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Opinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes a mix of guest commentaries online and in print each day. To contribute, click here. The boys and girls I coach on the Washburn High School football teams look and act just like you’d picture: loud, joyful, slightly rebellious, and full of optimism. Coaching them has been the most rewarding experience of my life. They remind me daily that a community’s first responsibility is to its young people. That core conviction drives my run to represent Ward 11 on the Minneapolis City Council. The young people I coach show up for each other. They work hard, learn from mistakes and bring out the best in those around them. As adults, we have a responsibility to mirror that same energy, to show them what it looks like to care for one another, to build systems that actually work, and to make sure no one is left behind. That starts with the basics. Minneapolis needs bold, compassionate leadership that takes care of municipal foundations: the structures that make our city work and provide stability. Stability means a well-supported police department and public safety ecosystem with the right response for every call. Stability means a city where everyone has a roof over their head that they can afford, schools are funded and safe, parks stay green, and roads are plowed. Our job is to ensure these core city services support all residents, teachers, business owners, artists and our youths so that they can thrive and show up for our city. I’m running because I know firsthand what it looks like when adults show up. When I grew up on the South Side, teachers, coaches and neighbors took care of what mattered. They made sure the gym lights at Washburn High School stayed on a little bit longer. So even if the streets weren’t safe, the court was. They steered my “spirited” energy toward productive outlets that would eventually lead me to law school, not trouble. They made sure my single mother, working on a teacher’s salary, could feed, clothe and be fully present for her two young children. They ensured that I, and kids like me, had someone in our corner. Their care not only gave me stability, but also confidence and the sense that my community believed in me. I want that for every young person in Minneapolis.
