Khaliq named interim Ward 1 Councilmember
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Nathaniel Khaliq, former president, Saint Paul NAACP.
ST. PAUL (June 26, 2013) — Mayor Chris Coleman on Wednesday appointed Nick Khaliq as interim Ward 1 Councilmember one the Saint Paul City Council. He replaces Melvin Carter III, who resigned to accept a position with the Minnesota Department of Education.
“Councilmember Khaliq brings a long career as community activist and civic leader to the City Council and I welcome him back to City Hall in his new role as Councilmember,” said Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman. “Nick Khaliq grew up in the Rondo neighborhood, served as a firefighter and has spent much of his life working for economic and social justice. I look forward to working with him in the next several months to continue to make Saint Paul the best city in the country.”
Ward 1 includes the Thomas-Dale (Frogtown), Summit-University district councils/neighborhoods, and the portion of the Union Park District Council that is east of Snelling Avenue and includes the Lexington-Hamline and Snelling-Hamline communities. Ward 1 is comprised of the City’s most racially and economically diverse.
Nathaniel Khaliq retired as president of the Saint Paul NAACP after 17 years. He has been involved with racial justice issues for over 30 years and was named a 2011 Facing Race Ambassador for his lifelong advocacy against racism and its debilitating effects on people.
Khaliq was instrumental in the federally mediated anti-racial profiling agreement with the city of Saint Paul in 2001. He also fought to change the way state and county gang databases were collected as racially biased after an investigation found excessive use of the Obstructing Legal Process against minorities. The review of cases resulted in retraining police and prosecutors and led to a substantial drop in the number of OLP charges.
Khaliq has 16 grandchildren and continues to work on youth projects that address the obstacles facing younger generations in health, education and employment.
