Khaliah Fitchette on Going From Handcuffs to Running for Congress

One afternoon in March 2010, Khaliah Fitchette, a 16-year-old student at Newark’s University High School, was riding home on a NJ Transit bus with her friends when an intoxicated man slid off his seat and onto the floor. The bus stopped and two Newark police officers ran in. Khaliah started filming them on her phone and the officers told her to stop. When she refused, the officers dragged her off the bus, handcuffed her, and threw her into the back of the police car.

KHALIAH'S PLAN TO REDESIGN THE POLICE

My name is Khaliah Fitchette and I am running for Congress in New Jersey’s 10th District. With all the turmoil this country is facing this community needs someone who is from the community and understands exactly what it needs. I am a Newark native, a Cornell graduate, and I am vehemently against police brutality and am calling for the end of it. Police brutality is by no means a new issue to me after an unfortunate incident with the police 10 years ago. I am grateful to the ACLU for teaching me my rights and showing me my power, and I aim to provide the same freedoms for all 10th district residents.

KHALIAH FITCHETTE FOR CONGRESS | A BIG RED BEAR ALUM!

She was a student with tunnel vision, a mission, and a plan to excel and succeed and that she did! At every rung of success, Khaliah quickly found a way to give back to her beloved community Newark, New Jersey. She never lost contact she never forgot where she came from. Khaliah’s first two years at Cornell University, she made it her business to return home during the Summers to a rewarding position as a camp counselor at KIPP’s TEAM Academy charter school in New Jersey. The KIPP School’s network taught Khaliah how to reach beyond her imagination.