Rabat – A number of women of color are setting the stage for change in the United States with progressive political campaigns and strong leadership skills. In the East Coast state of Massachusetts, Moroccan immigrant Ihssane Leckey is campaigning for US Congress as an active leader in the fight for social justice.
“People are demanding change to a system run by rich white men for too long,” Leckey said in a recent campaign video. “I’m Ihssane Leckey, Donald Trump’s worst nightmare — a fearless woman of color, ready to end corporate greed.”
In the race to represent Massachusetts’ 4th Congressional District, Leckey, 34, stands out as the only woman of color and a progressive democratic candidate among eight other moderates vying for the seat. The candidate says she is seeking an opportunity to “change the face of Congress.”
Leckey’s progressive platform
According to Leckey’s campaign website, her political platform is rooted in empowering working people, immigrant communities, communities of color, and others “who have been shut out of the political process.” She stresses that she is “running to create a government and an economy that guarantees justice and dignity for all.”
Advocating for universal family care, a green new deal, and medicare for all, the Moroccan-American candidate is actively involved in ending racial and economic injustices. She also places focus on investing in community development while initiating police reform efforts.
As well, Leckey is fighting to reduce gun violence, end mass incarceration, and promote Indigenous rights, gender equality, and disability justice.
Endorsed by US Representative for Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District, Ilhan Omar, and a number of human rights and social justice advocates across the country, Leckey has promised to put her money where her mouth is. She vowed to reject all cash from lobbyists, fossil fuel and pharma donations, corporate PAC money, police union funds, and big-developer money.
“I took on Wall Street and refuse to accept a dollar from corporate PACS and lobbyists,” said Leckey.
Her relentless commitment to progressive issues and steadfast approach in leading social change has attracted the attention of voters, especially during the recent Black Lives Matter uprising. Campaign managers report that approximately 60% of voters in the upcoming district election are undecided, leaving room for Leckey to make gains in the race.
The 2020 Massachusetts primaries are set to take place on September 1.
From Morocco to the US, Leckey harnesses her history to lead the way with progressive strongholds.
The former Wall Street regulator came to the US from Morocco at the age of 20, paying her way through college with a string of minimum wage jobs.
“I’ve been made to feel like an outsider my whole life,” Leckey told the Prospect, a Missouri newspaper. “I grew up as the daughter of a public-school teacher and a farmer on another continent. When I first came here, I started to learn that the color of your skin, the name that you have, the college you went to — it gives you different opportunities.”
Along with her title as a former Wall Street regulator and as an immigrant, Leckey identifies as a Muslim, democratic socialist, activist, wife, millennial mom, and a survivor of sexual violence. The aspiring congresswoman is rising with the intention of “prioritizing the voices and needs of the marginalized, and protecting the vulnerable.”
Mohammed Missouri, the executive director of Jetpac, an organization seeking to increase political engagement among American Muslims, said that Leckey’s life experience and identity are assets to her campaign.
In an interview with TeenVogue’s Running! series on getting involved with the government, Leckey’s informal campaign advisor, Missouri, recalled, “During our first conversation, it was very clear to me that Ihssane is the real deal. She’s driven by a genuine desire to make our country and state a place where every person is guaranteed a life of dignity.”
“We don’t have enough people in Congress who have a direct link — a personal link — to the policies that they’re working on. Ihssane’s entire life has been one of surviving traumatic events, and every single time she chose to thrive, despite her circumstances. She is the definition of a survivor and a fighter.”
Read also: Morocco’s Moncef Slaoui Among Carnegie’s Great US Immigrants of 2020
