First, I will use my voice. Too many people are afraid to stand up to racism. I’m not. Bruce Blakeman held a rally to support Daniel Penny, he tried to shut down Summer Jam. I called him out on it.

Moreover, I will advocate for policies that reduce historic inequities. One such area includes housing. Massive racial disparities exist in homeownership rates and the rates of being “rent poor” or “cost burdened” for housing. I will push for zoning at the town-level that allows for multi-family units and accessory dwelling units. I am aware of the NIMBYism that killed such pushes in Huntington, for example, but these changes are necessary to accommodate an array of housing options—an increase in stock that will drive down prices and reduce historic inequities in access. Restrictive zoning laws are the modern manifestation of the racial covenants that segregated Long Island. I will push to overturn those restrictions.

Another such area of historic disparity includes healthcare access. At the County and state level, I will lobby for increased funding to financially-stressed safety-net hospitals like Nassau University Medical Center—these hospitals are often the only option for people without health insurance, which is disproportionately true among Black Long Islanders. I will also advocate for increased Medicaid reimbursement rates at the state-level, a policy change that will improve services for Medicaid recipients—again, who are disproportionately African American. I am endorsed by SEIU 1199, so I can work with them to advocate for these changes.

Another public health issue that disproportionately impacts African Americans is gun violence. New York has strong gun laws, including an enhanced red flag law, which mandates police file temporary orders restricting an individual’s access to a gun when they may be a danger to themselves or others. However, the law is insufficiently enforced in Nassau County—Suffolk issued 1,500 red flag orders in the year after the racist Buffalo massacre, while Nassau issued just 35. Last month, I held a rally with gun violence survivors and advocates calling for just that. As a Moms Demand and police union-supported candidate, I can work with gun violence prevention advocates and law enforcement to get this done, to help protect Black communities.