no matter who they are, what they look like, or where they come from deserves to feel safe in Minneapolis. I will work to reform our public safety system and have been a strong partner with Chief Arradondo to create deep and meaningful reform while also working to keep all of our communities safe.

I have already started to make these steps a reality. I have been a leader in creating youth activities and programming and employment and training programs such as the Step Up program that employs kids over the summer and gives them career training and education opportunities. We must continue to work to give kids opportunities to be off the street through programs that work to continue education and other opportunities so they don’t have to turn to crime and violence or get put in harm’s way. I have been a leader in finding the solutions and would continue as your city council member.

People of color in Minneapolis are killed or otherwise harmed by law enforcement at disproportionately high rates, despite many attempts at reform over several election cycles. How do you intend to reshape a policing system that has been resistant to change, and slow to show meaningful strides toward equitable community outcomes?

I support a both/and approach to public safety. I believe that we need to have deep structural change in the way our policing is done, we need to have alternatives in public safety, meaning police shouldn’t respond to everything, and we need to have adequate funding and staffing of our police.

That is why I have supported the funding of the Office of Violence Prevention at record levels to include more funds for the co-responder program, where the city employs other professionals trained in disciplines that can de-escalate situations. I also support Chief Arradondo’s work to create better recruitment standards to have a police force that reflects our population and our shared values.

I was one of the main voices who brought the city in as a partner with the Northside Residents Redevelopment Council’s (NRRC) public safety ambassador program. I believe that we should look at alternative ways to address our public safety crisis including allowing community members to take the lead on stopping violent crime before it even happens. But, I also believe that police must continue to be able to respond to violent crime when it occurs.

What are your stances on memorializing public spaces when our community is grieving, and/or demanding action through constitutionally-protected protests? What policies would you put in place or what organizations would you engage to ensure residents can do these things safely?

We must allow people to be able to grieve and use these spaces to memorialize and demand action through constitutionally protected protests. I support the right to peaceful assembly and believe it is imperative for the government and law enforcement to protect that right to peaceful assembly. While this is a governmental imperative, we also must consider the communities where these spaces are being held. These communities must also be able to feel safe while these protests are happening. I will work to ensure that both the peaceful protesters and the communities feel safe, I’ve done this especially in Uptown over this last summer and believe that I have the experience to both allow protestors to engage in holding space while also listening to the communities where they are holding space to ensure that they are able to feel safe and protected as well.

Housing

Rental assistance from the federal government has helped keep people in their homes through the pandemic. This funding is not permanent, however, and inability to pay is the leading cause of evictions. What is your stance on more permanent rental assistance, rent stabilization, and/or rent control measures in Minneapolis?

I do support more permanent rental assistance and the eviction moratorium that was extended in Minnesota via state law and in Minneapolis prior to both the State and Federal Moratoriums being extended. I also support tenant protections including the renters first policy and city-funded legal services for those facing eviction. I supported moving the rent control charter amendment forward to allow citizens of Minneapolis to tell us if they believe we should enact rent stabilization because that is what the state law requires us to do should city leaders wish to enact a rent stabilization ordinance. I believe that while rent control measures could have a positive short term impact on housing costs for people on low cost apartments right now, the eventual price of housing would go up in the long term and in that way, I don’t think it is the best policy to address housing costs going forward. We have seen negative results in other cities that have enacted them. Any rent control policy needs to be nuanced and focused on what is truly happening in our marketplace.

Gentrification results in cultural loss for communities and major economic impacts for those priced out of their longtime neighborhoods. As our city grows, what plans do you have to combat gentrification and increase the amount of affordable housing available in Minneapolis?

I have spent much of my time on the City Council trying to build up our stock of affordable housing and combat gentrification. I have either directly or tangentially been involved in almost every affordable housing project that has been created in the City since I came into office. I believe that we can continue to increase the amount of affordable housing and deeply affordable housing around Minneapolis, and I have been actively involved in much of this policy work including authoring the recent Single Room Occupancy (SRO) ordinance. I have strongly supported our new inclusionary zoning policy which includes affordable housing in all market rate buildings in order to ensure mixed income housing throughout the city.

In the last few years, Minneapolis has experienced a spike in encampments of unhoused people on public land — a high percentage of whom are Black and/or Indigenous. Many of our unhoused neighbors see this as their best housing option over shelters (for reasons of personal safety, pet ownership, or having to abandon property). What will you do to protect these neighbors and connect them with safe and stable housing?

We cannot have people living in parks. That is an inhumane way to live and I believe that we are starting to figure out how to ensure people are able to live in safe and stable housing throughout Minneapolis. I have been a leader in this work, through creating more deeply affordable housingunits throughout the city. I also teamed up with a group of constituents to start the Avivo Village Tiny Homes project. This project saw the issue of people living in parks and looked at a creative way to address that. Avivo is able to house 100 homeless people throughout the city at no cost. One of my biggest priorities was to ensure that people were able to keep their pets with them as they move from being unsheltered to sheltered and make Avivo a pet friendly space so people wouldn’t have to choose between their shelter and their pet. I would continue to be a leader in bringing the City into innovative projects such as the Avivo tiny homes project. We must continue to find innovative ways like Avivo to give people stable and affordable housing.

