City elections in Minneapolis, Minnesota (2020)

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Housing

I believe that housing is a human right, and public housing is the best tool we currently have to provide it. Housing insecurity is growing, and I believe that the City Council should do everything it can to provide people stability. I know what precariousness is like. I barely had proper accommodation when I moved to Minnesota, but it was through the kindness of others that I prospered.

I believe we should give as many people that chance as possible. We have the means to build what we need, and there are plenty of people willing to work to help out. In our community, over half of the residents make less than 35,000 dollars a year. How are we supposed to pay rent at current rates? How are young people supposed to build a life without the foundation of adequate housing? Each of us is a vital element of our community, and we all deserve a place to live. Since I moved here, I have helped more than 900 families into affordable housing. These systems are often complicated and unfair, but I have seen what's possible when there is a positive result. I want to do everything I can to make sure that happens more, and I think we can do much better.

Jobs

In the coming months, making sure that Ward 6 residents have fair work for fair wages is going to be more important than ever. For the past fifteen years I have done my best to help people in our community find jobs. I have partnered with Alina Health to train East African EMTs, as we need first responders who can speak our languages and understand our culture more than ever.

I have also volunteered with Metro Transit to help people find jobs as drivers and mechanics to get us where we need to go, and with EMERGE to provide CDL training, ensuring we have Owner-Operator truckers ready to provide us with what we need. Our ward has no shortage of young people who are looking for something to do with their lives, and we owe it to them to make sure they have good options. Our world is changing rapidly, but the one thing we don't have is a shortage of people ready to work, and I believe that, with my experience and your vote, we can all find new ways to help each other.

COVID-19

COVID-19 is a slow, evolving disaster that is going to affect all of our lives in ways we can't foresee. What we have seen, thus far, is that the response from the federal government, and our state, is going to be intricate, and hard to navigate. The Paycheck Protection Plan is already notoriously hard to secure a loan from, and disproportionately rewards large firms.

I believe that our local small businesses that have two or three employees matter just as much as those that have two or three hundred. These businesses are often small restaurants or markets run by a single family. These are pillars of our communities, and our ward wouldn’t be the same without them. I will do my best to make sure these businesses can still flourish. They are going to need extra support from us, and extra attention from the City Council, because I believe we need them.

Mental Health

It is time to deal with our society's mental health problem without stigma. People are going to need more help than they ever have, and we have to do our best to provide it for them. I believe that we need a holistic approach, one that doesn't idly hope that people will wander into clinics and be able to access care despite the difficulties they face in providing documentation, or the cultural hurdles they might face towards admitting they even have a problem.

I think we need to take care of people where they are, and that includes taking them care. On City Council I will do just that, and I will fight for everyone to have access to the housing they deserve.

Equity Gap

It is no secret that there is racial inequity in our system, and Ward 6 is no exception. I have seen firsthand the type of inequities people of color face when applying for housing, or job training, or healthcare. The COVID-19 crisis is going to disproportionately affect people of color. We are already seeing this. I believe we need to do everything possible to keep people housed, working, and cared for, and I think we need to target that care towards the people who need it most. We owe it to ourselves and each other to protect the most marginalized among us.^[8]

Defunding MPD and Reimagining Public Safety:

The death of George Floyd is a clear signpost in the ongoing struggle for full civil rights, and we would be negligent to not hear the calls from community to bring real change to public safety in Minneapolis. MPD is broken and it cannot be fixed. City’s across the nation use typically 35-40% of their full operating budgets on policing. This is endemic of a system that is not only outdated and unchecked, but rooted in white supremacy and the overpolicing of black and brown bodies from the time of the Jim Crow era and slavery itself.

AK fully supports the charter amendment process to remove MPD as a charter department, to be replaced with a new Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention, the first step to defunding MPD. The director of this new department should not be a former or current police officer, but instead should be rooted in restorative justice and public health approaches so we can achieve real community safety.

As the MPRB Vice President, AK spearheaded historic investment in our youth, increasing programming dollars by over 1 million per year. Smart and science backed investments in intervention models can and will increase safety and reduce crime and retaliatory violence in communities. We will do so by building trust and relationships with our residents and neighborhoods from the ground up.

