RTCV ANNOUNCES CITY COUNCIL ENDORSEMENTS

 RTCV ANNOUNCES CITY COUNCIL ENDORSEMENTS

Coalition aims to further its impact on electing most progressive Council in Boston

BOSTON – Right to the City VOTE! (RTCV), a coalition formed in 2013 and focused on the political power-building of Boston’s working-class, immigrant, communities of color, today announced its endorsement of six Boston City Council candidates ahead of the September 14, 2021 preliminary election.  

Boston and particularly its communities of color face an ongoing health, economic, and displacement crisis, hitting hardest at our most vulnerable communities. As newly released census data confirms the shrinking of Boston’s Black population, RTCV is endorsing a slate of city council candidates who promise a progressive, people of color majority for Boston City Council decisions.

RTCV started its process eight months ago in December 2020 by engaging members and leaders who are working-class, immigrant, and residents of color from neighborhoods citywide. The internal process spanned four months and resulted in a platform of policy priorities which would most equitably improve quality of life for impacted communities. Questionnaires were sent to all candidates in April, reviewed by RTCV members in May, and Council candidates were selected for interviews in June. 

The endorsement decision followed lengthy deliberations given the opportunity to further challenge the status quo at a turning point in Boston’s history. The coalition’s impact has drawn attention for its role in helping elect the most progressive and representative City Council in Boston’s history in 2019, when 1 in 7 Boston voters were contacted by RTCV.

The coalition achieves this by challenging the political establishment by building upon years of local base-building and multiracial collaboration on a collective policy agenda, engaging and mobilizing an electorate often overlooked by traditional campaign strategies, and turning this into power at the ballot box.

RTCV today announces its City Council endorsements of: 

·       Ruthzee Louijeune, At Large

·       David Halbert, At Large 

·       Julia Mejia, At Large 

·       Joel Richards, District 4

·       Kendra Hicks, District 6

·       Tania Fernandes Anderson, District 7

“We are endorsing Ruthzee Louijeune, David Halbert, and Julia Mejia for At Large because we know they will work with us to build our movement to remain, reclaim, and rebuild our communities,” said Roxbury resident and RTCV chair Armani White. “At this moment in Boston’s history, we need citywide councilors who are truly committed to representing all of Bostonians equitably – and Ruthzee, David, and Julia have shown their willingness to work alongside our communities.”

“Joel is an educator and organizer at the intersection of our movements for education justice, housing justice and racial justice,” Mattapan resident, RTCV member, and Mijente Boston member Jonathan Rodrigues said of District 4 candidate Joel Richards. “He knows real change requires bringing our movements to City Hall in order to govern collaboratively with our communities, and we’re proud to endorse him to win together.”

“As a first-generation Black Dominican woman, community organizer and activist, Kendra has committed her work toward prioritizing the voices and needs of our communities,” said RTCV steering committee and Mijente Boston member Vanessa Snow said of District 6 candidate Kendra Hicks. “Through a collaborative approach of facilitating community listening sessions, she has proven her commitment to engaging everyday residents and community members in crafting her policy platform. We are excited to continue this collective community-building approach toward governance once she’s in office.”

“Tania has committed her life to service and uplifting the community – especially those left behind by a lack of government policy, including families in need or struggling Black and Brown businesses in our communities,” Roxbury community organizer Melissa Beltran said of District 7 candidate Tania Fernandes Anderson. “We believe in her dedication to solving problems and building a bridge between community and government.”