Neighbor, Nerd, pet parent
Phillipe stands at the iconic Ward 4 Victory Memorial field
Phillipe M. Cunningham (pronounced fil-LEAP) is the Minneapolis City Councilmember representing the 4th Ward in North Minneapolis. His heart and soul is Northside. He is the first and currently only out trans man of color elected to office in the United States. Councilman Cunningham was selected as the Chair of the Minneapolis City Council’s Public Health and Safety committee after the committee’s creation in late 2020 and is the lead Councilmember for the City’s transforming community safety work.
Prior to being elected and unseating a 50-year family political dynasty in 2017, Councilman Cunningham served in former Mayor Betsy Hodges’ administration as her Senior Policy Aide for education, racial equity, and LGBTQ+ rights. He also previously worked with youth as a special education teacher and youth worker for over 10 years. As a policy wonk and fierce community advocate, CM Cunningham’s primary goal is to work alongside his neighbors to build intergenerational peace and prosperity in North Minneapolis. He is hardworking, trustworthy, and a fighter for the Northside.
He graduated from DePaul University with a BA in Chinese and has a Master’s in Organizational Leadership and Civic Engagement from Claremont Lincoln University. He currently is earning his second Master’s degree, this one in Criminal Justice and Policing at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, the country’s top program. CM Cunningham was a panelist on President Obama’s 2020 Town Hall on Racial Justice and Policing and serves as a frequent collaborator with the Obama Foundation and My Brother’s Keeper. His writings have been published in The Guide for White Women Who Teach Black Boys and Millennial Compact with America. CM Cunningham and his husband Lane have been married since 2015, are grateful first-time homeowners in Folwell, and are passionate about rescuing animals. They are the proud parents of 8 furbabies – 6 dogs and 2 cats.
5 fun facts about phillipe
Phillipe is a genealogy buff and regularly attends conferences
Phillipe reads at least one book per week
Phillipe has been vegan since 2017
Phillipe is in the process of writing his first sci-fi novel
Phillipe is an avid gardener of vegetables and ornamental plants