To the Editor:
My name is Said Ahmed, but most people know me as “Coach.” I am running to represent District 7 on the Boston City Council because I have lived the challenges our communities are facing and I know we deserve better.
I came to Roxbury at the age of 12 as a refugee from Somalia. My family and I found a home in public housing on Annunciation Road. It was the BPS teachers and coaches in the community who believed in me. They helped me grow from a young immigrant trying to find his footing into a US National Track athlete, a longtime educator in Boston Public Schools, and eventually, a lecturer at Harvard University. Most importantly, I am proud to raise my five children with my wife just a block from where I grew up.
I’ve spent my life giving back to the same neighborhoods that raised me. I co-founded and continue to coach at Boston United Track and Cross Country, the only free track program in the city, because no child should be locked out of opportunity because of cost. I’ve helped students and families navigate our public school system, organized our community to support one another, and mentored hundreds of young people across Boston. I know what it means to be part of a community that looks out for each other.
Now, I’m running for office because our families are being priced out of their homes, our schools are under-resourced, and too many of our young people are being left behind. I believe we need leadership that shows up consistently, listens, and puts in the work.
If elected, I’ll fight for rent control and a real pathway to homeownership, especially for longtime residents. I’ll push for equitable funding for our schools to make sure all students, no matter where they live, have access to a quality education. And I’ll prioritize real public safety through youth violence prevention programs that get people off the street and back on track, and community-based initiatives that address root causes.
District 7 has so much strength and resilience, but we need a city councillor who’s rooted in the day-to-day life of our community and committed to building with the people.
This is not just a campaign. It’s a continuation of the work I’ve been doing my whole life, and it’s a promise that I will never stop fighting for the community that made me who I am.
–
Said Ahmed
The Reporter will be publishing additional letters from municipal candidates in the coming weeks.