In addition, AK believes through investments in the City’s Office of Violence Prevention, in programs like Hennepin County’s Co-Responder Program (COPE), and eventual investments into a program that establishes non-lethal social service first responders, we can move towards re-imagining public safety as we know it.

More of AK’s platform:

• Support community engagement from now until November around defunding MPD, to make sure voters are informed of the Charter amendment changes slated to be on the ballot.
• Support funding of alternative community safety models with MPD budget to create ownership and place, rooted by our neighbors in our own communities.
• Fund the City’s Office of Violence Prevention to create robust un-armed community response and head off violence before it starts.
• Identify 911 calls that do not require police response and create work plans to immediately re-route these calls to appropriate mental health, deescalation, and public health apparatus.
• Check ability of MPD to use “less-lethal” military options.

Passing Rent Control and Protecting Affordable Housing:

As we all navigate a real housing crisis in the midst of a global pandemic, where residents may be a pay check away from losing their home, it is further illuminated that access to affordable housing is a basic human right. Protecting our communities from gentrification means making sure our neighbors are not cost burdened with rent. AK promises to protect public housing in Minneapolis, and work to pass rent control by setting caps on rent increases in the city so our neighborhoods remains livable for all residents despite income level.

Public housing is a huge community asset in the Sixth Ward, one that the incoming council member will have to advocate for in a strong and intentional way. Revitalizing the current units in the Sixth ward is key to the safety of low income families working from paycheck to paycheck. Older units need to be updated so they are fully equipped in the event of a fire or other emergency.

AK supports investing more dollars into the city’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund. Inclusionary zoning policies that expand access to affordable rental units, as well as the 2040 comp plan direction that allows for diverse types of multi-unit housing to exist along side with single family units across the city, are great starts, but we need to do more to expand access.

More of AK’s platform:

• Incentivize deeply affordable rental unit creation that is at 30% AMI (Area Median Income)
• Cities like D.C. have laws that allow renters a the right to purchase when an owner is selling or foreclosing, affording them the opportunity to to form a cooperative ownership structure, or buy outright. AK supports law that will set in place this “Right of First Refusal”.
• AK is in support of anti-gentrification measures in our low-income communities, and across the city, land trust and coop models for housing to maintain affordability, and City actions (like the Frenz buyout) that places housing in the public trust, not in the hands of predatory landlords. (see article below)
• https://www.startribune.com/embattled-landlord-sells-last-of-his-minneapolis-buildings-giving-control-to-tenants/570573142/
• As we navigate COVID-19, work to advocate for more gap rental assistance funding.
• Keep public housing public.
• Incentivize homeownership for BIPOC families.

Climate Change and Environmental Justice:

AK supports the city’s aggressive climate goals to reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. The City can achieve this through increasing its use of renewable energy sources, by making housing more energy efficient, and through smart programs and partnerships with our utility partners. Further electrifying city vehicles, expanding safe mobility options and updates to public infrastructure that incentivize safe mobility and active lifestyles, and expanding public transit and bike infrastructure, are just some of the ways we can accelerate emissions goals and reduce our reliance on vehicles that combust gasoline.

Environmental racism persists in the form of industrial pollution, arsenic and lead exposure, and heightened rates of asthma, often bound to residents solely due to their zip-code. City leaders need to continue to go up to bat for our most vulnerable populations in holistic ways around health equity and toxin abatement.

More of AK’s platform:

• Support businesses with the expertise and resources to become more energy efficient.
• As the Our Revolution Twin Cities endorsed candidate, AK fully supports the “Green New Deal” to end our reliance on fossil fuels and create local jobs as a part of a burgeoning green economy.
• Support “Green Zones” in the city to help residents fight the impacts of industrial polluters in the Sixth ward.
• Support green transit options, smarter built environments for diverse transit uses, including bicycles, and incentivize health and mobility for residents.

Responding to the Opioid Crisis:

Addiction is blind to culture, religious background, or economic bracket. However, the BIPOC community is hardest hit. We need to invest in a smart and robust city response to save lives, connect residents with culturally appropriate resources, wraparound mental health resources, and make sure we are coordinating in concert with County, State and federal partners.

