Background

Elizabeth with Lake Street business owner Misbal Ahmed

My name is Elizabeth Glidden. I own a home with my husband, Eric, in the Kingfield neighborhood, where I have lived for more than 11 years.

Experience and Public Service

• Worker’s Rights and Civil Rights Advocate I have devoted my career to advancing the rights of workers and fighting for civil rights. I have worked to empower low-wage and immigrant workers by providing information and resources to them. This includes my work with the Interfaith Center for Worker Justice, as well as partnering with Somali organizations to inform workers of their rights and counsel them on employment issues. I have worked on setting policy and strategy to advance civil rights and workplace fairness with the National Employment Lawyer’s Association, as a member of its national Amicus Advisory Committee and as past president of its Minnesota chapter.

• Housing Issues I have worked with Somali community groups to identify and overcome barriers to housing. I have partnered with Legal Aid to fight housing discrimination. I have provided free legal services to those faced with potential eviction actions.

• Work with Immigrants and New Americans I have provided hundreds of hours of free legal services to refugees and asylees as a long-time volunteer for Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights . I have worked as a board member of a Somali social service organization to address many challenges facing recent immigrants including housing and transportation, childcare, English-language skills, immigration and employment issues.

• Supporter of Arts and Culture I have worked to bring free music concerts, including children’s concerts, to Minneapolis neighborhoods as a violinist with and past-president of the Civic Orchestra of Minneapolis. I am also the vice-chair of the Hennepin History Museum , a small social history museum that, among other programs, provides public exhibits at the Hennepin County Government Center as well as other locations.

• Small Business Owner I was a part owner of a small business, the law firm of Hedin Goldberg & Glidden, P.A., representing workers and victims of discrimination for over ten years.

Catching up with Neal Baxter at the Bancroft Community Garden

• My political activities include attending DFL precinct caucuses and district conventions (as a delegate), serving on committees for Senate District 60, participating in the Kerry campaign’s Voter Protection Project, and co-writing an amicus brief on behalf of the Minnesota Women’s Campaign Fund regarding the gendered effects of redistricting plans for Minnesota in 2002.

• Bachelor’s degree in English and Government & Int’l Affairs, Augustana College (1990)
• Juris doctor, University of Iowa College of Law (1993)
• Masters of Public Affairs, Humphrey Institute (2004)
• American Marshall Memorial Fellow, German Marshall Fund (2004) (selected as fellow for program exposing young leaders to transatlantic policy issues)