Black & Brown Leadership 2020-2040

© 2020 by Tomás Alberto Ávila. All Rights Reserved. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed or by any means or stored in a database or retrieval system without the prior written of the publisher.

First Printing December 2020

Published by Milenio Latino Institute, Inc. Providence, Rhode Island tavila@mileniolatinoinstitute.org

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: Pending

ISBN ----1--------14-8

Printed in the United Stated of America.

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Table of Content Latino Leadership 2020: Honoring Our Past, Our Present and Leading Our Future ______________________________________ 7 Black & Brown Leadership 2020-2040 ______________________ 7

Representative Marvin L. Abney _______________________ 13 Newport and Middletown in District 73____________________ 13

Senator Jonathan Acosta _____________________________ 14 Senator Central Falls/Pawtucket District 16 ________________ 14

Representative Karen Alzate __________________________ 15 Representative District 60, Pawtucket _____________________ 15

Representative Jean Philippe Barros____________________ 16 House District 59 in Pawtucket ___________________________ 16

Representative Jose F. Batista _________________________ 17 Providence House District 12 ____________________________ 17

Representative Nathan Biah __________________________ 18 Providence House District 3 _____________________________ 18

Senator Sandra Cano ________________________________ 19 Pawtucket Senate District 8 _____________________________ 19

Representative Liana M. Cassar _______________________ 20 Barrington and East Providence House District 66 ___________ 20

Representative Grace Diaz ___________________________ 21 Providence House District 11 ____________________________ 21

Representative Leonela Felix __________________________ 22 Pawtucket House District 65 _____________________________ 22

Representative Joshua J. Girardo ______________________ 23 Central Falls House District ______________________________ 23

Representative Brianna Henries _______________________ 24 3

East Providence House District 64 ________________________ 24

Representative Raymond A. Hull _______________________ 25 Providence House District 6 _____________________________ 25

Senator Tiara Mack __________________________________ 26 Providence Senate District 6 _____________________________ 26

Senator Cynthia Mendes ______________________________ 27 East Providence and Pawtucket Senate District 18 ___________ 27

Representative David Morales _________________________ 28 Providence House District 7 _____________________________ 28

Representative Ramon Perez __________________________ 29 Providence House District 13 ____________________________ 29

Senator Ana B. Quezada ______________________________ 30 Providence Senate District 2 _____________________________ 30

Representative Marcia Ranglin-Vassell __________________ 31 Providence House District 3 _____________________________ 31

Representative Carlos E. Tobon ________________________ 32 Pawtucket House District 58 _____________________________ 32

Representative Anastasia P. Williams ___________________ 33 Providence House District 9 _____________________________ 33

2020 Departing LegislatorsRepresentative Joseph Almeida __ 34 Representative Mario Mendez ___________________________ 35 Senator HaroldMetts __________________________________ 36

The future of RI politics? A more-diverse General Assembly _ 37 ‘What we are witnessing is the mainstreaming of Black and brown communities across this country,’ one activist says ______________ 37

Black & Brown Municipal Elected Officials _______________ 46 Councilor Suzanna “Suzy” Alba_________________________ 49 Smithfield ___________________________________________ 49 4

Councilor Ama Amponsah ____________________________ 50 Pawtucket City Council District 5 _________________________ 50

Councilor Tatiana Baena _____________________________ 51 City of Central Falls City Council at Large ___________________ 51

Councilor Melissa DaRosa ____________________________ 52 Pawtucket City Councilor At Large ________________________ 52

Councilor Hugo Figueroa _____________________________ 53 Central Falls City Council Ward 3 _________________________ 53

Councilor Carlene Fonseca ____________________________ 54 Central Falls City Council At Large ________________________ 54

Councilor Elizabeth Fuerte ____________________________ 55 Newport City Council At Large ___________________________ 55

Councilor Aniece Germain ____________________________ 56 City of Cranston City Council Ward 3 ______________________ 56

Valerie Gonzalez ___________________________________ 57 Woonsocket City CouncilAt Large _________________________ 57

School Committeeman Stephen Larbi ___________________ 58 Pawtucket School Committee ____________________________ 58

City Councilor Angela McCalla ________________________ 59 Newport City Council Ward 1 ____________________________ 59

School Committeeman Roberto H. Moreno ______________ 60 Pawtucket School Committee ____________________________ 60

School Committeeman Juan Carlos Payero ______________ 61 Portsmouth School Committee___________________________ 61

Mayor Maria Rivera_________________________________ 62 City of Central Falls ____________________________________ 62

Councilor Franklin Solano ____________________________ 63 5

City of Central Falls Ward 4______________________________ 63

Councilor Lammis J. Vargas ___________________________ 64 City of Cranston Ward 2 ________________________________ 64

Councilor Elena Vasquez ______________________________ 65 Pawtucket City Council _________________________________ 65

Councilor Jessica Vega _______________________________ 66 City of Central Falls Council Ward 2 _______________________ 66

Councilor Adamaris Villar _____________________________ 67 Central Falls City Council ________________________________ 67

About Tomรกs Alberto ร vila ____________________________ 68

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Latino Leadership 2020: Honoring Our Past, Our Present and Leading Our Future Black & Brown Leadership 2020-2040 © 2020 Tomás Ávila July 2, 2020 This year as I’ve done for the past 25 years, I’ve collected the names of candidates that have registered their intent to run for elected office during the September 8, 2020 Rhode Island Primary Elections, and as in the past it’s telling me that in the next 20 years Rhode Island’s State House and Municipal governments will be turning Black & Brown.

With approximately 80 candidates seeking elected office from United State Senator to district committees, and the expansion of the districts through thirteen of thirty nice cities and towns (Barrington, Central Falls, Cranston, East Providence, Johnston, Newport, Pawtucket, Portsmouth, Providence, Smithfield, Warwick, West Warwick, Woonsocket) across the state from the traditional urban core, change is definitely coming to the Rhode Island Political scene within the next twenty years.

Since I became involved in the socio political empowerment of the Latino community, I’ve kept my attention in the evolution of the state electoral cycles and been an active participant along with many Friends in the growth and expansion of 7

Latino elected officials from one in 2000 to the election of forty, and 24 presently serving by 2020 and have published two books capturing such achievements and political success: Rhode Island Latino Political Empowerment: The Evolution of Latino Politics, 1996 2006 published in 2007, documenting what has been called the renaissance of Latino politics, and Growing Into Power, and Rhode Island Black and Brown Ethnic Succession 1984 – 1995 published in 2012, documenting the from African Americans elected officials in the Southside of Providence to the present Latino dominated scenario, that expanded to Central Falls, and Pawtucket, the election three Mayors (Providence, Central Falls) , and four City/Town Council Presidents (Providence 2, Luis Aponte and Sabina Matos, Central Falls 1, Maria Rivera, Smithfield 1, Suzy Alba, during the decade of 2010 - 2020.

In celebration of the political success of the Latino Community, I’ve been conducting a series of historical conversations I titled: “Latino Leadership 2020: Honoring Our Past, Transforming Our Present and Leading Our Future” about Latino Leadership evolution across Rhode Island during the past 20 years 2000-2020, and Latino Leadership Successful Transformational Leadership Evolution, and Rhode Island politics by empowering other communities seek elected offices and elevate their communities advocacy.

Effective with this writing, I’m transitioning the Black & Brown Leadership 2020 - 2040, based on my research and the trends evolving with this elections, the diversity of Blacks seeking elected office, the ramifications of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) that brought to the forefront long-standing systemic inequities in our society against the Black and Brown Communities, exacerbated by the murdered of George Floyd by a Minneapolis Policeman on Memorial Day protest marches throughout the world and Rhode Island demanding social justice and economic equity, encouraging many more people of color to run for office.

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The face of America is changing, and the population is rapidly diversifying. Already, more than half of all babies born in the United States are people of color. By 2030, the majority of young workers will be people of color. And by 2043, the United States will be a majority people-of color nation. Yet racial and income inequality is high and persistent. Over the past several decades, long standing inequities in income, wealth, health, and opportunity have reached unprecedented levels, and communities of color have felt the greatest pains as the economy has shifted and stagnated, Equity is an economic imperative as well as a moral one.

