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Zainab For Raleigh
Zainab For
Raleigh
Join Our Campaign
A Raleigh without corruption is possible.
In 2019, Raleigh brought in new leadership who campaigned on promises of 'affordable housing' and a more equitable city.
guess what they did?
they made it worse.
who is zainab
Zainab Baloch is a truth seeker with a passion to increase our collective consciousness through social impact technology that dismantles systems of oppression. She is the co-founder of Young Americans Protest (YAP!), a civic innovation startup bringing together community builders, organizations, and zillennials to remix strategies to increase civic engagement, amplify ethical solutions, and support individual happiness. She is a former and current Raleigh City Council Candidate and was the youngest woman of color and first Muslim to run for mayor in the South.
Her past work includes working as a Member Operations Specialist at Even, a financial wellness platform, as a former board member of Wake Up Wake County and of Islamic Association of Raleigh (IAR), and engaging young people with the Poor People’s Campaign (PPC). She received a Bachelors in Psychology from NC State and a Master in Public Administration from UNC-CH. She was featured in [America Inside Out](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/tv/shows/america-inside-out-with-katie-couric/episode-guide/season-01/episode-02-the-muslim-next-door/vdka10906943), a National Geographic Documentary with Katie Couric.
What We
CAN DO
As a future Raleigh City Councilor in District B
😡
Anti
corruption
As your future Raleigh City Councilor, my priority is to be your public servant first and foremost, and am not interested in making back end deals with those actively destroying our city’s environment, culture, and history for the sake of quick profit.
🥰
Pro
engagement
In a city that prides itself as the second biggest tech hub in the country, Raleigh should have worked on improving Citizen Advisory Council (CAC) instead of killing the only bridge between the community and city. I will work toward not only re-establishing that line of communication with the people, but to improve engagement through more transparency and providing sufficient time for the public to understand the complex works of the city, so that we can all move forward together in building a truly progressive community.
😡
Anti
poverty
According to NC Child, the child poverty rate in Wake County in 2020 was at 26.6%. Much of the social ills that plague Raleigh is rooted in poverty due to barriers to economic mobility. This is especially the case for Black and Hispanic/Latino children’s families. I do not believe in addressing poverty by punishing the people with hoops and bureaucracy that makes it difficult to navigate and receive much-needed assistance, or worse, with police, as the city has done for years.
🥰
Pro
generational wealth
To build generational wealth, people need to establish financial security. Housing is one of the most important pieces to that puzzle. Raleigh has over the years received federal funding for the purpose of uplifting the community. As your future city council representative, I will make sure to prioritize the funds toward housing and wages. I will also make sure to address the current housing crisis not only through committing to use the funding given to the city to build low-income housing, but to rehabilitate and repair existing affordable housing rather than tearing them down.
😡
Anti
greenwashing
It is not a matter of whether or not one “believes” in climate change, but whether or not one “understands” climate change and its impacts, especially in frontline communities. Only through understanding the impacts of climate change and doing work on-the-ground, can Raleigh truly tackle this issue. However, it has become easy for politicians nowadays to use buzzwords to sound “green”, while continuing to prioritize profit over people. Such is the case with “green gentrification“. We need solutions that will benefit impacted communities, not superficial quick-fixes that looks good on the press, but contributes little.
🥰
Pro
climate justice
In recent days, Raleigh has been experiencing extreme heat and flood at much greater frequency. We cannot continue “business as usual”. We must review the city’s comprehensive plan and revise it in such a way that will build climate resiliency in Raleigh. We must also do so with an equity lens. This means addressing the issue with urban heat islands and reduce people’s energy burden. This means committing 100% to building low-income housing along major transit corridors, not near watershed or environmentally sensitive areas. This also means not establishing mass transit infrastructure (not ignoring the fact that transportation is the biggest contributor to greenhouse gas in NC) that would end up gentrifying historic Black, Muslim, and immigrant neighborhoods.
😡
Anti
oppression
Oppression comes in many forms. The Raleigh City Council has countless times demonstrated that during their meetings where they arbitrarily dictate the amount of time individuals get to have to speak during public comment periods, the size or the content of the signs they get to bring into the municipal hall, speaking of local Black-led groups with condescension, or severing the diverse, immigrant community in District B during the redistricting in March 2022, placing people into whiter district to dilute voting powers of Blacks and other communities of color in Raleigh.
🥰
Pro
community
Only when Raleigh lifts the voices of the community can Raleigh truly thrive. As future Raleigh City Councilor, I will ensure that not only will the voices of the people are being heard during meetings, but that the people, especially the impacted Black and brown communities in Raleigh, will have a seat at the table as part of the decision-making process in shaping Raleigh with the lens of equity. I will also work toward a solution to strengthen the voting powers of Black and brown communities in Raleigh.
