June 3, 2025 • 48 mins
At just 26 years old, Councilman Junior Ezeonu is rewriting the rules of leadership. As the youngest African American ever appointed Deputy Mayor Pro Tem of Grand Prairie, Texas, he's not just making history—he’s shaping the future. In this episode, we talk about his journey into public office, and the bold moves he’s already made, from raising the city’s minimum wage and lowering taxes to championing a new ride share system for residents. Councilman Ezeonu shares his passion for policy, his commitment to empowering the next generation, and why age is no barrier to impact.
Mental Health is a Lifestyle Podcast with Andrea Wise-Brown, is where we discuss practical strategies for managing mental health and wellbeing.
Thank you for listening to this episode of Mental Health is a Lifestyle Podcast. We hope you found these practical tips helpful and encourage you to continue prioritizing your mental health and wellness.
If you have any questions or suggestions for future episodes, please email us at mhialpodcast@gmail.com.
See you next time!
Find Andrea: awisebrown.com
Follow The Podcast At @mentalhealthisalifestylepod
Mhialpodcast@gmail.com
I want to know your opinions…….
In addition; if you have any questions that you want answered on the podcast send your request to mhialpodcast@gmail.com or inbox me
@mentalhealthisalifestylepod
Remember, Mental health is a Lifestyle!®️😘
Mental Health is a Lifestyle Podcast with Andrea Wise-Brown, is where we discuss practical strategies for managing mental health and wellbeing.
Thank you for listening to this episode of Mental Health is a Lifestyle Podcast. We hope you found these practical tips helpful and encourage you to continue prioritizing your mental health and wellness.
If you have any questions or suggestions for future episodes, please email us at mhialpodcast@gmail.com.
See you next time!
Find Andrea: awisebrown.com
Follow The Podcast At @mentalhealthisalifestylepod
Mhialpodcast@gmail.com
I want to know your opinions…….
In addition; if you have any questions that you want answered on the podcast send your request to mhialpodcast@gmail.com or inbox me
@mentalhealthisalifestylepod
Remember, Mental health is a Lifestyle!®️😘
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This podcast is not a substitute for our relationship with
your mental health professional. Hello, Hello, Hello family, and welcome
back to another episode of The Mental Health Is a
lifestyle podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
With your girl, Andrea wise Brown. And if you have
not become a part of the family because of yet,
what are you holding out for? Please do so. It's
so easy and it doesn't cost you anything. All you
have to do is just click this little subscribe button
(00:41):
like the podcast, share the podcast, and then I would
love for you to get froggy and jump and put
a nice little comment. If you're watching on YouTube, please
come on join the family. So family, this is another episode,
and let me just tell you, this episode is going
(01:03):
to be as powerful as any other episode so far.
This is gonna be good. But this is a different twist.
So lately you've been seeing a lot of women up
here on this podcast. But I had to reach out
and jump in those dms to try to get this
brother up here because I want y'all to meet this
(01:27):
trailblazer here. So here I go. I'm going to do
my best right now to try just to introduce him
and then as we start to talk, you will learn
more about him, his story, is one to be admired. Okay,
so today I'm beyond honored to sit down with a
(01:51):
trail blazer, A true trail blazer, Councilman Junior Zondu, the
youngest African American councilman ever appointed Deputy Mayor pro tim
of Grand Prairie, Texas. At an age when most are
(02:15):
just figuring things out, he's already reshaping policy, inspiring you,
and making history. Everybody, please give him a gift. This
councilman a hand sh absolutely absolutely, Oh my goodness. Well,
(02:37):
hello counselman. How are you today?
Speaker 3 (02:41):
I'm doing very well. Andrea, how are you doing?
Speaker 2 (02:44):
I am doing well and I am excited to talk
to you. So here we go. I'm going to start
off just by telling everyone how we met each other.
I don't know if you remember, but I do. So
we were at a friend of mine, Kendri. She was
doing a charity event, fashion show kind of thing, and
(03:07):
if we just happened to be sitting next to each
other at a table, and we were just having light conversation,
just talking, and then all of a sudden, I had
no idea. So I'm just like, Okay, see this handsome
young man sitting next to me, and then all of
a sudden they introduced it counselmen Grand Prairie, and then
they call you to the citizen and I'm like, okay,
(03:33):
well look at this. Hends like he seems too young
to be a counselman. So I have to ask you this.
You don't have to answer, but I would like you to,
so please, counselmen Izanu, how old are you? Can I
ask you your age?