According to the report, An Equity Profile of Rhode Island by PolicyLink and PERE in 2013 for the planning department, “Rhode Island is moderately diverse and is experiencing rapid demographic change and its share of people of color increased from 7 to 24 percent between 1980 and 2010, and all of the state’s recent population growth is attributable to people of color.

Latinos, Asians, and African Americans are driving growth and change in the state and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

The people of color are growing quickly in the state’s nine largest cities and in the state. By 2040, 41 percent of Rhode Islanders will be people of color, there is a significant and growing racial generation gap between the region’s predominantly white senior population and its increasingly diverse youth population.” Twenty-four percent of residents are people of color, including a diverse mix of racial and ethnic groups. Over the past decade, Rhode Island’s Latino population grew 44 percent, adding almost 40,000 residents. The Asian and African American populations also grew by 28 and 23 percent, or 7,000 and 10,000 residents, respectively. The state’s non-Hispanic white population shrank by six percent (55,000 residents). Much of the growth in the state’s Latino and Asian populations over the past decade has not been due to immigration but to new births among U.S. residents.

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The report continues that the rapid growth of people of color in Rhode Island is helping to stem population decline in many of the state’s cities. Five of Rhode Island’s nine largest cities (Warwick, Pawtucket, East Providence, Woonsocket, and Newport) experienced population losses of 2 to 7 percent over the past decade, and these losses would have been more severe were it not for the robust growth of their people-of color populations. Providence, Cranston, Central Falls, and Westerly all grew slightly (1 to 3 percent), and that growth was propelled by the growth of their people-of-color populations.

Providence, home to 17 percent of the state’s residents, had the fastest overall growth rate at 3 percent but its people-of-color population grew six times as fast, at 18 percent. As attested by the research data, Rhode Island will continue to grow more diverse in the future, at a rate that is like that of the past few decades and slightly higher than the nation.

Therefore, my conclusion is that the future of the state's Black and Brown elected officers will accelerate within the forthcoming 20 years of 2020 - 2040.

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Representative Marvin L. Abney Newport and Middletown in District 73 Chairman, House Finance Committee Member, House Veterans' Affairs Committee Marvin L. Abney (D) has served the residents of Newport and Middletown in District 73 since first being elected in November 2012. In May 2016, he was named chairman of the House Finance Committee, which is tasked with adopting the annual state budget. He also serves on the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

Chairman Abney was the lead sponsor of a new law during the 2018 legislative session that eliminates a number of unnecessary and duplicative licenses, removes small application fees, and a number of other fixes to streamline regulations and fees for Rhode Island’s small businesses.

He was also the lead sponsor and negotiator of the Fiscal Year 2019 state budget which restored proposed cuts to services for the state’s most vulnerable populations, such as reductions to developmentally disabled programs and cuts to hospitals for low-income patients and continued the phase-out of the car tax without raising broad-based taxes. In 2018, he was presented the Francis R. Dietz Award for Public Service by the Hospital Association of Rhode Island, which recognized his leadership on issues confronting hospitals. Also, in 2018, he was honored by the Rhode Island Partnership for Home Care with the Legislative Champion Award for his advocacy on behalf of the state’s most vulnerable citizens, and by Sail Newport with the President’s Award for his long-time advocacy for the organization.

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Senator Jonathan Acosta Senator Central Falls/Pawtucket District 16 Jonathon Acosta is a father, educator, Eagle Scout, youth wrestling coach, and doctoral student in sociology at Brown University. He was a middle school math teacher in Miami-Dade County and Central Falls before becoming an administrator.

During this time, he earned an MA in Urban Education Policy at Brown and implemented a district-wide teacher evaluation program in cultural competence.

Jonathon is a member of the Juvenile Hearing Board and a City Councilman representing Ward 1 in Central Falls, where he has been a strong voice for responsible green city planning, transparency in governance, and affordable housing. His academic work is in political sociology, social stratification, segregation, race, class, and ethnicity.

Growing up in a low-income, single-parent household, his mother had a daily mantra: “If you get a good education, you can have any life you choose.� She made it clear that this was the only way to be tremendously successful.

His passion for social justice was cultivated by his experiences as a Boy Scout, high school varsity athlete, and a student in an International Baccalaureate program.

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Representative Karen Alzate Representative District 60, Pawtucket Rep. Karen Alzate (D-Dist. 60, Pawtucket) was first elected to the House of Representatives in November 2018.

Representative Alzate is a case manager with The Providence Center.

She graduated from Tolman High School in 2006 and received her bachelor’s degree in political science from Rhode Island College in 2013.

She is currently enrolled at Roger Williams University, where she is seeking a master’s degree in community development.

Representative Alzate is also a board member of the Pawtucket Arts Festival.

I love Pawtucket, we need a strong new voice at the Statehouse to fight for education, affordable housing, small businesses and for all families who come to Pawtucket to pursue the American Dream. With a passion for helping youth pursue higher education, she said she wants to include education programs for all students in Pawtucket and increase resources to help students further their education and create resources for families to thrive and stay in Pawtucket.

Alzate is the first generation to have graduated from college in her family. Her parents migrated to Rhode Island in the early 1980s and were able to provide education Alzate and her sister. She said she is passionate about Pawtucket and is ready to give back.

She is a 2016 graduate of the New Leaders Council, a nonprofit organization that promotes, trains and recruits progressive leaders, and has served on their board for the last two years.

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Representative Jean Philippe Barros House District 59 in Pawtucket Member, House Finance Committee Member, House Finance Subcommittee Education Member, House Finance Subcommittee - General Government Member, House Finance Subcommittee - Public Safety Member, House Municipal Government Committee Jean Philippe Barros (D) was first elected to House District 59 in Pawtucket in November 2014. He was named a Deputy Majority Leader at the start of the 2017 session. He sits on the House Committee on Finance as well as the House Committee on Municipal Government.

In 2018, Representative Barros was the lead sponsor of legislation that amended provisions of the tax increment financing act in order to encourage municipalities to use tax increment financing to facilitate economic development. The bill was signed into law by the governor. He also sponsored legislation, which was passed by the House of Representatives, that directs the Office of Auditor General to be responsible for analyzing and reporting the impact of new or expanded charter schools.

Representative Barros was a cosponsor of the Fair Shot Agenda during the 2017 legislative session, which included the successful passage of earned paid sick days for workers, an increase in the minimum wage, and a fairer tax system for families that reduces the car tax.

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Representative Jose F. Batista Providence House District 12 Jose F. Batista is a life-long resident of South Providence and lived on Byfield Street for the last 15 years.

At home, Jose was the son of immigrants and the oldest of 6 children. He attended public schools from Kindergarten to 12th grade, via Sackett Street Elementary School, Roger Williams Middle School, and Classical High School.

After becoming the first person in his family to graduate high school, he attended Bryant University in Smithfield, RI where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Management. Immediately after that, he enrolled in Roger Williams University School of Law where he graduated with a Juris Doctor in 2014. Rather than take his talents out of state, or to a downtown law firm, Jose has always believed in investing in his community and has demonstrated that commitment throughout his career.

Jose began his legal career as a public defender where he represented thousands of indigent clients from dozens of cities and towns across Rhode Island. Jose later left the public defender’s office to realize a lifelong dream – to start a solo law practice on Broad Street – where he would be committed to proving that it is possible to provide highquality, bilingual, legal services in a community like South Providence.

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Representative Nathan Biah Providence House District 3 Nathan Biah elected to the Rhode Island House of Representative November 3, 2020 is a Providence educator, father of three, Liberian Civil War refugee, and a Smith Hill and North End resident of over 20 years.

Biah’s journey to America started in Monrovia, Liberia where his plans to attend college were disrupted by the Liberian Civil War. He walked 90 miles from Monrovia to Bong Mines to escape the violence, eventually landing in a refugee camp in the Ivory Coast.

Biah eventually reunited with family in Rhode Island.

Upon coming to Rhode Island, Biah passed the GED test and worked for minimum wage in a Centerdale textile factory while earning a degree from Rhode Island College.

While working as a math teacher, Biah earned his Master’s Degree from URI. While raising kids, Biah became a school administrator for the Providence School Department working at Nathanael Greene Middle School, Juanita Sanchez High School, Mount Pleasant High School, and Dr. Jorge Alvarez High School.

