Rawlson King facts for kids

Rawlson O'Neil King is a Canadian politician. He was first elected to the Ottawa City Council on April 15, 2019. He was elected again on October 24, 2022. Rawlson King made history as Ottawa's first-ever Black Canadian city councillor.

About Rawlson King

Rawlson King was born and grew up in Toronto, Ontario. He went to Bayview Glen School. His parents were teachers from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. His father was born in Aruba.

Rawlson King studied at Carleton University. He earned a degree in journalism and legal studies. He also has a master's degree in communication.

Before becoming a city councillor, Rawlson King was very active in his community.

• He was the president of the Overbrook Community Association.
• He served on the board of the Rideau-Rockcliffe Community Resource Centre.
• He was also a co-chair for the Ottawa Police Service Community Equity Council.

In 2018, he won a Community Builder of the Year Award from United Way Ottawa. This award recognized his hard work in the community.

Rawlson King's Political Journey

Rawlson King became the city councillor for Rideau-Rockcliffe Ward in 2019. He won a special election held after the previous councillor, Tobi Nussbaum, left the position.

Before this win, Rawlson King had run for office two times.

• In 2010, he ran for councillor in Rideau-Rockcliffe.
• In 2018, he ran for a trustee spot on the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board.

He was not successful in these earlier elections.

When he won the by-election, many important people in Ottawa supported him. After being elected, Rawlson King focused on several key areas.

• He wanted to create a plan to help reduce poverty in poorer neighbourhoods.
• He aimed to improve roads, public transportation, and social services.
• He also worked to improve the relationship between people of colour and the police.

First Term as Councillor

During his first term, Rawlson King had important roles on the City Council.

• He was the Chair of the Built Heritage Sub-Committee. This group helps protect old and important buildings.
• He also served on the Standing Committee on Environmental Protection, Water and Waste Management.

He was part of several boards, including Crime Prevention Ottawa and Ottawa Community Housing Corporation. He also served on the Ottawa Police Services Board. However, he later resigned from the Police Services Board. This happened after the chair, Diane Deans, was removed during the Ottawa "Freedom Convoy" events.

In 2020, Rawlson King was appointed as the Council Liaison for Anti-Racism and Ethnocultural Relations Initiatives. This meant he helped lead efforts against racism in the city. He successfully helped create an anti-racism office. He also helped develop Ottawa's first anti-racism strategy.

Second Term and Re-election

Rawlson King was re-elected in 2022 with a very large number of votes. He received over 80 percent of the votes. This showed strong support from the community.

In his second term, he continued to hold important positions.

• He was again appointed Chair of the Built Heritage Committee.
• He served on committees like Finance and Corporate Services, and Environment and Climate Change.

He was also appointed to the boards of Ottawa Public Health and the Ottawa Public Library. He continued his role as Council Liaison for Anti-Racism and Ethnocultural Relations Initiatives. In this role, he leads the work on Ottawa's Anti-Racism Strategy.

Rawlson King supported Yasir Naqvi in his campaign to become the leader of the Ontario Liberal Party in 2023.