Speaker 3 (03:52):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (03:52):
Of course, I'm twenty six. I just turned twenty six
back in March, about two months ago. When I was
first elected, I was twenty two. I was elected at
twenty two and been on council for four years now
at the Ripe Age, and been blessed to be able
to serve and try to get things done for our community.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
That is a That is astadshit. You know what's so
crazy is that I can remember. I believe when you
came back to the table, life you did you little thing.
I think I may have asked you because there was
another woman at the table who was saying to me.
She was like, I'm so proud of him. She said,
(04:30):
my sons grew up with him, they went to school,
and I'm like, well, how did he? I asked you,
and I think you told me then and I was
shocked in and let me just say this, I live
that literally is gone. Okay. So now I knew you
were young, but not that young, and so now it
just hits me again like that, like that is freaking amazing. Okay, okay.
(04:52):
And I'm just gonna ask you this even though I
believe I know the answer to this. But you are
originally from Nigeria, correct, yes, ma'am? Okay, okay, good, So
please tell the family. Okay, I want you to take
us back, take us back to where it all started, right.
(05:13):
What was your journey like into public service? And the
reason why I am asking that because I'm wondering like
if there was a defining moment, if it was, or
if it was and or if it was a person
who sparked your interest to get into into leadership.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
Yeah. No, thank you for the question.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
And number one, thank you for the opportunity to come
on your podcast today and to talk about this. It's
really a great story I think for anybody, especially young
men in our community, young women whoever, especially people of color,
to hear my story.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
And for me, I was born in Nigeria.
Speaker 4 (05:53):
I moved here when I was two years old, just
a few days before my third birthday. Growing up, I
loved I loved school right. I was a big nerd.
I played basketball, but it was a humongous nerd. Loved school,
and I had a teacher in third grade. I'll never
forget her, Miss Showman. She told me, junior, one day,
you're going to be president. I told her, I can't.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
That's what she said.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
That's what she said in third grade.
Speaker 4 (06:17):
She said that in third grade, and I told her,
you know, I can't because I'm a natural, live citizen.
I wasn't born in this country. She said, don't worry.
By the time you're you're of age. Once you're thirty five,
you have to be thirty five to be president. She said,
once you're thirty five, the law's going to change. And
you know, I'm getting closer to thirty five, and it
seems like Trump and the people trying to make the law.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
Change in the other way. So we're going to see
what happens.
Speaker 4 (06:40):
But it's so interesting, you know, educators, adults, mentors often
see something in you and can foresee you becoming something
that you never could imagine. But also they can plant
those seeds in you that can possibly grow one day.
And I think Miss Showman definitely did that for me
because she just she saw how much I loved social studies,
(07:01):
loved history, loved geography, things of that nature. I was
just fascinated by it really was. And it wasn't until
high school, my junior year in high school back in
twenty sixteen, during the Democratic primary, that's when I decided
for sure. During that election back in twenty sixteen, I
was like, one day, I'm going to run for office.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
I'm definitely going to run for office. This is the
path I'm going to use to make my community a
better place.
Speaker 4 (07:25):
I'm going to use to pay it forward, to pay
back those that came before me and helped me get
to where I am. So it was definitely back in
twenty sixteen that's when I was sure I'd run for office.
Didn't plan on running for city council at twenty one
twenty two, but definitely saw a future in politics, but
didn't plan to do it this early.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Wow, And there was nothing about I mean like there
was nothing in your mind that just stopped you, you know,
where you were just like well like outside I'm talking
about it being a citizen. I'm saying like, just like
I can't do that right. I don't see myself there,
like that position is too big for me.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Never a thought like that when I started running.
Speaker 4 (08:08):
So in twenty twenty one, when I started running for council,
I ran against an incumbent, someone that had been in
office for twelve years, and older white gentleman that had
been there for a long time, and I believe I
could beat them. I believed I could beat them. Growing up,
my parents would always tell me, and you know, Nigerian
African parents always say this, the people that are making
really good grades don't have two heads. Those that have
(08:29):
accomplished major things don't have two brains. Y'all are just
saying that. That's how Africans will say they don't have
two heads. And that shows you that, hey, I'm just
as good as this person if I work hard, and
that's what I did during the campaign. But I won't
come here and tell you that sometimes you did not
feel discouraged. There were on days that I did, because
you know, people would tell me you have no chance
(08:51):
too young. You know, Grand Prie hasn't at that time.
Grand Prairie had not elected an African American since nineteen
ninety two ninety one, so it had been a very
long long time that Grand Prairi had elected an African American,
and especially a young African American that's running against an
incumbent that was entrenched within the establishment of our city.
