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HI, THAT'S IT'S AND I'M RUNNING TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY ON AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT.
I'M A PROGRESSIVE COMMUNITY HEALTH ADVOCATE, AND I'VE SPENT MY CAREER FIGHTING FOR EQUITY AND EVERY BOARDROOM ORGANIZATION AND WORKPLACE THAT I'VE BEEN A PART OF.
I WORKED ON POLICY AT THE LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL LEVELS, HELPING MOBILIZE THE EVERYDAY TEXAN FOR HEALTHIER COMMUNITIES.
I'M THE DAUGHTER OF AN IMMIGRANT AND A MILITARY VETERAN.
I COME FROM A WORKING CLASS FAMILY WHERE MY FATHER WAS A HARDWORKING ELECTRICIAN AND ANOTHER LITTLE BIT WORKS AT WALMART.
I'M THE YOUNGEST OF SEVEN SIBLINGS, WHICH TAUGHT ME TWO THINGS THAT GUIDE ME EVER SINCE ONE, HOW TO MAKE MY VOICE HEARD AND TO THEN NO MATTER WHAT I DID, I NEEDED TO BRING OTHERS ALONG WITH ME.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING.
I ATTENDED THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN, AND I'M A PROUD FIRST GENERATION COLLEGE GRADUATE.
I'VE WORKED IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND GOVERNMENT AND NONPROFIT WHERE I SAW FIRSTHAND HOW OUR SYSTEMS ARE DESIGNED TO INCLUDE SOME VOICES AND OTHERS.
THIS ONLY MADE ME WORK HARDER FOR THE PAST SIX YEARS.
I'VE BEEN WORKING AT THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION WHERE I HELPED PASS LIFE SAVING POLICY, INCLUDING SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL, RAISING THE TOBACCO SALES AGE TO 21, FIGHTING FOR SMOKE FREE AIR AND NEWBORN IN GENERAL PARKS.
AS A WOMAN OF COLOR, I KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF UPLIFTING OTHER WOMEN AND ENSURING GENDER JUSTICE.
I'VE LED MY COMMUNITY AS PRESIDENT OF THE YOUNG WOMAN'S ALLIANCE, WHERE WE FOCUS ON TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION OF WOMEN LEADERS IN AUSTIN.
AND I'VE SERVED ON THE BOARD OF AN HISPANIC WOMEN'S NETWORK AT TEXAS, WHERE WE ADVANCED LATINAS AND BUSINESS AND CIVIC LIFE.
I VOLUNTEERED WITH
THESE THINGS TODAY AS NEARLY A CENTURY AGO IN 1928 ARE CITY PLAN IS CREATED SEGREGATE AUSTIN.
THESE ARE REASONS WHY THERE ARE NOTABLE SERVICE HOSPITALS, EAST OF 35.
THERE'S A REASON WHY WE HAVE TWO DESERT AND EASTERN CRESCENT.
THE FACT THAT DUE TO DECADES OF INSTITUTIONAL NEGLECT OR BLACK AND BROWN KNEES WHO LIVE EAST OF 35, HAVE A LIFE EXPECTANCY OF 10 YEARS, LESS THAN THOSE WHO MOVE WEST AT 35 SHOULD GIVE US ALL PAUSE BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE'RE ALL AUSTINITES AND WE ALL DESERVE A FAIR CHANCE.
THE WELLBEING OF OUR COMMUNITY IS ONE OF MY TOP PRIORITIES.
AND AS SOMEONE WILL BE RAISING A FAMILY IN SOUTHEAST AUSTIN, I CARE DEEPLY ABOUT MAKING AUSTIN.
I HAVE A VISION OF AUSTIN WHERE EVERY AWESOME NIGHT, YOU SAKE LEADING OUT OF CITY, BUT A ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD SHOULD BE A GIVEN THE HEALTHY FOOD ACCESS IS A PRIORITY.
AND THAT HEALTHCARE IS A HUMAN RIGHT, NOT A PRIVILEGE.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THAT EVERY AUSTINITE SHOULD HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE THE LIFE THAT THEY WANT TO LIVE.
HERE'S WHAT I KNOW OUR COMMUNITY IS RESILIENT FROM SURVIVING, A HISTORIC AND DEADLY FLOODS OF 2013 AND 2015.
AND NOW THIS PANDEMIC, WE NEED A LEADER WHO WILL ASK THE TOUGH QUESTIONS THAT THEN OUR COMMUNITY FROM DISPLACEMENT AND STAND UP FOR OUR MEETING ON THE ISSUES THAT MATTER MOST.
AND THAT'S WHY I GOT INTO THIS FIGHT.
NOT ONLY IS THERE AN ECONOMIC DIVIDE IN OUR CITY, BUT THERE'S A HEALTH DIVIDE.
WHAT WE ALREADY KNOW OUR NEIGHBORS IN SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST AUSTIN ARE GETTING, ARE NOT GETTING ADEQUATE HEALTH SERVICES.
WE DESERVE AS WE LOOK TO OUR LOCAL LEADERS TO GET US THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC.
I BELIEVE THAT MY EXPERIENCE IN PUBLIC HEALTH POLICY COMBINED WITH MY BACK ROADING COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP, THAT POSITIONS ME TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY AND TO TAKE ON THE STATUS QUO FOR THE PANDEMIC.
YET, I ROLLED UP MY SLEEVES AND I GOT TO WORK ON THE FRONT LINES WITH THE HELP OF OUR COMMUNITY.
WE WERE ABLE TO ORGANIZE THREE PPE DRIVES AND DELL VALLEY AND IN DEPTH SCREENS AND DISTRIBUTED THOUSANDS OF MASKS AND GLOVES FOR OUR NEIGHBORS IN NEED.
I TRULY BELIEVE THAT AUSTIN COULD BE A CITY THAT EVERY PERSON CAN CALL HOME A CITY THAT WAS RESPONSIBLY AND THIS SUSTAINABLE.
IT'S TIME TO SHOW UP FOR US AND WE NEED TO SHOW UP FOR US TO JOIN ME IN THIS FIGHT.
PLEASE VISIT MY WEBSITE TO READ MY PLANS, MEETING HEALTH, MEDIA ENGAGEMENT, SMALL BUSINESS, AND HOUSING AFFORDABILITY@THENESAFORAUSTIN.COM.