AK will be a strong advocate for this increased funding and better coordination in the opioid response in Minneapolis, to make sure a wealth of access in treatment options, mental health resources, and support is available for our community members who need this second chance.

More of AK’s platform:

• Fully implement the City’s Opioid Task Force recommendations.
• Change the City’s approach to overdose calls to 911 so wraparound care starts at the moment of response.
• Strengthen our public health response through better coordination with the other large jurisdictional partners, i.e. the County and State.
• Continue to expand contracts with community partners who have the cultural literacy in the communities they serve, including outreach, harm reduction and needle exchange.
• Harm reduction methods work. We need to provide these resources, not stigmatize their use.

Providing Dignity for the Unsheltered Homelessness Population:

The unsheltered homeless population, disproportionately represented amongst BIPOC communities, is growing across the city and state. We have a responsibility to connect these residents with access to housing. Period.

When BIPOC communities are so impacted by unsheltered homelessness in our diverse and low income neighborhoods, we need to find the funding, and the will, to create low barrier, harm reduction focused, wraparound and service rich shelter space locally.

AK will fight to increase funds to help achieve this, and will advocate for more low barrier supportive housing, affordable units, and mental and chemical health outreach within the City’s workforce, whether in house or through RFP, to make sure the City is doing everything that it can to connect residents with the resources that they need to live dignified and healthy lives.

More of AK’s platform:

• Incentivize deeply affordable rental unit creation that is at 30% AMI (Area Median Income)
• Create low barrier housing for those suffering from addiction.
• Bring more shelter space to the southside of Minneapolis.

Racial Justice, Equity and Inclusion:

What zip code you live in should not determine your access to housing, education, and good health. In Minnesota, communities of color experience some of the worst gaps in wealth, health, and education. For example, Minneapolis has the widest homeownership gap between white and black residents among major US cities.

City governments are tasked with some of the most important racial justice work of our generation: dismantling the centuries of systemic racial, social, and economic injustice that persist in our communities. This should be the charge of the Minneapolis City Council, and we should work rectify these injustices everyday.

From access to affordable housing, small business ownership among BIPOC communities, equity in interactions with police and police brutality, to the toxins present in our houses and neighborhoods, addressing these important issues of equality and inclusion will be a core aspect of everything I do as your next city council member.

Supporting Small Business, Growing Community Wealth, and Combating Gentrification:

Small business is an important economic driver for the Sixth Ward, and expanding resources for current and new entrepreneurs of all backgrounds will create generational wealth where it is needed most. We should invest more resources into city programs that incentivize and uplift these small businesses and local entrepreneurs.

We can achieve this through growing capacity for existing city programs like B-TAP, which works to connect local businesses with resources and technical expertise. As a city we should also be expanding our partnerships with burgeoning, culturally diverse, and LGBTQIA+ business owners across the ward through our contract and procurement needs.

More of AK’s platform:

• Support businesses with the expertise and resources to become more energy efficient.
• Expand contracts and procurement to lift up diverse and marginalized business owners.
• Expand B-tap and gap funds for businesses struggling due to COVID-19.

Protecting and Expanding Immigrant Rights:

Minneapolis is a sanctuary city, but many of our neighbors still live in fear. We must work together to stop deportations in our city, and continue to decouple federal ICE enforcement from local law enforcement.

AK supports City efforts for a municipal ID for all Minneapolitans despite their employment or immigration status. This is a tool so all residents can safely and confidently file police reports, open bank accounts, be admitted to a hospital for treatment, and fully come out of the shadows to access economic and civic opportunites.

Maintaining Equal Access to Parks:

Every person in Minneapolis, especially our children, deserves equal access to our wonderful parks. AK has fought for this as your Park Board Commissioner, and will continue to fight for this as your City Council Member.

Parks not only connect us with the green space and beauty present in our urban landscape, but they help to encourage active lifestyles and health equity. As a current MPRB board member for the Third District, AK is the best advocate to make sure the City Council and Minneapolis Park Board continue to work together as these key municipal partners for the public trust.

