Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson was born and raised in Cape Verde. She made the journey to the United States alone when she was just ten. Growing up, she worked various jobs to support her family and bring her two siblings to the United States. She was undocumented, which brought its own barriers and a constant fear of being deported. But despite this, Anderson spent most of her life serving her community. Anderson was involved in social work, parent advocacy, and was a mental health provider, a playwright, and an Executive Director for Bowdoin Geneva Main Streets, a local non-profit that works to support small businesses, before venturing into politics. She also explored more creative outlets which led her to opening boutiques and creating a theater company that produces performances around mental health within the Black community. She then ran for, won, and made history as the first Black person from Africa, first Muslim, and first formerly undocumented immigrant to serve on the Boston City Council. Since signing into office, she’s accomplished a lot; she introduced the resolution calling for the City of Boston to apologize for its role in enslavement, got needed resources for small businesses, nonprofits, and other community stakeholders through chairing the Ways and Means Committee, and is creating an app to make resources more accessible for her constituents. Her proudest accomplishment, though, has been being a parent to both her two biological sons and 17 foster children.