😡
Anti
genocide
Under the Geneva Convention, one of the definitions of genocide is the “creation of circumstances that could lead to a slow death, such as lack of proper housing, clothing and hygiene.” By that definition Raleigh’s intentional displacement of our communities violates our human rights.
🥰
Pro
collectivism
The recent lockdown due to COVID has taught many of us the importance of being in a community where we make sure to look out for and take care of one another. This can exist in the form of mutual aids, public health services, food & housing security, building resiliency in climate adaptation, and ensuring that Raleigh serves as a sanctuary city for those seeking reproductive health services.
😡
Anti
corruption
As your future Raleigh City Councilor, my priority is to be your public servant first and foremost, and am not interested in making back end deals with those actively destroying our city’s environment, culture, and history for the sake of quick profit.
Pro
engagement
In a city that prides itself as the second biggest tech hub in the country, Raleigh should have worked on improving Citizen Advisory Council (CAC) instead of killing the only bridge between the community and city. I will work toward not only re-establishing that line of communication with the people, but to improve engagement through more transparency and providing sufficient time for the public to understand the complex works of the city, so that we can all move forward together in building a truly progressive community.
🥰
😡
Anti
poverty
According to NC Child, the child poverty rate in Wake County in 2020 was at 26.6%. Much of the social ills that plague Raleigh is rooted in poverty due to barriers to economic mobility. This is especially the case for Black and Hispanic/Latino children’s families. I do not believe in addressing poverty by punishing the people with hoops and bureaucracy that makes it difficult to navigate and receive much-needed assistance, or worse, with police, as the city has done for years.
Pro
generational wealth
To build generational wealth, people need to establish financial security. Housing is one of the most important pieces to that puzzle. Raleigh has over the years received federal funding for the purpose of uplifting the community. As your future city council representative, I will make sure to prioritize the funds toward housing and wages. I will also make sure to address the current housing crisis not only through committing to use the funding given to the city to build low-income housing, but to rehabilitate and repair existing affordable housing rather than tearing them down.
🥰
😡
Anti
It is not a matter of whether or not one “believes” in climate change, but whether or not one “understands” climate change and its impacts, especially in frontline communities. Only through understanding the impacts of climate change and doing work on-the-ground, can Raleigh truly tackle this issue. However, it has become easy for politicians nowadays to use buzzwords to sound “green”, while continuing to prioritize profit over people. Such is the case with “green gentrification“. We need solutions that will benefit impacted communities, not superficial quick-fixes that looks good on the press, but contributes little.
Pro
climate justice
In recent days, Raleigh has been experiencing extreme heat and flood at much greater frequency. We cannot continue “business as usual”. We must review the city’s comprehensive plan and revise it in such a way that will build climate resiliency in Raleigh. We must also do so with an equity lens. This means addressing the issue with urban heat islands and reduce people’s energy burden. This means committing 100% to building low-income housing along major transit corridors, not near watershed or environmentally sensitive areas. This also means not establishing mass transit infrastructure (not ignoring the fact that transportation is the biggest contributor to greenhouse gas in NC) that would end up gentrifying historic Black, Muslim, and immigrant neighborhoods.
🥰
😡
Anti
oppression
Oppression comes in many forms. The Raleigh City Council has countless times demonstrated that during their meetings where they arbitrarily dictate the amount of time individuals get to have to speak during public comment periods, the size or the content of the signs they get to bring into the municipal hall, speaking of local Black-led groups with condescension, or severing the diverse, immigrant community in District B during the redistricting in March 2022, placing people into whiter district to dilute voting powers of Blacks and other communities of color in Raleigh.
Pro
community
Only when Raleigh lifts the voices of the community can Raleigh truly thrive. As future Raleigh City Councilor, I will ensure that not only will the voices of the people are being heard during meetings, but that the people, especially the impacted Black and brown communities in Raleigh, will have a seat at the table as part of the decision-making process in shaping Raleigh with the lens of equity. I will also work toward a solution to strengthen the voting powers of Black and brown communities in Raleigh.
🥰
😡
Anti
genocide
Under the Geneva Convention, one of the definitions of genocide is the “creation of circumstances that could lead to a slow death, such as lack of proper housing, clothing and hygiene.” By that definition Raleigh’s intentional displacement of our communities violates our human rights.
Pro
collectivism
The recent lockdown due to COVID has taught many of us the importance of being in a community where we make sure to look out for and take care of one another. This can exist in the form of mutual aids, public health services, food & housing security, building resiliency in climate adaptation, and ensuring that Raleigh serves as a sanctuary city for those seeking reproductive health services.