Ending Preemption and Establishing Local Control for our Communities:

Our city’s lobbyists and government relations team must fight to repeal state laws that prevent municipal governments in MN from passing their own laws on rent control, bans on plastic bags, and other local control issues that local communities and residents should have a say in.^[8]

ISSUES

I will work to ensure everyone in our Ward and even in our city can thrive. With a rich background in collaborative leadership and community building, I will prioritize the following:

TACKLING OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS:

I will take a leadership role with all partners to expand our affordable housing options. We will incorporate an ever-greater emphasis on energy efficiency, higher standards of sustainable building, with transit connections. It’s my top priority to work on these values in the Minneapolis 2040. Our affordable housing strategies will address the root causes of poverty so all working families can succeed.

CARING FOR OUR SENIOR COMMUNITY

Our community has many senior citizens and vulnerable adults who need a caring ear and I intend to advocate on their behalf and ensure they get the care they need at home and that they are treated with dignity in our larger community. We will ensure they get priority and protection in access to healthcare, in signing up for classes at our state colleges, and that their voices are heard.

ADDRESSING GAPS:

Data show that disparities in health, wealth, and education persist in Minneapolis. Economic and educational achievement contributes to higher crime rates in Ward 6. I have worked with schools in the efforts to reduce the achievement gaps. I will continue to fight to ensure that our neighborhoods and schools are equitably resourced. I will advocate for support and funding for community-based centers and/or organizations that provide coordinated, individualized, holistic support to children, families, and businesses in our neighborhoods.

PUBLIC SAFETY:

Safe, secure, and welcoming neighborhoods are a priority for Ward 6. I support community-led safety strategies that include criminal justice reform. I will continue my advocacy to develop culturally responsive training for all personnel in our sheriff and police departments. I will also advocate for culturally responsive services for victims of addiction and domestic violence in our neighborhoods.

EMPOWERING SMALL-BUSINESSES AND ASPIRING ENTREPRENEURS:

I consider Ward 6 the small business and entrepreneur capital of Minneapolis. Our city needs to direct greater support to Ward 6 emerging and established businesses, many owned by women, people of color and ingenious people. Equitable economic development and entrepreneurship is a critical component of my campaign to ensure a thriving, safe and livable neighborhood.^[8]

Police Reform

For too long, the Minneapolis police department has operated as an organization that lacks community oversight and direction, as well one that is often openly hostile towards people of color within our community. George Floyd's murder at the hands of police officers was horrific and the lack of human decency shown by the four officers in the footage we all saw is the reality faced by too many living in Minneapolis. The MPD needs change, and it cannot wait.

The firing and arrest of the four officers, the banning of neck restraints and chokeholds, and forcing officers to intervene when inappropriate force is used are all small, positive steps that the City has taken towards reforming the police department, but it is far from enough. I fully support the efforts to re-imagine a new, different and better way to serve the citizens of Minneapolis.

The police should reflect and be responsive to the cultural, racial, and gender diversity of the communities they are supposed to serve. Police departments nationwide that have more black officers are proven significantly less likely to kill black people. We need a better reflection of the community in those charged with keeping us safe including more who reside in Minneapolis. The Stanek Law should be overturned by our legislature and Minneapolis should re-institute a residency requirement.

As someone that has worked extensively in mental healthcare and public housing, I have seen firsthand how ill-equipped our officers are to handle many of the calls they respond to. There are better ways to structure this so that our community can be kept safe and served more effectively.

Practices like "stop-and-frisk" and arrests for disturbing the peace, disorderly conduct, marijuana possession, and consuming alcohol on streets all are racist practices that are taught to police officers as high priority enforcement.

My focus is on establishing alternatives approaches to many of these issues, which are actually mental health issues - more focus on crisis counsellors as first responders to incidents involving mental health issues, establishing mental and social care professionals to treat and work with our vulnerable populations, and providing opioid recovery programs for those who have struggled with addiction. This could be funded with monies currently devoted to regular policing.

Too often, the police union has used their influence to protect unfit officers. The unfair protections that officers have make it difficult to properly punish police officers, like Derek Chauvin and his associates, who are unfit to serve. Disciplinary histories and performance reviews should be part of any and all disciplinary actions. While the Police Federation’s main focus is to serve their members, it should not be at the expense of the public they should be serving.

