KAPPA NEWS: LAW AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
have very real impacts on real people. Laws made there are more than just black words on white paper – They are policies that actually affect people. Q: What is it like for you as the leader of the State Senate?/ Describe how you deal with the weight of the responsibil- ity? What emphasis do you place on process/getting your agenda through in the form of legislation? The benefits and burdens were both tremendous. The honor my Senate colleagues bestowed upon me to be the Majority Leader was one I took seriously, and I did not want to disappoint them, my constituents, my family, or myself.
having already been signed into law or under the Governor’s consideration. To be sure, some will be vetoed. But I be- lieve our constituents will appreciate the fact that we pursued and passed them. Q: Your counterpart across the capital is African American, a member of Kappa Alpha Psi and a member of the Las Vegas Alumni Chapter. What is it like to work with him? Going into the 79 th Legislative Ses- sion, Speaker Frierson and I knew that we would need to be able to rely upon and help one another to successfully navigate the 120 days we were in Carson City to do “the people’s business.” We understood that challenges would come
with him in the future.
Q. Do you have a favorite book?
A Different Mirror: A History of Multi- cultural America, by Ronald Takaki Q: Do you have any advice for under- graduates who may want to follow a similar path as yours? My advice would be to be entirely deter- mined to be successful and to not let set backs, either minor or major, stop you from pursuing your goals. I also advise to run parallel tracks – contingency plans, if you will – on ways to accomplish your goals. Be nimble as you go through life, giving yourself options based on your
...Be entirely determined to be successful and to not let setbacks, either major or minor, stop you from pursuing your goals...run parallel tracks—contingency plans, if you will—on ways to accomplish your goals. Be nimble as you go through life, giving yourself options based on your contingency plans on how to arrive at your ultimate goals.
contingency plans on how to arrive at your ultimate goal.
Moreover, being half of history wherein, for the first time, two African Americans were leading the Nevada Legislature provided extra pressure to be successful. I refused to have our legacy be one of failure. The example we set needed to be one worthy of following and viewed positively, both in terms of process and substance. Regarding substance, implementing the Nevada Blueprint (www.NevadaBlue- print.com), which was the Legislative Democrats’ plan for hardworking Neva- dans, was our priority. Ensuring that we passed laws aligned with our principles, as outlined in the Blueprint, was of paramount importance. Now that session has ended, I am proud of the work we did and am happy to see many of our Blueprint priorities either
from everywhere, and we were prepared to achieve together; failure was not an option. At all. In retrospect, and as I anticipated, work- ing with Speaker Frierson was fantastic, and it made my extremely difficult job much more manageable. Knowing that I had someone across the hall on which I could rely for true, candid advice and discussion – free from ulterior motives – made all the difference in the world. In addition, knowing as I did that our shared Bond of Kappa Alpha Psi meant that Speaker Frierson would always “block” for me at times when some of our colleagues would mercilessly and unnecessarily attack me on both political and personal grounds gave me a sense of solace. I’m grateful for his presence, and I look forward to continuing to work
Q: What is your motto?
I have two: “There is no bigger fal- lacy than the bootstrap mentality” and “Speak truth to power from your position of power.”
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