(09:11):
So at a moment, you know, you would wonder, can
I really win? But I had faith in God. I
had faith in myself, and I knew that if I
did the work, the Lord would do his half and
help me get to where I needed to be.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Oh, that is so good. Like that is so so good.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
And you won and we won. Oh it wasn't easy,
but we did it. We definitely did it.
Speaker 4 (09:34):
And we beat the incumbent in a runoff election on
June fifth, twenty twenty one.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
Wow, congratulations, thank you, that is so good. Well, look,
you didn't just do it once, right then you did
it again?
Speaker 3 (09:50):
Yeah? We yeah, Glory be to God.
Speaker 4 (09:52):
We were re elected last year on March third, on
March May third, twenty twenty four, so won that election
a little been easier than the previous selection.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
Thank the Lord for that.
Speaker 4 (10:04):
And now I've been on council for just under four
years now, and I was also appointed a Deputy mayor
pro tem of the city last year, becoming not just
the youngest African Americans to ever service Deputy mayor pro tem,
but the first African American the service Deputy mayor pro tem.
Speaker 3 (10:20):
So it's been a blessing.
Speaker 4 (10:21):
It's been a blessing to serve and being a young
person definitely makes it different because you have a different
perspective than a lot of the folks that have come
before you and are serving. But it's a blessing to
serve with people to have wisdom, have a different kind
of political wisdom that they can pass on to you,
and you can also bring to them because there's so
many things that they know that I don't know. And
(10:42):
in this new technological age, there's certain things that I
know that they don't know. We can collaborate and make
our city a better place.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
Oh that's so good, that's perfect. Yeah, that's what I
was doing because I'm thinking, right, it has to get
annoying since you're young, when you have you know, your
when they can't work their phones and they can't work
their computers.
Speaker 4 (11:06):
See, I won't say that that they can work the phones.
It just it's some other things that they need help
with from time to time. And that's why I'm there,
you know, to provide that perspective and provide that assistance.
And you know they're providing it for me in other
ways too, with just with mentorship and wisdom.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
Oh that's so good. Oh okay, that's so good. That's
so good. M okay. So yeah, okay, So you've broken
barriers right at such a young age.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
What drives you to keep going?
Speaker 3 (11:38):
Wow, that's a really good question. I gotta really think
about that.
Speaker 4 (11:42):
I think for me, it's the passion to be able
to help people and to make people's lives better. I
feel that God puts each and every one of us
on this planet to serve in some form of fashion.
Speaker 3 (11:53):
We're not all going to do it through public service.
Speaker 4 (11:55):
Some of us will do it as educators, some will
do it as physicians, as nurses, do it as researchers.
Others may do it as public safety workers are police
and fire. I think for me, God put me on
this planet to create public policy that impacts and improve
the lives of thousands, hundreds of thousands, and maybe one
day millions of people. So what drives me is just
(12:16):
the goal to be better and to help more people.
That's the main thing. I just want to help you.
God has given me everything I needed. I'm alive, I'm healthy,
my heart works well, my legs work well. I'm able
to do the basics. Now that I have those necessary
tools for life. What can I do to impact those
that can What can I do to speak out for
(12:38):
those that can't speak for themselves? What can I do
to craft policy that will make life easier and better
for thousands, if not millions of people one day? That's
what drives me. And just to be just excellence. Really,
I want to be the best leader that I could be.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
Oh that's so good. Okay. So and when you say that,
I'm just wondering, is there something on the agenda you
know that you really are focused on creating change with
right now? Like, is there something that comes up for you? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (13:10):
So for me in the future. I'm twenty six right now.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
The major policy thing that I.
Speaker 4 (13:15):
Want to change one day that I can't do on
the city level, I'm gonna answer big picture now'ma come
back to the city level. Big picture. The number one
issue that has always drove me is healthcare in our country.
The health care system is just we have great health care,
people's access and ability to afford it is just.
Speaker 3 (13:34):
It's insane, It's ridiculous.
Speaker 4 (13:36):
It should not be as expensive as it is, and
should not be as difficult as it is to navigate
the health care industry, to navigate your insurance, to meet
the deductible, to afford the copay.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
I mean, the whole.
Speaker 4 (13:49):
System needs to revamps and it doesn't have to be
this difficult. It have to be this expensive. On the
city level, some of the things that I've been just
so proud to see myself and our council accomplished is
number one, raising the minimum wage for all part time
at full time city employees to fifteen dollars an hour
for part time and seventeen dollars and eighty two cents
(14:10):
an hour for full time city workers.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Okay, wait, hold on counciling. So what is it now?
