Growing up, my father’s pharmacy on Edgewood was not only a place where I learned the value of hard work and what it takes to run a small business, but it showed me what it truly meant to be part of a living, breathing community. I began organizing in this community from a young age, and by the time I started school at Georgia State University, I was investing my time in student-led coalitions & causes such as the Georgia Dreamers program and affordable education. I fought for awareness surrounding gentrification, predatory lending, and the growing wealth gap in Atlanta throughout my time as a student.

I followed my passions for human rights issues abroad, fighting for student rights, women’s rights, and the environment. I spent time in Kenya, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Australia, focusing on causes from food scarcity and water accessibility, to sex trafficking and women’s health, as well as working in job training, infrastructure, and waste management systems.

I have now worked and volunteered in 26 countries around the world, but each adventure always led me back to my home – Atlanta. 

These collective experiences here and abroad encouraged my 2017 run for City Council, where we more than doubled voter turnout from the previous cycle. Ultimately, we came within just 250 votes of winning against the 16-year incumbent. But what we gained since then was well worth the fight. For the past four years, I have continued to meet with and listen to neighbors, religious leaders, business owners, and elected officials at all levels. These relationships have facilitated my continued service to the community, despite not holding office. 

I continue to invest my time in the causes that mean the most to me on the local level. I currently serve as a curator of the Atlanta-based art organization Black Futures Matter, while also serving on the boards of PEDS, Georgia Equality, and gloATL. I also served on the Board of Lost N Found Youth, an organization dedicated to getting homeless queer youth off of the streets; was the Vice-Chair of Zoning for the Grant Park Neighborhood Association; and have traveled throughout the Southeast region volunteering in crisis relief work related to natural disasters, homelessness, accessibility to healthcare, and education. Lastly, but far from least, I have pushed for continued conversation on the intersectionality of the arts and politics through platforms like 9to5, Elevate, and Tanz Farm. 

But above all, what I cherish most is coming home. I have lived in North Grant Park for a decade, and in District 5 for fifteen years. I live with my partner Kris, German Shepherd Pepe, and our many rescue cats.