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Senator Sandra Cano Pawtucket Senate District 8 Member, Senate Committee on Finance Member, Senate Committee on Labor Sandra Cano was born in Medellin, Colombia, and moved to the United States with her family in 2000. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Management and Economics at Bryant University in 2007. She completed a master’s degree in Public Administration at the University of Rhode Island in 2012 then went to Harvard Kennedy School where she finished couple of executive leadership programs in 2016.

Sandra is the Assistant VP Community Development at Navigant Credit Union, she is responsible for developing strategic business sector and community-based partnerships and developing financial education campaigns for the emerging markets. Additionally, Sandra has developed a strong track record of volunteerism and community engagement. Sandra was awarded the “Credit Union Rising Start” recognition in 2012 by Center Point Magazine for being an outstanding employee and business leader, also for making a notable impact on her credit union and within the industry.

Sandra was elected to be a member of the City of Pawtucket school committee in 2012 being the top vote getter and the first Latina ever elected in the whole city; she was then elected as the first Latina Pawtucket City Councilor in November of 2014 and reelected in 2016. Sandra won a special election for Senate District 8 in April of 2017 with 73% of the 19

Representative Liana M. Cassar Barrington and East Providence House District 66 Representative Liana Cassar (D) was elected to represent District 66 in Barrington and East Providence in November 2018. She is a member of the House Committee on Small Business.

She has worked in the health care and public health sectors in Rhode Island and Massachusetts holding various positions focused on veterans’ health issues, public health in low-income communities, reproductive health and health care technology. She served in the Peace Corps as a community development worker in Costa Rica from 1992 to 1995.

Representative Cassar is a strategy and operations consultant for the Global Health Media Project. She is a graduate of John Jay High School in Katonah, N.Y., and holds a Master’s in public health from Boston University, an MBA from Simmons College, and bachelor’s degrees in communications and Spanish from University of Connecticut.

Representative Cassar has been a volunteer with the Barrington Public Schools and Moms Demand Action, among other groups. She is currently co-chair of the Barrington Democratic Town Committee and continues to be an active volunteer with Women's Fund of Rhode Island after serving on its board for 10 years.

She and her husband, Larson Gunness, live in Barrington with their two children, Jamie and Maria.

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Representative Grace Diaz Providence House District 11 Democratic Caucus Chair Member, House Committee on Finance Member, House Finance Subcommittee on Public Safety Member, House Finance Subcommittee on Human Services Member, House Committee on Rules Chairwoman, Legislative Commission on Child Care Grace Diaz (D) has represented the people of District 11 in Providence since first being elected in November 2004. She was named the Democratic Caucus Chair in January 2015, which makes her a member of the House Leadership Team.

Highest among Representative Diaz’s priorities has been an overhauling of the Rhode Island Child Care Assistance Program, which helps low-income working families pay for childcare. The childcare assistance rates in Rhode Island were well below the recommended levels to ensure equal access to high-quality child care.

Representative Diaz had submitted legislation for to establish a tiered childcare reimbursement rate system. In 2018, it was included in the state budget and signed into law.

During that same session, she introduced a law requiring insurers to treat behavioral health counseling and medication maintenance visits the same as primary health care visits when determining patient costsharing. The legislation is aimed at better achieving parity between mental health coverage and primary health coverage for Rhode Islanders.

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Representative Leonela Felix Pawtucket House District 65 Leonela Felix elected State Representative December 3, 2020 State Pawtucket District 61. She was born in Boston, MA, but spent her youth in Dominican Republic — her parents’ native home.

Leonela is fully bilingual in Spanish and English and is a graduate of Charles E. Shea High School. She attended the Community College of Rhode Island and later Rhode Island College where she graduated cum laude with a dual bachelors in Justice Studies and Sociology. While in college, Leonela volunteered in the community through food pantry distribution, and disaster relief efforts during hurricane Sandy in 2012. Her passion for advocacy and social justice led her to earning her law degree from New England Law | Boston.

As the Policy Director for Progreso Latino, Leonela provided strategic analysis for the development and advancement of transformational legislation aimed at promoting social equity which included climate-change initiatives, tenant-centered housing reforms, comprehensive workplace protections, and expansive family-centered legislation. She also liaised with various community organizations, businesses and legislative leaders to advance the agency’s legislative priority and interpret the community impact of legislative proposals.

For nearly two years, Leonela served as Deputy Director of Policy in the Elorza Administration leading on education, criminal justice, and immigration efforts. Her many contributions to the Administration included the awarding of a $50,000 grant by the Cities & Counties

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Representative Joshua J. Girardo Central Falls House District Born and raised in Central Falls on November 18, 1986, attended Central Falls School District, graduating from Central Falls High School in 2004 and attending Providence College where he earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary and secondary education in 2008.

According to Girardo, while attending Providence College (PC) he did not experience the average college student experience, because while attending college he worked a full time job at the Bank of America calling center in East Providence, commuting between work, school and home. He credits this experience with helping him develop organizational and scheduling skills and managing a variety of tasks simultaneously.

When he started at PC, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to pursue as a career except that he wanted to help his community in some way, shape or form and took some classes in community service, education, sociology among a variety of other courses, taking an entry level education course and absolutely falling in love with it and became fascinated with education ability to prepare children for the future in particular since his beloved Central Falls was experiencing many issues, in particular with its Teachers being fired and being intrigued about what can be done to improve the city and the state.

That particular class hit his core and his decision that he wanted to pursue a career in education.

Through his pursuit of education, Girardo experienced an awakening of his educational experience in Central Falls educational system failures, as he was a relatively good student receiving good grades, playing sports and attended PC with a high degree of confidence.

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Representative Brianna Henries East Providence House District 64 Brianna was born in Providence, raised in Warwick, and has settled in East Providence.

Raised by a single mother, Brianna learned how to be resourceful, resilient, and tenacious. She’s of Native American, AfricanAmerican, and Cape Verdean descent.

Brianna’s passions in life are education and the arts. She is a theater teacher at Valiant Arts Studio, serves in ministry, and creates social media content.

Teachers growing up ways told her that she was incredibly bright, but that she talked too much. As a proud Classical High School alumna, she’s ready to take her smarts and her gift of gab to the statehouse to create long lasting change.

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Representative Raymond A. Hull Providence House District 6 Member, House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources Member, House Committee on Corporations Chair, Martin Luther King Jr. State Holiday Commission Raymond A. Hull (D) represents District 6 in Providence and North Providence. He was first elected in November 2010. He is the chairman of the Martin Luther King Jr. State Holiday Commission and a member of the House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources as well as the House Committee on Corporations.

Representative Hull sponsored several consumer protections bills in 2018. He introduced a bill that would prohibit double taxing on leased motor vehicles; another piece of legislation that would allow consumers to purchase cable boxes from cable companies, and a bill that would require utility companies to have actual brick and mortar customer service facilities.

During the 2017 legislative session, Representative Hull sponsored a bill that became law that makes assault and battery upon delivery persons a felony and would mandate a maximum sentence of imprisonment of three years or a $3,000 fine. The bill also mandates a sentence of five to 20 years if the assault involves a dangerous weapon.

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Senator Tiara Mack Providence Senate District 6 My name is Tiara Mack and I am running for State Senate District 6. I believe that all communities can, and should, have all the tools that they need to thrive. I believe we are all deserving of affordable housing, quality schools, a livable wage, clean air, and healthy communities, no matter your zip code.

I grew up in a big family with many siblings, cousins, an amazing aunt, and a wonderful mother. I grew up knowing we were poor. I grew up knowing my family had less and looked different than those of my classmates and that very few people talked about how being Black, queer or lowincome impacted my lived experiences and opportunities. At the same time, I also knew that I had access to a great number of opportunities and experiences because I lived in close proximity to wealthy neighbors.

My family didn’t own a home, we rented small apartments where I always shared a room. That didn’t make us any less deserving of shelter or space to live. We didn’t live in a part of town that anyone would call “nice”, but that didn’t make me any less deserving of going to a good school with access to Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate classes and school funded sports teams.

No one in my family graduated college within a decade of graduating from high school. That didn’t make me any less deserving of attending Brown University.

