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I worked with Hennepin County to bring HIV prevention and care to Black and brown communities. As the lead minister of Plymouth Congregational Church, I led volunteers, advocates and community members in supporting our unhoused neighbors and those struggling. And as the co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign, I saw the power of people’s care for each other. I decided to run for mayor as it became apparent that Donald Trump was going to win in the presidential race. I knew that our care for our neighbors would make us a target of this administration, and I knew we needed collaborative, compassionate leadership now more than ever. For the past eight years, our city has been stuck — the gridlock, cynicism and antagonism coming out of City Hall is having real consequences on our neighbors. Minneapolis, we deserve better. We deserve a city that ensures that no matter how much we make, we have a safe and stable home. We need to address the encampment crisis with providers, not police, and work with the county and state to get people help before encampments form. We need more affordable housing, and we need to make sure people can stay in their homes by increasing tenant protections and finding ways to increase our tax base without relying on homeowners. When I co-chaired the city’s Community Safety Workgroup, we made concrete recommendations to Mayor Jacob Frey for police accountability and training, mental health response and accountable violence interruption. Instead of taking those recommendations seriously, Frey has focused on superficial wins over the hard work of change. We deserve a city that ensures everyone’s safety by investing in communities, preventing harm and ensuring when people call for help, they get the help they need. Above all, we deserve a mayor who unites us, and doesn’t divide us. We deserve a mayor who will take action for the good of our communities, not to further their political ambitions or ideologies. We have the potential to solve the pressing issues our city faces, if we elect an experienced, compassionate mayor who shares our care for each other.
