Photographer: Zach Bielinski | Minneapolis, MN – Tuesday, November 10, 2015 – Ilhan Omar holds her daughter after she ran onto the stage.
November 10 saw the Mixed Blood Theatre filled to the brim with people of all races and ages, unified by one common goal: elect Ilhan Omar. Omar’s campaign for representative of Minneapolis House District 60B kicked off with a celebration, complete with a DJ, appetizers courtesy of Afro Deli, spoken word poets, and testimonials from local policymakers, including the University of Minnesota’s very own student body president, Joelle Stangler.
“I met Ilhan over the summer and was so amazed at her experience, earnestness, and genuine concern in issues facing all young people,” Stangler said. “Not only is she someone who is going to represent our students, but she brings a new face and background from a community that has been underrepresented.”
In the beginning of Omar’s speech, she asked the audience to consider the definitions of the terms “liberal” and “progressive.” “Being a liberal means being open to new ideas,” she said. “Being progressive means acting on those ideas.”
Luckily, Omar has plenty of new ideas and plans to carry them out.
A college graduate, Omar has experienced the pressures of student debt and hopes to decrease its financial burden on students. “We need to focus on making higher education not only more affordable, but more accessible,” she said.
Omar also said she is passionate about protecting the environment, and supports decreasing dependency on fossil fuels and developing clean energy. “If we want our planet to sustain us, we must care for it, we must be better stewards,” she said.
A champion of workers’ rights, Omar said in her speech that in order to close the opportunity gap, we must pay a living wage. “We must demand fair scheduling and paid sick leave for all workers.”
However, Omar faces tough competition from the incumbent candidate. Now in her 22nd term, Rep. Phyllis Kahn is the longest-serving member of the Minnesota state legislature. While Kahn’s experience is unquestionably significant, she has an inherent disconnect with District 60B’s diverse and primarily young constituency. The world has changed drastically since Kahn was elected to office in 1972, which begs the question: should District 60B’s representative change, too?
Consequently, Omar asserts that Minnesota needs new perspectives in office. “The same people have been making big decisions at the Capitol for a real long time. When we make an effort to reach beyond the familiar, to bring in new people with new ideas, we find that we end up with more choices, better choices, for every Minnesotan.”
Ilhan Omar would undoubtedly be a new voice. If elected, she would be the first Somali elected to the Minnesota legislature. In fact, she would be the first Somali elected to any state legislature in the country.
Representation for the Somali community would be especially beneficial in District 60B, home to the largest Somali-American population in Minnesota. Omar contends that while Kahn claims to have the community’s interests in mind, she lacks an extremely valuable asset: fluency.
Omar’s ability to converse with her constituency is a major advantage. Because Omar can speak directly with District 60B’s Somali population, she is more equipped to understand their concerns and advocate for them. For example, some of the biggest cheers of the night came when Omar shared her experience passing a law that required restaurants to extend their hours to accommodate for Ramadan.
Additionally, Omar’s status as an immigrant further adds to her capacity to relate to voters. Omar’s family moved from Mogadishu, Somalia to the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood of Minneapolis when she was in 6th grade.
As a child, Omar gained a love for politics from her grandfather, who instilled in her an interest in American and Somali politics. In high school, Omar began attending local caucuses, which spurred a sense of community involvement. After college, she dove deeper into local politics, eventually becoming a senior policy aide to Minneapolis City Council member Andrew Johnson in 2013.
Omar worked her way up the political ladder and has confidence in her potential to uplift others with her leadership. “I have a strong vision for our future and the future of our children. I have the drive, the talent, and the tenacity to make that vision a reality for all of us,” she said.
Omar’s candidacy is especially notable because of what it symbolizes for Minnesota, and the country as a whole. Diversity in politics fosters inclusion and efficacy within government and ensures that minority groups aren’t forgotten.
“When we stand together and fight together, we win.”
http://www.wakemag.org/sections/cities/ilhan-omar-for-district-60b/
@Idol she's doing better than I expected.
