Kelabe Tewolde Discusses Representation, Housing, and Education on The Pop-Up!

Aug 9

On a recent episode of The Pop-Up!, guest host Deaunte Damper sat down with community candidate for State Representative, Washington’s 37th Legislative District, Kelabe Tewolde. A first-time candidate, Tewolde shared his perspective on systemic issues ranging from public safety to the high cost of housing and education reform.

A Grassroots Vision for Public Safety

Addressing the recent resignation of Police Chief Shon Barnes, Tewolde urged people to look past the political theater of individual leadership positions, noting that the systemic challenges are far broader than any single official.

"When we're talking about the issues of gun violence in the south end... it's not going to be a figurehead that's going to save us," Tewolde said. "It's going to be community efforts where we're going to have multi-pronged approaches that actually save us and save lives."

Tewolde pointed to community-led safety models, such as those utilized by Africatown Community Land Trust during local cultural events, as effective examples of self-regulation and mutual care. "I always feel safe because community is there and we look out for each other," he said.

Personal Motivations and the Urgent Need for Policy Reform

When asked by Damper about his motivation for seeking office, Tewolde traced his drive back to his upbringing in South Seattle as the son of an Eritrean refugee. Raised by a single mother who worked as a certified nursing assistant (CNA), Tewolde witnessed firsthand the burdens of housing insecurity and medical debt.

Decades later, working as an educator with Rainier Scholars, Tewolde observed that youth in the district are still trapped in the exact same cycles. He criticized the current state leadership for pushing urgent problems down the line rather than acting with immediate resolve.

A primary target of Tewolde’s critique was the state's legislative approach to the housing crisis. He strongly condemned the watering down of the housing stability bill, which ultimately allowed an annual 10 percent cap on rent increases, he said.

"I don't know many people my age, I don't know many people in general that are getting 10% raises each year," Tewolde said. "And my opponent voted against that bill. That is a very important bill for folks to stay housed and stay in their communities."

Investing in Education and the Future

Tewolde closed his appearance by taking the hot seat to answer questions from local youth representative Christian Scott. When asked about how to address systemic issues and occurrences of violence, Tewolde reframed the issue away from reactive punishments.

He highlighted a severe literacy gap affecting Black youth, emphasizing that the problem lies entirely within institutional disinvestment rather than student capability.

"Our public schools have severely been underfunded. We've been failing our kids and our teachers," Tewolde said. "We need to be investing in our babies... We need from our legislators where we're actually putting dollars into our kids at a young age rather than trying to put dollars into punishment and incarceration."

Learn more about Tewolde’s campaign at kelabeforwashington.com

Tune in to The Pop-Up! weekdays live at 7 p.m. on all Converge streaming platforms.