Jobs and Economy

Black, Indigenous, and Minneapolis residents of color pay local taxes and contribute to our local economy, but often do not receive the same shared economic benefits as their white counterparts. Through generations of oppression via policy and unequal systems, wealth has been chronically and systematically extracted from BIPOCI communities—how do you envision addressing this legacy of economic harm, in both the short term and the long term?

I have been one of the leading council members to support economic inclusion on Minneapolis’ north side.
Perhaps the greatest opportunity for BIPOCI people to build wealth is through homeownership, BIPOCI communities have been hurt by predatory practices such as red-lining and predatory lending that has led to unequal access to home ownership for BIPOCI communities. I have been a leader in addressing these inequities through investing in programs that help black and brown people living on the northside purchase their homes. An example of this work includes the city partnering in building 20 townhomes in the Harrison neighborhood which will allow for renter families in the Harrison neighborhood the first option to purchase a home while offering assistance in securing a mortgage and allowing for perpetual affordability.

I have also been deeply involved in trying to build up the generational wealth of black owned businesses through the development of the Commercial Property Acquisition fund that sets aside millions of dollars so BIPOCI community members can buy the buildings where their businesses are. I will continue to support initiatives like this to help our BIPOCI communities be able to build wealth and bring long lasting change to our city.

The power dynamics of work are heavily tilted against low-wage workers, especially immigrant workers. What actions have you taken or what plans do you have to protect and support these workers?

There are tremendous challenges facing our communities as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. We must seize this moment as an opportunity to support and strengthen our workers. We have seen how adversely the pandemic affected our BIPOCI community in particular and we must use this rebuilding opportunity to find ways to support our BIPOCI workers and businesses.

As we rebuild, we must continue to ensure that living-wage jobs are the standards for all workers in our city, and that no one is taken advantage of for their labor. I was proud to be a supporter in this regard of the minimum wage increase and I fought for years to increase wages for all workers. I was a strong and early supporter in the “Hospitality Right to Recall” ordinance that makes sure workers can return to the work they know in our hotels, sports venues, and our Convention Center safely and am the candidate in this race who is endorsed by labor unions like SEIU Local 26, and Unite Here Local 17. I will continue to advocate for low-wage workers and especially BIOPCI workers as we recover to ensure they have the protection and support they need and that they have a partner at City Hall.

Racial Justice

10.Explain your understanding of systemic racism, and how—or whether—you believe it affects Minneapolis’s education systems & outcomes, our housing market, our environment, public safety, healthcare, or other major systems.

Systemic racism does affect all of the above. Whether you talk about healthcare, environment, or education it is undeniable that BIPOCI communities have been hurt by both past and present prejudices within all of our systems. We must work to support our BIPOCI communities through access to quality, affordable healthcare, through educational opportunities and through ensuring that they are given access to quality affordable housing as well. We cannot escape our past mistakes, but we must work to weed out racism in all of our systems and work to be anti-racist. It is not enough to be against racism, we must work to weed out all forms of racism and truly work to support our BIPOCI communities in Minneapolis.

Our community suffers from some of the greatest racial disparities in the country across many social, educational, and economic metrics—and has for some time. If you’re in government now, what have you done to address this, and do you feel your efforts have been enough despite the lack of change? And if you’re seeking office for the first time, what ideas are you going to put forward that haven’t already failed?

We can and must always do more to correct the racial disparities in our city. I have been working tirelessly since being elected into office to make concrete changes mainly through economic policy and believe we have made some progress. We have financed the creation of more affordable housing and deeply affordable housing in our city since I have been in office than any other time in Minneapolis history. I believe we can continue building upon that by working to continue to create affordable housing throughout our city.

Climate

Climate change is already upon us, and its causes are on such a large scale that we can’t expect everyday Minneapolitans to recycle or LED bulb our way to a solution. How would you encourage businesses in our city to adopt practices to mitigate climate change, and/or hold them accountable for practices that worsen it?

I have been a leader on sustainability and implementing a green economy in Minneapolis. I was the leader in implementing the Target Center green roof 15 years ago and more recently was a leader in moving forward the City plan to power our city with 100% green energy by 2040. These are attainable goals, but we need to continue to do more. That is why I will continue to make it a top priority to support green jobs and initiatives in Minneapolis, I will continue to support creating green infrastructure, and I will continue to hold bad actors accountable as I did with signing onto a letter supporting Community Members for Environmental Justice
intervention in Northern Metals most recent fire.

I will continue to support the city taking decisive action on the climate and will continue to work to pass green initiatives in hopes of moving the city closer to being carbon neutral.

Voters’ Rights

What have you done or what will you do to protect and expand voter access in your ward/Minneapolis?