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Senator Cynthia Mendes East Providence and Pawtucket Senate District 18 Cynthia Mendes, was elected State Senator in Senate District 18, East Providence, is member of the Rhode Island Political Cooperative, a new progressive political group whose members share a policy agenda including supporting a $15 minimum wage, affordable housing for all and a Green New Deal. Every candidate also pledges to accept no donations from corporate PACs, corporate lobbyists or the fossil fuel industry, according to a press release.

“I’m really proud to be a part of (the cooperative),” Mendes told The Breeze. “Unfortunately in Rhode Island, unless you’re tapped on the shoulder by the establishment,” she said candidates lack support to go far in elections. “Navigating the political landscape as an outsider is really difficult.”

She said never in her wildest dreams did she expect to run for office but some friends asked her, saying they were “tired of a Statehouse that’s not listening to us.” Her father, who died during the COVID-19 crisis, also inspired her, she said, because he gave up law school to give his life in service as a minister.

As a single mother who works two jobs including in human resources for a nonprofit, Mendes said the top three issues in her platform are affordable health care, fair wages, and the environment. An advocate of Medicare for all, Mendes, who worked in the dental field for 15 years and watched the health care industry leave working families under-covered, said she’s been running into moms who have to choose between paying a medical deductible or their mortgage.

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Representative David Morales Providence House District 7 David Morales elected to the House of Representatives District 7, is an advocate for issues that affect all Rhode Islanders; our economic prosperity, supporting greater equity and improving educational outcomes, and standing up for the rights of immigrants.

Whether he is testifying at the state house or taking direct action to address unjust immigration policy at the Wyatt Detention Center – he always shows up to fight for his community. He is the youngest graduate from Brown University’s MPA program and is proud to call Mt Pleasant, Elmhurst, and Valley his home.

“I was raised by a single mother, and I understand the difficulty working families experience. I know how hard you have to work to get ahead because I saw first-hand how much the deck is stacked against regular people,” writes Morales. “At 16, I started doing farm labor to help support my family. In high school I took college courses at night, graduated from college at 19, and got my Master’s in Public Policy from Brown University at age 20. For many this would be the ‘American Dream’, but I still struggle to pay my bills, much less, invest and save for a future. I know far too many families and friends in House District 7 who are also working hard to make a living but are still living paycheck to paycheck because they can’t find a job that pays a living wage. From those who are lucky to have one, they are still unable to save. Even worse, many people who have made house District 7 their home are rapidly being priced out.”

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Representative Ramon Perez Providence House District 13 Meet Ramon Perez who is running for election in House District 13 (Providence, Johnston).

Obviously, Covid-19 is our biggest concern. But the issue I can have the biggest impact on, as a Legislator, is holding down taxes, and eliminating the hated CAR TAX. That was my biggest priority when I served previously.

What do we need to do to improve Rhode Island’s economy?

Hold down taxes, and reduce unnecessary regulations, that make it hard for our small businesses to survive. As a small business owner (Providence Taxi), I recognize how important this is.

Education is the greatest challenge facing Rhode Island. Long before everyone was talking about this, I made it my priority to improve our schools. When I was the State Rep., I regularly visited all 6 public schools in my District, and I worked with the Principals. I helped organize a training class for teachers at one school, on what goes on in the neighborhood around their school.

While in the Legislature, I was the biggest supporter of Achievement First Mayoral Academy.

I want to return to the Legislature, so that I can finish the work that I started.

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Senator Ana B. Quezada Providence Senate District 2 Deputy Majority Leader Member, Senate Committee on Commerce Member, Senate Committee on Education

Senator Ana B. Quezada (Democrat District 2, Providence) is married and has three children.

Quezada is a code enforcement officer for the Providence Department of Inspection and Standards. She previously worked as a social service coordinator at John Hope Settlement House.

She was elected to the Rhode Island Senate on November 8, 2016.

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Representative Marcia Ranglin-Vassell Providence House District 3 Member, House Committee on Health, Education and Welfare Member, House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources Marcia Ranglin-Vassell, a Democrat, represents District 5 in Providence. She was first elected in November 2016.

In her first year in office, she sponsored a successful bill directing the Climate Change Coordinating Council to study carbon pricing.

She also sponsored bills aimed at instituting a $15 living wage, extending services to young people in DCYF care to age 21 and providing universal free lunch to school children. She also launched an initiative, A Community Response to Joblessness and Gun Violence, to address gun violence and the poverty at its roots in Providence.

Representative Ranglin-Vassell works as an educator in Providence public schools, currently serving as a special education teacher at Providence Career and Technical Academy. She is a graduate of St. Joseph’s Teachers’ College in 1986, earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rhode Island College in 2003 and a Master of Education in special education from Providence College in 2012.

Representative Ranglin-Vassell was born in Jamaica. She is married to Van Vassell and they have four children, Van Jr., Eric, Terrence and Alethe.

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Representative Carlos E. Tobon Pawtucket House District 58 First Vice-Chairman, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Member, House Committee on Finance Member, House Finance Subcommittee on Education Member, House Finance Subcommittee on Human Services Member, House Finance Subcommittee on Public Safety Member, House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources Co-Chairman, Legislative Black and Latino Caucus Carlos E. Tobon (D) was first elected in November 2014 to the House of Representatives from District 58 in Pawtucket.

He serves as the first vice-chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and is a member of both the House Committee on Finance and the House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. He is the co-chairman of the Legislative Black and Latino Caucus.

Representative Tobon was a key advocate for a budget item during the 2018 session that eliminated a requirement for brewers to pay sales tax on kegs they purchase to fill with beer and then sell to distributors. He also saw legislation become law that requires state officials to give “great weight to the detrimental impact that the placement of such a facility shall have on its surrounding communities” before approving solid waste management facilities.

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Representative Anastasia P. Williams Providence House District 9 Member, House Committee on Corporations Member, House Committee on Oversight Member, RI Black & Latino Legislative Caucus Anastasia P. Williams (D) represents District 9 in Providence.

Representative Williams has served her district since first being elected in November 1992. She is a member of the House Committee on Corporations and the House Committee on Oversight.

In 2018, Representative Williams once again sponsored legislation that exempts natural hair braiders from licensing requirements. The legislation passed the House of Representatives. She was also a strong advocate for successful legislation which amended the state’s law on speed cameras in school zones by providing proper notice and fairer violation fines for motorists.

During the 2017 session, Representative Williams sponsored legislation that allows a person who is bilingual or not proficient in the English language to be assisted in their road test by a translator of their native language who is at least 18 years of age.

In the 2016 legislative session, Representative Williams sponsored a bill to create a special license plate honoring labor activist Cesar E. Chavez, which became law. She also sponsored legislation that would permit a petition for adoption by grandparents without the noncustodial parents’ consent if the child is in sole custody of the grandparents.

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2020 Departing LegislatorsRepresentative Joseph Almeida

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Representative Mario Mendez

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Senator HaroldMetts

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The future of RI politics? A more-diverse General Assembly ‘What we are witnessing is the mainstreaming of Black and brown communities across this country,’ one activist says

By Edward Fitzpatrick Globe Staff,Updated October 30, 2020, 6:00 a.m.

Collection of photographs of elected leaders and candidates of color in Rhode Island Courtesy of Tomás Ávila PROVIDENCE — Tuesday’s elections could produce the most diverse General Assembly in Rhode Island history.

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When he began tracking the number of elected leaders of color in Rhode Island 25 years ago, Latino activist Tomás Ávila counted just one Latina state legislator and a dozen Black legislators, accounting for 9 percent of the General Assembly, which then had 150 seats.

On Tuesday, the number of legislators of color could jump from 15 to 20, which would represent 18 percent of a General Assembly that now has 113 seats. Ávila said that would give Black and Latino lawmakers more political power than they’ve ever had in Rhode Island.

“What we will see next week is what I consider the future of Rhode Island politics – a future that is more diverse,” he said. “What we are witnessing is the mainstreaming of Black and brown communities across this country.”

Though it would be a significant step forward, a General Assembly with 18 percent people of color still does not completely reflect the diversity of the state, where 29 percent of residents are people of color. According to U.S. census Bureau figures, 16.3 percent of Rhode Island residents identify as Latino or Hispanic, 8.5 percent as Black or African American, 3.7 percent as Asian, and 1.1 percent as American Indian.

