Nelsie Yang Announces Candidacy for Saint Paul City Council Ward 6
Saint Paul, MN - Today, grassroots organizer and social justice activist Nelsie Yang announces her candidacy for Saint Paul City Council Ward 6. Yang’s activism in grassroot efforts has earned her success in championing economic and social justice for the East Side. Yang is the youngest Hmong American to be elected to the Democratic National Convention in 2016 and led a team that trained over 300 people of color on how to caucus and participate in the political process to create local change. She also led and secured a pedestrian hawk light at Johnson Parkway and Ames Avenue by Hmong Village. And, most recently, she led Director Marny Xiong’s Campaign for Saint Paul Public School Board as the Communications Director last year.
What ignited Yang’s determination in activism for social and economic justice was when her family’s home faced foreclosure two days before her high school commencement. Yang states, “I am determined to make my story of pain and loss the last one. We can change the tide by sharing our collective stories of pain and struggle to unite and create change. I’m invested in a future where all people can thrive. A future where Ward 6 is represented by a hardworking, bold leader who finds joy in bridging communities and building sustainable neighborhoods. I’ve done the groundwork that lifts communities from bottom-up, and I’m running for City Council so we can get even further together.”
Recognizing the economic injustice during the foreclosure crisis and having a strong belief in collective power, Yang is committed to bringing an energetic bold vision forward to Ward 6 in the Saint Paul City Council. “As a renter, millennial, and working class neighbor, I am running for office to champion economic sustainability for families and businesses, equitable policies that promote and honor diversity, and a safe and clean East Side for all of us to live in. I am ecstatic about working alongside Eastsiders to center our values in City Hall,” stated Nelsie Yang.
Overseeing Yang’s campaign as Campaign Co-Chair is Paul Winkelaar, a public education proponent and activist, who states, “Nelsie has an infectious, positive energy and a bright future. We need her voice and energy in our politics right now. We cannot continue leaning on the same ideas while expecting a different outcome.”
An early supporter and mentor of Yang’s is St. Paul School Board Member Marny Xiong, who states, “Nelsie is a community organizer who is connected to the community and understands that we need to work together to revitalize our neighborhoods. We need her bold leadership to champion the East Side!”
Yang’s platform includes economic prosperity for families and businesses, affordable housing, increasing the minimum wage, and a safer, cleaner East Side. She earned her Bachelor’s of Science in Social Work at Minnesota State University, Mankato and currently works as an Organizer at TakeAction Minnesota leading to abolish mass incarceration, restore voting rights, and advocate for economic justice.
Join Nelsie Yang at her campaign kickoff on Sunday, August 19 from 1PM-3PM at Arlington Hills Community Center (1200 Payne Avenue, Saint Paul, MN, 55106). For more information, connect with the campaign at 763-291-3738, yangforcouncil@gmail.com, or www.facebook.com/yangforcouncil/