I support and pushed for no excuse early voting and know the importance of maintaining and creating as many polling locations as we can across the city on election day. We must continue to remove barriers to voting. Minneapolis just had some of the highest participation rates in years in the 2020 election. We saw 81% of Minneapolis residents vote and in my ward, we saw 82% of residents vote. That is an astounding participation rate. We have done a lot of work to make it easier to vote including having early voting starting earlier, making it easier to request an absentee ballot, and reducing barriers to voting by giving ballots in multiple languages. I will continue to support common sense reforms to make it easier for Minneapolis residents, especially BIPOCI residents, to vote and will oppose any effort by the Federal or State legislature or anyone in the city to make it harder to vote.

Governance

Who are the people and/or organizations that would be part of your decision-making process in office?

I believe that the main people who should be giving you advice as an elected official are your constituents. I try to involve my constituents in the decision-making process and have them lead me to the best outcome. My constituents more often than not are the leaders and experts in my decision making process and I will continue to be a leader and resource for them in bringing them in to help me make the best decisions for our city.

Last Word

What’s one thing you think Minneapolis does well that you’d like to build upon if elected?

I believe that we are a resilient city where so many people have come together to address the challenges that have been highlighted this past year. I would like to ensure that we continue to highlight these challenges and keep open lines of communication so that we can continue to work together to rebuild our city in a more equitable way for all of our residents. Minneapolis is a progressive city and we must continue to build upon that progress and use the resilience and the passion of our residents to truly make our city a better place for all.

I believe that you must be seen demonstrating your values in order to be believed. I am a “first responder” in my Neighborhood, an organizer of Neighbors, as well as caretaker to a 73yr old Queer Black Elder on my block. I was an Afro-Latin Latinx “Community solidarity” demonstrator on Lake St. last year, and was part of the #true612 resistance during the George Floyd uprising. I stood with Drake Hotel Survivors. I am quietly in contact with power holders urging them to act in the interests of our Community. As someone who has been in the City since ’94, I am dedicated to protecting space, place, and Community.

Public Safety

How will you keep young Black and brown kids safe — those who are simultaneously the most at risk from gun violence but also most at risk during interactions with the police? What do you believe are best practices for solving these issues in tandem, and how will you involve the communities most affected in problem solving and determining next steps?

As a Councilmember—who happens to be Minnesota raised, Black, Queer, Latino, an Entrepreneur, and Immigrant—it will be my duty to reach those most at-risk first. I will connect Youth and those most impacted to life-saving services or create those services where there are gaps.

I am close to the streets and the various Communities that make up the fabric of our City. I have deep near-30yr. relationships in Minneapolis and strong ties to the people that the W7 incumbent and other challengers do not have. I am able to enter spaces where the others are unwilling, or afraid to go. I know our City. I am ready to convene Youth and those most impacted with established stakeholders, policy makers, Boots-on-the-Ground, and Faith Orgs. in order to co-create a new narrative based on our highest common values. I am committed to work towards bringing an end to the 24yr. criminalization industrial complex that is Lisa Goodman’s Downtown Minneapolis.

People of color in Minneapolis are killed or otherwise harmed by law enforcement at disproportionately high rates, despite many attempts at reform over several election cycles. How do you intend to reshape a policing system that has been resistant to change, and slow to show meaningful strides toward equitable community outcomes?

As a Councilmember who is Black, I have a vested interest in seeing a complete narrative change. I am ready to roll up my sleeves and do the difficult work that Lisa, and decades worth of leaders have failed, never even attempted, or cared to do. I have little patience for candidates who have no idea about “this life” pontificating about re-imagining something that effects my people disproportionately and by association—all Minneapolitans. When we are sick, out of shape, and with a heart problem the Doctor asks us to eat right, exercise, look within, and make broad lifestyle changes. I am ready to work with, and demand from Law Enforcement a slimmed down, healthy, engaged, and professional Peace Keeping Organization that exemplifies our #true612 values.

Coming from small business, I am accustomed to being expected to bring positive results.

I am also ready to work with (in a far deeper capacity than we’ve ever seen from Lisa) and ask more of BIPOC Communities. We kill our own more than the Police kill us. We’ve got to rebuild a Black (ADOS) community that has been systemically defunded for a century—definitely since the Plymouth Riots of the late 60s. We are experiencing the outcomes of systemic racism, disenfranchisement, destruction of public schools, and the crushing of a Community’s heart.

It’s time to co-create the next Minneapolis Miracle and this next miracle includes our Youth, Black (ADOS) and Native Communities.

What are your stances on memorializing public spaces when our community is grieving, and/or demanding action through constitutionally-protected protests? What policies would you put in place or what organizations would you engage to ensure residents can do these things safely?

I stand with 38th Street. I stand with Communities in grief. I have shown this at the Drake, at Mercado Central after it was ransacked, at GFS, and Uptown. I will work as a mediator and liaison between Community, Law Enforcement, and the City. I will hold all parties accountable in every attempt to keep our people safe. I will ask Faith Orgs. to step up and lead and Boots-on-the-Ground to holistically do their part. I will listen to and uplift the voices of our Community’s most impacted. I will counsel the Mayor to distance him/her/themselves and our City from any Org., Individual, or agenda that furthers us from our values and a united approach to healing our pain.

