Meet Emijah Smith, 37th Legislative District Primary Candidate | South Seattle Emerald

by Nura Ahmed

To assist our readers make extra knowledgeable voting selections forward of the Aug. 2 main election, South Seattle Emerald interviewed all 4 candidates for Place 2 of the thirty seventh Legislative District. Every candidate’s Q&A portion presents their views in their very own phrases.

Along with Emijah Smith, different thirty seventh LD candidates embrace Andrew Ashiofu, Nimco Bulale, and Chipalo Road.

Born and raised within the Central District, Emijah Smith is a mom, group advocate, organizer, and healer. Deeply rooted in her group, Smith understands the extent of labor concerned to make sure nobody falls by way of the cracks. That dedication to group is strictly what pushed her to run for the thirty seventh Legislative District.

Smith started her advocacy profession at Odessa Brown Youngsters’s Clinic (OBCC), the place she labored on addressing the harms which come from hurtful techniques of oppression, such because the battle on medication. When Smith noticed what number of Black households weren’t getting what they wanted to heal themselves from the pitfalls of working throughout the well being care system, she was impressed to pursue her grasp’s in public administration on the College of Washington. Straight out of graduate college, her coronary heart pulled her again to OBCC, the place her advocacy efforts continued to flourish; she later spent 11 years working with youngsters and households of shade as a group engagement supervisor on the Youngsters’s Alliance. Smith is now chief of workers at King County Fairness Now.

Smith has spent her complete life combating for the group that raised her. A few of her different roles embrace: president of the Mercer Worldwide Center Faculty PTSA; board member of the Tubman Middle for Well being and Freedom; planning workforce member of the King County Baby Effectively-Being Council; member of the Tabor 100; member of the Black Girls’s Coalition To Finish Violence; and group stakeholder for each the King County Neighborhood Funding Price range Committee and King County Gathering Collaborative.

South Seattle Emerald: Describe your self as a group member of the thirty seventh District, and why your story makes you a singular candidate.

Emijah Smith: I’m a born and raised thirty seventh chief. Ever since I used to be a teen at Garfield Excessive Faculty, I’ve labored to revive and heal the harms our group skilled by the Struggle on Medicine. I’ve been strolling alongside households participating in legislative advocacy for over 15 years, using the ability of our voice for significant change in our group.

SSE: What calls you to run for the thirty seventh district?

Smith: We’ve made some strides ahead, however there may be rather more to do. Our legal guidelines and insurance policies must catch up so we will obtain racial and social fairness. I’ve seen what we will accomplish collectively, and I do know that I can bridge a robust connection between the legislature and our group. 

SSE: What are the highest three points which are necessary to you and why?

Smith: My priorities are all rooted in attaining racial justice in order that our various communities within the thirty seventh District are secure, free, and thriving. My prime points embrace housing, well being care, schooling, reform of the felony authorized system, and true group security. [My] prime three embrace:

1. Entry to housing for all. Housing gives households, elders, and all of us a possibility to be secure and thrive. In our group, housing can stop displacement, interrupt gentrification, and advance fairness. It’s key to our well-being.

2. Full entry to well being look after Washingtonians together with psychological well being and dental well being care. Well being care is a basic proper. Everybody, regardless of the place they’re from or what they appear to be, ought to have the care they want. Well being care is one key a part of creating equitable well being outcomes for folks within the thirty seventh District. 

3. Glorious, high-quality, equitable, welcoming public schooling for all our youngsters of all skills. I imagine that schooling gives a possibility to vary circumstances for marginalized communities. My dedication to schooling is rooted in my dedication to racial fairness, and I’ll champion insurance policies that interrupt the school-to-prison pipeline and advance justice and alternative for all college students. 

SSE: Why are you the perfect individual to advocate for South Seattle in Olympia?

Smith: I’m deeply rooted on this group. I’ve the historic and present context to grasp the breadth of group wants, and my advocacy has resulted in victories that make our lives higher throughout the thirty seventh District, together with $400 million in group investments. 

SSE: Is there the rest you wish to add?

Smith: I’m proud to be endorsed by King County Councilmember Girmay Zahilay; household well being chief Dr. Ben Danielson; Seattle Metropolis Councilmember Tammy Morales; State Reps. Tarra Simmons (twenty third LD), Jesse Johnson (thirtieth LD), Jamila Taylor (thirtieth LD); Renton Metropolis Councilmember Kim-Khánh Văn; Seattle Port Commissioner Hamdi Mohamed; Seattle Chapter Black Panther Celebration cofounder Elmer Dixon; civil rights chief and former King County Councilmember Larry Gossett; thirty seventh LD Democrats Sergeant at Arms Tandy Williams; [and] Rainier Seashore chief Gregory Davis, amongst others.

SSE: Is there the rest you imagine that South Seattle Emerald readers ought to learn about you or your marketing campaign?

Smith: I’m an individual who takes care of their group and leaves it higher than they discovered it. My volunteer roles embrace president of Mercer Center Faculty PTSA, the place I work to help pupil and household voices and board member at Tubman Middle for Well being. As an schooling advocate, I used to be a champion of the present strategic plan of the Seattle Public Colleges that invests in college students farther from academic justice. 

This run isn’t mine alone — it’s yours too. I look ahead to incomes your vote for state consultant!

Emijah Smith lives in South Seattle, just a few miles south of the place she grew up within the Central District. You possibly can go to her web site or observe her on Fb and Twitter.

Help one of many thirty seventh Legislative District candidates by voting within the Aug. 2 main election. The deadline to register or change your tackle on-line is July 25, although you may additionally register and vote in individual by way of election day. Verify your voter registration now at VoteWA.gov.

This story was funded partially by a Voter Schooling Fund grant from King County Elections and the Seattle Basis. The credit score was inadvertently not included with the unique publication of this story on July 20, 2022. 

Nura Ahmed is an organizer, author, and artist primarily based in Seattle and South King County.

📸 Featured Picture: Emijah Smith is working for the thirty seventh Legislative District. Photograph courtesy of her marketing campaign.

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