Mikal Goodman is a lifelong Pontiac resident, teacher, and community activist running to represent Pontiac’s 3rd District on City Council. Despite being only 21 years old, Goodman has become one of the prominent and heavily relied upon young leaders in the city of Pontiac, in Oakland County, and in the state of Michigan as a whole.
Goodman is a community activist rooted in the fight for social justice reform, a path he started down in 2015 as a High School Sophomore. Despite having very limited free time between attending High School and Trade School, working an afterschool job until midnight most days, and acting as a caretaker for his grandmother on his free days, Mikal dedicated whatever time he could to the betterment of his community and the people around him. Even with this busy schedule, he mentored and tutored younger students at his school to make sure that they were not left behind when he was able to help. Around this time, Mikal began to get involved in political-based activism and began his journey to educate himself and those around him about the issues that affect young Black and Brown people. Through his hard work and dedication, Mikal graduated as Valedictorian from Arts and Technology Academy of Pontiac, obtained seven industry level certifications in Information Technology (I.T.), Business, and Marketing, and had been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as one of the top 161 students in the country. At the same time, through his love for people, Mikal educated individuals of all ages about politics and racial justice, volunteered for different community and political organizations, and served as a role model for students at his school.
Upon entering college in January 2019, Mikal had a new environment in which he could make change while furthering his education. Around the same time, Arts and Technology Academy of Pontiac, his graduating high school, hired him as a Paraprofessional due to his track record as a former student. As a full-time college student and educator, Mikal still organized for different events and causes on and off campus in addition to building up the next generation of children. As word of Mikal’s work got around, individuals in the Michigan Democratic Party took interest in his ability to organize and his dedication to community activism. Soon after, Mikal was asked to run to be the Communications Director of the Young Democrats of Michigan, a race he won at the age of 19. From this point forward, Mikal had completely stepped into the role of being an educator and community organizer while still pursuing his education.
Over the next two years, the amount of work Mikal did dramatically increased.
- As one of the founding members of Pontiac United, Mikal helped plan and lead the Black Lives Matter March in Pontiac, in addition to other community events and givebacks.
- As a volunteer for Reroot Pontiac, where he is now on the Board of Directors, Mikal participated in community garden programs and has helped further the conversations surrounding environmental justice.
- As an Executive Board member for Oakland County For Racial Justice, Mikal has taken up the role as a lecturer on racial and economic justice issues, as well as leading the charge on efforts to hold companies and elected officials accountable for their actions.
- As a leader in the Democratic Party, Mikal also heavily volunteered during the 2019 and 2020 GOTV efforts for Democrats up and down the ballot, particularly in his current role as Vice Chair of the Young Democrats of Michigan.
In all of these roles, Mikal was able to gain valuable experience and knowledge, both of which he wants to use to rebuild the city of Pontiac into a place of pride and community-centered growth.
Today, Mikal is running for Pontiac City Council to represent the district and city that helped shape him into who he is today. He is running to bring a voice that advocates for progressive change and reinvigoration in the city. He is running to be the next Pontiac City Councilperson for the people of District 3.