Housing

Rental assistance from the federal government has helped keep people in their homes through the pandemic. This funding is not permanent, however, and inability to pay is the leading cause of evictions. What is your stance on more permanent rental assistance, rent stabilization, and/or rent control measures in Minneapolis?

I ran on rent control/stabilization in ’17 when most of the current proponents said it “doesn’t work”. I believe in a nuanced and targeted approach to rent stabilization and will work with Renters and Landlords to shape a program that works for Minneapolis. I am a staunch supporter of Public Housing and lend my voice to that cause whenever Activists ask me to show up. I was working with these groups before ’21 when it became stylish. I will not abandon Renters, or Public Housing Residents EVER. I am the only Candidate for Ward 7 who lives in (deeply) affordable housing and have since ’94.

Gentrification results in cultural loss for communities and major economic impacts for those priced out of their longtime neighborhoods. As our city grows, what plans do you have to combat gentrification and increase the amount of affordable housing available in Minneapolis?

I am one of Minneapolis’ full-time anti-gentrification activists/talking heads. I fought MPLS2040 which I recognize as a developer driven trickle-down economic investor give-away. This YIMBY constructed plan has no path to racial or economic equity built into it as a verifiable mechanism or policy prescription. Additionally, no YIMBY plan known to man has ever created the equity it sells. Rent Stabilization, Historic Neighborhood/building preservation and designation, Public Housing, and a full re-organization of our priorities are within my suite of prescriptions to bring relief to Working Class, Elderly, Differently-Abled, Student, historically screwed Black (ADOS), Native, and other POC Minneapolitans. Where Lisa gives out Affordable Housing Trust Fund gifts to the most needy every 20 years, I will make it a central priority of our office for however much time I am given to bring results to our Community from the 7th Ward Council seat.

In the last few years, Minneapolis has experienced a spike in encampments of unhoused people on public land — a high percentage of whom are Black and/or Indigenous. Many of our unhoused neighbors see this as their best housing option over shelters (for reasons of personal safety, pet ownership, or having to abandon property). What will you do to protect these neighbors and connect them with safe and stable housing?

I disagree. I have seen a broad stroke of Humanity in these encampments not just Black and Brown or Indigenous Folks. This is the narrative transforming I speak of.

I will demonstrate our values. I will work with organizations that ACTUALLY do the work beyond rhetoric to house and or create housing to mitigate this ongoing crisis. However, I will also hold these Communities accountable to assist in their own safety thus assuring Women, Differently-Abled, those experiencing addiction and Children are safe.

If we leave unhoused Neighbors open to trafficking, drug pushing, and unsanitary conditions we are no better than those who would criminalize, ship off to a different City, or kill those Neighbors who have been left behind by late-stage Capitalism and the abandonment of our core values.

I’m interested in “Encampments that Work” and will be excited to work with City, Park Board, County, and non -profit partners in holding ourselves accountable to deal with the problems created by a system we all partake in.

Jobs and Economy

Black, Indigenous, and Minneapolis residents of color pay local taxes and contribute to our local economy, but often do not receive the same shared economic benefits as their white counterparts. Through generations of oppression via policy and unequal systems, wealth has been chronically and systematically extracted from BIPOC communities—how do you envision addressing this legacy of economic harm, in both the short term and the long term?

I am Black. I will work on behalf of not only all Minneapolitans, but those Minneapolitans who look like, speak like, and live like me.

Similar to our public safety challenges, I have a vested interest in—and storied small business background of—”doing this work”.

For 22yrs. as a small businessperson, I created economic opportunities for Minnesotans who otherwise would not have received them. I look at public office as a natural evolution of this work.

I want to transform Downtown Minneapolis into an economic generator of the State that exemplifies our values in real time. I have ideas on how to “encourage” greater diversity and access to good paying jobs. I also am dedicated to growing the Local Small Business sector. This was my Community for 22+ years. I am perfectly positioned to help communicate our values to the Downtown Council, Business Community, and non-profit small business incubators—and see results.

When more Minneapolitans (especially Native and Black or ADOS Communities) feel they have an ownership stake in the City, we will begin to see the emergence of the next Minneapolis Miracle.

The power dynamics of work are heavily tilted against low-wage workers, especially immigrant workers. What actions have you taken or what plans do you have to protect and support these workers?

I stand with Organized Labor that stands with people of the New Minneapolis and represents our #tru612 values. I will not tolerate labor trafficking in Ward 7 (especially in the development and construction sector) and will defend Latino workers whilst demanding a long overdue share of the pie for Native and Black (ADOS) laborers. Supporting equitable and nuanced avenues into trades (education etc.) and trade unions will be central to this.

Racial Justice

Explain your understanding of systemic racism, and how—or whether—you believe it affects Minneapolis’s education systems & outcomes, our housing market, our environment, public safety, healthcare, or other major systems.

I am Black. I grew up here. I have been whipped, spit on, called every name in the book, and abused all before the age of 18. I had already-chewed gum put in my hand—out of her mouth—by Lisa Goodman in front of a room of mostly white Minneapolitans. Arch-racism and its insidious systems are real and they pervade every aspect of our society.

