DeWayne Davis: I’m the experienced, compassionate leader Minneapolis deserves as mayor

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Before running for mayor consumed all my time, I would take miles-long walks around Minneapolis. Whether I needed to put the finishing touches on a sermon or think through a thorny issue in my community work, walking has always connected and focused me.

As I walked through our city, I could see all the small kindnesses that make Minneapolis so special — the cookouts in the courtyards of apartment buildings, bikers chatting as they crossed the river, neighbors shoveling each others’ sidewalks. But I could also see where our city is hurting: unhoused neighbors in encampments, people struggling with addiction or mental health challenges, neighborhoods that have been left behind.

But above all, I saw care and support. People in Minneapolis truly care for our neighbors, our neighborhoods and our city.

Care for community has always been central for me. I was born in Mississippi as the 15th and youngest child of a minister and a kindergarten teacher. They cared deeply for their community and their community cared for them — so much so that they were able to send all 15 of their children to college.

I went to Howard University, where I met my future husband, Kareem, then spent 20 years on Capitol Hill working with Democratic leadership on health care, education and transportation. I’m proud of the work I did at a national level, but I eventually felt disconnected from the communities I cared about.

I worked with Hennepin County to bring HIV prevention and care to Black and brown communities. As the lead minister of Plymouth Congregational Church, I led volunteers, advocates and community members in supporting our unhoused neighbors and those struggling. And as the co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign, I saw the power of people’s care for each other.

I decided to run for mayor as it became apparent that Donald Trump was going to win in the presidential race. I knew that our care for our neighbors would make us a target of this administration, and I knew we needed collaborative, compassionate leadership now more than ever. For the past eight years, our city has been stuck — the gridlock, cynicism and antagonism coming out of City Hall is having real consequences on our neighbors.

Minneapolis, we deserve better.

We deserve a city that ensures that no matter how much we make, we have a safe and stable home. We need to address the encampment crisis with providers, not police, and work with the county and state to get people help before encampments form. We need more affordable housing, and we need to make sure people can stay in their homes by increasing tenant protections and finding ways to increase our tax base without relying on homeowners.

When I co-chaired the city’s Community Safety Workgroup, we made concrete recommendations to Mayor Jacob Frey for police accountability and training, mental health response and accountable violence interruption. Instead of taking those recommendations seriously, Frey has focused on superficial wins over the hard work of change. We deserve a city that ensures everyone’s safety by investing in communities, preventing harm and ensuring when people call for help, they get the help they need.

My friends, we have a choice in this election.

We can choose to reject the cynicism and cronyism coming from the mayor’s office.

We can choose politics that unite us rather than divide us.

We can choose to believe in the power of us.

Rank me first choice on Nov. 4 so that we can build the Minneapolis that we deserve, together.