As a Cleveland native, Kimberly Brown understands the needs of her city. Brown is fearless in her pursuit of social justice and is determined to improve her community. Brown used her position as the president of the Black Women Commission of Cuyahoga County to fight for counseling and systemic change in the wake of the deaths of two Cleveland children. Seeking a position on Cleveland City Council, Ward 1, Brown will take her experience from leading successful political campaigns to work towards ensuring liveable standards for Cleveland residents. 

Brown for Ward 1

Meet the Candidate

Can you tell our members a little bit about your journey to filing as a candidate?

My journey as a candidate is quite interesting. I have been a political consultant to many candidates. My
candidates do not lose. However, I have taken a loss three times. This has always been intriguing to me as well as others. Just like a sports team, if for whatever reason you are not on the winning side, you must operate in the concept of disruptive technology and rebuild the team with new coaches and new players. This time around, we are following the mechanics of a sports team. Our strategy is different and the coach knows how to boldly run interference.

Tip O’Neill famously said that “all politics is local.” What are the top two issues your community faces today and how do you plan to address them?

The two top issues our community face is a crime and unkempt homes and vacant lots which contributes to safety and environmental issues.

In 2007, we developed a – plan on how to rid cities of” Thug Culture”. The Cleveland Plain Dealer referred to the plan as “Here’s a Plan for Saving Cities”. Portions of the plan were featured in the Cleveland Plain Dealer. We will take parts of this plan to make it fit into the daily culture of our current experience. We will strategically use this modified plan to serve as an anchor to our community peace officers. We will pilot t his plan in hope of proving that with the “right” tools in place for each neighborhood, we should be able to see a decrease in crime.

We believe that there is a direct correlation between untidy communities and crime. We are abreast of the pros and cons regarding the Broken Window Theory. We are currently in the process of developing a tool of which we will refer to as “Leave No Lawn or Lot Behind” (LNLLB.) As we will not go into specifics regarding this project, we have logistically profiled systematic methods to aid the City of Cleveland during the off-season months when grass and trash do not matter but angers businesses, stakeholders, and residents.

What stands out in our values as most important to you and your experience (or expected experience) in public office? Our values are:

∙      Economic empowerment

∙      Equity and independence

∙      Dominion over our bodies

∙      Access to education

∙      Safe communities in which to live and raise our families

Safe communities in which to live and raise our families stand out most to me. A safe community is a clean community. It displays a quality of life for all of us. It especially provides economic opportunities and business venture empowerment.

What does a Matriots PAC endorsement mean to you and your campaign?

The MATRIOT PAC endorsement is very compelling. This kind of support is an honor and an attention-getter. For too long, women have been ignored and crippled at the decisions making table. This endorsement of which is supported by women to empowerment and to protect the woman access to education, equity and independence is a tell-all of how far we have come and how much further we must go. Personally, I am looking forward to making great strives for all women on a collective front as I seek to do my part for a collective global change.