The MPD to be fundamentally re-imagined and it is a priority for me as a future council member. I will work to make sure that all citizens in my district have a voice, and that they all feel safe in our united community.

Affordable Housing

Housing is a basic human right. As a refugee, I spent time in a refugee camp in Kenya. I lived in public housing when my family first immigrated to Minnesota. It is part of what drove me to work in affordable housing as a resident advocate for Common Bond. Stable, healthy housing is necessary for people to build stable, productive lives.

• The average wait time for an affordable housing unit in Minneapolis is 4-6 years. There is not enough affordable housing or public housing for Minneapolis residents. More affordable housing needs to be built, and it needs to be built NOW. We must prioritize affordable and public housing in our budgets.

• To incentivize builders to construct new units, tax breaks can be given to those who are able to fulfill contracts. This ensures a priority is placed on the construction of new units.

• I pledge to work to secure funding to expand public housing, create more public housing units and make sure our current buildings are safe and healthy places to live. We have deferred safety measures like sprinkler systems for far too long.

Opioid Crisis

We have lost a tragic number of lives to this epidemic. We need to help those with addiction issues and their families access culturally relevant treatment programs and mental health services. We must increase our capacity so we can serve all that need it.

We need to continue to educate our communities to recognize and talk about addiction and how to help. This is not only a personal health tragedy, it is a community health crisis. Our communities need to understand the issues, how they can support each other, and how to access additional help.

We need a coordinated approach with law enforcement and government services, working together with a focus on treatment and recovery, not policing. This includes increasing the availability of narcan and continuing to support and expand syringe exchange programs.

Youth Homelessness & Mental Health

Youth homelessness and increasing crime rates among young people are a reflection that there are larger issues happening. By providing more appropriate services, specifically aimed at young people, we can address this growing crisis.

We must increase access to mental healthcare and ensure there are culturally appropriate options for our communities.

We must make sure that there are enough drug rehabilitation and supportive services available to assist with all of the issues facing young people living on the margins.^[8]

INTERSECTIONAL COMMUNITY WELLNESS

Minneapolis has, once again, become a battleground, as our communities raise their voices against racism and its influence on our day-to-day lives, across sectors of our lives. Our world is changing rapidly, and we are forced to adapt and rise to the challenges ahead. Complex problems require intersectional approaches and swift action from every one of us.

CENTERING ANTI-RACISM

A strong focus on equity and a commitment to infusing everything the city council does with anti-racist approaches is the only way we can restore peace, deliver justice, and prevent further tragedies. The result? Removing barriers and providing tools to assist you in navigating our city more safely, and helping you meet your personal and professional development goals, with a focus on equity, justice and sustainability.

PANDEMIC RECOVERY

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has shifted the way we see and relate to the world around us. Long-term effects are felt across sectors, from the education of our children, to our small businesses and our healthcare systems. We must prioritize people-centered approaches to get back on our feet.

STRONG SOCIAL INTERVENTIONS

Taking care of our neighbors means: providing housing that keeps up with us, not the other way around; providing accessible, local and culturally specific mental and chemical health services; centering climate justice as we build a sustainable ward and city; and addressing disparities that leave so many of our neighbors behind.

NO NEIGHBOR LEFT BEHIND

01. DEFUNDING THE MPD

We cannot rely on a criminal system to address safety in our communities. The police union remains the single greatest threat to addicts, the homeless, and Black, Latino/a/x, Native American, East African, and LGBTQ+ communities, to name a few. As is already planned, I will go from neighborhood to neighborhood and find out what the concerns are for each, and together we will tailor responses to those communities– no more ‘one-size-fits-all’ safety policy; I will support neighborhood associations as resource centers, and spaces for conversation between the Council and the community, as well as spaces for communal safety training. Restructuring what peace keeping looks like, from qualifications and scope. And when building the Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention, I will center the community, from the recruitment processes to training and accountability measures, and everything in between.

02. HOUSING THAT IS ACTUALLY AFFORDABLE

The development of housing that may be affordable for some but leave our most vulnerable neighbors behind cannot continue. I will not rest until there is a home for every Minneapolis resident, that is affordable, safe and accessible, along with the tools and education necessary to maintain their place of residence. I will prioritize housing contracts that keep up with us, not the other way around. This means rethinking the 30% threshold, as that no longer denotes affordability.

