Interview with Kimrâh Minuty
Kimrâh, tell us a little about yourself and how you got involved in the housing justice movement.
I got involved in housing justice because of mold. That’s the simplest way to say it.
I was living in an apartment in Florida where mold exposure made me extremely sick. It got to the point where I had to leave the state just to access better medical care, so I came back to Massachusetts, where I’m originally from. What I found when I got here was that even though there were more resources on paper, the system itself was much harder to navigate. It required extensive documentation just to access emergency shelter. As someone who was already sick and disabled, that process was overwhelming. I’m tech savvy, so I was able to push through it—but even then, it took far longer than it should have.
When I finally got placed, the shelter they sent me to was an hour away from my doctors.
Eventually, my daughter and I were moved to another shelter—but that building was a previously condemned hotel that should have been torn down. There was visible mold throughout the building, and people were getting sick. I began writing emails asking whether the building had been inspected before conversion. It hadn’t been. I organized 26 families and gathered a petition with photo documentation. This is not just bad housing—it’s systemic neglect.
What do you think about when you hear this issue’s title, “Collective Strength Through Adversity”?
I think it’s the only way forward. “United we stand, divided we fall” isn’t just a saying—it’s a strategy. Movements today are bringing people together again, but unity alone isn’t enough. We need strategy, accountability, and willingness to challenge systems legally.
How can being involved in your community play a role in collective liberation and healing?
Heal yourself, heal the world. Community work ripples outward. Leadership forms through action, not titles. Collective liberation is layered and relational.
What are some lessons you learned about organizing?
Talk to the people who complain—they know the problems. Organize around connection, not just issues. Create joy spaces. Be honest about capacity. Trust builds sustainable organizing.
Do you have any advice for organizers?
Don’t do everything alone. Build teams based on strengths.
Trust people. Build systems based on real capacity. If your system doesn’t match human capacity, it will fail.