“We have made a lot of progress in electing officials,” Ávila said.

“But we still haven’t reached parity in the demographic groups.”

As president of the Milenio Latino Institute, a nonprofit research organization, Ávila has written two books documenting the rise of Latino political power in Rhode Island. He said he is looking forward to Election Day, when the number of state senators of color could increase from three to five, and the number of state representatives of color 38

could jump from 12 to 15. Ávila said the change reflects the renewed national focus on racial equity.

“It’s part of an awakening,” he said. “It’s an awakening to the reality that the only way a lot of the systemic racism is going to be changed is through running for office, getting elected, and becoming part of the decision making and law making of the country.”

Increasing the number of legislators of color in the Rhode Island House and Senate will “actually have true influence in the legislature,” Ávila said – power that will give them the ability to shape key policy areas such as policing, poverty, and economic development, he said. Ávila said Tuesday’s victors are likely to include young candidates of color who are emphasizing a “general agenda” – as opposed to issues identified with a particular racial or ethnic group – reflecting the mainstreaming of Black and Latino elected officials.

When Ávila first started keeping track 25 years ago, he said the only Latina legislator was Representative Anastasia P. Williams, a Providence Democrat born in Panama who identifies as both Latina and Black.

“It was very lonely,” Williams said Thursday, recalling the early days of her 28-year career. She said she is glad to see “fresh eyes and fresh minds” joining her on Smith Hill.

“It’s their time,” Williams said. “One statement you hear is ‘This will be their future.’ No, honey, this is their present – right now. They are saying they are not being heard, so now they are here, and they are claiming it.”

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With greater numbers, legislators of color will be able to do more than raise questions – they will be able to get results, Williams said.

She noted the death of George Floyd, a Black man who was killed in May when a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes, focused national attention on police brutality and criminal justice.

Since then, Williams has called for overhauling the Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights to increase accountability for police misconduct. “While justice is blind, that scale has been tipped on their side for far too long,” she said.

She has called for greater diversity among state judges, pressing Governor Gina M. Raimondo to appoint the first person of color to the Rhode Island Supreme Court and the first Latina judge to the Family Court.

And Williams has sponsored the legislation that sets up Tuesday’s referendum on changing the state’s official name from The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations to simply “The State of Rhode Island.”

In 2010, voters resoundingly rejected a ballot question to change the state name, with 78 percent voting against the idea and only 22 percent in favor. Historians say that in the 17th century, “plantations” referred to colonies or settlements with agricultural economies, not slavery.

But Williams said many more people now recognize that Rhode Island played a big role in the slave trade and that the word “plantations” is inexorably linked to the enslavement of Black people.

She thinks the name change stands a “very good chance” of passing this time around.

While she applauds the increasing number of candidates of color, there is still room for more diversity in the General Assembly, Williams said, adding that she knows of no Asian, Southeast Asian, or 40

Native American legislators. “Rhode Island is a melting pot overflowing with many different cultures,” she said.

When Williams was first elected, David Morales had not yet been born. But Morales, a 22-year-old Providence Democrat, will soon join her in the House.

After knocking off Deputy Majority Leader Daniel McKiernan in a three-way primary, Morales has no opponent in Tuesday’s general election, and he said he will become the youngest Latino legislator in any state legislature in the country.

“The importance of having a diverse government body in the legislature is our lived experience,” Morales said. “A lot of us from communities of color grew up in low- and medium-income households.”

So he and others are focusing on issues such as income inequality, housing, and public education. He has called for Rhode Island to invest in affordable housing on an annual basis, rather than with occasional bond items, and for changing the state education formula to better serve English language learners.

Morales said he expects the legislature to grow more diverse in the years ahead.

"I think 2022 is going to be a year where a lot of young, diverse candidates might feel inspired by the 2020 election and will step up to challenge incumbents that are not supporting policies that help improve the quality of life for our communities,” he said.

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The progressive Rhode Island Political Cooperative formed last year, and one of the group’s goals was to increase the diversity of the General Assembly, said co-founder Jeanine Calkin, a Warwick Democrat who will return to the Senate this year after winning a primary and facing no general election opponent.

“It’s good for the people of Rhode Island to see people who look like them in these legislative positions,” Calkin said. “Going forward into 2022, we are going to be looking for more people of color, more women of color, to run for office.”

This year, for example, the Rhode Island Political Cooperative supported three candidates of color who are on track to join the Senate: Jonathon Acosta, of Central Falls; Cynthia Mendes, of East Providence, and Tiara Mack, of Providence.

Mack defeated Senate president pro tempore Harold M. Metts, the only Black senator, in a Democratic primary. At age 72, Metts has served in the Senate for 15 years and in the House for 13 years, emerging as a leading opponent of same-sex marriage and abortion rights. At age 26, Mack is a self-described Black, queer woman and Planned Parenthood youth organizer who has fought for abortion rights.

The Rhode Island Political Cooperative also backed House candidate Brianna E. Henries, who is of Native American, AfricanAmerican, and Cape Verdean descent. She faces no general election opponent.

As young candidates of color step forward, they will be following the path first blazed by the Rev. Mahlon Van Horne, who was elected in 1885 as the first Black member of the General Assembly.

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Keith Stokes – the vice president of the 1696 Heritage Group of Newport, who speaks around the country on early African heritage and history – said Van Horne, who is one of his ancestors, led passage of the state’s first civil rights legislation.

Stokes noted that in the late 1880s and early 1900s Black people accounted for the majority of non-white Rhode Islanders. These days, the state’s population – and the country’s – includes a growing number of Latinos and members of other ethnic groups.

The racial and ethnic categories of the US census often fail to capture the complexity of this increasingly diverse population, he said. But many different groups share “African heritage” – a broader category that includes multi-racial families, people from the West Indies and Cape Verde, those who just arrived from African nations and eighthgeneration Rhode Island families such as his own, he said.

In the General Assembly and elsewhere, political power is all about numbers, Stokes said. “And if we can unify the people of color with African heritage in this state, that’s a pretty powerful political force,” he said. “Now, our voices can be heard.”

Edward Fitzpatrick can be reached at edward.fitzpatrick@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @FitzProv.

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Black & Brown Municipal Elected Officials

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Councilor Suzanna “Suzy� Alba Smithfield A lifelong Rhode Islander and a first-generation college graduate, Suzy received her undergraduate degree from Rhode Island College where she served as President of her class.

Suzy was honored by RIC with the Young Alumna of the Year Award in May 2009, in recognition of her outstanding commitment and service to the college. She is also a recipient of the Emerging Leader Award from Leadership Rhode Island, Rising Star in Politics Award from YWCA of RI, and a Revitalizing Neighborhoods & Communities Award from the New Leaders Council of RI. Suzy is currently completing a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from Roger Williams University.

After graduating from RIC, Suzy enrolled in AmeriCorps, a national service program of the Corporation for National and Community Service, an independent federal agency whose mission is to improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic engagement through service and volunteering. Suzy often thinks back to the pledge that she took when she was sworn in as an AmeriCorps member: to take action when faced with apathy, to seek common ground when faced with conflict, and to persevere when faced with adversity. These words continue to inspire and motivate Suzy to make a difference in the lives of others and continue her passion for public service.

Suzy is currently the Director of Alumni Affairs and College Relations at Rhode Island College, where she also serves as an Adjunct Professor in the Communication Department.

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Councilor Ama Amponsah Pawtucket City Council District 5 Since emigrating with her husband, Isaac, from Ghana in the early 1980s, “Mama Ama” has operated Ama’s Variety & Mini Mart, a mainstay in the community, and raised her three children in the Main Street area.

“I am blessed to have lived the American Dream, to come here as an immigrant, work hard, raise a family and own a successful business that serves my community’s needs,” said Amponsah, of 12 Utton Ave. “I have watched generations come and go through my store for the past 32 years and I always felt so proud to have become part of the fabric of my community, to be someone they all call ‘Mama Ama.’ I love this neighborhood and this city.”

“Ama has a passion for our children, for our elderly, for everyone,” said Suzanne Mailhot, president of the Woodlawn Neighborhood Association.