I know the true dark heart of Minnesota. I am here to make sure that darkness doesn’t take over and sully the truth of who we are today and what we can be tomorrow. I want a better Minnesota for the Children in my Family and yours.

It is time to accept the fact that “our” Grandfathers made horrific, racist, anti-“Indian”, anti-Black, anti-Semitic policies that have come home to roost in the last few years if not slowly since the creation of this State. Once we take responsibility for our not-so-distant past, we can move forward together into a bright future built on common goals, common values, and our common humanity. This is in the best interests of Minnesota.

Our community suffers from some of the greatest racial disparities in the country across many social, educational, and economic metrics—and has for some time. If you’re in government now, what have you done to address this, and do you feel your efforts have been enough despite the lack of change? And if you’re seeking office for the first time, what ideas are you going to put forward that haven’t already failed?

I’m not sure that there has ever been legitimate support in this town for disenfranchised Communities. Lisa will talk about Lydia House, “supporting” the first Black Chief of Police, AVIVO etc. She takes credit for myriad others’ work whilst doing the least to leverage her incredible power (amassed over 24yrs), and the power of the 7th ward in the interests of mitigating racial and economic disparities.

I support the Black (ADOS) Community in having a key role in shaping the botched Upper Harbor Terminal project. I support truth and reconciliation that leads to fully funding our Public Schools, and incubating small business and homeownership opportunities where once a thriving Black Community had been pre 1967.

I support Little Earth and E. Phillips in fighting for a chance to breath clean air and the establishment of an Indoor Garden that will economically uplift that Great Community in a Green way. I will work to help uplift Native voices and leadership that will hopefully result in our first Native American Mayor, and or Governor.

I will stand with La Comunidad Corriente, and all the Immigrant Small Businesses, and Neighbors along Lake Street in rebuilding a Lake Street that does not land in the hands of those who burnt our City down.

I will continue to fight for economic, social, and holistic opportunities for all Minneapolitans—especially those who have been historically left out and or destroyed.

Climate

Climate change is already upon us, and its causes are on such a large scale that we can’t expect everyday Minneapolitans to recycle or LED bulb our way to a solution. How would you encourage businesses in our city to adopt practices to mitigate climate change, and/or hold them accountable for practices that worsen it?

I will ask to most capable and well positioned among us to lead by example. I will also view this as a concrete form of reparations to Native and Black (ADOS) Communities that had for a century been redlined into the worst environmental situations known to man.

This is an area where City, County, and State Government MUST lead. It is also a natural area for Big Local Business to lead. No more corporate side-talk. No more low expectations or thinking that being invited to a meeting of the Clean Energy Partnership symbolizes a win. It is time to see results and move from aspiration to action.

Minnesota is a State that always valued our natural resources above anything else. It is time to defend and live up to the traditions that have made Minnesota great.

As I’ve said before, our proximity to water is the envy of the nation. It is time to demonstrate and reboot our commitment to what makes us special.

Voters’ Rights

What have you done or what will you do to protect and expand voter access in your ward/Minneapolis?

Civic/Voter education and engagement is key and it can’t just happen during an election cycle. In office, I will be in the schools, on the streets, and in the rooms of engagement working with, educating, and uplifting Community. A more involved and educated electorate will elect better representatives.

Governance

Who are the people and/or organizations that would be part of your decision-making process in office?

The City (especially those most impacted and historically disenfranchised) will be my partner in co-creating this next Minneapolis Miracle. It is literally the only way to avoid impending municipal catastrophe like we’ve seen slowly growing over these past 24 years.

It is time to pass the baton to a new generation of leadership that reflects the changing fabric of who we are as a City. Holding on to old systems and leaders who no longer serve us is killing the very heart of Minneapolis. It is time for change.

Last Word

What’s one thing you think Minneapolis does well that you’d like to build upon if elected?

Despite it all, Minneapolis seems to attract the best, most creative, most open-minded and willing of the Mid-West. We have produced some of the world’s best talent across of variety of industries, and artforms. I am running to protect, defend, and spread this fertile soil so that our great American City continues to produce narrative busting Agents of Change.

I’ve spent my entire life showing up, leading, and fighting for justice. I do this work not for performance, but because I believe in building a world where all of us have the freedom and liberation we deserve. One of my proudest moments was playing a key campaign role in developing the conversations-based training and organizing to defeat the marriage amendment in 2012 and going on to win the freedom to marry in 2013. I’m proud to have worked alongside so many passionate people to build the largest grassroots campaign in Minnesota history, to have engaged Minnesotans in deeply personal conversations, and to make history for all of us.

Public Safety

How will you keep young Black and brown kids safe — those who are simultaneously the most at risk from gun violence but also most at risk during interactions with the police? What do you believe are best practices for solving these issues in tandem, and how will you involve the communities most affected in problem solving and determining next steps?

We need to transition to a system of public safety that is rooted in care for everyone. Unfortunately, our system for the last 150 plus years has been a system that is only about criminalization, not care. I want to change that.

