Welcome
My name is Dr. Jamie Daniels (she/her) and I am running for Amherst Town Council At-Large. I am a proud social worker. I am a psychotherapist, an educator, a researcher and scholar, an activist, and a mother of three.
About ME
I AM A LIFELONG AMHERST RESIDENT
My mother moved to Amherst when I was two years old in the hope of a better life in a well-resourced community. I have been a renter in Amherst for nearly 30 years, including being part of the communities in Village Park, Mill Valley Estates, Pomeroy Lane Cooperative, Colonial Village, and currently Salem Place. I have had the good fortune of raising three children here, all of whom have attended our public schools. I have enjoyed all that our small college town has to offer, including access to educational resources, the welcoming outdoors, and proximity to big cities. Living here for so many years has given me much insight and perspective about our town, and has helped me to deeply appreciate the impact that access to resources has on peoples' lives.
I AM INFORMED BY MY HISTORY
I was born into a family marked by intergenerational poverty and the attendant exposure to violence, substance abuse, trauma, and interpersonal discord. By the age of seventeen I had dropped out of high school and given birth to my first child. I have navigated the world as an unmarried Black woman with a child, and navigated the academy as a first-generation college student. I have never had a safety net to catch me, and prior to learning about the origins and evolution of social welfare policy after Reagan, I lived it. These experiences shaped and informed my worldview. They fostered in me a fierce determination and a deep commitment to work toward equity and justice.
MY PASSIONS GUIDED MY EDUCATIONAL PATH
I have spent my entire adult life working in the service of others and towards establishing a more just and equitable society. This began with my first organizing effort 25 years ago. I was a teen mother and began organizing others like me who lived in Amherst. Our meetings took place in the living room of my one-bedroom apartment at Village Park. It was then that I decided to return to school, and to devote myself to the study of social justice and social change. I first earned a GED, and then went on to earn dual degrees in psychology and political science from Mount Holyoke College. I later earned a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from Smith College School of Social Work; and after many years of work in the field, I returned to Smith to earn a doctoral degree in social work. I am both resilient and fortunate to have come as far as I have.
MY PROFESSIONAL JOURNEY
Along the way, I have had a wide array of professional experiences. I was formerly a case worker at Family Outreach of Amherst, where I provided services to families in need. I was the resident director of the Amherst A Better Chance Program. I am a trained board facilitator, and I have years of experience serving on a variety of advisory boards and diversity committees. I’ve provided organizational oversight, reviewed, and approved operating budgets, engaged stakeholders, recommended the establishment, revision, and evolution of policies, and attended to issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. I have provided consultation to various organizations and institutions regarding issues and concerns related to race, racism, or other aspects of social identity and social oppression. I have many years of experience teaching and advising Smith MSW students in social welfare policy and social work practice, all grounded in an anti-racists and anti-oppressive framework. I am the owner and director of Polestar Therapy, a private psychotherapy practice. My years of clinical work have led to the development of strong interpersonal skills. I have mastered the art of relational healing, and connecting with others, including those whose views and perspectives differ from mine.
WHY I'M SEEKING A SEAT AT THE TABLE
I am running for Town Council because I believe that Amherst can chart a vibrant and sustainable course that reflects our shared democratic values, and can serve as a model for other communities. I believe that charting a united and equitable path forward is an urgent endeavor. I am committed to helping to heal divisions, and too shaping policies that are good for the entire community. I know from both research and experience that engagement in town politics is often skewed in terms of race, social class, and education; and that even in a town like Amherst, low-income residents are often overlooked, disempowered, and politically disenfranchised. It is important for the goal of fair representation and the protection of the rights of all citizens that people like me engage in the political process. I hope that you will welcome my experience, skill sets, and commitments into town governance.
MY GOVERNING PHILOSOPHY
I am a firm believer in small “d” democracy in which representatives of government are in conversation with and working on behalf of constituents. I know together we can tap into a wellspring of ideas and perspectives that will make our community better and stronger. I believe that we must welcome everyone into politics if we are to ensure inclusivity, diverse perspectives, fair representation, fresh ideas, innovation, and a strong democracy.
HOW I WILL LEAD
I am beginning my campaign with a listening tour. If elected, I pledge to stay in conversation with you, to be accountable to you, and to work efficiently and transparently on your behalf. My leadership style is shaped by my lived experience and my commitment to careful and inclusive deliberation. We face large and important issues. Identifying the best policy alternatives requires not only a grasp of the issues, but also an ability to work well with constituents and other members of the Town Council, and a willingness to compromise.