Amponsah has served as the sergeant at arms for the Pawtucket City Council for the past eight years, and her observations and interactions with council members fueled her desire to serve her community even more.

“I’ve been fortunate to witness firsthand the dedication of our city councilors,” Amponsah said. She said she’s seen the passion of other councilors, and knows she can bring that same approach, as well as a unique perspective and strong voice to the seat.

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Councilor Tatiana Baena City of Central Falls City Council at Large Tatiana Baena elected to the Central Falls City Council At Large, November 3, 2020, was born in Medellin, Colombia, and migrated with her family to the United States, arriving in Central Falls, Rhode Island. Almost 20 years later, Tatiana still resides in Central Falls, on the same street where she grew up.

Tatiana has been serving as the Director of Enrichment Opportunities at the Central Falls School District for over a year, working to cultivate community partnerships and secure out-of-school time programs for our students. For the past five years, she has stayed active in the city by combining her love of soccer and community to organize the Mundialito Soccer Tournament, which she founded to raise funds to provide non-traditional scholarships to Central Falls student-athletes. Tatiana is a member of the Central Falls Alumni Association and the City Planning Board, serving as Vice-Chair for the past two years. She also serves as the Treasurer of the Colombian American Cultural Society Board of Directors, and was recently elected Vice-Chair of the Central Falls Prevention Coalition for substance abuse awareness and prevention.

A 2008 graduate of Central Falls High School, Tatiana went on to earn a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Rhode Island in 2012. She belongs to several leadership groups focused on developing and supporting future leaders, including New Leaders Council of RI, Latina Leadership Institute of RI, and Millennial RI. 51

Councilor Melissa DaRosa Pawtucket City Councilor At Large I am Melissa DaRosa, a lifetime Pawtucket resident, and a beloved community leader. Born to Maria, a Claims Adjuster, and Daniel DaRosa, who worked in the printing industry. Both of my parents migrated from Brava, Cabo Verde in the late 70’s and made Pawtucket their home. I am the youngest of 3, with 2 older brothers, and a large extended family, many of who reside in Pawtucket and contribute to our diversity.

They’re the hard-working, family-oriented, dedicated, kind village and foundation I was raised on.

I grew up in the Woodlawn neighborhood, and am a product of the Pawtucket school system. I graduated as a Class President from Shea High School. I was accepted into the Access Program at Johnson & Wales my senior year of high school, leaving the high school campus to attend college full time. And, ultimately, graduated from Charter Oak with a bachelor’s degree in Science concentrated in Community Development and Social Justice Advocacy.

I strongly believe there is a large population of people here in Pawtucket that remain misrepresented when decisions are being made at the city level. And, that it is time this council represents the city it serves and that I love.

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Councilor Hugo Figueroa Central Falls City Council Ward 3 Hugo Figueroa currently lives in Central Falls, and left El Salvador in 1987 during the civil war to avoid having to wake up fearful. Now, because of the pandemic, he says that he experiences these same feelings of fear daily.

But he recognizes that everyone in the world today is experiencing this, unlike when he was living in his home country.

Figueroa knows that all he can do is to be careful and stay in his house. So that’s what he’s doing.

He works as a Systems Specialist for an IT company and has fully transitioned to working at home. He has only seen one or two clients in person over the past few weeks. When he’s not working, he spends time with his family. He has two daughters—Diana and Karen. Karen is currently taking online high school classes.

The family is enjoying this time together and likes to sit down for meals, plays board games, and watches movies. Figueroa says his wife is a wonderful cook, and that he especially enjoys her pupusas.

Generally, Figueroa thinks that the United States will bounce back from this crisis. He knows it will affect some areas more than others, but adds that this is a fighting country, with a lot of potential.

He thinks that El Salvador will also rebound because its people are hard-working and always find a way to move forward. Figueroa has family in both El Salvador and the United States, but no one has been affected by the virus. The only people he knows who have been affected are distant friends.

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Councilor Carlene Fonseca Central Falls City Council At Large Carlene is a life-long resident of Central Falls, RI. She serves as President Pro-Temp in her 3rd year on the Central Falls City Council. Carlene is a first-generation Cape Verdean American who strongly believes education is the key to opening up doors.

Carlene pursued her dream of going to school in Washington, DC., receiving her B.A. in Government from Georgetown University and her M.A. in Criminology at The George Washington University. Prior to her move back to RI, Carlene served as the Confidential Liaison to the White House Liaison at the United States Agency for International Development.

Most recently, she served the Central Falls School District as Director of 21st Century Programs handling over half a million dollars in grant funding for all summer and after school programs in the district.

Carlene is extremely active in the RI community, serving on the Upward Bound Scholarship Committee & the Central Falls Prevention Coalition. She is a graduate of the RI Chapter of New Leaders Council and Boston Metro Area Chapter of Education Pioneers. Carlene hopes to bring her extensive work experience with under-served communities, community stakeholders, and educational institutions to the Providence College campus.

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Councilor Elizabeth Fuerte Newport City Council At Large My name is Elizabeth Fuerte and I am announcing my candidacy for Newport City Council at Large. I am running as a mother, a lifelong activist, and a Latina woman of color. I put racial and social equity at the center of my work and commitments and I will bring that with me into Newport City Hall.

I have raised four children in Newport and for over 20 years I have worked alongside residents, community leaders and nonprofits on how to make Newport the city where we can all live, work and play.

I have participated in hundreds of discussions about improving our environment, accessing our waterfronts, expanding green and open spaces, making the public schools work for our students and help break down the barriers of communications between the Newport Police Department and the community, yet still, we have not seen enough improvement or change.

I have decided to run because now is an urgent time to bring in new city leaders who will lead with the lens of equity when making decisions. Now is the time to listen to all our Newport citizens: people of color, the LGBTQ community, our neighbors with language barriers, and other marginalized communities. ‘ To listen to both our homeowners and renters straining to stay in the city but being priced out. To listen to those who demand better educational opportunities for all students to succeed, and also listen to the students themselves.

To listen to our business owners struggling to stay in business, our homeless citizens struggling to make Newport their home, our aging population struggling to continue to live independently and to our youth, who are demanding that we finally hear their voices on education, justice and on fulfilling their dreams.

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Councilor Aniece Germain City of Cranston City Council Ward 3 Aniece has long been an engaged parent advocate for Cranston schools, an active member of her church parish, and has served as a volunteer board member for numerous community organizations. Aniece has lived in Cranston with her husband Dr. Norly Germain and their three children since 2009. As an immigrant and community leader, she knows the challenges faced by the residents of Cranston. When she escaped her home country of Haiti over a decade ago fleeing violence, Aniece chose to rebuild her life in Cranston.

Aniece is the Co-Founder and Assistant Executive Director of Hope and Change for Haiti, a nonprofit that improves the lives of others through community development and advocacy. She sits on the board of various community organizations including the NAACP Providence Branch, the RI National Organization for Women (RI NOW), the African Alliance of Rhode Island (AARI), and Cranston Action Network (CAN).

She is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Educational Leadership and Policy from Boston College. Aniece holds a bachelor’s degree in Social Communication and Journalism and has an Associate’s degree in Paralegal. Further, Aniece completed a Level II Certified Nonviolent Trainer from the Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies at the University of Rhode Island.

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Valerie Gonzalez Woonsocket City CouncilAt Large Valerie Gonzalez, a former School Committee member who ran with the support of Mayor Lisa Baldelli-Hunt, led the city council race with 5,375 votes, or 9.3 percent. Gonzalez was surprised to gain the top spot and attributed the win to hard campaigning by her team during day-of and early voting.

Valerie Gonzalez has four years of School Committee experience and 16 years of serving our community as a pastor. She has the integrity and passion we need on the City Council and promises to bring positivity and civility to her seat on the council.

Gonzalez, a former School Committee member and pastor at Vida Church, said she hopes to bring a spirit of community to the City Council and promote caring and supporting each other beyond labels.

“I think that to best serve the people in the city; you need more than tough skin. You need the ability to reject resentment that can naturally come from opposing views,” she said.

