Raeisha Williams said she has always wanted to serve her community in North Minneapolis; now she is hoping to be in position for a greater level of service by becoming Ward 5’s next councilperson.
Williams, the communications chair for the Minneapolis NAACP, announced her candidacy Sept. 30 at the Mpls Photo Center, 2400 N. 2nd Street. The event comes a little more than a year before the seat is up for election, but Williams said she had to step into the political arena to bring a more representative voice to the seat currently held by first term councilperson, Blong Yang. Williams said she is running on a platform of economic development, education reform and police reform. She said the events of last November, in the police killing of unarmed Jamar Clark and the ensuing protests made it clear that North Minneapolis needed new leadership.
“I hear people say most police are good … well duh; most police are good, but there are those who are preying on the community and they need to be held accountable,” said Williams in announcing her reasons for running.
Williams was a key organizer of the more than month-long protest outside the Minneapolis Police Department Fourth Precinct headquarters. While Williams never mentioned her opponent during her launch, supporters who spoke in support of her did, saying Yang is not in step with the majority of the residents he was elected to serve.
“Blong Yang has not done justice for citizens of color,” said Nekima Levy-Pounds, president of the Minneapolis NAACP. “When we occupied the fourth precinct, Blong Yang stood with (Minneapolis Mayor) Betsy Hodges and decided we needed $605,000 to fortify the fourth precinct. You (Yang) should have put that $605,000 behind jobs. I live in the 5th Ward and I’m embarrassed to say he represents me.”
Levy-Pounds said Williams has the credentials and the fire to best represent Minneapolis’ 5th Ward.
“Even with her college degree, if she needs to get an attitude, she’ll get an attitude. Sometimes there’s a time to get mad,” said Levy-Pounds of the Howard University graduate. “She’s willing to lay it all on the line in support of her people.”
Williams is a third generation Minnesotan who attended Minneapolis North Community High School. She said she also attended three alternative high schools, thus she knows the challenges facing students of color in the Minneapolis Public Schools.
“I recognize (the student achievement gap) isn’t about intelligence, it’s about connecting with the students and it’s about having teachers who believe in them,” said Williams, who said she would use her influence to direct resources into youth learning programs.
The candidate said while she happily welcomes new residents in North Minneapolis, she wants to ensure residents of lesser means do not get priced out of the area.
“Economic development is at the top of my agenda. We need an economic development center in our own community, and we also need fair housing,” said Williams. “We (5th Ward residents) have the lowest employment and lowest income in Minneapolis, so if we can’t afford housing who are these new developments for? We welcome new residents; they are wanted and needed, but we have to make sure the people already here can stay.”
In a close election last time around Yang defeated Brett Buckner to capture the Ward 5 seat. Yang made history becoming first Hmong-American elected to the Minneapolis City Council. Ward 5 has the heaviest concentration of African-American and Hmong-American voters in the city.
