As a lifelong Lathrop resident, Minnie Diallo knows all about where Lathrop has been.

And now she wants to have a hand in shaping where Lathrop is going.

After an unsuccessful run for the city council in 2018 Diallo retooled her approach and began working with other members of the community to build a coalition and mount a serious campaign in her most recent bid for the city’s governing body – including reaching out to a diverse range of residents from across the city.

While she’ll have to wait until November to see if it pays off with voters, her recalibrated approach has attracted the attention – and the endorsement – of a number of community leaders and organizations that are now backing her campaign.

Having the support of those leaders and organizations, she said, has given her a renewed focus and sense of mission to help steer a community that she loves.

“For me it always starts at the top and words down, and once Sonny (Dhaliwal) came aboard and people started to become more aware of what is going on, things changed,” Diallo said of the current mayor who has supported her candidacy. “With that type of leadership, others followed suit and the community began to feel like their voices were being heard.

“I want to be a part of that – a part of helping every resident feel like their voice matters because this is their community.”

In addition to getting the backing of Dhaliwal, Diallo has earned the support of Lathrop Police Chief Ryan Biedermann, the unions for both the Lathrop police and fire departments, the San Joaquin County Sherriff’s correctional officers’ association, and outgoing Lathrop councilmember Martha Salcedo – one of the two available seats she is trying to fill.

Rounding out her public supporters include current members of the council like Diane Lazard, community leaders like Cesar Albano, planning commissioners like Ash Ramilay and Christopher Mateo, and members of the Measure C Oversight Committee like Michelle Madden, Michelle Anderson, and Brandy Perkins.

While Diallo has become a driving force in the community herself in recent years – serving on the Parks and Recreation Commission and organizing a number Black Lives Matter events in the community that were well-received – it is her lineage that she feels has prepared her for the challenge of representing a community that her family has played such a large part in over the decades.

The granddaughter of Reverend Maurice Cotton – the late pastor of Highlight Church of God in Christ – says that she knows what it means to serve her fellow residents and believes that being on the council is the next logical step towards furthering the progress that Lathrop has seen over the last decade.

“My grandfather always taught me that public service is key, and while he has passed on, we continue that legacy with our fourth Sunday feedings, Easter and Thanksgiving baskets, and other outreach efforts into the community,” Diallo said. “Service is in my blood, and now that I’m an adult I get to continue the family legacy of public service and I feel that the council is a great opportunity for that.”

While she was not successful in her last attempt at public office, Diallo said that she has learned so much in the last two years not just about what Lathrop needs, but about the various elements that make up a unique city like Lathrop – split now by a freeway as well as a river and boasting massive development that are bringing Bay Area natives to a town that had always previously been close-knit.

In her work promoting equality through Black Lives Matter events Diallo said that she was able to connect with some River Islands residents that really opened her eyes to the fact that while people may live in different parts of the city, the concerns and even the struggles are universal in nature.

“Getting to work with those women really opened my eyes and changed my opinion about things – living on the east side of town I always thought that it was the new residents who were getting all of the amenities,” Diallo said. “But now I realize that people there feel like they’re excluded from the other side of Lathrop at times, and it shows me that we all have the same issues and concerns – whether that is public safety or building an environment for our children to thrive.

“I’m very excited about this opportunity and the fact that this time around I’m endorsed and represented by the people that share my values and I am grateful to them for having my back and supporting me throughout this process.”

To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.