About Willie

I love my city. I was born in Richmond. It’s where I married my wife and raised my children. It’s where I’ve worked and lived my whole life. I know what the people of Richmond need because I have been a worker, a renter, a parent, and a community leader here. And what we need is for government to work for us and for outside business interests to get out of our way.

The people of Richmond have rebuilt this city from the capital of the Confederacy into a thriving multiracial community filled with creative, entrepreneurial, passionate people. I’ve been proud to be a part of community-led efforts to bring clean food and economic opportunity to the neighborhoods I’ve lived in.

I’ve also seen the devastating impact of an out-of-touch City Council on our neighborhoods. Their inaction has created a climate of greed that forced me from my home of 8 years as my rent sky-rocketed.  I’ve watched rents rise all over town. I’ve helped community elders as they’ve struggled to get our city to provide basic services, while city officials pose for photo ops and tell us what a good job they’ve been doing. The people of this city don’t need more posturing. We need our city leaders who live lives like ours and who will support the ground up work we’re already doing.

This is my home, and for the last twenty years, I have been working to build a city that can support my children and their children for generations to come. When my community tried to get a grocery store built in Northside, the city had no solutions to offer. Together, we organized the Northside Food Access Coalition to start a community garden and farmers market. After decades of neglect from the city government as a result of racist zoning practices from the segregation era, my neighbors and I helped build the coalition that revitalized Brookland Park Boulevard and made it into a thriving multiracial community filled with innovative small businesses. I’ve spoken to many of you over the past decades, some while I’ve cut your hair in my barber shop, some while I have volunteered and organized with you. I know how creative, capable, and strong the people of Richmond are. 

We don’t need a city council controlled by outside business interests to make our city thrive. We don’t need the crumbs of the ultra-wealthy to grow this city. We need to support the people who are already making our city great. We need a city government that will support us, as we revitalize our own community; as we solve the heat island problem for redlined neighborhoods; as we eradicate food deserts and create new economic opportunities by supporting our local unions.

I want to represent you on City Council because I feel confident that the working people of Richmond can build and maintain thriving communities if our government would serve us like it is supposed to. If I’m elected to City Council, I’ll work hard to make sure that more working people join me there. Neglected and ignored by the government, we solved problems ourselves. Imagine how much more we could do with a city government that works for us. That’s why I'm asking you to join me in my fight to bring service back to City Council.