Tania Fernandes Anderson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tania Fernandes Anderson
Fernandes Anderson in 2023
Member of the Boston City Council from the 7th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 4, 2024
Preceded by	Kim Janey
Personal details
Born	(1979-01-04) January 4, 1979 (age 46) Praia, Santiago, Cape Verde
Political party	Democratic
Residence	Roxbury, Boston
Website	Campaign website

Tania Fernandes Anderson was born on January 4, 1979. She is a politician and a leader of a non-profit group. She was born in Cape Verde and now serves on the Boston City Council for the 7th district. She is a member of the Democratic Party. She was first elected in 2021. She took over from Kim Janey. Her district includes parts of Roxbury, Dorchester, and the South End. She is the first person who practices the Muslim faith to be elected to the Council.

Early Life and Work

Tania Fernandes Anderson was born in Praia, Cape Verde. When she was ten years old, she moved to the United States. Her family settled in Roxbury, a neighborhood in Boston. She went to John D. O'Bryant High School.

Before becoming a politician, she was the leader of Bowdoin Geneva Main Streets. This is a non-profit organization. Non-profits are groups that work to help the community, not to make money. This group helps small businesses in the area. In 2019, Fernandes Anderson became a citizen of the United States.

Serving on the Boston City Council

Fernandes Anderson was elected in November 2021. She officially started her job in January 2022. She is the first Muslim person to serve on the city council. She is also the first immigrant from the continent of Africa to hold this position.

She represents the seventh district. This area covers a large part of Roxbury. It also includes smaller parts of the South End and Fenway neighborhoods.

Leading Budget Decisions

In her first term, Fernandes Anderson led the Ways and Means Committee. This committee is very important because it handles laws about the city's budget. The budget is a plan for how the city will spend its money. Leading this committee is a powerful job.

In June 2023, the city council voted on the budget for the next year. The committee had made some changes to the budget. Many of these changes were criticized by other council members. The Mayor, Michelle Wu, disagreed with many of the changes. She stopped some of them from happening. For example, some changes would have cut money for the city's police department and libraries. The city council tried to overrule the Mayor's decisions, but they mostly could not.

Discussing Global Events

Fernandes Anderson spoke about the Israel–Hamas war. In October 2023, she asked for a stop to the fighting. She also called for the release of people taken hostage. She introduced a plan asking for peace. Some people did not agree with how she described the events.

In December 2023, Fernandes Anderson honored two students. These students had organized a student walkout to support Palestine. She gave them an award from the city council. The students then spoke to the council. Some council members said they did not know about this award or presentation beforehand. Council President Ed Flynn said he was not fully informed. He said the presentation went against council rules.

Other Important Actions

In June 2022, Fernandes Anderson helped pass a resolution. This resolution apologized for Boston's past role in the Atlantic slave trade. The city council voted for it without anyone disagreeing.

In October 2022, she suggested a "Boston's Hijab Day." This was to honor Mahsa Amini. Amini was a young woman who died in Iran. She had been arrested for how she wore her hijab. A hijab is a head covering worn by some Muslim women. Fernandes Anderson wanted to support women's freedom to choose how they dress. Her idea got attention from around the world. Some people did not like the name "Hijab Day." The council decided to honor September 23, Amini's birthday, as the "Day of Woman, Life and Freedom."

Second Term (2024–Present)

Fernandes Anderson was reelected in November 2023. She won against Althea Garrison. When the new council term started in January 2024, council members took an oath. An oath is a promise to do your job well. Fernandes Anderson did not say the oath out loud. She said she made a private prayer instead.

Because of this, the city government said she was not officially serving. They said she needed to say the oath. She took her oath on January 4, 2024. After that, she was able to continue her work as a city councilor.

In her second term, Fernandes Anderson leads two committees. She is in charge of the Arts Committee and the Civil Rights Committee.

In August 2023, Fernandes Anderson was in an incident. While she was looking at an area with many homeless people, someone took her cell phone. The police found her phone and returned it. She later criticized the police for sharing details about what happened. She also criticized the news media for reporting on it.

In February 2024, she suggested a hearing. She wanted to explore if Boston could use "congestion pricing." This means people would pay to drive into the city. She thinks this could help with traffic problems.

In November 2024, she supported a plan by other councilors. This plan suggested changes for the city's election department. However, she did not vote on the final decision.

Personal Life

Tania Fernandes Anderson has been a foster mother. She has cared for 17 children in foster care. In a meeting in 2023, she mentioned that one of her sons serves in the United States Marine Corps. Fernandes Anderson is a practicing Sunni Muslim.

Election Results