In order for us to build this system, we must ensure that our young people and their families not only have their basic needs met, but that they have what they need to thrive. This means access to affordable housing, good jobs, healthcare and mental health services, and it means that our young people are in school and supported to grow. This system starts with a new Department of Public Safety that will ensure that we have a more holistic approach to public safety so when young people are “misbehaving,” they are not criminalized, but instead are reached out to with care and support. Gun violence and other forms of violence do not happen in a vacuum. They happen when our most needy and marginalized feel they don’t have any other opportunities. They happen when we choose to criminalize them instead of taking care of them. They happen when we don’t see all of us as our neighbors. I’m running to change that paradigm to create a better future for all our young people.

People of color in Minneapolis are killed or otherwise harmed by law enforcement at disproportionately high rates, despite many attempts at reform over several election cycles. How do you intend to reshape a policing system that has been resistant to change, and slow to show meaningful strides toward equitable community outcomes?

Again, we must transition to a more holistic approach to public safety that is rooted in care, not criminalization. Here’s how we get there:

First, we must identify the causes of violence and stop it before it starts. That means ensuring that everyone in our city has stable housing, access to dignified work, and supportive healthcare. It also means investing in proven, community-based violence prevention strategies like violence interrupters that de-escalate situations in culturally relevant ways.

Second, we must center care when emergencies do arise. We must immediately transition unnecessary duties away from police to other departments better equipped to respond.

At the same time, we need to hold our current police force accountable. We need to establish real, enforceable systems of discipline that allow us to quickly identify and remove abusive officers.

Lastly, I support the charter amendment that would create a new department of public safety to push us towards a more holistic approach to safety.

We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform how we keep our city safe. I look forward to working with you to meet this moment, and make that vision a reality, together.

What are your stances on memorializing public spaces when our community is grieving, and/or demanding action through constitutionally-protected protests? What policies would you put in place or what organizations would you engage to ensure residents can do these things safely?

Our communities must have space to gather, demonstrate, heal and grieve through times of injustice and violence. We should recognize and support the grieving happening in areas like George Floyd Square. Unfortunately, our city has taken a hostile and violent approach to confronting protesters with little transparency or community engagement. The city’s lack of transparency, early morning raids, questions as to how the clearing of GFS was funded, and use of AGAPE are unacceptable.

I believe the city’s role in this process is as a facilitator convening different community groups and neighbors to make these decisions together. These spaces bring different interests and it is crucial that the city does not make decisions on the community’s behalf. I will work to create a full engagement policy for public demonstrations and mourning spaces, to ensure that their human rights and civil liberties are protected at all times and work with them to stop the tragic events that lead to the grieving in the first place. The city must ask questions, actively listen, and follow the lead of communities.

Housing

Rental assistance from the federal government has helped keep people in their homes through the pandemic. This funding is not permanent, however, and inability to pay is the leading cause of evictions. What is your stance on more permanent rental assistance, rent stabilization, and/or rent control measures in Minneapolis?

Many Minneapolis renters live at the mercy of their landlords. Each year thousands of neighbors are displaced from their homes because a landlord decides to increase the rent, sell a building or arbitrarily not renew a lease. We can stop the vicious cycle of displacement by enacting strong renter protections.

We must ensure that rental assistance is permanent. I support a strong rent stabilization policy that would stop corporate landlords from raising rents drastically beyond what their tenants can afford. I also support giving tenants the first opportunity to purchase their buildings before outside investors. Lastly, I support requiring landlords to detail just cause for non-renewal of leases and assure that every tenant facing eviction is given a lawyer.

But these solutions are all band-aids. What’s needed now more than ever, is a new landscape of housing in Minneapolis. Our future is a community-centered housing ecosystem that treats housing as a right, not a commodity. This means we need more public housing and other community ownership models, like land trusts and housing cooperatives to ensure everyone can afford a home to live in.

Gentrification results in cultural loss for communities and major economic impacts for those priced out of their longtime neighborhoods. As our city grows, what plans do you have to combat gentrification and increase the amount of affordable housing available in Minneapolis?

Community development must start at the community level. Minneapolis has so many wonderful, thriving neighborhoods due to the diverse people and businesses that call our city home. We must invest our money back into our existing communities, not to out-of-state corporate developers. Businesses in communities of color should be built up by having strong supporting organizations and accessible financing options. We also must be transparent when decisions are being made. Often, decisions regarding development are made by billionaire developers and with little say from residents. When I serve in council, the community will be the major stakeholder in any decision making process, especially in regards to development.

In order for us to increase the amount of affordable housing in Minneapolis we need to actually build more affordable units. Unfortunately, the city is not building enough housing at the most affordable levels – 30% of area median income. That’s why I’m calling for 1,500 new deeply affordable units over the next 10 years. We can do this by creating a dedicated funding stream for deeply affordable units, by using our HRA levy, and through city and state bonding.

In the last few years, Minneapolis has experienced a spike in encampments of unhoused people on public land — a high percentage of whom are Black and/or Indigenous. Many of our unhoused neighbors see this as their best housing option over shelters (for reasons of personal safety, pet ownership, or having to abandon property). What will you do to protect these neighbors and connect them with safe and stable housing?

