My vision for Washtenaw County, and myself, is that we will stay informed, step back when it is necessary, and step up when it is needed. We will actively fight to be anti-racist in our cities, our schools, our neighborhoods, and our family. We will hold each other accountable, speak out and listen. We will not just “agree to disagree” or to “see each other’s side”, but we will work, jointly, on one mission: to become the best county in the nation. Unfortunately, in our nation, we are so fixated on what is right, that we are not hearing what is wrong. We are grieving; we are missing out on humanity and human touch, and we cannot afford to stay in the status quo. The questions we have to answer cannot be answered by politics, because they are humanitarian issues at heart. And it takes our pulse to pump it through our communities. We are in a public health crisis; and it is up to us to find a way to mitigate the problem in the best way that serves our communities at all intersections. What makes Washtenaw County great is that we are a diverse county that is part privileged and part underserved intersected by our race, religion, identity and orientation.  So how do we find answers? By recognizing that no answer is the right answer, but a starting point on which we can improve. We can problem solve, and we can heal. We can do this by getting uncomfortable and by finding solace in knowing that we are doing this for one reason: because we love where we live. And we hold that love as our universal truth.

Organizations: Ozone House and WCC - Adult Transitions Pathways