MEET KHALILAH.
Khalilah Karim is a mom, organizer, and long-time advocate for social justice. Since Khalilah moved to NC in 2014, she’s advocated for meaningful change in local communities. Through her work with Service Employees International Union (SEIU), she fought shoulder-to-shoulder with union members for accessible childcare and living wages. For the past five years, Khalilah has worked with North Carolina League of Conservation Voters pushing back on climate change and the environmental impacts that hit Black and Brown communities the hardest.
I’m so excited to continue my work for change by running for political office! I am excited to use community based ideas to offer solutions around affordable housing, good jobs, environmental justice, and community.
Community
Every Durham resident has the right to belong, to feel safe. to feel included. To do this, we need deep investments in programs like HEART and participatory budgeting, but also systemic solutions to inequity by investing in our most marginalized communities and ensuring improved access to research-backed solutions.
ENVIRONMENT
Everyone deserves a healthy environment that gives them access to healthy food, clean air and water, and accessible greenspaces. As Durham grows, we must ensure that sustainability and equity are at the center. Cities also have a key role in the fight against climate change.
As a city council member, I will advocate for investments in green energy, transit, sidewalks, bike infrastructure, parks, trails, and other green and equitable infrastructure investments.
Economy
Housing is a human right, and every person in our community deserves robust economic opportunities. Unfortunately in Durham, many renters are housing-cost burdened, evictions have increased, and homeownership among Black residents is moving backwards!
While housing costs have skyrocketed, living-wage jobs with benefits have become more scarce. As a city council member, I will advocate for increased investment in eviction diversion, permanent affordable housing, and homeownership, as well as support efforts to create more living-wage jobs, union jobs, and basic income opportunities.
COUNTDOWN TO THE ELECTION
Sept. 15
Sept. 21 – Oct. 7
Oct. 10
Oct. 19 – Nov. 4
Nov. 7th
It’s a race against the clock to share this vision far and wide.