Quotes

Progress comes at a price. You have to be willing to make tough calls and take the hits.

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.

I've always been calm, and I'm very good in a crisis.

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.

Seeing people decide to choose love instead of hate is phenomenal.

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 think Compton is definitely a part of my, my family history - a part of me.

I don't think it's my job, single-handedly, to fix anything. I think it's my job to have a vision and have a plan that is reasonable and workable and get as many people to the table to effect change as possible.

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.

When I was a kid, I thought I would be an entrepreneur and maybe at some point go into law school.

My heart is really in building coalitions.

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.

Having a diverse council is necessary in order to make sure that all constituents are represented well.

I have always believed women have so many natural leadership qualities. They just need opportunities and access.

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.

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.

Compton is this amazing place with a rich history. I see it as a new Brooklyn.

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.

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 actually grew up in the City of Pasadena.

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.

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.

There's so many opportunities, economically and socially, and just the location advantage and all the great institutions that are here, that this community is definitely poised for a huge revival. And so, when I think about Compton, I think about redemption.

I thought I could make change by just working at ground level, but to change a community, you have to change policies.