About Me

Hi! My name is Imani Barnes I’m incredibly proud to be a lifetime DeKalb county resident and a single mom to the worlds cutest 11 year old son. 

I’m a professional biomedical research scientist for the past 20+ years, a PhD in Public health Candidate, a proud member of the LGBTQ community, 

and OUR next Georgia State Representative for House District 86. Representation matters – especially for an all too often silent minority.

Like everybody here, I stand on the shoulders of those who paved the way for me and people like me. I’m running for office because Georgia is on fire. 

I’m here today because Georgia is on fire and we need your help. We NEED bold leadership in the Georgia house. We need members who have public 

health experience and a public health focus – like me. I have a masters in public health and within the next few months I will have a PhD in public 

health. For too long Georgia politicians have passed legislation that did not include debates about the real life impact those programs hard on people of 

color. I’m gonna fight every day to make sure that changes. Georgia desperately needs a State Representative like me who has worked on quality-of-

life issues like social equality and economic development, and as our new State Rep I will continue to approach each new challenge through an equity 

lens. I am committed to killing bills that attack marginalized communities just like ours and increase protections for victims of sexual assault and 

domestic violence. Representation matters, right? The building is on fire and our family members need help putting it out.  Send me to the state 

capital. As somebody who runs a nonprofit dedicated to empowering our youth I am extremely focused on the fact that violence amongst and towards 

our youth  is an ongoing issue.  After George Floyd was murdered, I wanted to know how my city government would address the current events. 

When I searched for the Tucker City Council meeting agenda online, I saw the city council members’ photos. None of them were people of Color. At 

that moment and after attending many council meetings, I decided to run for local government. I have a love for scientific research and have been 

working in biomedical research for over 18 years. 12 of those years, I have worked as a scientist at Emory University. I earned my BS in 

biology and chemistry from HBCU South Carolina State University, my master’s degree in public health, and am a public health PhD candidate 

working on my dissertation. I am Imani Barnes, a Public Health professional, youth development coach and parent advocate. I want to serve as the 

Georgia House District 86 Representative because I recognize the need for inclusion that reflects the interests of the districts families, businesses, and 

underserved populations. We deserve leadership that can relate to the needs of our growing community and will articulate those concerns to obtain 

quantifiable results. Voting rights, giving youth outlets to engage outside of athletic activities, addressing the inflated cost of living associated with 

lack of affordable housing, and as a woman of color and member of the LGBTQ community, I empathize with citizens’ concerns and understand that 

the success of our district's future depends on inclusion of the unique heritage of our residents.