I'm John Kennedy, a Democratic candidate for Portage County Commissioner.
Portage County declared racism a public health crisis last week; Commissioners Kathleen Clyde and Vicki Kline voted in favor. Commissioner Sabrina Christian-Bennett abstained.
This is We See You, an article that I wrote back on June 9th, after I participated in several Black Lives Matter protests in Aurora. But this seems even more relevant today, especially as protests continue in Garrettsville, and after the recent shooting of Jacob Blake.
My remarks to Portage County Democratic Convention Watch Party, August 17, 2020
The pandemic has pulled back the curtain on how our big societal problems -- poverty, education, fair wage jobs, access to healthcare and affordable housing, and glaring economic disparities -- are all connected.
Long before the pandemic, poverty was a problem in Portage County. But now it is in plain sight, with roughly 75% of our population living at or below poverty.