Daa'iyah Salaam wants to 'connect dots' in Ward III commission race
Oct. 23—Editor's Note: Third in a series on the nine candidates who are competing for the Ward II, Ward III and Ward V seats on the Albany City Commission.
ALBANY — Daa'iyah Salaam has no interest in talking politics, even though the first-time candidate is one of three individuals in the thick of the Nov. 2 Ward III Albany City Commission race.
Instead, the research analyst at Albany Technical College is more interested in "connecting dots."
"This is not politics to me; it's an opportunity to bring new leadership and new direction to our city government," Salaam said. "I want to help lead us to a time of using our strengths to our benefit, to looking for ways to unite the city rather than tear it apart. We need someone to connect the dots.
"We are a diverse community, and we should celebrate our differences while working together to change the trajectory of our community by utilizing the strengths of all of our citizens. People talk about me running against (incumbent Ward III Commissioner) B.J. (Fletcher), but I'm not running against B.J. I'm running for the opportunity to represent the citizens of Ward III, the citizens of this community."
Salaam, who worked with the Southwest Georgia Project before taking a position with Albany Tech, said she learned a lot about community activism working alongside leaders like Shirley Sherrod. The path she's taken has, she said, made her "a commissioner that's never held a seat."
"We need a new vision for this community," she said. "We have a wealth of diversity and value, but so many people are frustrated because they are living their lives to survive. They're worried about things like how to feed their families, how to pay their bills.
"I relate to their plight and offer myself as an example because I lived that life, too. I was a single mother because my husband lost his life in an automobile accident when my son was very young. I knew what it was like to work two jobs, to struggle to survive. The big difference for me — and I am thankful to this day — is that I had a family that helped me, that supported me. There are a lot of people who are struggling who don't have that foundation."
Salaam said her platform is built around providing a safe community, getting rid of blight that is a breeding ground for crime, infrastructure concerns like unpaved alleys, and bringing jobs that pay enough money for workers to support their families.
"We have some jobs open, and more are coming," she said, "but we don't have enough skilled workers to fill a lot of those positions. What we do have, though, is Albany State and Albany Tech. We have to make sure our folks take advantage of the programs they have to offer.
"And, of course, everything starts with safety. That's the biggest issue. People want to feel safe, to go to bed at night confident that when they wake up in the morning they and all of their possessions are safe. They deserve that, and we as a commission have to do all that we can to ensure their safety."
Salaam said that even though she's a political novice, she's been encouraged by the feedback she's gotten while campaigning. In addition to the support of Ward III voters, she was recently endorsed by the Georgia Working Families Party.
"I feel real good about the way the campaign is going," she said. "I have gotten tremendous feedback, and I hope that translates into numbers at the polls. I'm a numbers person; I'm always looking at the numbers. But I am focusing my campaign on the needs of the people because I believe our people are our greatest asset.
"I'm also very pleased that this has been a clean campaign. It's been that way intentionally for me; I have no interest in turning things negative. I want to talk about the good things we have in Albany. And there are a lot of them. We're rich with assets and resources. I've been privileged to work with all sectors of our community on massive projects: constituents, elected officials, business people, nonprofits ... people from every walk of life. I want to be a part of bringing all those diverse elements together for the benefit of this community."
Salaam, Ward III incumbent Fletcher and fellow challenger Vilnis "Dip" Gaines are vying for the Ward III seat.