Gonzalez said she supports moving the city football field closer to the high school, increasing efforts to recruit a supermarket and bringing in a rehab center to help tackle the city’s overdose problem. Like other candidates, she’s had to get creative with her campaigning, hosting drive-by events and having “ambassadors” campaign within the city’s elderly housing developments due to COVID-19 restrictions.

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School Committeeman Stephen Larbi Pawtucket School Committee

I have spent my entire life seeking to better myself. For the greater part of my life I have succeeded. My travels through the Pawtucket public school system to my receiving of a master’s degree have led me to a fulfilling life as a student counselor,” he said. “It has also given me an opportunity to now serve my community as an elected official. I am very proud of that work and I intend to continue to help my students and serve the people of Pawtucket while seeking additional care. Today is the first day of that process. Hopefully, and with help, I will restore everyone’s confidence in my proven abilities to help others.”

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City Councilor Angela McCalla Newport City Council Ward 1 Angela McCalla lives with her wife, Allyson in Newport. Her 18 year old son, Ezra, attends Howard University.

Angela is first generation born here as her mother immigrated from Seoul, Korea and her father from Senegal, Africa.

Ms. McCalla has a total of three family members who have served in the military. She grew up in a blended family setting as both her parents were remarried. She was taught the true meaning of family, hard work, and giving back to your community. Angela’s mother and step-father were both self-employed and worked hard within the textile industry. Her mother was a devout Christian who gave to her community any way she could from donating to cooking, and organizing events and she made sure that entire family participated in these undertakings.

Angela’s biological father was involved in education and took great pride in his Cape Verdean-American community. He started and taught the first cape Verdean dance troop in Rhode Island. He also helped to create Nobiadade TV to give Cape Verdeans a way to continue feeling connected to what was happening back in Cape Verde. He also taught adult night school to those who could not read or write.

Ms. McCalla graduated from CCRI and further pursued her education, obtaining double Bachelor’s degrees in Science and the Arts majoring in Psychology and Chemical Dependency and Addiction Studies at Rhode Island College. Angela continued her education obtaining a Master’s Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in finance.

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School Committeeman Roberto H. Moreno Pawtucket School Committee Roberto Moreno, a son of Colombian immigrants, is currently employed as a Management Aide at the Pawtucket Housing Authority, where he works to ensure that Pawtucket residents have safe and affordable housing. He is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island with a dual major in Applied Economics and Political Science. A lifelong Pawtucket resident, Roberto attended Pawtucket Public Schools throughout his entire education.

Previously, Roberto has held an internship at the office of Congressman Jim Langevin and with the Rhode Island Department of Administration. He was also a missionary for Mustard Seed Communities, where he aided at orphanages in Nicaragua for children with severe developmental disabilities. Additionally, Roberto is a product of the Boy Scouts of America, where he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout with Troop 3 Central Falls. He later led the troop as Scoutmaster.

In 2018, Roberto announced his candidacy and was elected to the Pawtucket School Committee, on the platform of ensuring quality education and equal opportunities for students whether they have a disability, come from low-income households, are minorities, or identify as LGBT, promising to serve as a voice for the underrepresented through his personal experience with disability.

Roberto was victorious in the primary and general elections.

In his free time, Roberto is an avid fan of cinema, tennis, and enjoys walking his chocolate Labrador Retriever, Milo.

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School Committeeman Juan Carlos Payero Portsmouth School Committee Juan Carlos Payero is running for reelection on the Portsmouth School Committee.

The 32-year-old Democrat has two children, aged 6 and 2. He holds a bachelor's degree from St. John's University and a master's in public administration from Baruch College. He works as the Newport program director for Social Enterprise Greenhouse.

As a parent of a student in our public schools, I take the actions and decisions I take on the School Committee personally. Since being appointed to the Committee in 2019, I have been working with my colleagues and the administration to ensure that we maintain and develop a district that supports all students and is a great benefit to all Portsmouth residents. My goals for the coming term would be to ensure a measured approach to returning students to school regardless of method, weathering the financial implications of this crisis, and addressing the concerns of racial equity within our district.

The "Rhode Island Way" has proven to work. Developing a measured approach to reopening that considers the science, public health concerns, business needs, and a return to a new normal has become a model for the entire nation. The worst thing that can occur is what is happening in the South & West where they're rolling back their reopening, which causes financial and emotional burdens to every member of every community. We need to make the best decisions that will minimize the spread and keep all, especially our children and most vulnerable, safe.

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Mayor Maria Rivera City of Central Falls Maria Rivera elected Mayor of the City of Central Falls November 3, 200, becoming the first woman Mayor in the city’s history.

She is a strong voice who is fighting to rebuild Central Falls’ middle class by advocating for increased youth opportunities, increased economic development incentives for small businesses and more programming for our city seniors. Maria works everyday with the state’s diverse communities as a Senior Eligibility Technician at the Department of Human Services. She is also a graduate of Roger Williams University, with a major in Public Administration. Maria previously received an Associates Degree from CCRI and graduated from Central Falls High School in 1995.

Maria’s leadership development has well-positioned her to be a strong voice on the City Council. Maria is currently the first female and Latina City Council President in the City of Central Falls, earning this position in her second term as a council member. She is a graduate of the Rhode Island Latina Leadership Institute and has served on the Board of the Learning Community Charter School, the Central Falls Board of Canvassers and the Central Falls Planning Board. She currently serves on the board of Nowell Leadership Academy and the Central Falls Nuisance task force. She is a voice for opportunity and equality on the City Council. Having lived in the City for over 25 years, she has seen the dark days of bankruptcy and the promise of a City on the rebound. She will fight to increase opportunities for small business owners so that the City can grow its tax base and reduce the car tax and property taxes. Having 2 teenagers, Maria wants to focus on advocating for a better public education system in Central Falls, reopening a Community Center and increasing youth opportunities so that young people are on a fast track to college and stay out of trouble.

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Councilor Franklin Solano City of Central Falls Ward 4 Franklin Solano was elected the Central Falls City Council Ward 4 to help continue the city's comeback and be a strong advocate for working class families!

Franklin Solano was elected the Central Falls City Council Ward 4 in 2006. Franklin is a strong and committed advocate for the city and committed to help continue rebuilding Central Falls’ middle class.

Franklin is a proud father of five children and 28-year resident of Central Falls.

Franklin has previously served as a City Sergeant and as a Board Member to the ECAS Theater. Franklin also volunteers at Progreso Latino, an organization dedicated to empowering Latino youth and families by achieving greater self-sufficiency and socio-economic progress. “Central Falls is where I built my American Dream, purchased my house and raised my family. This is a great city with great potential to be even greater. As your councilman, I work hard to ensure that all our residents - especially our children - have every opportunity to succeed and live well.�

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Councilor Lammis J. Vargas City of Cranston Ward 2 Lammis J. Vargas, 34, a Democratic candidate for City Council, is in the hospital suffering from APL leukemia but insistent that she can maintain her political campaign.

“After speaking with my family and my physicians, I am confident that this type of cancer is beatable and will not impact my ability to campaign, meet the residents and serve our city,” she said in a statement.

APL leukemia is acute promyelocytic leukemia, a cancer of the white blood cells. The medical journal Leukemia says 90 percent of newly diagnosed patients achieve complete remission. Chemotherapy is a standard treatment.

“Only days after announcing my candidacy for City Council and being endorsed by the ... city Democratic Committee, I became ill, had to be hospitalized and was diagnosed,” Vargas said.

“I have always fought for what I believe in and will not let this turn of events determine my life.”

Vargas, of Betsey Williams Drive, is employed as director of unclaimed property for the Rhode Island general treasurer and serves as a commissioner of the Cranston Housing Authority. She formerly was assistant to the mayor of Pawtucket.

She is married to Christian Vargas, a Warwick police patrolman, and is the mother of a 12-year-old daughter and a 5-year-old son.

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Councilor Elena Vasquez Pawtucket City Council Elena was a top student at Shea High School in Pawtucket, where she graduated in 2007. Her top performance in high school placed her on the radar of many teachers and administrators.

This attention awarded Elena the support she needed to supplement her own impressive talent and hard work. She was accepted into Brown University, and successfully earned her college degree within four years.

However, after graduating from college and returning to secondary education to serve as a College Adviser for Woonsocket High School, she realized that not all of her high school classmates were afforded the same support and attention that she gained as a top student.

