Women’s History Month |Minnesota’s 5th Barrier Breaking Women
Across our district, we have incredible women who are transforming our communities. As we close out Women’s History Month, I wanted to highlight a few changemakers. From elected officials, community organizers, small business owners, climate advocates, these women are creating a better future for the next generation of Minnesotans.
Rep. Esther Agbaje:
Representative Esther Agbaje is serving her second term at the legislature. Her district, 59B, is the heart of Minneapolis, from the vibrant communities of the North Side to parts of Downtown and St. Anthony Main. Rep. Agbaje is also an attorney working on commercial tobacco control issues, and before that was a Foreign Affairs Officer with the U.S. Department of State. At the State Capitol, Rep. Agbaje is the co-chair of the People of Color and Indigenous Caucus and Vice Chair of Housing Finance and Policy Committee.
Who inspires you to make positive change?
I’m inspired to make positive change from members of my community who work everyday to make the lives of young people better. While there are various setbacks and difficult topics to address in our community, I’m inspired by the community organizations focused on cleanup, teaching young people entrepreneurship skills, and encouraging young people to engage in the environment.
What’s something you’re doing to bring change to the community?
I believe the work that I’m doing can bring some changes to our community. I’ve worked on passing laws to ban hair discrimination, which is important to a number of community members, especially Black women. I am also supportive of bringing funding into the district to support the building of health and recreation centers where young people and families can participate in varied sports. Then I’m working with counterparts to `bring in resources to address our economic and environmental challenges in the district.
What’s your favorite spot in CD 5 that brings you joy?
Walking the trails in parks like Theodore Wirth and Nicollet Island bring me joy. I appreciate having a bit of nature and water in the city.
Senator Zaynab Mohamed:
Senator Zaynab Mohamed is serving her first term as the State Senator for District 63 in South Minneapolis. At the State Capitol, Senator Mohamed is the Vice Chair of the Jobs and Economic Development Committee.
Who inspires you to make positive change?
I’m inspired by the bold, courageous leaders who’ve been trailblazers and inspired women of color to step up and run for office. Leaders like Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton, Senator Patricia Torres Ray, our Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan and Congresswoman Ilhan Omar.
What’s something you’re doing to bring change to the community?
This has been a busy legislative session at the Minnesota Legislature, and I’m doing as much as I can to bring positive change to our community and our state as a whole. This session, I successfully authored and passed Driver’s Licenses for All, which is now law. This law will allow our undocumented friends, neighbors, and community members to finally be able to live life with dignity and drive without fear. This will make such a big difference for the 81,000 undocumented Minnesotans who love our state so much and contribute a great deal to our beloved community. I also author the Bring it Home bill, which would create permanent Rental Assistance program in our state. Another bill I am extremely proud of is the Combating Hate Bill.
What’s your favorite spot in CD 5 that brings you joy?
There are so many spots in Minneapolis that bring me joy, and one of them is Wildflyer Coffee. They don’t just serve coffee — they are also reducing youth homelessness by helping at-risk youth find their footing as employees at their store. Their mission-focused business is a huge pillar in our community.
Ange Hwang:
Ange Hwang grew up in Taiwan, and settled in MN, she is the Executive Director of Asian Media Access since 1992. For the past 30 years, Ange has worked to bring in more understanding about different communication patterns among diverse groups and how to design public health information targeting the specific ethnic community to eliminate health disparities through communication. She has been working on the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) civic, social and health issues through training, and video productions for the past 3 decades, and has won numerous awards for her health video works. Each year, Asian Media Access reaches more than 150,000 people with “Bicultural Healthy Living” messages through its in-person training, large community events, as well as digital presence with web and social media.
Who inspires you to make positive change?
My parents. There are three principles in my family — to be sensitive, smiling, and be strong: to be sensitive and considerate of others, to smile through obstacles, and to be strong all the time, especially during the good times. Those teaching have long embedded in me since I was as a child, but I am never quite sure as to why we have to be strong during a good time. My mother has always said “because you have to prepare what life brings to you to. Good time does not necessarily end with best result, and vice versa”. Once I was very uncomfortable to be called a “leader”, because I have always associated the term with VIPs, people in high positions, not me. But when I thought deeper and reflected it back to the Chinese philosophy, I had a whole new perspective about “leader”. The Chinese phrase says — the leader is the servant of the people. Leadership is not ranking, privileges, titles, glories, but responsibilities, unselfishness, and put people’s needs above her/his own desire. Realizing that I felt more confident in calling myself a “leader”, and now for me to be a leader is to know myself and to continue to challenge myself, and “What can/should I do to make a difference.”
What’s something you’re doing to bring change to the community?
I want to challenge the eurocentric system design/thinking. I hope to create an Inclusion Environment through the Bicultural Healthy Living framework that maximizes cultural integration into healthcare system, education, employment, family support, and economic and social self-sufficiency for Minnesotans.
What’s your favorite spot in CD 5 that brings you joy?
Bde Maka Ska (previously known Lake Calhoun)
Allison Waukau:
Allison Waukau currently serves as the Community Liaison for the Hennepin County Library, where her role quickly expanded into creating a Native Employee Resource Group for library and county employees, aimed at recruiting, supporting, and retaining Native colleagues. Allison is a member-at-large with the American Indian Library Association and one of Library Journal’s 2021 Movers & Shakers.
Who inspires you to make positive change?
My son, Kenew and my nieces, Hazel and Grace.
What’s something you’re doing to bring change to the community?
I am working to increase visibility and continue to show that my people are still here, as mothers, fathers, grandmas, grandpas, aunties, uncles, sisters and brothers.
What’s your favorite spot in CD 5 that brings you joy?
There are a couple. Lake Nokomis is always a favorite spot that my family enjoys year round. I love walking it with my friend Leslie and having the kids swim in the summer. Also, I really love the Four Sisters Farmers Market during the summer, I get to connect and see so many people in my community which always brings laughter and joy.
Aurora Vautrin:
Aurora Vautrin is the Political Director for the 100% Campaign. She started organizing in her home town of Duluth in 2010 and hasn’t stopped. Before coming to the campaign, Aurora worked at the Minnesota Youth Collective, as their Organizing Manager. She is from Duluth, Minnesota and lives in the Midtown Phillips neighborhood of Minneapolis.
Who inspires you to make positive change?
Dolly Parton and Erin Murphy.
What’s something you’re doing to bring change to the community?
Politics can be a very exclusionary place, where it’s hard to feel like you belong. I do my best to be radically welcoming, inclusive, and understanding in this work, particularly at the Capitol.
What’s your favorite spot in CD 5 that brings you joy?
Minnehaha dog park with my dog, Olive, if the sun is out. Centro on Nicollet with a veggie crunch wrap supreme if it’s not.
