Councilor Miniard Culpepper is a lifelong fighter for civil rights, housing justice, and economic equity. He began his first term on the Boston City Council on January 5th, 2026, representing District 7. District 7 includes the neighborhoods of Fenway, Roxbury, Dorchester, and the South End. 

Born and raised on Seaver Street in Dorchester, Miniard was shaped by the legacy of activism that runs deep in his family. His grandparents were the first Black couple to live on Seaver Street, and his grandfather—a pastor and NAACP leader—marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and built one of Boston’s first Black-owned nursery schools. That example of servant leadership, faith, and fearless action instilled in Miniard a lifelong commitment to justice and community. 

Miniard is a proud graduate of English High School, Brandeis University, Howard Divinity School, and Suffolk University Law School. As a young lawyer, he went head-to-head with City Hall to help a friend purchase a boarded-up house in Grove Hall—a fight that transformed his view of housing as a cornerstone of dignity and opportunity. 

His career in public service has spanned decades. As New England Regional Counsel for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Miniard fought for tenants’ rights, fair housing, and reinvestment in underserved neighborhoods. He led the charge to implement Boston’s first Civil Rights Protection Plan in public housing, exposed racial discrimination at the Boston Housing Authority, and helped secure $25 million in federal funds to rebuild public housing developments across the city. He also fought for funding for affordable housing communities like Academy Homes, A Field Estates, and the Franklin Park Apartments—championing safe, stable housing for Boston families. 

Beyond his federal service, Miniard has always remained deeply rooted in the community. As Senior Pastor of Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church, he founded the Trotter Peace Program to support mentorship and employment opportunities for young people of color, and he spearheaded the Six Point Peace Plan to reduce community violence. During the pandemic, he led grassroots vaccination and food distribution efforts to protect and uplift his neighbors. As Councilor, Miniard is excited to build a District 7 where longtime residents can stay, families can thrive, and every neighborhood shares in Boston’s prosperity. He is committed to advancing housing stability, economic opportunity, strong schools, safe and healthy communities, and a city government that is transparent, accountable, and rooted in community voice. Guided by faith, shaped by lived experience, and grounded in decades of public service, Miniard approaches this work with urgency and humility—ready to partner with residents to deliver real results for District 7 and help shape a more just, inclusive Boston for generations to come