Joshua Gunn
Joshua Gunn is a Durham native, an award-winning artist, business owner, festival co-founder, community advocate and for the past two decades has been a de facto global ambassador for the Bull City. Joshua believes that prosperty and equity can coexist in Durham and that we can all work together to become the best version of ourselves.
www.jgunnfordurham.com
www.jgunnfordurham.com
why you should vote for joshua gunn
The poverty rate in Durham and Durham County in 2017 was 16.4 and 17.4 percent respectively (datausa.io/american community survey). That's over 47,000 people in Durham County who struggle to pay for housing, health care, and transportation, among many other life necessities. It also represents over 15,000 children who live in poverty.
Poverty in Durham County breaks down as follows by race or ethnicity (datausa.io/american community survey):
And for every age cohort shown in the data, from the age of 15 to age 75+, more females live in poverty in our county than males. That is a statistic that should give us pause.
The Friends of Durham has endorsed Joshua Gunn not because he is planning to do something about poverty, but because he has already been working every day to decrease poverty in our community. As Vice President of the Durham Chamber of Commerce, Joshua's job is to bring businesses to Durham and to help connect our residents to those jobs. As a member of the Durham Public Schools Foundation and as a graduate of the Durham Public School system, Joshua understands how important education is to completing the circle of workforce development (education, skills, and opportunity) as he works on economic development. He is also the co-owner of Provident1898, a coworking community in the historic NC Mutual Insurance building, where he connects and builds relationships with business owners who are building generational wealth opportunities for themselves and other residents of Durham.
It's time we started evaluating our candidates on what they are bringing to the table and not just on what they want to do, not what their ideology is, nor who they went to school with. There is too much at stake every day for 47,000 plus people in our community who go to bed hungry, go to work underpaid, and don't go to the doctor because they can't afford it. When we analyze the current council members, our findings indicate that there is no one currently on the Durham City Council who brings the experience necessary to make a considerable impact on the poverty in our community. The gap is there, and it's time to fill it.
As the Friends of Durham supported and endorsed Joshua in the primary, we do so again, wholeheartedly, for the November 5th General Election for Durham City Council.
Poverty in Durham County breaks down as follows by race or ethnicity (datausa.io/american community survey):
- 23,000+ Blacks
- 16,000+ Whites
- 11,000+ Hispanic
And for every age cohort shown in the data, from the age of 15 to age 75+, more females live in poverty in our county than males. That is a statistic that should give us pause.
The Friends of Durham has endorsed Joshua Gunn not because he is planning to do something about poverty, but because he has already been working every day to decrease poverty in our community. As Vice President of the Durham Chamber of Commerce, Joshua's job is to bring businesses to Durham and to help connect our residents to those jobs. As a member of the Durham Public Schools Foundation and as a graduate of the Durham Public School system, Joshua understands how important education is to completing the circle of workforce development (education, skills, and opportunity) as he works on economic development. He is also the co-owner of Provident1898, a coworking community in the historic NC Mutual Insurance building, where he connects and builds relationships with business owners who are building generational wealth opportunities for themselves and other residents of Durham.
It's time we started evaluating our candidates on what they are bringing to the table and not just on what they want to do, not what their ideology is, nor who they went to school with. There is too much at stake every day for 47,000 plus people in our community who go to bed hungry, go to work underpaid, and don't go to the doctor because they can't afford it. When we analyze the current council members, our findings indicate that there is no one currently on the Durham City Council who brings the experience necessary to make a considerable impact on the poverty in our community. The gap is there, and it's time to fill it.
As the Friends of Durham supported and endorsed Joshua in the primary, we do so again, wholeheartedly, for the November 5th General Election for Durham City Council.
read the press
Excerpt from The 9th Street Journal (9thstreetjournal.org)
Article by Carolina Petrow-Cohen
October 23, 2019
Carolina Petrow-Cohen captured the essence of Joshua Gunn and his bid for the City Council stating...
"In his campaign, Gunn emphasizes the need for more comprehensive economic development, more direct and pragmatic crime prevention, and an affordable housing solution that is linked to accessible jobs. The Jordan High School and North Carolina A&T grad says he sees an absence of engagement from city council members with the private sector."
Gunn further stated in the article, as written by Petrow-Cohen, "'We have a homicide rate that has doubled from 2018 to 2019, we have a crisis of public safety in our community, and I fear that our council lacks the proper perspectives to address those concerns.'"
Article by Carolina Petrow-Cohen
October 23, 2019
Carolina Petrow-Cohen captured the essence of Joshua Gunn and his bid for the City Council stating...
"In his campaign, Gunn emphasizes the need for more comprehensive economic development, more direct and pragmatic crime prevention, and an affordable housing solution that is linked to accessible jobs. The Jordan High School and North Carolina A&T grad says he sees an absence of engagement from city council members with the private sector."
Gunn further stated in the article, as written by Petrow-Cohen, "'We have a homicide rate that has doubled from 2018 to 2019, we have a crisis of public safety in our community, and I fear that our council lacks the proper perspectives to address those concerns.'"
