As an African immigrant with English as a second language and with a son in a public school, I recognize the barriers to good education that confront too many students. These barriers have led Minnesota to have among the worst educational disparities in the country. My work on the parent advisory committees in Minneapolis and the Osseo School District, and my advocacy at the legislature around education issues have equipped me to effectively address those barriers. As your Senator, I will work to:

Increase investment in early childhood, the place where educational investment can have the biggest impact on educational achievement and reduction in disparities,

Explore new models of K-12 education that are more geared to today’s society and tailored to the diverse learning styles of today’s students,

Expand access to broadband technology to enhance educational opportunities in and outside of the classroom,

Increase compensation, support, and training for teachers and education support staff,

Reduce the student/teacher ratio to promote and enhance more individualized learning,

Develop apprenticeship programs to take advantage of community resources and better meet the diverse needs of students,

Explore ways to reduce the cost of higher education and the level of student loan debt, and

Expand support for community and technical colleges.

Health is essential for success in every part of life. Poor health negatively affects education, economic achievement, housing stability, mental well-being, civic engagement, and much more. Lack of access to high quality healthcare is a major contributor to poor health. High healthcare and prescription drug costs are impacting the ability of people to get the care that they need. As your Senator, I will work to:

Assure universal access to affordable healthcare for all Minnesotans by working to pass Senator Marty’s Minnesota Health Plan,

Control the cost of prescription drugs,

Support parity in mental and physical health services,

Develop a healthcare workforce “pipeline” for students of color and other groups underrepresented in the healthcare field,

Increase support for free-standing birth centers, midwives, and doulas,

Expand and increase the funding for the Statewide Health Improvement Program so that its policy, systems, and environmental approaches can be utilized on additional social determinants of health,

Expand the capacity of the state’s public health system to respond to health crises,

Adequately evaluate the risks and benefits of expanded adult use of cannabis before legalization, and

Support a woman’s right to access the full range of reproductive health services.

Mother Teresa said that: “The greatest epidemic today is not TB, HIV or leprosy, it is being unwanted, unloved, and uncared for by everybody.” In other words, not feeling like one belongs – to a family, a neighborhood, a school, a workplace, a community. We have seen an unprecedented increase in the diversity of our communities. This can be seen as a positive change that offers new opportunities for us to grow and thrive. But it can also be stressful and threatening because change is difficult, and it comes with a great deal of uncertainty.

Too often our society has embraced an us versus them perspective that isolates and separates people who don’t look and act like the majority of people. That often makes people feel like they don’t belong, which has many negative consequences.

The efforts in our community to enhance diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice are undertaken with the goal of helping everyone feel like they belong. And when people feel like they belong, the community thrives. I will strive to assure that everyone feels like they belong in our state and community by working to:

Include an “equity” focus on all legislative actions,

Support changes in state grant policies to increase the ability of organizations run by historically disenfranchised populations to receive funding,

Oppose any effort to pass laws that infringe on the rights of Black, brown, Indigenous, and LGBTQIA individuals and people with disabilities,

Assure that housing, transportation, education, economic, and health policies are sensitive to the needs of diverse communities, and

Build equity into our criminal justice system.

Neighborhoods cannot thrive if the residents don’t feel safe. Public safety is a broad community issue that affects all aspects of community life including housing, business development, employment, education, and transportation. I have been actively involved in efforts to improve community safety through my work with the Unity Community Mediation Team; the police departments of Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Ramsey and Hennepin Counties; and the U. S. Department of Justice.

My involvement in these efforts has helped shape the movement toward a balanced public safety approach that includes both prevention and enforcement activities. The mantra of Defund the Police is not helpful in building community consensus about policing and public safety. In that spirit, I will work to:

Reform law enforcement agencies so that they are seen as a helpful resource for everyone in every community,

Hold police accountable to the communities they serve,

Improve training for officers on mental health issues, de-escalation techniques, and implicit bias,

Reduce the number of handguns in our communities and enhance licensing and training requirements and background checks for gun owners,

Establish law enforcement-citizen oversight councils to provide needed community involvement in policing, and

Create a community-centered public safety approach to law enforcement with investments in community-based mental health and trauma informed services.

Safe, stable, and secure housing is foundational to educational achievement, health, family stability, and economic security. Sadly, too many Minnesotans are housing insecure. The state’s budget surplus gives Minnesota the opportunity to assure that every Minnesotan has a safe and secure place to live. With my experience running a shelter and an advocacy program for homeless women and as Vice President of Metropolitan Interfaith Council on Affordable Housing (MICAH), I have the experience to:

Raise the voices of people who have experienced unstable housing, eviction, and homelessness in discussions about housing policy,

Preserve and create safe, stable, accessible, and affordable housing (rental and home ownership) for people with incomes under 30% median income,

Work to assure that people leaving prisons have a realistic housing plan in place before release,

Increase funding for lead testing and abatement and assurance that all housing is lead free,

Advocate for the use of some of the budget surplus for expanding affordable housing.