[4] Originally from Chicago, Dawkins came to Minnesota in the late 1960s to attend the Hamline University School of Law in St.

[1] Before joining the Legislature, Dawkins said it was important to him that he get to know the neighborhood and its residents' concerns, so he volunteered for a number of community organizations and the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party.

[1] After leaving the legislature in 2003, Dawkins led the department of Neighborhood Housing and Property Improvement for the city of Saint Paul for several years.

In June 2014 Dawkins announced that he would run for Minnesota Attorney General under the Green Party banner.

[1] Dawkins also sponsored several measures in an effort to raise awareness of drug crimes and prostitution problems in Frogtown and to study racial bias in the state court system.

[11] With his Minnesota Attorney General campaign, Dawkins is endorsing the idea of a statewide adoption of ranked choice voting.