A Working Class History
I grew up in the North County area of St. Louis, Missouri. My early experiences in life were all evident of the struggles my family went through throughout the 2000s. At 6, I joined my mother on an IBEW picket line, helping her fight for a better contract. At 8, I joined my family as we went to get groceries at our local food shelf, as we struggled to keep the lights on. At 10, I learned that I could have debt for my school lunches, and that it isn’t easy to learn on an empty stomach.
It was in my work during the Ferguson Uprising that I dedicated myself to fighting these injustices wherever I can, to always put myself on the front line whenever there is a struggle that threatens those who make this society of ours function. I knew that the same mismanagement and apathy was going to cause the same pain on repeat, not just in St. Louis, but across the country. Not more than 6 years later, I watched the same nightmare in Minneapolis.
Over the years that I’ve served our community from many different roles; from Retail to Healthcare, Food Service to Organizing. During this time, I have spoken to the countless working people that struggle every day in our community: a mother who has to put a box of cereal back because it doesn’t fit into their budget, a senior who's worried their social security checks won’t keep up with rent, a small business owner who worried every day on how they keep their business afloat, and our neighbors who worry how to kept their heads above water, as every bill is bigger than the last. This is not the future I want to see for our community. I see our local government’s role very clearly: If you work hard, you should be able to have a decent life. That is what is at the heart of this campaign.
A Fair Deal.
During a time of incredible stress for our county, we need local government that is going to begin looking out for the interests of the most vulnerable among us. We need a city council that is going to bring the change needed. As renters, business owners and our elderly have had to handle the stresses of inflation, Hastings needs local government that comes back to the basics, that ensures at a bare minimum all our basic needs are met. That protects those who work hard each and every week by ensuring there is clean water, affordable groceries, a roof over their heads, and a platform for their voice.