Tania Fernandes Anderson

Tania Fernandes Anderson (born January 4, 1979)[1] is a Cape Verdean-born American politician and non-profit executive who is a member of the Boston City Council for the 7th district. A Democrat, she was elected in 2021 to succeed Kim Janey and represents Roxbury, Dorchester, and part of the South End. She is the first practicing Muslim elected to the Council.[2]

Tania Fernandes Anderson
Member of the Boston City Council
from the 7th district
Assumed office
January 3, 2022
Preceded byKim Janey
Personal details
Born (1979-01-04) January 4, 1979
Praia, Santiago, Cape Verde
Political partyDemocratic
ResidenceRoxbury, Boston
WebsiteCampaign website

Early life and career

Fernandes Anderson was born in Praia, Cape Verde, where she was raised by her closeted uncle and moved to Roxbury when she was 10.[1][2] She graduated from John D. O'Bryant High School. She is the executive director of Bowdoin Geneva Main Streets, a non-profit supporting small businesses.[3]

Boston City Council
See also: 2021 Boston City Council election

In June 2022, the Boston City Council unanimously adopted a resolution introduced by Fernandes Anderson and Councilors Kendra Lara and Ruthzee Louijeune which apologized for the city's historical role in the Atlantic slave trade.[4]

In October 2022, Fernandes Anderson offered a resolution calling for “Boston's Hijab Day”, in recognition of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died while in the custody of Iranian authorities. Amini had been arrested for improperly wearing the hijab. The city council agreed to mark September 23, Amini's birthday, as the “Day of Woman, Life and Freedom” in connection with human rights protests in Iran, but declined to recognize it as “Boston's Hijab Day”.[5]

Ethical violations

In July 2023, Fernandes Anderson admitted guilt and agreed to pay a $5,000 civil penalty after violating conflict of interest laws by hiring her sister and son to paid positions on her Boston City Council staff, according to the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission. After her 2021 election to the Boston City Council, Fernandes Anderson appointed her sister as her full-time Director of Constituent Services. She initially set her sister’s salary at $65,000 and then approved an increased to $70,000 in 2022, while also giving her sister a $7,000 bonus, according to the disposition agreement signed by Fernandes Anderson. In 2022, she also appointed her son as her office manager at an annual salary of $52,000 and then less than two weeks later, gave her son a pay raise to $70,000.[6][7]

In a statement released to the public, State Ethics Commission executive director David Wilson said, "Fernandes Anderson's actions as a Boston City Councilor concerning the appointment and compensation of her sister and son violated the conflict of interest law's prohibition against municipal employees participating in their official capacity in matters in which they know members of their immediate family have a financial interest." Both her sister and her son's employment were terminated in August 2022.[8]

Electoral history
2021 Boston City Council district 6 election
Candidate Primary election[9] General election[10]
Votes % Votes %
Tania Anderson 2,014 26.7 7,017 73.3
Roy Owens Sr. 1,284 17.0 2,550 26.7
Angelina Comacho 1,256 16.6  
Brandy Brooks 741 9.8  
Lorraine Wheeler 697 9.2  
Santiago Rivera 568 7.5  
Marisa Luse 550 7.3  
Joao DePina 407 5.4  
Write-ins 34 0.5 TBD TBD
Total 7,551 100% TBD TBD

Personal life

Fernandes Anderson has been a foster mom of 17 children.[3] She is a practicing Sunni Muslim.[2]

On August 2, 2023, Fernandes Anderson was a robbery victim in Boston. While she was surveying an area populated by homeless people, a man grabbed her cell phone and ran away. After summoning the police, officers conducted a search of the homeless encampment, recovered the phone and returned to her. Fernandes Anderson subsequently criticized the Boston Police for allowing details of the crime to be made public. She also criticized the media for reporting the incident, calling it “propaganda.”[11][12]

References
  1. Daniel, Seth (September 8, 2021). "D7 candidates list priorities, Janey grade". Dorchester Reporter. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  2. Bedford, Tori (November 3, 2021). "Tania Fernandes Anderson Makes History As Boston's First Muslim City Councilor-Elect". WGBH. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  3. Weaver, Lex (July 20, 2021). "City council race: Tania Fernandes Anderson running for District 7". The Scope Boston. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  4. Grove, Rashad (20 June 2022). "Boston City Council Apologizes for its Role in Slavery". Ebony. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  5. Lannan, Katie. "After backlash, Boston councilor shifts course on 'Hijab Day' resolution". WGBH-TV. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  6. Morelli, Jim. "Boston City Councilor admits she hired family members, violated conflict of interest law". Boston 25News. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  7. "Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson admits violation of conflict of interest law, agrees to pay $5,000 penalty". News7 Boston. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  8. "Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson fined for hiring family members in ethics breach". CBS News Boston. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  9. "2021 District 7 Primary results" (PDF). Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  10. "2021 Unofficial Election Results". City of Boston. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  11. Fortin, Matt. "Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson mugged in Mass. and Cass area". NBC 10 Boston. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  12. Cristantiello, Ross. "City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson reportedly robbed near Mass. and Cass". Boston.com. Retrieved 17 September 2023.


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