Everyone deserves safe and stable housing. First, I will work to engage encampment residents who are experts on their own experience. Listening to those experiencing houselessness would provide the foundation to building effective, coordinated, and culturally competent outreach services. We need to be creative about delivering additional short and long-term housing options that give people access to safe places to sleep and physical addresses. Minneapolis can and should use existing unused city spaces to temporarily house our homeless. During the pandemic, the Minneapolis Convention Center, US Bank Stadium, Target Center, Target Field, and other buildings funded by taxpayers, could have been used to house our homeless, but instead, they stayed empty. That was a choice. We must do better.

We also must work diligently to alleviate the problem by addressing the issues that cause temporary homelessness in Minneapolis by passing strong renter protections, workers rights legislation, and public health initiatives. Finally, there is a lack of investment in mental health at encampments. The current ARP budget for the first wave of funding lacks any serious funding for mental health services. We must provide vulnerable communities with mental health and substance use disorder resources by meeting residents of encampments where they are regarding their disabilities and marginalization as well as work with harm reduction groups to ensure that the wellbeing of residents is secured.

Jobs and Economy

Black, Indigenous, and Minneapolis residents of color pay local taxes and contribute to our local economy, but often do not receive the same shared economic benefits as their white counterparts. Through generations of oppression via policy and unequal systems, wealth has been chronically and systematically extracted from BIPOC communities—how do you envision addressing this legacy of economic harm, in both the short term and the long term?

There is so much that we need to do as a city to unwind and detangle the systemic racism that exists in our city.

In the immediate, first, we must invest more into the Department of Civil Rights. Our Department of Civil Rights can be a strong advocate in promoting justice, but unfortunately they are underfunded and understaffed. If we want to really do more to enforce our civil rights laws in our city, and expand the scope of what our city can do to fight for racial justice, we need to invest more in our Department of Civil Rights.

Second, we need to use our city’s spend on local small businesses of color. Our city consistently does not meet goals for hiring workers of color and contracting with businesses of color. We need to hold contractors accountable to meeting these goals.

Third, jobs. We need to do better in connecting, training, and supporting young people to all the jobs that are out there right now. Let’s be the strong connector that we should be to helping both our workforce and our businesses thrive.

Fourth, investment. We must invest into our communities, our small businesses, our neighborhoods, and our community organizations. These investments must go directly into our communities, not corporate developers.

Lastly, reparations. Minneapolis can and should lead the way in providing direct cash as reparations for slavery and indigenous genocide.

In the long term: we need to shift power. We all know how systems of power work. We know who city officials listen to. It’s those who are wealthier, homeowners and business owners, and those who are white. Power must be given back to those who traditionally have less in order for us to truly create an equitable and just society.

The power dynamics of work are heavily tilted against low-wage workers, especially immigrant workers. What actions have you taken or what plans do you have to protect and support these workers?

Our low wage and migrant workers face harsh working conditions, little labor representation, and wage theft from the corporations that employ them. I plan to expand our current labor accountability system in Minneapolis and advocate for the State of Minnesota to do the same in order to to increase oversight and develop more streamlined approaches for reporting violations. I also pledge to explore real, impactful consequences for companies that continuously violate the welfare of workers in order to hold them accountable. There is also a lack of training in low-wage jobs, where time is not taken to train employees properly leading to accidents. I will ensure that thorough training is provided for workers so they can perform their jobs safely and successfully. Next, we must push for more diversity in management to end the constant white dominance found in the upper levels of business. Finally, I recognize PCA’s and nursing home workers (many of whom are people of color and immigrant workers) as essential workers doing essential eservices and so should the city. We must work to keep these workers protected from any type of workplace infraction for the welfare of the healthcare worker and the people they serve.

Racial Justice

Explain your understanding of systemic racism, and how—or whether—you believe it affects Minneapolis’s education systems & outcomes, our housing market, our environment, public safety, healthcare, or other major systems.

Racism is deeply rooted in every aspect of our city and country’s history. Decades of racial covenants, redlining, gentrification, exclusionary zoning, and bulldozing of the homes of residents of color has led to profound effects on generational wealth and wellbeing. This is commonly seen through educational achievement gaps that are caused by property taxes funding schools. We have chosen to place freeways, harmful energy facilities, and other hazardous sites in black and brown communities leading to both environmental and health emergencies in these areas. Our hospitals in these areas are also underfunded and lacking staff. There is also a pattern of food deserts and access to communities of color which leads to health problems as well. As far as public safety goes, black and brown children are more likely to be both brutalized by police officers and victims of gun violence. Systemic racism is also rooted into our public services like 311, with the majority of calls and responses coming from white residents and a lack of equitable maintenance of our public infrastructure.

These are just a few examples out of countless examples of how systemic racism is ingrained in every piece of our city.

Our community suffers from some of the greatest racial disparities in the country across many social, educational, and economic metrics—and has for some time. If you’re in government now, what have you done to address this, and do you feel your efforts have been enough despite the lack of change? And if you’re seeking office for the first time, what ideas are you going to put forward that haven’t already failed?

