Letter to the Editor:
As a lifelong resident of District 7 who was born and raised in Dorchester, my candidacy for Boston City Council is deeply personal. I’m running because I’ve spent my life fighting for our communities—and I’m not done yet.
The legacy of the civil rights movement shaped my commitment to justice and service. My grandparents were the first Black family to live on their street. My grandfather, a pastor and NAACP leader, marched alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and built one of Boston’s first Black-owned nursery schools. That legacy taught me early that faith without action is incomplete—and that standing up for our neighbors is both a moral obligation and a lifelong calling.
That calling led me to become a lawyer and, eventually, to serve more than two decades at the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, where I fought to uphold civil rights, uncovered racial discrimination at the Boston Housing Authority, and helped secure tens of millions in federal funding to rebuild and revitalize public housing across our city.
From Academy Homes to Franklin Park Apartments and beyond, I worked to protect tenants, advance fair housing, and expand access to safe, stable, and affordable homes for Boston families.
But I didn’t stop there.
As senior pastor of Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church, I launched mentorship programs, youth employment efforts, and peace-building initiatives like the Trotter Peace Program and Six Point Peace Plan. During the pandemic, I led grassroots efforts to distribute food and deliver vaccines—because when our community was hurting, we didn’t wait for others to act. We got to work.
Now I’m running for City Council because I believe this district deserves more than promises—we deserve proven leadership rooted in service, not self-interest. I’m not a career politician. I’m a father, a pastor, and a public servant who has spent decades fighting for housing justice, safer neighborhoods, and economic opportunity. I’ve worked with federal agencies, challenged the status quo at City Hall, and delivered real results for the people of Boston.
This campaign is not just about policy—it’s about people. It’s about the families in Roxbury, Dorchester, the South End, and the Fenway who want a councillor who shows up, listens, and fights for them every single day. It’s about making sure development benefits residents, not just developers. It’s about expanding mental health services, preventing violence, and investing in our youth before crisis strikes. District 7 deserves a city councillor with the experience to lead, the heart to serve, and the courage to stand up for what’s right—even when it’s not easy. I’m running to be a champion for our community. I’m ready to serve, and I respectfully ask for your support—and your vote—on Tues., Sept. 9.
