Wawa Bell

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Wawa Bell

Nonpartisan

Elections and appointments

Last election

September 9, 2025

Personal

Birthplace

Boston, Mass.

Profession

Community activist

Contact

Campaign website

Wawa Bell ran for election to the Boston City Council to represent District 7 in Massachusetts. He lost in the primary on September 9, 2025.

Bell completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Wawa Bell was born in Boston, Massachusetts. His career experience includes working as a community activist.

Elections

2025

See also: City elections in Boston, Massachusetts (2025)

General election

General election for Boston City Council District 7

Said Ahmed and Miniard Culpepper are running in the general election for Boston City Council District 7 on November 4, 2025.

		Candidate
		Said Ahmed (Nonpartisan)
		Miniard Culpepper (Nonpartisan)

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	There are no incumbents in this race.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Boston City Council District 7

The following candidates ran in the primary for Boston City Council District 7 on September 9, 2025.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Said Ahmed (Nonpartisan)	15.7	1,155
✔		Miniard Culpepper (Nonpartisan)	15.0	1,102
		Mavrick Afonso (Nonpartisan)	14.7	1,082
		Samuel Hurtado (Nonpartisan)	14.4	1,057
		Said Abdikarim (Nonpartisan)	14.3	1,054
		Roy Owens (Nonpartisan)	7.2	528
		Natalie Juba-Sutherland (Nonpartisan)	6.3	463
		Wawa Bell (Nonpartisan)	5.2	380
		Shawn Nelson (Nonpartisan)	3.1	228
	Submit photo	Jerome King (Nonpartisan)	1.9	142
	Submit photo	Tchad Cort (Nonpartisan)	1.6	119
		Other/Write-in votes	0.5	39

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	There were no incumbents in this race. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 7,349
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

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Campaign themes

2025

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Wawa Bell completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Bell's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I’m WaWa Bell—a proud son of Roxbury by way of the Lenox Street Projects, a father of three, a community builder, and a descendant of American Freedmen. My journey hasn’t been easy. I earned my GED while incarcerated, but after coming home, I made a commitment: to be part of the solution.

That path began with the Boston Jobs Coalition, where I saw how organizing and collective action could bring real change. From there, I spent the last decade working in violence intervention and youth mentorship—as a mentor at Mission Safe and a Streetworker for the City of Boston. I was proud to be unionized under SEIU Local 888 and to stand in solidarity with workers and families fighting for dignity.

I’m also co-founder of the Nubian Square Foundation, an organization rooted in self-determination and Black economic development. My life’s work is about healing and rebuilding the communities too often pushed to the margins.

Now I’m running for Boston City Council in District 7 to continue that work—from the streets to City Hall. My vision centers youth and elders, reparative justice, housing and homeownership, economic opportunity, and community-rooted public safety. I’ve walked this path. I know the struggle. And I’m ready to serve the people of Roxbury, Dorchester, the South End, and the Fenway with the urgency and love they deserve.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Grounded in Community, Proven in Service WaWa Bell is a lifelong Roxbury resident and former SEIU 888 member who has spent over a decade mentoring youth and working in violence prevention. His lived experience—from Lenox Street to City Hall—makes him uniquely equipped to serve District 7 with authenticity, compassion, and action.
• A Bold Vision for Equity and Opportunity WaWa’s campaign is rooted in expanding affordable housing and pathways to homeownership, investing in youth and seniors, building an economy that works for Black and Brown communities, and reparative justice for American Freedmen
• Community-Raised, People-Powered Leadership This campaign is about elevating the voices of those too long ignored. WaWa Bell brings grassroots leadership to the table and believes true safety, progress, and justice come from the community up—not the top down.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I’m passionate about policies that uplift communities like the one I was raised in. That means investing in youth through mentorship, jobs, and trauma-informed support, while also prioritizing better care and housing for our seniors. I support reparative justice for American Freedmen, affordable housing with rent-to-own options, and expanding access to homeownership. I also advocate for economic development rooted in cooperative models and support for Black-owned businesses to close the racial wealth gap.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

The most important qualities for an elected official are integrity, accountability, and proximity to the people. Leaders must listen deeply, act boldly, and stay rooted in the communities they serve—not just during campaign season, but every day. I believe in servant leadership, where lived experience informs policy, and humility drives action. Elected officials should fight for justice with courage, build trust through transparency, and never forget who they work for: the people.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I bring a rare combination of lived experience, frontline service, and community-rooted leadership. As someone who grew up in the Lenox Street Projects, earned my GED while incarcerated, and later became a mentor, organizer, and Streetworker for the City of Boston, I understand both the challenges and the solutions our communities need. I lead with empathy, grit, and a deep sense of responsibility to the people who shaped me. I’m not here to play politics—I’m here to deliver for District 7 with authenticity, urgency, and unwavering commitment to justice.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The core responsibilities of a City Councilor are to listen to the people, legislate with equity, and fight for resources that reflect community needs. That means writing and voting on laws that uplift residents, holding city departments accountable, and ensuring that the voices of neighborhoods like Roxbury, Dorchester, the South End, and the Fenway are heard and respected. A councilor must be both a policy advocate and a community bridge—someone who can navigate City Hall while staying grounded in the streets that shaped them.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

I believe financial transparency and government accountability are non-negotiable—especially in a city like Boston, where too many residents feel left out of the process and left behind in outcomes. The public deserves to know how decisions are made, where money is going, and who is benefiting. I support stronger budget oversight, participatory budgeting, and clear reporting on city contracts and spending. Accountability builds trust—and without it, there’s no real democracy. I’ll fight to make City Hall more transparent, accessible, and responsive to the people.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

See also

2025 Elections

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Candidate

Boston City Council District 7

Website