I came up in this community and learned each corner of it like the four walls of a classroom. From struggling through Catholic elementary schools in Melrose to excelling in the public schools of Mott Haven to earning my first college credits in our CUNY system, I went on to earn an elite education at Colby College and Georgetown University.
My Life is a Lesson in Equity for Doors That Should Be Open to All Bronxites.
Since 2018, I have already stepped up to represent YOU (and the entirety of this district) at all levels of government. My federal service in the 15th Congressional District saw hundreds of tax and immigration cases resolved with $1 million in funding for local groups such as South Bronx Unite.
My statewide vote as a Judicial Delegate brought a young progressive voice to the Bronx County Supreme Court in defiance of the Trump administration’s packing of local conservative judges. My city government work created dozens of voter registration hubs at small businesses throughout The Bronx. My track record in our neighborhood speaks for itself, so I will be honored to carry our work forward as your next District Leader.
I was raised along the border of Mott Haven & Melrose by a rainbow village of activists, businesses, and churches who all blessed me with a love for the soul of the South Bronx. I’m your neighbor from 147th Street who’s ready to shake things up!
Manifesto for the Movement
I grew up as a decolonial community organizer in the South Bronx who spent the better part of two decades fighting for livable streets where New Yorkers can thrive with dignity. Born to Central American essential workers in an afro-indigenous family, my upbringing kept me in close contact with the economic inequality that followed me from the poorest country on this continent to the poorest Congressional district in the United States. My professional journey stretches between nonprofit advocacy for green spaces, private investment in small businesses, and public leadership at all three levels of government.
Now is the best time for fresh leadership rooted in joy and justice. While the United States continues down a self-destructive path of state-sanctioned terrorism (at home and abroad), New York City stands at the epicenter of a bold power grab. From careless ICE assaults on American citizens to the crumbling towers housing exploited laborers, everything that happens in our vibrant city echoes deeply into all corners of the country. Complacent politicians have no place in the halls of City Hall or Albany when their extreme egos overshadow monetary motives – or old age.
As your next District Leader, I will lean into a creative toolbox to blend electoral empowerment with grassroots globalism. I commit to centering oppressed peoples from all walks of life as poll workers in all of the major languages shared across The Bronx. The few explicit powers I take on will counter nationwide attacks on Black political power as we gradually push toward reparations for enslaved Americans. Although this democracy was built on a separation of church & state, I shall pray that my personal spirituality leads me into a praxis of liberation theology alongside Jewish & Muslim neighbors in need. We can build upon a movement of radical resistance for the rest of The Bronx to see.