Chi Ossé Knows There’s Still Plenty of Work to Do
At the start of 2020, Chi Ossé was working freelance jobs in nightlife — hosting parties at in-the-know bars and clubs across downtown Manhattan. Everything changed in March when coronavirus shuttered the city, leaving Ossé and thousands of other gig workers unemployed with no safety net. Then came the police killing of George Floyd in May, a watershed moment for the national conscience. On Juneteenth, weeks into organizing Black Lives Matter protests, Ossé announced his City Council bid to represent Brooklyn's 36th District, making him the youngest candidate ever to run for the seat.
"I've always been outspoken about injustice in society, especially when it comes to marginalized people," says 22-year-old Ossé, who identifies as queer, Black, Asian and "a college dropout." "I wanted to use my voice for change — after thinking about where real change is made every day, I decided to run for local office. Being a part of the BLM movement and the protests helped me find my voice, but the fire pit was already there. It just needed a match."