Council District: St Petersburg City Council District 8
Q1 – Please describe your approach to addressing issues of race equity (2000 character limit).
I believe the most important thing we can do to address issues of race equity is to invest the city’s financial resources into our minority communities, and more specifically, the education, housing, jobs, and health of the black and brown community. I strongly support increased representation, acknowledgement, and inclusion, but I believe that the key way minorities have been left out in society is economic, so it is vital to provide economic investment. I will approach this task by seeking to invest in the community as a whole with easily accessible programs. It is important that housing, education, and job opportunities not only be available, but that the city is taking active steps to bring these programs to the people most in need of them. We should take it upon ourselves to meet our residents where they are, instead of the other way around. The city has invested large sums recently into development for the enjoyment of our residents, and I believe it’s past time to invest at least as much into race equity in our city.
Q2 – Please list three (3) key issues related to race equity. Briefly explain how they relate to race equity. (2000 character limit)
Educational, economic, and health outcomes are key issues for race equity in our city. There are large disparities in the outcomes of these three issues for residents of the city based on race. These issues are all interconnected. Reading levels for black students are much lower than that of white students. This leads to poor outcomes not just for educational attainment, but for economic opportunity as well. And with median income in black families being significantly lower, more black and brown children are growing up in poverty. This makes schooling more difficult, and there is less opportunity to get the extra help that may be needed for their education to be successful. All of this relates back to health outcomes as well, because of the lack of healthcare facilities in their community, and the lack of financial resources to access these facilities.
Q3 – Of those issues identified in question 5, which priority/priorities will you address first? How and why? (2000 character limit)
As I stated, these issues are all interconnected. If we begin to tackle one, we must consider how they relate to the others. I believe we can start to make a difference on all three by focusing on the economic aspect, particularly in housing policy. Currently the city uses Area Median Income to determine housing affordability, but this measure is insufficient for our African-American community, as the median income for black households is significantly lower than that of white households. This inequity needs to be accounted for so that we do not continue to systemically disempower the black community through affordable housing policies that claim to be equitable. If we can make significant headway in making housing more attainable and stable for minorities, then positive outcomes in
education and health will be easier to attain.
Q4 – Two ways I have previously worked to address race equity are: (1000 character limit)
As a teacher, I brought my professional experience in electrical and aerospace engineering to a majority black school in order to give back to the next generation of black and brown students. I worked to create curriculum for the school’s engineering program that was based on real world experience, and used hands-on instruction to get the kids involved in projects that most students wouldn’t take part in until college. As a political organizer, I helped lead volunteer efforts for the Florida for $15 campaign that successfully brought the $15 per hour minimum wage to the state. Minorities and women will see the largest increase in wages, as they disproportionately make below $15 per hour and are heavily involved in low wage industries like hospitality, services, and agriculture.
Q5
Two ways I will collaborate with others to create more equitable systems are: (600 character limit)
I will work to foster a collaborative environment within the city government based on providing the best possible evidenced based outcomes on issues of race equity, but more importantly, I believe in organizing the community around these issues in order to foster more public engagement on these issues. I believe that not only is community involvement helpful to pass legislation, it is vital to enacting policies in a holistic fashion.
