WHY AM I RUNNING?

I’m running for Ward 7 Advisory Neighborhood Commission (7B02) because on December 18, 2021, at 12:55 AM, I looked out of my kitchen window to see someone on my property, dressed in all black with an unknown object in their hand. The individual was headed towards my back door. I immediately turned on the lights, opened the door, and began shouting as the person disappeared into the distance. I called the Metropolitan Police Department, and Officer Osbourne from the 7th District Precinct arrived in less than 10 minutes. Seeing that I was visibly shaken, he assured me that he and his partner would patrol the neighborhood. That night Officer Osbourne sat outside my home in his car until dawn.

Never in my life have I felt as violated. My kids were asleep throughout the entire ordeal, and I felt helpless.  

However, my experience is becoming all too common in Ward 7. Unfortunately, people are resorting to crime to make ends meet. And the systems have failed us! That’s why I must do my part to ensure that people in Ward 7, especially youth, have access to services, resources, and mentors dedicated to making sure they become productive citizens with the opportunity to live full and healthy lives. 

As a proud father of two sons, I’m not pleased with the state of our educational system—by all accounts, it has become a prison pipeline—Overall, our kids lack access to quality and equitable personal and professional development opportunities. That’s why I remain committed to ensuring that the youth of the District of Columbia, specifically in Ward 7, have access to safe play and educational spaces. I understand that modern recreation centers, after-school and mentoring programs enrich youth development and provide them with the tools and resources to navigate the challenges that many children in urban centers face.

Every child in Ward 7 should have access to the same opportunities as children in other wards. 

Not only have I spent my career calling out and dismantling racist policies that impede upon the rights and well-being of historically marginalized communities, but I’ve also remained dedicated to advancing health equity by holding elected officials accountable to ensure that their constituents can live a healthy and prosperous life. I firmly believe that access to comprehensive and culturally reflective health care and medical coverage is a right, not a privilege.

 I’ve spent the past 15 years building a public health career that centers on the lived experiences of Black and Latinx communities. Through my work with federal health agencies, local governments, and nonprofits, I’ve developed programs and policies that address the social and structural determinants of health—a lack of access to medical coverage and care, educational and employment opportunities, affordable and safe housing—that present as barriers to care for Black and Latinx communities.

I’m equally passionate about addressing and finding solutions that enable Black and Latinx people the ability to purchase affordable homes in Ward 7. Homeownership in the District of Columbia shouldn’t be a privilege only afforded to the rich. Owning a home is the first step in wealth building, and Black and Latinx people must be allowed to partake in the so-called “American Dream.” I plan to work with the Mayor’s Office, City Council, developers, and philanthropic organizations to ensure that the residents of Ward 7 have access to low-interest lenders, first-time homebuyer programs, and grants. It would have been impossible for me to become a homeowner if it had not been for a first-time owner program.

For me, there’s no other time than now to make a change in the place I call home, Ward 7.