It’s important to note that just because something has been tried before does not mean it is a failure. Additionally, while I am well aware of the countless changes that need to be made, I am also well aware that I am one person. For that reason, I am focusing on three areas where I feel I can make substantial change.

First, we must create a more holistic approach to safety. That starts with creating a new department of public safety that still includes the police, but includes other public safety aspects like violence prevention, homelessness outreach, unarmed responders, and more. I am excited to work with our communities and government to create a system that works better for everyone.

Second, we need more public housing. Public housing in Minneapolis is not succeeding because we choose not to invest in it at the local and federal level. I will work with partners in Minneapolis, in Minnesota, and across our country to invest more money into public housing and build more public housing units across our city. In cities like Singapore, over 80% of their housing is public housing because they’ve made a commitment to make housing a social good. We can make the same commitment in Minneapolis.

Lastly, we must strengthen our democracy. As the Civic Engagement Director at the MN Department of Human Rights, I made it easier for communities to engage with their state government. I will do the same in Minneapolis. We need to create better systems not only for residents to engage with the government, but also for residents to engage with each other, cultivate trust together, and develop policy together. This starts with our budgeting process. That’s why I support participatory budgeting across our city and am excited to bring this process to all residents.

Climate

Climate change is already upon us, and its causes are on such a large scale that we can’t expect everyday Minneapolitans to recycle or LED bulb our way to a solution. How would you encourage businesses in our city to adopt practices to mitigate climate change, and/or hold them accountable for practices that worsen it?

All of us deserve clean air, water and confidence in a stable future — regardless of our zip code — however many neighborhoods are impacted by high asthma rates from air pollution, soil contamination and more. I have a record of standing up for communities and as the Civic Engagement Director at the Department of Human Rights. Climate justice and racial justice are inherently interconnected. We know that often, communities most marginalized face the largest brunt of our climate injustice. Northern Metals, the HERC, and Line 3, are just a few examples of how our extractive and toxic economy harms BIPOC communities.

As such when a large company or business makes a decision that harms our city environmentally, it is important that they face consequences. I will support fines that truly match the impact that is caused by decisions made by businesses and charge the cost of maintenance for any city involvement in righting this environmental wrong. I also am in favor of revoking business licenses for numerous violations. Finally, we must pursue better education for businesses and workers on environmentally safe practices. While there are plenty of examples of egregious infractions, there are also infractions caused by businesses or employees not knowing better. Our city government should take the lead on working towards promoting better practices and supporting businesses making good-faith efforts to comply.

Voters’ Rights

What have you done or what will you do to protect and expand voter access in your ward/Minneapolis?

Voting is a sacred right that we must fight to protect and expand. Whether at the Department of Human Rights, working at CAAL, or through political campaigns, over my career, protecting our democratic institutions through new voter registration and engagement has always been a priority. By far the most important thing we can do to protect and expand voter access within our city is create more engagement and accessibility around elections. At the doors, we come across residents every day that are unaware that an election is taking place in November. We must do better to educate voters on when elections are and how to register to vote. This outreach must be completely accessible for people with disabilities, black and brown communities, and communities that speak languages other than English. Next, we must make Election Day a holiday in the city. Nobody should miss an election because of work and should have ample time to participate in our democracy without retaliation. Finally, we must ensure that our formerly incarcerated residents know their rights around participating in our democracy. There are people in our communities who might not be aware of their rights and it should be our city’s priority to extend education to them.

Governance

Who are the people and/or organizations that would be part of your decision-making process in office?

I believe strong partnerships with community organizations are critical to good governance. I pushed for this with all the community organizations I worked for and when I worked in government at the Department of Human Rights. As an organizer, I believe partnerships are about deep relationships. They are about being in community together. They are about building a collective vision and working together to make that happen. This is the framework that I will take into city hall.

To that end, I will include community members and the residents of Ward 7 in every step of my policy decision making process and will have an open door policy. Some of the many great community groups doing work in our city that I will engage with include: labor unions, LGBTQ+ groups, organizations led by indigenous people, immigrants, people of color, arts organizations, neighborhood associations, democracy-led organizations, disability organizations, renters organizations, and the countless other organizations doing on the ground work to make our city better. Finally, I will work with small businesses that provide vibrancy and culture to our city in order to give them the resources they need to keep our business corridors successful.

Last Word

What’s one thing you think Minneapolis does well that you’d like to build upon if elected?

Our city has an acclaimed system of recreational and transportation facilities. We are consistently rated as one of the most bikeable cities as well as having one of the best parks systems. I hope to make our current system more equitable. Neighborhood parks are not nearly as well funded as our city’s featured parks, especially not in our black and brown neighborhoods. I hope to bring the excellent recreational facilities found in Loring Park, Kenwood Park, and others to neighborhoods across the Northside and Southeast Minneapolis. I also hope to expand our bicycle infrastructure in communities of color so everyone in any part of the city can enjoy the benefits that come with this healthy, sustainable, and affordable mode of transportation and reduce car dependency.