She also realized the complexities of the college application process.

With her eyes opened to the realities of our country’s college access issues, Elena made it her responsibility to give back to her community so that others from her hometown could be afforded the same opportunities that she had as a student in the public school system.

It was for this reason that Elena decided she would run for Pawtucket School Committee. The decision was easy for her. However, the journey to reach this ambitious goal would be anything but easy.

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Councilor Jessica Vega City of Central Falls Council Ward 2 “If you’re going to affect change, you have to make sure the community is involved.”

Jessica Vega wants to make a difference in the real world.

That's why it's so important that she, like many students in the community development program, has taken on real projects as part of her coursework.

Last year as a class project in an organizational leadership course, she and two other students worked with the Central Falls City Council and Mayor's Office to improve communications between the two and to make the council more accessible to its residents.

And now, she’s at it again. This time she’s taking on a project that originated in one of her courses and is running with it on her own. It’s called Creative Placemaking and it brings the arts into different section of the cities. A good example of this is Providence WaterFire or the art filled neighborhood of Wynwood in Miami, Vega says.

For her project, Vega is exploring how to bring that to Central Falls.

Her main hope is to create something that attracts people to Central Falls and serves as an anchor to keep people there, she says.

Vega came up with the project during her project design, implementation & evaluation course.

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Councilor Adamaris Villar Central Falls City Council Adamaris Villar is a legal assistant with the Law Office of John L. Calcagni III, Inc. She is a dedicated and hardworking team member committed to providing the very best legal support and assistance to our clients and their families. Ms. Villar is bilingual in both English and Spanish.

Ms. Villar obtained her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Bridgeport in both Criminal Justice and International Political Economies and Diplomacy. She is very knowledgeable in all aspects of criminal law.

She is well-versed in the various laws and procedures in both state and federal courts where the firm practices, especially in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. She provides client services and support in all aspects of criminal defense representation. This includes investigation, arraignment, pretrial conferences, discovery, motions practice, pretrial dispositions, and trial preparation.

Ms. Villar is of Dominican descent and is fluent in Spanish. She assists with communicating with potential and actual Spanishspeaking clients, and their family members by phone. She also translates client correspondence and important legal documents for these individuals. Ms. Villar also assists with interpreting during consultations, client and family meetings and jail visits in both state and federal facilities for those clients who are detained without bail.

Ms. Villar is very passionate about our clients, clients’ families, and their needs. She understands that being charged with a crime is a serious occurrence that may have immeasurable consequences. Ms. Villar cares about each of our many clients and is always available to assist in any way possible to successfully overcome the challenges and obstacles caused by their encounter(s) with the criminal justice system.

Adamaris Villar is also a licensed notary public in the State of Rhode Island.

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About Tomás Alberto Ávila Tomás Ávila is a bilingual/bicultural, professional and community servant, with extensive experience in economic development, capacity building and Civic Engagement.

He possesses strong organizational development, strategic planning/implementation, and demonstrated commitment to successful community building.

He spent over 40 years in the corporate, private, nonprofit and government sectors; most recently as Commissioner and Chairman of the City of Providence Board of Canvassers, appointed by Mayor Angel Taveras, becoming the first Latino Chairman in the city’s 378 years history. He was appointed to the City Government Equity Task Force by Mayor David N. Cicilline charged to review the City's affirmative action policy, minority contracting procedures, equal opportunity compliance, and other related issues, playing a significant role in the research, analysis and restructuring of the City’s First Source Ordinance.

As a political activist, strategist and consultant, he's been recognized as a political power broker and key player in the empowerment of the Latino/Hispanic community and involved in the election of many elected officials throughout Rhode Island and Northeast United States.

He is a founding member and past President of the Rhode Island Latino Political Action Committee (RILPAC), a nonpartisan organization that works "to influence the political process in the state of Rhode Island," to improve the quality of life in the Latino and urban communities. Cofounder of the New York Latina PAC, Delaware Latino PAC, New York Garifuna PAC. A founding member of the Rhode Island Redistricting Coalition (2000-2004), responsible for developing clear, legally defensible standards that were written 68

into the enabling legislation and developed a highly public process for the 2002 redistricting of the Rhode Island political districts. Ávila was appointed by Secretary of State Edward Inman to serve in the Commission to Study Rhode Island Election Procedures, that successfully prepared the state of Rhode Island for the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002, and most recently appointed by the Speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives Gordon Fox to serve in the Commission to study Rhode Island Election Process (2013).

He served the Governor's Commission on Hispanic Affairs as Policy Analyst with the responsibilities of identifying and tracking of legislative issues that impact the Latino community and was appointed by Mayor David Cicilline to the Mayor's City Government Equity Task Force charged to review the City's affirmative action policy, minority contracting procedures, equal opportunity compliance, and other related issues. He also served as executive director of Progreso Latino, in Central Falls, Deputy Director and Policy Analyst at the Center for Hispanic Policy & Advocacy (CHisPA), President of the Rhode Island Political Action Committee (RILPAC).

He is the founder and president of the Milenio Latino Institute, a taxexempt, non-profit, non-partisan public policy analysis organization chartered in 2008 with the purpose to: conduct basic research aimed at improving the level of political and economic participation in Latino and other underrepresented communities. Ávila is the editor of two books documenting the rise of Latino political power in Rhode Island; A Decade of Latino Political Empowerment (2006), Mayor Angel Taveras, An Administration of Political Will (2011), and Rhode Island Black & Brown Ethnic Succession: 1984 – 1994, 2012 Proactive in bringing business development services to the growing Latino community in the region; Avila assisted in meeting training and participation goals for entrepreneurs and existing businesses; managed and facilitated the Primer Paso FastTrac feasibility planning program, that provided assistance the skills necessary to successfully 69

establish a business; and has been vital in the growth of Latino-owned business across Rhode Island. For his guidance and knowledge, he was awarded the 2007 State Star Award by the Association of Small Business Development Centers (ASBDC) annually awarded to outstanding SBDC employees who are exemplary performers, make significant contributions to their state or region and show a strong commitment to small business.

He is a graduate of Leadership Rhode Island Upsilon class of 2000, AFL-CIO Leadership for a Future Class of 2000, the Pew Foundation Providence Civic Entrepreneurship Initiative class of 1998, the RISBDC Entrepreneurship Training Program (ETP) class of 1997.

He’s been involved with many community organizations, such as Quisqueya in Action, NCCJ, Common Cause Rhode Island, Adopt A Doctor, the Rhode Island Latino Political Action Committee, the Democracy Compact, the Southside/Broad Street, North End Housing Development Corporation, Board, Providence Civic Entrepreneur Initiative, CHisPA, Progreso Latino, to name a few. Ávila has been the recipient of multiple awards for his volunteer services such as: Center for Hispanic Policy & Advocacy (CHisPA) Outstanding Leadership (2002), Quisqueya In Action Outstanding Latino Professional (2003), Delaware PAC, Leadership Award (2003), Imagen Hispana Magazine Influential Hispanic of New England (2004), John Hope Settlement House Outstanding Community Leader (2004), ASBDC State Star Award (2007), Cesar Chavez Exceptional Leadership Award (2011), Quetzal Award (2013), NAACP Thurgood Marshall diversity empowerment Award (2014), HUDO Excellence in Civic Engagement Award (2015), RILPBN Exceptional Leadership in growth and development of Future Leaders (2015), Mujeres Emprendedoras Leadership Award (2015), Dominican Independence and Heritage Award (2016), RIPLA Outstanding Community Involvement Award (2016), Honduras General Consulate in New York, Outstanding Community Leadership Award (2016), Telemundo Providence Héroe de La Humanidad Award (2016), The Rhode Island Professional Latino Association (RIPLA) spotlight, (2020), Grand Marshal, The Dominican Festival and Parade of Rhode Island, in recognition of his dedication as a community servant, his commitment to economic development on all 70

levels and helping to empower the :Latino community(2017), United Way of Rhode Island, John H. Chafee Lifetime Service Award (2020).

Published: Providence Journal, Providence American, Providence Business News, Pawtucket Times, Providence En EspaĂąol, Siglo 21, Latino Express, Acontecer Latinoto name a few.

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