We all want great amenities in our communities, but not at the expense of displacing residents– I will help maintain that balance; neighborhood storefronts sitting empty waiting for gentrification to occur and sell to the highest bidder instead of caring for our own neighbors. This is not good for our economy, or safety as it attracts illicit activity. I will push to tax empty storefronts, reversing this harmful trend, and redirecting those funds directly to the communities that host them.

Housing is a fundamental right, one that breeds hope and opportunity.

03. ADDICTION AND MENTAL HEALTH INTERVENTIONS

As a recovering addict, I know firsthand the toll that addiction can take on an individual, on their families and their communities. Those of us who know addiction well know that it is a symptom, not a cause. Communities across the ward are calling for local, culturally specific centers that provide greater access and better odds of success. Additionally, mental health management, across sectors, should not be a luxury but a way of life for our community. That is why I hope to create partnerships with the City of Minneapolis, mental health providers that offer low-cost or free services, and neighborhood associations to make accessing mental health services easier and more equitable.

04. EQUITABLE PUBLIC HEALTH INTERVENTIONS

COVID-19 has amplified the fact that health is greatly affected by social determinants, from where we live, to how we identify, and which systems we have access to. This means we not only focus on making sure that Ward 6 residents don’t have to choose between their financial stability and their healthcare, but we integrate policy that directly reduces social disparities, which negatively impact health outcomes. We must intervene equitably to make sure every resident of Minneapolis has the best chance at preventing and surviving the new and pre-existing threats to our health, including COVID-19, homelessness or housing insecurity, maternal health, fair access to healthy food and, preventive care, and supports for financial stability.

• Maternal Health– African American birthing people are 2x more likely to die during childbirth; native American birthing people are 4x more likely to die during childbirth; systematic racism is especially detrimental in this sector of our healthcare system. Think of how Serena Williams, a celebrated Black athlete, had to advocate for herself after having symptoms of a blood clot to manage her pain; the assumption that birthing people of color have a higher pain tolerance is false! The Roots Community Birth Center has much higher rates of success than hospitals across the city– we need this to be repeated time and again in ward 6; we also need to host forums for birthing parents to talk about birthing experiences and what they need in terms of community support.

05. EXPAND NEIGHBORHOODS 2020 INITIATIVE

Neighborhood associations could and should function as hubs for public health and safety, as resource centers, and conduits of communication between residents and the city council. direct public health access; alternatives to policing as public safety; elimination of food deserts; supplemental education and job training; sustainability; cultural exchange opportunities. Adequate funding to power and empower Neighborhood associations, and a dedicated liaison between these associations and city leadership, are essential.

06. ENVIRONMENT

Forward-thinking policies can help curb public health and safety concerns; they can also ensure a safe and secure planet for generations to come. From community solar gardens, to responsibly sourced construction materials, naturally occurring affordable housing and green transportation systems, and saying no to pipelines and the pollution of our city through the incineration of suburban trash, Minneapolis has the opportunity to continue to lead in energy efficiency and sustainability policy, as well as environmental justice.

07. RESPONSIBLE ECONOMIC STIMULUS

The disparities that myself and my communities have long seen and felt have deepened and become even more apparent as COVID-19 continues to take hold. I strongly believe that investing in educational and cultural centers, local arts (and artists!), our roads and bridges, technological infrastructure and small businesses run by our neighbors, with a deep commitment to public health, equity and social justice, is the only way for us all to move through and past the crisis the still-developing pandemic is leaving in its wake.

