Are You Authentic Enough? With Mitra Jalali and Cheniqua Johnson

When women of color run for political office, they are scrutinized for every flaw. They’re expected to be everything for everyone – they must be authentic, but they can’t alienate broad audiences. They must be youthful, but also mature. The list goes on. In this episode, Maya speaks to two St. Paul City Council members who are ready to change these expectations. Mitra Jalali and Cheniqua Johnson are a part of the first city council in Minnesota history to be composed of all women, and mostly women of color. They are redefining the leadership in the state and beyond.  

This series is presented by Ms. Foundation for Women, a national public foundation that builds women’s collective power to advance meaningful social, cultural, and economic change for all. Learn more at https://forwomen.org/

This series is presented by the Marguerite Casey Foundation. MCF supports leaders who work to shift the balance of power in their communities toward working people and families, and who have the vision and capacity for building a truly representative economy. Learn more at caseygrants.org or visit on social media @caseygrants.

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