About Don

Don is one of 10 siblings, born in Jamaica to a Pentecostal minister and a seamstress. His father pastored congregations in poor Jamaican communities. This gave Don a strong consciousness to the plight of the poor and the need for social justice. Don was deeply inspired by the great achievements of the Civil Rights Movement across the ocean in America and the cross racial, cross regional nature of that movement.

He immigrated to the US in 1970 to study Industrial Design. After graduating, he worked in the world of toy design, as Senior Director of Research & Development at Playskool, and later as the partner of a small business, Red Racer Studio, inventing and designing toys for major toy manufacturers.

During those years, Don volunteered many hours in church, communities, school and district positions, leading children and youth programming and tutoring teams. Eventually, in 2001, he would graduate from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota where he earned a Master of Divinity degree. He was then ordained into the ministry at Judson Baptist Church in Minneapolis. Don frequently speaks to leading congregations across the region about our mutual responsibility to each other across boundaries of race, class and geography.

Don and his Wife Sondra helped organize dozens of their activist neighbors, closing down neighboring drug houses, prostitution houses and front stores for drugs. He emerged as a strong voice for peace during a time of great violence and conflict in his North Minneapolis, Jordan neighborhood.

These neighbors urged Don to run for public office. With their support, he was first elected to the Minneapolis City Council in February 2003 in a special election for the 3rd Ward. Don was re-elected to the City Council in November of 2005. As a result of redistricting, he is now the Council Member for Minneapolis 5th ward.

As a Council Member, Don Co-chairs the Executive Committee of the Empowerment Zone Board, dramatically shifting the focus of those funds from South to North Minneapolis. He is the Chair of the Public Safety and Regulatory Services Committee, and serves as the only Northside representative on the City’s Community Development Committee. Don is a co-founder of the PEACE Foundation - Public Engagement and Community Empowerment.

Don also founded the African American Economic Development Committee, to nurture the development of African American businesses in the city. With his wife Sondra, He also founded the Institute for Authentic Dialogue on race, which guides corporate executives and leaders in conversations and relationships across race, with unprecedented clarity and mutuality.

As a public servant, Don has kept his focus on the Northside’s most pressing issues: economic development, public safety, housing, education, youth and community engagement.

Don is motivated by a clear vision that North Minneapolis and the city will be safe for all children and families. He believes that we will educate all children to legitimately graduate from high school. He is convinced that we will attract and support strong businesses back to Broadway, Plymouth and Glenwood Avenues and he wants all leaders, foremost himself, to be held responsible for these outcomes.

Don has an adult son and three daughters. He and his family live in the Jordan neighborhood of North Minneapolis.