08. MUNICIPAL ID

Municipal IDs have been proven to provide safety, security and access to residents who most need it, thereby raising the quality of life for us all, and putting into action the values that Minneapolis champions. Building on the work of leaders like Rep. Gomez and Councilperson Cano, I have begun to forge a coalition of stakeholders, including community organizations, elected officials and folks running for office on the state level, to be advocates for the necessary state-level changes, and partners in the implementation of this simple and cost-effective intervention.^[8]

PUBLIC SAFETY

I believe that public safety and justice issues impact us all. There is a false narrative that in order to have safety, we must abandon justice reform; or for justice reform we must compromise safety. This is simply untrue. The truth is that we all desire safe spaces. We all desire a life free of violence and harm. As the mother of an 18 year old black son, I am concerned as every mother of a child of color, that sends their kids into society everyday. As mothers, we cannot protect our children from everything, but our kids shouldn’t come to harm from the group of people tasked with protecting them. I am a firm believer in defunding, dismantling, and rebuilding the Minneapolis Police Department.

DEFUNDING

I believe in defunding the police for fundamental reasons. Something needs to change. Defunding does not mean getting rid of all of the peace officers - we still need them and I fully understand that. Defunding means taking away the money that the MPD spends on things such as military style tactical equipment and relocating resources to hiring mental health workers and social workers. Defunding means investing in the health and wellbeing of Minneapolis residents.

DISMANTLING

The current structure of the Minneapolis Police Department in which officers are trained to “shoot first and ask questions later” is not working. Death after death after death has occurred with only piecemeal changes. It is time for drastic change. We need to fundamentally rethink how public safety is done. I believe we need to completely dismantle the MPD now, not in a year and a half - NOW.

REBUILD

There is an inherent need for public safety officers to maintain peace and security, but it should never come at the cost of Black lives. We need to commit, after dismantling and defunding, to establishing a police force that serves all of us; not just the wealthy and privileged. We need a police force that sends mental health professionals and social workers to mental health calls; not armed officers. We need community resource officers that walk neighborhoods and build relationships; not armed officers in patrol cars.

Minneapolis is one of the most diverse cities in the country, yet our police force is mostly white. This cannot continue any longer. Our police force needs to look like the community it serves, and this needs to start as we rebuild our police force. I believe that our police officers need to reflect the diversity of our community. That is why I believe we must have racial parity among our peace officers.

Many police officers who have harmed communities of color have done so under qualified immunity. If you violate someone's civil rights, you should be financially and criminally liable in court. Not only must we rebuild our police force, but we must demand that we hold every officer accountable for their actions. We must end qualified immunity.

COVID-19

Several months ago, we could not have predicted we would be in this place. Covid-19 impacts everyone in our community. Residents of Minneapolis have made a great sacrifice to protect their loved ones and each other by staying home and staying safe. Those in essential jobs have shown incredible courage and selflessness to put their lives on the line to treat and heal the sick and to ensure that people have the food and supplies to maintain themselves.

This pandemic has also revealed the cost of inequality in our communities of color. We cannot ignore the health disparities that have affected the African American, African, Latino and Indigenous communities prior to this pandemic, and that are being highlighted as a result of it. I support collaborative effort between public and private institutions to solve this critical health crisis that we all face, and alleviate disparities which have been exacerbated by Covid.

Socioeconomic determinants of health have contributed significantly to these health disparities. In addition, many households have been faced with loss of income and find themselves needing food and other basic necessities to survive. We must respond by strengthening the economic vitality of our most vulnerable families. I support implementing a living wage for the residents of Minneapolis.

While Covid-19 may seem never ending right now, it will end. We will get through it. However the inequities highlighted by this pandemic will not disappear on its own. We need to work together to lift up our communities' most hard-hit and vulnerable residents, and ensure their vitality in the future. Covid-19 is not a virus that exists on it’s own. There are a multitude of pandemics yet to hit the world, and while we weren’t ready for Covid-19, we will be ready for what comes our way next.

HOUSING

I believe housing is a fundamental and basic right. There is no question that homelessness is a devastating issue across the city of Minneapolis, as is true across our nation. I believe we must increase the availability of affordable housing throughout Minneapolis. Public housing should stay public; as such, I do not support any initiatives to transfer ownership of Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA) properties to private entities.

ENVIRONMENT

We are in a climate crisis……… It cannot be denied, and the only solution is bold and immediate action. The United States federal government is failing to do its part, and instead is taking harmful steps backwards, for instance by leaving the Paris Climate Accords. The City of Minneapolis must act now.

As a mother, I will do everything in my power to leave the planet inhabitable for my children. I commend the work done by young people on this issue, such as the climate strikers, the Sunrise Movement, and our indiginious brothers and sisters who are protecting native lands across the country.

