Organizing for Change, Running to Serve

I participated in my first organized protest against government policies in 2003. The United States had decided to go to war against Iraq, and I, along with some of my fellow community members and UMSL students, were deeply opposed. We marched in the streets, we chained ourselves to gates to protest the building of new bombs, we conducted die-ins to represent all of the innocent lives being taken, and we staged sit-ins in our Senator’s office. For me, that time was the beginning of a deeply held belief system that is rooted in my certainty that if something is happening that we believe is wrong, we must speak up.

I spent the subsequent two plus decades actively involved in the causes that mattered the most to me. I’ve written postcards and made phone calls for political candidates. I’ve served as a poll watcher on election day. I’ve attended rallies and blocked highways marching for Black Lives, for Indigenous rights to clean water, and for the right to reproductive healthcare. I’m also committed to creating legislative pathways that protect LGBTQIA+ individuals in our community—because St. Louis should be a place where all of us can safely and proudly raise our families. I’ve participated in many “get out the vote” events to work on actively engaging more people in what is often a confusing, overwhelming, and frustrating political process. I deeply believe that equitable policymaking must be part of our core approach—otherwise, things will continue as business as usual.