by Kelsey Hamlin
Shukri Olow, a first-time candidate deemed a community leader among many in Kent, seeks to unseat incumbent Dave Upthegrove who has served on the King County Council representing District 5 since 2014. She would be the only Black woman on the Council if elected.
Olow is a doctoral candidate in education at Seattle University — one of many indicators of her values. She also volunteers her time on several boards, like Kent Youth & Family Services, the Kent YMCA, and One America Votes. She has worked to undo institutional harms throughout her career, from her faith’s community duties to Seattle Public Schools. So it came as no surprise that both her interview and campaign website honed in on “collective liberation.”
“What that looks like for me is us providing an opportunity for those historically and presently marginalized to feel empowered, shift the systems themselves, and come up with the policies and solutions for the solutions they face to create an environment where everyone is better off,” Olow said. “I believe it’s possible.”
Continue reading King County Council Candidate Shukri Olow — Marginalized People, ‘You Belong Here’