Ayanna Pressley

I'm doing what Democrats said we needed to coming out of 2016, after that sobering defeat, which is to build a bench, to usher fresh faces and new voices and new ideas. ”

I would not invest in a Trump hate wall. We don't need to be protected from immigrants that are coming here seeking asylum and refuge. ”

When I was growing up, 'Ebony Magazine' was a must read in our household. In those pages I found our news, our stories, and my pride. ”

We should be uncomfortable with the growing gaps in our society, and we cannot allow ourselves to become desensitized to these injustices. ”

At the women's march, we held signs that said, 'Today we march, tomorrow we run.' They didn't believe us, but it's coming to pass. ”

I'm not naive. All politics is about identity, right? Neighborhood politics, cultural politics, issue politics. It's not as though I don't get that. It's just - it has to be, I think, tempered in a way that is for our overall advancement and not to our detriment or obliteration. When I say 'our,' I don't mean just communities of color. ”

If the power was equitable, then our boards, then our commissions, our contracting, our wealth-building opportunities would all look very different. ”

I think people want to live in a city that is welcoming and inclusive. I don't think people want to feel that they can only go into a place with a rainbow flag in front. ”

I went to a school with the kids of judges and elected officials and architects, civil leaders, and influencers. And I felt very much a minority in every way. But it did expose me to incredible things. ”

One of my priorities is criminal justice reform, and there is certainly bipartisan appetite for that. I think we need to eliminate the cash bail system. We need to eliminate mandatory minimums. We need sentencing reform. I think we need parole reform as well. ”