Equity & Inclusion

Every Voice Heard. Every Body Protected. Every Neighbor Seen.

Because Brooklyn's Strength Is Its People — All of Them.


In the Vibrant 56, equity is the standard—not the exception—and it guides how I lead, invest, and deliver for our community. From Bedford-Stuyvesant to Crown Heights, our strength comes from our people—families, workers, elders, and young people shaping what comes next. Every policy I advance and every resource I bring home reflects who we are.

Equity means opportunity reaches every block. Equity means closing gaps and opening doors. Equity means building systems that work for everyone—not just a few.

Whether supporting women and families, affirming LGBTQ+ residents, advancing environmental justice, or ensuring accessibility for people with disabilities, my focus is to build a community where everyone is seen, supported, and able to thrive. This is the leadership I'm committed to delivering every day.


That's why I'm fighting for equity and inclusion policies that don't just check boxes—they change lives. Because when we build systems that work for the most marginalized among us, we build systems that work for everyone.

Women & Families

Women in the 56th District hold this community together. They are caregivers, breadwinners, organizers, and neighbors—and too often, they are doing it all without the support they deserve. From reproductive rights to affordable childcare to pay equity, the fight for women's rights is a fight for the health of our entire community.

What this looks like:

  • Protecting and expanding access to reproductive healthcare, including contraception and abortion services, without shame or barriers

  • Advocating for universal childcare expansion and affordable, quality childcare for working families

  • Supporting paid family leave policies that allow parents—of all genders—to care for their families without losing income

  • Fighting for equal pay and workplace protections that close wage gaps for women, especially Black and brown women

  • Expanding resources for survivors of domestic violence, including housing, legal aid, and counseling

  • Increasing support for maternal health programs that address Brooklyn's alarming Black maternal mortality rates

  • Pushing for accessible, affordable menstrual health products and related healthcare in schools and community spaces

Why it matters: When women thrive, families thrive. When families thrive, communities thrive. For too long, the policies that shape our neighborhoods have been built without centering the people who hold them together. Women in Crown Heights and Bed-Stuy deserve more than survival—they deserve security, opportunity, and a government that shows up for them.

LGBTQ+ Equity

Brooklyn has long been a home for LGBTQ+ New Yorkers—but home doesn't always mean safe. LGBTQ+ residents, particularly transgender and gender-nonconforming neighbors and LGBTQ+ youth of color, still face discrimination in housing, employment, healthcare, and schools. Acceptance isn't enough. We need full, enforceable equity.

What this looks like:

  • Fighting for strong enforcement of anti-discrimination protections in housing, employment, and public accommodations

  • Supporting LGBTQ+-affirming mental health services and crisis resources, with a focus on youth

  • Advocating for inclusive, accurate LGBTQ+ history and education in our public schools

  • Partnering with community organizations to ensure LGBTQ+ seniors have access to affirming elder care

  • Pushing back against anti-trans legislation and defending the rights of transgender New Yorkers to live freely and safely

  • Expanding access to gender-affirming healthcare through community health centers and insurance coverage requirements

  • Supporting LGBTQ+-inclusive housing protections to combat the disproportionate rates of homelessness among LGBTQ+ youth

Why it matters: Every LGBTQ+ neighbor in the 56th District deserves to walk out their front door without fear. They deserve healthcare providers who affirm them, schools that reflect them, and a representative who will fight for them without hesitation. Equality under the law is not negotiable—and neither is dignity.


Environmental Justice

The 56th District is not experiencing the climate crisis the same way as wealthier, whiter neighborhoods—and that is not an accident. Bed-Stuy and Crown Heights residents have long faced disproportionate exposure to pollution, extreme heat, flooding, and toxic infrastructure while being left out of the conversations that shape environmental policy. Environmental justice is racial justice. It is economic justice. It is a matter of survival.

What this looks like:

  • Advocating for the cleanup and remediation of polluted sites, vacant lots, and industrial zones in residential neighborhoods

  • Pushing for green infrastructure investments—tree canopies, cool roofs, permeable pavement—that combat urban heat islands in our communities

  • Fighting for stricter enforcement of air quality standards and accountability for polluters operating near homes and schools

  • Supporting community-led planning processes that center frontline residents in climate and land use decisions

  • Expanding access to clean energy programs, including solar and weatherization, for low-income households and renters

  • Opposing the placement of waste facilities, bus depots, and other polluting infrastructure in communities of color

  • Investing in climate resilience planning that protects vulnerable residents from flooding, extreme weather, and heat emergencies

Why it matters: No child should grow up with asthma because of where they live. No family should be priced out by rising insurance costs from flooding they didn't cause. Environmental justice means that the people who have sacrificed the most for others' prosperity finally get clean air, clean water, and a livable neighborhood. Our community deserves that—and we are going to fight for it.


Disability Justice

More than one in four Americans lives with a disability—and in our district, disabled neighbors too often face barriers that keep them from fully participating in civic, economic, and community life. Disability justice means more than accessible ramps. It means building a society where disabled people are centered, not accommodated as an afterthought.

What this looks like:

  • Advocating for full ADA compliance in public spaces, transit, schools, and government buildings throughout the district

  • Supporting community-based care models that allow people with disabilities to live with dignity and independence

  • Fighting for the rights of disabled workers, including equitable pay, workplace accommodations, and protection from discrimination

  • Expanding accessible mental health services and crisis response options for people with physical, developmental, and psychiatric disabilities

  • Pushing for inclusive education policies that ensure students with disabilities receive quality, individualized support in public schools

  • Partnering with disability-led organizations to ensure community voices are centered in policy decisions that affect them

  • Advocating for accessible polling sites, voter materials, and civic participation infrastructure so every neighbor can exercise their rights

Why it matters: Disabled New Yorkers are not just a constituency to be served. They are leaders, neighbors, voters, and community members who have been systematically excluded from the systems that shape their lives. Disability justice asks us to imagine a world built for everyone, not just the able-bodied. That's the world we're building in the Vibrant 56.


The Bottom Line:

Equity means nothing if it stays on paper. Real equity shows up in who can access a doctor, who feels safe in their neighborhood, who can breathe clean air, and who has a seat at the table when decisions get made. In the 56th District, I'm committed to building a community where your identity is never a barrier and your humanity is never up for debate. Every voice heard. Every body protected. Every neighbor seen.