For NYC Council Member-Elect Shekar Krishnan, Solving Systemic Inequality Starts from Within
The first Indian American to represent Jackson Heights and Elmhurst has long advocated for change. Now, he has a plan to fight for change from the inside.
For most of his career, civil rights lawyer and community activist Shekar Krishnan has been on the outside looking in, very much by choice.
The outside, in his case, has included creating a legal services organization for those living in Brooklyn and Queens in New York City. The organization works with tenant groups on housing discrimination and harassment. He’s worked with New York City taxi drivers, many of whom are South Asian, in their battle for debt relief. He also has worked on building community and green spaces in his neighborhood.
In January, Krishnan will cross into unfamiliar turf. He will become a New York City Council member, representing District 25, which includes the Jackson Heights and Elmhurst neighborhoods in Queens — areas with historically diverse, including South Asian, communities in New York City.