| The proud son of two union members, Jason's father was an electrician and his mother worked in the federal government. Jason saw how hard his parents worked to provide for him and they instilled the importance of determination, fairness, and integrity.
He graduated from Eastern Michigan University with his Bachelor's degree in Political Science and his Master's in Public Administration, with a concentration in local government management. He later received his law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.
As a law student, Jason was an active member of the Black Law Student's Association (BLSA) where he taught students at Cass Technical High School, his alma mater, about their rights when interacting with the police through BLSA's Street Law program. He also served as secretary of the UDM Law Democrats and was a member of the National Lawyers Guild.
Jason helped create and later served as president of the UDM Law chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Because of his work at the UDM Law chapter of the ACLU, Jason was appointed to serve as a board member for the ACLU of Michigan Metro-Detroit Branch, where he would later go on to serve as vice president. During his time at the ACLU, Jason focused on fighting voter suppression, ending the school-to-prison pipeline, and fighting against racial biases in our criminal justice system.
Jason's experiences in school and with the ACLU helped prepare him to be a key staff member for two state legislators - Former State Representative Rudy Hobbs and State Senator Jeremy Moss. Working in these offices allowed Jason to gain a breadth of knowledge of state issues and their effect on the Southfield community.
In his role with Rep. Hobbs' office, Jason helped provide answers to residents for their day-to-day needs from their government - serving as a direct liaison to legislative, policy, and agency staff on constituent matters. Through this position, Jason became a better advocate for constituents - helping them navigate through government bureaucracy.
In Sen Moss' office, Jason has been actively engaged in shaping public policy the effects Southfield. He has been deeply involved in legislation that keeps government accountable and transparent, spurs economic development for Southfield, and keeps Southfield neighborhoods vibrant and livable.
Jason has been active in Southfield City Council since he was first elected in 2019. He is currently the chair of the Legislative Committee where he has been working on policy to develop a community benefits ordinance to ensure the city receives a benefit when developers are given a tax abatement. He also serves on the Economic Development Committee where he has been working to develop a "downtown space" across the street from City Hall to attract and retain people to the city. On the Neighborhood Services Committee, he has been working on policy that looks at speeding down our neighborhood streets and developing traffic calming techniques, like speed tables and speed bumps, to ensure the safety of our residents.
In addition to his career in state government, Jason was also an adjunct professor at Lawrence Tech University in Southfield where he helped students explore ethical questions, leadership concepts, and societal and cultural issues through his university seminar coursework.
Jason has continued to be engaged in the community. He is member of the Southfield/Lathrup Democratic Club, State Bar of Michigan, Oakland County Bar Association, Wolverine Bar Association, ACLU of Michigan, and the Sierra Club. |