How Our Candidates Will Fight Racial Injustice

In 2018, Floridians overwhelmingly voted to pass Amendment 4, which restored voting rights for those with past felony convictions. As Supervisor of Elections, I would encourage our returning citizens to exercise their rights and would provide easily accessible information about how to register. I hosted the Seminole County Amendment 4 Forum on June 16 to explain the new voting guidelines, and I’ve created a voting resource page at www.deb4elections.com/voting (including Spanish translations).

As a practicing mental health therapist and instructor at Valencia College Peace and Justice Institute, I would work to ensure police have the proper training for cultural awareness, in order to bring unity between BLM and policing policy.

A proponent of community partnerships, I would ensure organizations such as Dream Defenders have a seat at the table when the city of Casselberry makes decisions. I believe that not all problems require the police- some, for instance, may be better solved by social workers. I would work to advocate for social and cultural awareness police training.

If elected, I would work to bring together a diverse coalition of individuals, including students, parents, and community members, to address social challenges in the classroom as well to enhance accountability, inclusion, and diverse practices within hiring structures relating to faculty and leadership that result from racial inequality.

Drawing on my 30 years as a Criminal Defense Attorney, I would advocate for bailout reform, as the current system affects low income communities with predatory practices. I would fight to increase judicial autonomy and remove mandatory minimum sentences. If elected, I would advocate for statewide reform within use of force policies.

My goal as Clerk of Court and Comptroller would be to provide equal access to the justice system for all residents of Seminole County, regardless of income or race. My goal is to maintain a website, phone line, and a self-help legal center in Spanish to ensure equitable access to the Seminole County justice system.

I recognize that systemic oppression is deeply embedded in our policing and governing structures, and believe that reforms cannot stop with policing policy. Based on my experience as a professor, I would advocate for more community services within our school system to address the impacts of racial inequality.

If elected, I will create legislation that will empower our Black and Brown communities, creating community service programs that will assist in community work instead of police brutality. I will work to ban private prisons and cash bail, so that those most affected will have a chance for justice and freedom. I would work to decriminalize cannabis in our state, and expunge the records for cannabis arrest. Finally, I would work on diminishing redlining, rezoning, redistricting, gerrymandering and other rules that further divide Black and Brown community voting voice.