Above: Rashai Lee with Councilmember Brown at the Defining Our Destiny event hosted by Brown at the Verizon Center (August 2007).

I just wanted to take a minute to congratulate Rahai Lee, a Ward 6 resident, who was elected by the Mayor’s Youth Leadership Institute (MYLI) to serve as the 50th Youth Mayor of the District of Columbia.

I had the good fortune of meeting Ms. Lee at a meeting where we discussed tough issues like domestic violence. She demonstrated the characteristics that people look for in a leader and I’m not surprised that she’s supported by her peers.

She’s a part of a great organization. MYLI is a place where we build the future leaders of tomorrow. To help keep the program strong, I authored the Mayor’s Youth Leadership Institute Act of 2005 (A16-152) providing $1.9 million to allow over 400 youths to participate in the program and stay on campus at George Washington University.

In fact, I’m a graduate of the Institute and always look forward to meeting our new leaders. They’re the ones who will inherit the city and ultimately shape our future. Again, congratulations Ms. Lee. Keep inspiring us!

Kwame