Community activist Mama Shu announces campaign for Highland Park mayor

Community activist Shamayim “Mama Shu” Harris announced on Monday that she is joining the mayoral race in the city of Highland Park.

Harris, who launched the nonprofit Avalon Village after the death of her 2-year-old son Jakobi RA, says her campaign is focused on developing a citywide “Blight to Beauty” task force, restoring infrastructure and expanding arts and entertainment in the city.

Harris is looking to unseat current Mayor Glenda McDonald, who was first elected in 2022.

“Through our consistent, focused, and intentional work, we have created a model for what a thriving, sustainable Highland Park can look like,” she said in a statement. “I’m asking for the opportunity to take this vision to the next level and expand it, bringing the courage, commitment and care that has already been demonstrated in Avalon Village to City Hall and the City of Highland Park.” 

In 2007, Harris’s 2-year-old son Jakobi RA was killed in a hit-and-run incident. More than 10 years later, in 2021, Harris’s other son, Chinyelu, was killed at age 23.

In 2023, Mama Shu was nominated for celebrity.land’s Top 10 Heroes of the Year award, recognizing people making a difference in their communities. Each candidate received $10,000, with the top winner receiving $100,000.