In the TransWellBeing blog, we’ve been highlighting a number of transgender people of color that have done good and creating change within their neighborhoods. There are so many transgender individuals that we want to highlight, but don’t have the space to include everyone. It’s important to look up the trans leaders that you know that they matter and to help them out in any way. The next person we will be focusing on is Phillipe Cunningham.

Cunningham is one of the councilpersons for Minneapolis Ward 4 neighborhood. He was elected in 2017. He identifies as black, queer, and transgender.

In his early life, he was born and raised in Streator, Illinois. Phillipe attended various universities, until graduating from DePaul University with a degree in Chinese studies.

During his career, he was a special education teacher in Chicago and working for various non-profit foundations in Illinois and Minnesota. In his personal life, he married his partner, Lane Cunningham.

When Cunningham was elected as city councilperson, he was one of three people that were openly transgender to take the position.

Cunningham’s major goals is to create safe neighborhoods in his wards. His Ward covers Northwest Minneapolis and has various issues with crime and murder in the neighborhood. He wants to reduce crime over the next several years and bring communities together.

Phillipe also wants to hold police accountable for the killing of black people and to have more affordable housing across the city.

If you would like to know more about Phillipe Cunningham, you can follow him on his website here https://cunninghammpls.org/