A Voice for Many Generations: The Case for Aarika Rhodes
Why a teacher in California’s 30th District would be a game-changer for Congress.
Volunteering and organizing for Andrew Yang during his 2020 presidential run, Aarika Rhodes brought her passion for change to Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and her hometown of Los Angeles, California. Voicing her support for Small Businesses, Universal Basic Income, and delivering top-notch education to every child, Aarika Rhodes was not going to rest until the work was done. On June 19th, 2020, Aarika Rhodes announced her bid for Congress in California’s 30th district in 2022. While enthusiasm for Aarika continues to remain at an all-time high, she and many others know that unseating an incumbent is no easy task.
Who is Aarika Rhodes? Aarika Rhodes is an elementary school teacher from California’s 30th district who is running on a pro-UBI platform and a program called “Kids have a voice too”. She is also a huge advocate for education reform, democracy dollars, and ranked-choice voting. Aarika is also devoted to helping out her local community, supporting small businesses, & addressing California’s ever-evolving homeless crisis. What inspired Aarika’s run was talking to everyday people about the state of their community and hearing their concerns.
Aarika Rhodes has always been an advocate for children in her community which is why she is planning on launching her program, “Kids Have a Voice Too”. The purpose of this program is to give local youth a platform to air their thoughts, feelings, & opinions as well as contributing to their communities. Her program has three pillars: Empowerment Lunches, Kids Town Halls, & PSAs. Empowerment lunches are informal meals where kids get to casually and freely ask Aarika questions in regards to their communities and neighborhoods. The second pillar, Kids Town Halls, is split up into two groups: K- 6th grade & 7th — 12th grade. These town halls will (with the support of their teachers) help kids learn how to be active in their communities and advocate for the issues they deem important. The last pillar is where they learn how to create public service announcements based on the issues that are affecting their communities. Aarika believes that while kids may not have the right to vote, they do have the right to be acknowledged and listened to.
One of California’s main issues is the homeless crisis. In the San Fernando Valley, which is part of Aarika’s district, over 8,000 people are living in the streets or their cars. Those same people also lack access to the necessary help and services with medicine, mental health, and drug rehabilitation. Aarika’s plan to combat the homeless crisis in her district is to work with local officials to create more shelters for the homeless, increase mental health and drug rehab services, and expand a work opportunity tax credit to incentivize employers to hire workers experiencing homelessness. She also plans on implementing a Universal Basic Income and Medicare for All as a means to prevent poverty and provide a safety net. The implementation of UBI in Aarika’s district will help stimulate a strong local economy and also help small businesses. It will also help address income inequality and provide more jobs for her constituents.
As a teacher, Aarika Rhodes is also aware of how outdated our educational system is. She wants to create an educational system where every child is prepared for success. Her plans include universal preschool, smaller classroom sizes, and reducing the emphasis for standardized testing by advocating for hands-on, project-based learning. Aarika is also a strong advocate for people with disabilities which includes her strong connection to the deaf community. To help students with disabilities, she wants to add more resources to support them.
If Elected, Aarika Rhodes would make history in California’s 30th district as the first woman of color to represent CA-30. Without the need for corporate/ PAC money, Aarika has drummed up voters and enthusiasm. She has advocated for kids to use their voice and learn about being active in their communities. She wants to implement both UBI and M4A as a way to help small businesses and solve the homeless crisis. Aarika Rhodes is ready to lead congress with an iron heart and the backing of her local community. She is not only fit for congress but, a beacon of empowerment for future generations.
