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By John Lynds
john@eastietimes.com
Ayanna Pressley has been charming her way through East Boston lately. The young, articulate, attractive city councilor-at-large candidate from Dorchester has been poking around the hotbed of political activity here in the neighborhood.
She’s been seen at several local events and, so far, the response to her has been nothing but positive. Word on the street here is that she may end up in one of those top four spots on the council. The East Boston Times caught up with Pressley recently at the Salesians Boys and Girls Club benefit breakfast, where the political director for Senator John Kerry was working the room, introducing herself to voters and taking an active interest in the community.
Pressley, who is a Big Sister and mentor with several organizations throughout the city, called the work of the Boys and Girls Club at the recent breakfast, “a valuable resource for the East Boston community and a safe and nurturing environment for its young people. “I can’t say enough about the value of mentoring,” said Pressley at the event. “We definitely need more mentors for our young people today, more than ever before”.
Pressley has said she decided to run for an at-large seat on the Boston City Council because she believes she has the background, experience, and vision to help provide strong, creative leadership during these difficult economic times. “With working families struggling to make ends meet daily and young people facing a future of few opportunities, Boston needs a leader who can bring accountability, accessibility, and advocacy to the council,” she said. Pressley currently serves as the political director for Senator John Kerry, acting as chief liaison to municipal, state and federal elected officials, and constituency leaders on Kerry’s behalf. Pressley has an extensive background in advocacy and activism, including four years as a district representative for Congressman Joseph P. Kennedy II.
She is a veteran of local, state, and national political campaigns. An in-demand political specialist, Pressley has played key roles in several campaigns, including Bob Massie, Frank Jones, John Kerry, the Citizen Soldier Fund PAC, and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. She considers herself a fixture in Boston’s nonprofit community. She serves on the board of directors for: the Massachusetts Women’s Political Caucus, Emerge Massachusetts, Diploma Plus, and the Young Professionals Preventing Child Abuse/Children’s Trust Fund. She also serves on the advisory boards for the Commonwealth Seminar and the University of Massachusetts Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy. Pressley is a mentor with the Young Black Women’s Society, Big Sister Association of Greater Boston, and the Massachusetts Democratic Party’s Diversity Internship Program. She is also a member of the NAACP.
She worked to improve political access and power for disenfranchised constituencies by recruiting and training more women and persons of color in the essential disciplines, specifically in nontraditional roles. In July 2005, she was honored with a Wonder Woman Award by the Massachusetts Women’s Political Caucus. In March 2008, Pressley was honored by Unity First Magazine with a Visionary Woman of Excellence Award.
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