Dear City of Medicine Residents

Fellow Durhamites:

On Thursday, August 11th, I filed to run for Durham City Council as an at-large candidate.

As a proud “Durham Son” I see my candidacy and ultimately my position on the Council as an opportunity to give back to the city that has cradled and nurtured me.  As a candidate and Durham City Councilman, I will advocate for youth engagement and free public transportation, and call on the city to re-examine its policies and practices on entrepreneurship and economic development.

The City of Medicine can and should do more to engage Durham youth via subsidization of youth programming—using the Department of Parks and Recreation and area nonprofits as vehicles to innovate programs for children enrolled in schools as well as dropouts. There must be a stronger alliance between the City Council and the School Board.  The relationships between education and crime are well documented. Durham’s children must be everyone’s priority. 

As a life-long Durham resident, it has been extraordinary to watch community economic development projects in Downtown and some other parts of the city bloom. However, some neighborhoods, where our poorest, sometimes most needy citizens live have been neglected. The City Council, in cooperation with the Department of Community and Workforce Development and the City Manager must offer further incentives to innovative businesses that create jobs and sustainable development in poorer parts of our city.  Moreover, it’s not enough to have jobs available if poor people don’t have the necessary skills and training to adequately fill prospective positions.  Vocational and high tech training are crucial to our city’s “intelligent development”. 

In response to rising gas prices and ecological concerns, as a candidate and Councilman I will advocate for making the DATA Bus System completely free for all Durham residents.   In this way the city will not only better serve some of Durham’s poorer residents, but also address some of the parking issues around town.

As a true child of the Bull City, I am a product of Durham Public Schools and Liberty Christian School.  I have an Associate’s Degree from Durham Tech and a Bachelor’s degree in European History focusing on International Relations from North Carolina Central University with Arabic Language Credits from Duke University.  I’m a committed community engagement specialist and multi-lingual professional with strong organizational skills.  I have experience working with Latino immigrants, students, gang members, incarcerees, academics, activists, artists, and the homeless.  Towards this end I have worked with and through The Southern Coalition for Social Justice, The Stepping Stones Inmate Creative Writing Initiative, The Durham Literacy Center, and Urban Ministries, in addition to numerous student groups.  I am currently writing and publishing in various academic journals, and am self employed as a specialty bookseller and independent academic consultant and researcher on various projects, local and global.  In addition, I plan on attending an area law school beginning in Fall 2012. 

I love my city and am proud to have been able to capitalize on so many of the opportunities that Durham has afforded me.  I hope to bring an internationalist perspective and a youth inspired community engagement practice to the City Council.  Friends, we have some work ahead of us, and I need your help: your time if you have it, if not, your financial support.

Yours Truly,

Solomon Burnette
1016 Clarendon St.
Durham, N.C. 27705
919.638.6923
SBurnetteforcitycouncil@gmail.com