Longtime community activist 'Mama Shu' Harris wins Highland Park mayoral race

The city of Highland Park elected a new mayor, but she's by no means a newcomer to the community.

The woman most know as 'Mama Shu' is already known for making a difference in her city while facing adversity head-on.

Shamayim Harris rarely goes by that name. Most know her as Mama Shu. She's been transforming Avalon Street in Highland Park for nearly two decades, and on Tuesday her community elected her Mayor Shu.

"I'm Mama to a bunch of people," said Highland Park mayor-elect Shamayim 'Mama Shu' Harris.

She already earned the title of Mayor of Avalon Village while creating this haven of opportunity and resources that had been blight. What she's done with one city block is just an example of what she hopes to do as Mayor of Highland Park.

"Some of the skills and the resources and the connections that it took to help to rebuild just Avalon Street are definitely going to be used as it relates to helping to recreate and really heal Highland Park," she said.

While only 27 votes separated her from incumbent mayor Glenda McDonald, Harris says the win is pretty validating for someone who never had plans to run for office.

"When you see you want to do some things better, just go ahead and do it yourself, and that's what I did. I'm not just getting ready to sit here and complain; let me go ahead and just throw my hat in the race," Harris said.

She says it's the impact she made at Avalon Village that she hopes to replicate in her first term as mayor, now on a larger scale.

"It's called the Five-Star Harris Plan—have better communications with the community, to actually put together a 'blight to beauty' task force, to help improve the conditions of the city to make it more safer," she said.

When it comes to the future of Avalon Village, Harris says it's in good hands, specifically those of her two daughters.