“I know, for me, I want to live in a community where people’s basic needs are met.”
“Growing up, when I’d throw out the trash, I’d toss it and dart because all the cats would come running. That’s why I still don’t like cats.”
“We’re not just designed just to work all day and run a rat race. We’re designed to be in community, to volunteer, to vote, to raise our kids. And I think the more inputs and investments we can give in people to do those things, the better off we are as a community.”
“Work does have some value and some dignity, but I don’t think working 14 hours and not being able to pay your bills, or working two jobs and not being able – there’s nothing inherently dignified about that.”
“For whatever reason, in this country we have a very interesting relationship with poverty, where we think people in poverty are bad people.”
“In our economic structure, the people who work the hardest oftentimes make the least. I know migrant farm workers who do back-breaking labor every day, or Uber drivers and Lyft drivers who drive 10 to 12 hours a day in traffic. You can’t be lazy doing that kind of work.”
“I thought I’d be a low-key producer or something, politics and film at the same time. But also, I’m not a big movie person – my girlfriend gets mad at me because I go to sleep whenever we go to the movies.”
“In college, I was so blessed to have relationships with those who did the civil rights movement.”
“I’m someone very interested in diversity, equity, social justice, and getting rid of white supremacy.”
“I tell people all the time, the status quo is so untenable to me. Like, literally, I have no patience for it.”
“Growing up, I read all three of Frederick Douglass’ autobiographies by the time I was 12.”
“When I was in high school, people would ask me what I wanted to do, and I would always say I wanted to ‘lead marches and give speeches.’”
“During the fall of my junior year, I interned in Intergovernmental Affairs in The White House with a focus on outreach to local elected officials. Although I hated the menial tasks the job required, it gave me a window into the power of local government.”
“I was born and raised in the south side of Stockton, California, to a mother still in high school and a father in a juvenile detention facility.”
“As the documentary ‘True Son’ illustrates, my campaign for city council started really small – with eight mostly political neophytes in my living room and with young people knocking on doors.”
“I harbor no illusion that government and elected office is a panacea for all of society’s ills.”
“I firmly believe that talent and intelligence are universal, but resources and opportunities are not.”
“My mom was on welfare for the first five, six years of my life.”
“I chose Anna as my wife because she is so kind yet so strong and challenges me to become a better person. She has a heart of gold and is unafraid about speaking to and living her values.”
“The power to remove an individual from office is reserved for the greatest betrayals of public trust, not just because you disagree with someone.”
“I fully support accountability and transparency.”
“I’m tired of talking about where we’ve been. I’m more interested in talking about where we’re going.”
“Growing up in Stockton wasn’t all doom and gloom.”
“Government can’t do everything, but there is a role for government and smart policy, especially in equalizing opportunities for folks.”
“California can’t be a great state until all parts of the state are great.”
“So much of the world is digital.”
“I do think that people deserve a basic economic floor so the bottom doesn’t fall out under them.”
“When I left Stockton and went to Stanford, I felt I hit the lotto. I did not think I was coming back.”
“There had to be something more important than me being comfortable, me being OK, and me being that one person that made it from Stockton. That’s why I decided to run for city council in 2012.”
“It’s important to invest in our kids who are going to go to college or community college or a trade school.”
“We all aren’t in government, we all aren’t CEOs, but we all are somebody.”
“I’ve always been interested in political service and community advocacy.”
“I knew at an early age that I wanted to make an impact.”
“I’m committed to helping the residents of Stockton succeed.”
“My mom, my aunt, and my grandma banded together and gave me a village of support when I was growing up.”
“My father has taught me not to succumb to nihilism, and my mother has taught me the value of hard work and determination.”
“I decided that I would defy expectations, be it those put on me by society, race, socioeconomic status, or my father.”
“The first time I saw my father, he was chained. Gone was the mirage of the invincible man, the man who would protect me once I found him. At the age of 12, I finally saw my father – in an orange jumpsuit, looking weak and vulnerable.”
“President Obama is an inspiration of mine, and interning with his administration in the White House opened my eyes to the possibilities of making change at the local level.”
“I plan on getting my Ph.D. from the city of Stockton.”
“Diversity matters. You want your city departments to look like the city.”
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