As a fundamental principle, I whole-heartedly support the Green New Deal, and local initiatives to combat climate change TODAY. I am not willing to compromise when it comes to saving our environment. I will never put economic interests before the future of our children.

EQUITABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Economic development for far too long has prioritized the needs of big business and developers; forgetting the needs of small mom and pop shops. This must change. I support grassroots initiatives to invest in small businesses, especially Black owned businesses. We need to support our entrepreneurs, not only in the downtown corridor, but in our neighborhoods as well.

We are all too aware of the racial wealth gap that is evident in our communities of color. When we as a city take initiatives, we must ensure that we center those communities that have been economically disadvantaged.

TRANSPORTATION

We must work in partnership with Metro Transit to expand mass transit and create opportunities for accessible low cost and free public transportation options. The city of Minneapolis needs to take the lead in ushering in zero emission mass transit infrastructure, and revolutionizing public transportation. Public transportation is not only a key tool in the fight against climate change, but it is also a lifelong for lower income communities.^[8]

• Address the Climate Emergency
  • Introduce a 5 dollar per carbon ton climate mitigation fee on all fossil fuel energy and natural gas used in Minneapolis and use the money that is raised to fund renewable energy projects.
  • Green New Deal
  • Support urban farming, community gardens, and green roofs.
  • Bring back pollinator friendly city
• Equitable and Affordable Housing
  • Increase spending on affordable housing programs, especially for the communities who need it most.
  • Ensure that any and all public housing units have basic safety measures like fire alarms and sprinklers.
  • Crackdown on predatory rental practices.
  • Hold landowners accountable for the conditions of their property.
• Workers First, not the $
  • Any business that receives funding from the city must allow their workers to unionize
• Reject Hate and Bigotry
  • Maintain Minneapolis’ status as a sanctuary city.
  • Work with community leaders and organizations to pressure other elected officials and law enforcement to crack down on hate crimes.
• Policing, with People in Mind
  • Police Accountability
    • Give the Minneapolis Police Conduct Review Panel the ability to suspend officers from duty.
    • Expand the process for citizen complaints and update the investigation process with more citizen involvement.
    • Put a further emphasis on cultural awareness and de-escalation techniques in police training.
    • Completely remove aggressive police training
    • Defund the Police^[8]

WHAT WE CAN ACHIEVE TOGETHER

With working and immigrant families struggling to make ends meet and our natural environment under threat, we can’t wait for the change our communities need.

It's time for us to act.

Our campaign is fighting for a powerful set of policies that will reshape our local economy, eliminate inequality, provide community addiction resources, protect and expand public housing, advocate for universal rent control, implement transformative criminal justice reform, support small businesses, and expand employment opportunities.

We won’t stop there — with a ‘Green & Healthy Neighborhoods’ focus, we will reverse the impacts of greenhouse gas emissions on our community.

The time for half measures is over. We need solutions that are big enough to match the many crises our communities face.

Our campaign offices may not be open due to the covid-19 pandemic but we are still mobilizing to build a movement for working class and immigrant people.

Let’s seize this opportunity to build a better future for all of us.

Families Need Support to Fight Opioid Addiction.

AJ will do more to support them in fighting this existing major health issue.

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We Must Abolish the Minneapolis Police Department

AJ will abolish the Minneapolis Police Department and work with the community to start over as a city with a new model of public safety and well-being.

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Housing for All is a Fundamental Human Right.

Support actions and efforts that provide for public housing, rent control, and special support during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Climate Change's Local Impacts Must Be Reversed.

Support ‘Green New Deal’ initiatives that will radically address local climate change impacts and lead to a more equitable economy with increased employment and widespread financial security for all.

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Local Small Business Need to be Saved and Supported.

Support neighborhood small business in every way possible and ensure they have better opportunities to compete against greedy corporations and elites – and bring the fight to them by opposing gentrification and displacement that we are already facing in the ward and across the city.

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We Must Build People and Neighborhood Power.

Support the people and organizations in neighborhoods - and build their power to directly address issues and challenges facing their communities.

READ MORE^[8]