Joseph Nelson, candidate for the Kansas City Public Schools (KCPS) School Board At-Large Seat, has received endorsements from prominent local labor organizations: Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1287, Kansas City Building & Construction Trades Council, and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 124.
These labor groups represent thousands of hardworking individuals committed to community development, workers’ rights, and the improvement of quality education for all Kansas City students. Their endorsement highlights Joseph Nelson’s dedication to community, workers, families, and educational excellence.
Nelson says he remains focused on key issues including educational excellence, school safety, transparency in governance and community partnership, despite a recent article in the Kansas City Star that he labels “a personal affront.”
The article details a ten year personal battle Nelson has had with the U.S. Navy. Nelson says he continues to fight to clear his name, with him being found not guilty or either the charges dropped, on all but a few of the initial charges filed against him.
“I was falsely accused and railroaded by senior officers who saw me as expendable,” wrote Nelson in a recent opinion piece distributed to local media. “My innocence was ignored because protecting the system was more important than protecting the truth. But I fought back. I cleared my name. And I learned just how deeply broken the system really is.”
Nelson says as a school board member with “lived experience” in his fight to help students in the district.
“My story is about more than what happened to me. It’s about what’s happening to thousands of Black and brown young people in Kansas City—students who are funneled from classrooms to courtrooms by a system that criminalizes poverty and weaponizes authority.”
“I’m not running despite my story—I’m running because of it. Because I know what it means to be counted out, locked out, and lied about. And I know we can build something better.”
In addition, Nelson remains focused on key issues including educational excellence, school safety, transparency in governance, and community partnership.
Nelson is vying for the race for a KCPS At-Large against incumbent Tanesha Ford. The general election is Tuesday April 8.
