Jamaal was born and raised in New York City. He spent his early years in public housing and later in rent-controlled apartments. Once he became a teacher, he saw firsthand how working families are locked out of opportunity by a system that’s rigged for the wealthy and privileged few. He launched a public school in Baychester and kept building from there.

Together, we launched a grassroots coalition that took on powerful special interests and won. Since then, we’ve been delivering real change for families in the Bronx, Yonkers, Mt. Vernon, New Rochelle and beyond.