Future Congresswoman Khaliah Fitchette is a Newark native, Cornell graduate, and KIPP alum. Khaliah is a lifelong public servant who is running for Congress to make a difference in a district that’s home to three generations of family.
As an Independent candidate, Khaliah is a registered Democrat and grew up experiencing the reality of New Jersey’s rising income and education inequality, inspiring her to organize her community and run for office on a progressive platform.
During her childhood, Ms. Fitchette was a proud student of KIPP Charter Schools in Newark, NJ. While attending a private high school in Hightstown, NJ, Khaliah saw a stark contrast in opportunities based on their respective zip codes and vowed to make changes in the public education system. Khaliah believes all students deserve access to quality education, regardless of where they are born.
In 2010, Khaliah unfortunately experienced the effects of police brutality when she was an Honors high school student illegally detained by the Newark police department. Khaliah filmed a police interaction and was arrested and detained as an adult when she refused to delete the video footage. Khaliah’s cell phone footage was deleted by Newark police officers and her lawsuit, represented by the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union), resulted in officer training affirming the rights of citizens to record police officers performing their duties.
Khaliah is a strong advocate for Redesign The Police and understands the deep rooted effects of poverty and racism in today’s society. Khaliah understands how putting an innocent person in handcuffs can negatively affect someone’s outlook on life, and is aware of this disproportionate phenomenon in lower income cities and communities of color.
In today’s political climate, Khaliah’s primary focus is to win the election and redesign the police. She believes the current police system is overwhelmed and unproductive and is working with great policy analysts to redistribute responsibilities from officers to other trained professionals. Khaliah believes in less policing and more community support.
After graduating from University High School, Khaliah attended Cornell University and graduated with a degree in Communications, double minoring in Law & Society, and Development Sociology. During this period Khaliah also had the opportunity to intern in the office of Senator Lamar Alexander in the Education Department of the Senate HELP Committee. Khaliah’s role in Senator Alexander’s education office provided a firsthand view of how legislative policies can positively impact the inner-city students attending public charter schools. Khaliah realized public charter schools give students an opportunity to succeed where traditional public schools fall short. We have to fix the public education system, and we have an equal responsibility to give our students and their families options that work today.
After college, Fitchette went on to further her passions as an entrepreneur and social justice advocate. These experiences in education and social justice activism led the Future Congresswoman to volunteer for Braven, a role in which she helped low income and first generation college students at Rutgers Newark prepare to enter careers post graduation. Braven encourages community leadership as diverse as future demands and Khaliah has spent countless hours working 1:1 with students and helping them prepare for bright futures.
During the 2016 presidential election, Khaliah lived in Los Angeles and created a Youtube channel inspiring young women to achieve social equality while self publishing How-To eBooks for millennial women navigating the 21st century. Since launching her campaign for Congress, Khaliah has begun filming politically entertaining Youtube videos to discuss pressing issues with constituents in real time. Khaliah wants to know what her community is thinking and has consistently been a leader organizing for change within her community. Khaliah is a proud feminist and advocate for women’s rights, Black Lives Matter, the LGBTQIA+ community, people with disabilities, and immigration reform.
Khaliah believes that the path forward for New Jersey’s 10th district requires redesigning the police, reforming education, and ending economic inequality. As a small business owner who understands the value of economic mobility and reinvesting in her community, Khaliah plans to win the election and bring progressive change to New Jersey’s 10th district. Khaliah will partner with local corporations and small business owners to increase tax credits for good business and increase employees' earnings to provide a minimum living wage. Khaliah believes equal rights are human rights and we are all entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Everyone deserves to earn a living wage.
Khaliah wants to help build your legacy. Let’s educate our children, build generational wealth, and reinvest in our communities. Khaliah’s progressive policies will help achieve a more racially inclusive and equitable world, starting at home with her district, NJ-10. Together, she knows we can make a difference.
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