Progress comes at a price. You have to be willing to make tough calls and take the hits.
Aja Brown
We all have a social responsibility and have to be mindful of what we do and say.
I believe Kendrick Lamar is not only an artist but an influencer of an entire generation. He represents Compton with great pride, and I am honored to present him with the Key to the City, which symbolizes our deep appreciation for his philanthropic work and commitment to our community.
The Resource Center will be able to map all of the resources in and around the Compton community while providing customized assistance that will be a vital asset to improving our ability to service our youth, adults, and families.
My husband is actually biracial. He is Caucasian and African American. And my brother's fiance is Latina. So we have a colorful family.
In California, they're not making any more land. And with the high cost of land, from a business standpoint, being able to move your goods quickly and cheaply makes Compton an attractive place to be.
Thank you to Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Universal Studios, and the Grammys for telling the story of what Compton was and is becoming.
I've always understood that, as a woman and as a person of color, I would always have to work harder; I would have to have thicker skin. I would have to be more mindful of my reactions, the way I spoke to people.
Compton is this amazing place with a rich history. I see it as a new Brooklyn.
It's all about making sure kids can have access to educational opportunities... you may not need a necessarily traditional college environment, but access to trades and employment development.
When I was a kid, I thought I would be an entrepreneur and maybe at some point go into law school.
Children in urban communities suffer from post-traumatic stress syndrome in higher proportions than veterans, and they need therapeutic outlets, which arts and drama has proven to provide.
Some people don't have a home or a place where they can cook a warm meal, and so we're thankful for the generosity of YG and the 4Hundred Waze Foundation to feed the community in the city of Compton.
Kendrick Lamar is a phenomenal artist whose work has served as a catalyst to raise a new level of consciousness for this generation. His message challenges the status quo and motivates listeners to rethink our society's institutions.
I was raised by a single mother. We were definitely below the median income of our area.
The majority of people, especially young people, know Dr. Dre because of Beats by Dre, not necessarily from him being a rap artist.
It's almost hip to, you know, be from Brooklyn or to live in Brooklyn.
I didn't have a traditional college experience. I didn't have a social aspect to it. I was always involved in working and going to school.
I've always been calm, and I'm very good in a crisis.
We're asking that the Compton citizens have a zero tolerance policy against violence.
When we look at the investment decisions into the city of Compton, the small business community and global corporations and retailers and all of those types of services that decide to come into the community to serve it, they look at the perception, how does the brand work with the local community.
Compton looks a lot of different. Residents are now able to go out and grab a bite, go to dinner, go to Target, Best Buy or a gym or Marshall's. We're now able to experience more amenities. I want to see that grow.
People are taking a second look at Compton or rethinking what they believed to be true. Even the rap stars who helped established Compton's reputation worldwide are older now, and even their images have evolved.
I think - everything just in the political realm - women are usually perceived to be more trustworthy and compassionate. And they usually fare well against their male counterpart.
From a planning perspective, I thought Compton was phenomenal. It has a huge potential to be a great city, and I always bet on the underdog.
The Compton I knew was from my mother, and it was beautiful. It was this close-knit community, and people cared about one another, and it was safe.
Sometimes, growth isn't always equal to success. You may fall forward and continue to make some mistakes, but it's all about growth and really finding the lessons that needs to be learned in order to get to the next level.
I knew I would work in a community that I would like to live in, but I had no idea that I would ever go into politics, even though some of my classmates thought I would.
I think Dr Dre really evolved and really is a great role model for young people that have had to survive and thrive against all odds. He was able to turn his life around and create an empire and become a successful family person.
People who come from Compton - they're overcoming so many challenges that most people don't have to overcome, but that creates special tenacity and different skills that you just can't manufacture.
I believe the people of Compton are ready for change. They've spoken. Their voice has clearly been heard that they don't want to go backward. They want to go forward.
Seeing people decide to choose love instead of hate is phenomenal.
Kendrick Lamar represents Compton's evolution, embodying the New Vision for Compton - Purpose, Prosperity, and Progress.
The only difference between Compton and other cities is the ZIP Code, you know, and the mindset - it's just really about challenging people to take ownership of our community.
I think when people think of Compton, of course, they always think of gangster rap. But if you ever had an opportunity to go to Compton, you would know that Compton is a beautiful city.
I think every leader must possess vision, and they absolutely have to have a heart of service.
I have always believed women have so many natural leadership qualities. They just need opportunities and access.
Having a diverse council is necessary in order to make sure that all constituents are represented well.
I dedicated my career to really working in under-served communities and really just being in the trenches.
There's always some difference between your Latino and African-American communities. But we definitely have more similarities than differences.
I thought I could make change by just working at ground level, but to change a community, you have to change policies.
Compton is a much safer Compton than it was in the '80s. People play in parks. People aren't afraid to be out at night.
Gentrification is a problem of poor planning.
It's critical to be able to see things in other people that sometimes they don't see in themselves.
I think Compton is definitely a part of my, my family history - a part of me.
I think there is always room for improvement.
An effective leader is able to reach people in their natural environment and extract their experiences and knowledge about the issues that impact them.
My heart is really in building coalitions.
I'm very tough. Come to a council meeting, and you'll see it.
I research best practices and recipes for success and failure to craft personalised policies for my city.
