By Clifford L. Williams

Another young, fresh face has emerged as a contender for a seat on the Richmond City Council. Jovanka Beckles recently launched her campaign in front of a room of supporters at Angles Restaurant in Richmond, calling it “a celebration of truth and good ideas. We need them both and badly in Richmond, and we need them soon,” she said.
   Beckles told the gathering that she and her family had once been the victims of a home invasion in Richmond. One of the intruders held her son to the floor at gunpoint and asked him if he was a gang member. After the intruder visually surveyed the home, he said, “It must be nice to have someone who loves you.”
    “Obviously this young man was lacking something and didn’t have the things he needed or wanted,” said Beckles. “When the incident subsided, we prayed for him that he and the others get the help they needed. At that point, I decided to become active in Richmond politics and community organizations, because I see that Richmond is in such dire need of opportunities for young people.
    “I’ve been a mental health specialist for 18 years, so I understand one of the root causes of crime, so we have to deal with that on a holistic approach rather than simply through law enforcement,” she said.
    Beckles, a first-time political aspirant, shared her vision of a positive progressive change for Richmond. “I’m here to offer, new ideas and a fresh commitment to helping Richmond move forward in the future,” she said. The current City Council [is] filled with sort of the old guard that has old ideas. With that, the city can’t change, and it has become stagnant. Richmond needs progressive out-of-the-box ideas if it going to change, and I feel that’s what I can bring.”
    “I’m currently on the Economic Development Commission, so I understand that another aspect of improving Richmond is to diversify our current economy,” said Beckles, who holds a BA in psychology and an MA in business. “We need to support small business and we also need to take advantage of the incredible opportunities the new green collar industries are bringing to Richmond.”
    For more information about the campaign, email JBECKLES@BetterRichmond.net, call (510) 496-2711 or visit www.RichmondBlackHistory.org.