I don't even know what minimum wage is now?
Speaker 3 (14:18):
Statewide is still seven to twenty five.
Speaker 4 (14:21):
In the state of Texas, the minimum wage is seven
dollars twenty five cents. Yeah, it's insane. Who can live
on that? Nobody? Nobody, and I understand people say that
the minimum wage is not for you know, families or
for people to have families. It's for like students that
are in college or working, even students that are in college.
(14:45):
My very first job I got when I was seventeen,
I worked at Kroger as a cart pusher and a
grocery bagger, who are getting paid seven to fifty five.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
This is back in twenty sixteen, so almost years nine
years ago.
Speaker 4 (14:57):
It was terrible then, but now, especially with inflation and
with the higher cost of living and the higher cost
for anything, yes, seven to twenty five an hour. Nobody
can afford to live that way. So that's why for me,
for the city or Grand Prairie, and the way I
looked at it is that we have to live our values.
We must pay people a living wage. Even fifteen dollars
(15:19):
an hour to me is too low, but it's much.
It's double what the state gives you. So I'm very
proud of that accomplishment. Another thing that I was very
proud to see is we reduce the property taxes in
our city twice. The property tax rate, we reduced it twice,
and we increase the home set exemption to seventeen point
five percent, which helps a lot of our homeowners save
(15:40):
money on their property taxes. Those are two things that
are just very important. A third that I'll talk about
and I'll allow you to continue asking questions, but so.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
No, because you know, oh my gosh, those are great
changes that you've already made. And in my head, I'm
just sitting here think, and I guess that's why my
mouth is open, because I'm like, those things affect the
every day people. Yes, ma'am, so that is a lot.
That is a big difference. You know what I'm saying
(16:12):
between seven what is it twenty five to you have
to say that again. How much now?
Speaker 4 (16:17):
Is fifteen fifteen dollars an hour for all part time
not even the full time people, just the part time
city employees. So if you work for the city, whether
it's in our parks and wreck library, city hall, utility workers,
it's fifteen dollars an hour flat, and then it's seventeen
dollars and eighty two cents an hour for all full
time city employees. That's the minimum wage. If you work
(16:39):
in full time, you're receiving all those benefits. It's so
important that we're paying people a just livable wage because
we have to honor work. Work needs to have dignity
apply to it. It's not good enough just to work.
It's important that your job values you and you feel
value through your job, so you work hard. Well, you
don't feel value through your job, you know, often ly
(17:01):
people don't work as hard as they would if it
was a job that they felt value them absolutely.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
So how do people find or look for employment in
Green Prairie? Do you have to live there? You just
have to live in tech? Like, what's the deal in
the state of Texas. What's the deal?
Speaker 4 (17:18):
Well, most of our jobs, all of our jobs for
the city are in person job, so you would need
to live close enough to be able to go and
you know, work for the city. But I if you
google City of Grand Prairie Jobs, there's a website called
government jobs dot com. Slash off this up or something
that will pop up. Click that link, and that's where
I send everybody to go to apply. And we always
(17:39):
have dozens to hundreds of jobs available for people to
apply for throughout the year and for students, young people too.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
There's internships that are that are up there from time
to time.
Speaker 4 (17:49):
I know young people that get their first big white
collar internship through our city's website. So please go and apply,
you know, apply for a job, and you know, you
never know, you might get it.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
I am going to pass that along because that for
freaking amazing. Okay, there was a third thing that you
said that you wanted to mention. You were saying two
things that you had. Yeah, okay, look at it.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (18:14):
The third thing that's really important and near and dear
to my heart has been our VIA Grand Prairie ride
share system. So the city of Grand Prairie does not
have a public transportation system like Dallas. Dallas has dark right,
the Dallas Area Regional Transportation System transit system.
Speaker 3 (18:33):
We don't have that in Grand Prairie.
Speaker 4 (18:34):
So if you don't got a car, you're relying on
Uber or Lyft or a friend.
Speaker 3 (18:40):
You're calling somebody to can pick you up.
Speaker 4 (18:42):
So when I first got on council, I spoke to
the council members our mayor about it, and I was
very proud to see that they had already been working
on it before I got on council, because I found
out about VIA when I was first going to UTA
about eight years ago, and I would see the UTA's
VIA system which was an amazing system that helped residents
get around in Arlington for about five dollars. It will
(19:04):
take yeah, the VA system of Arlington will take them
anywhere in the city of Arlinson for about five dollars.
So I was like, let's do the same thing in
Grand Prairie. I get on the city council. The mayor
tells me they've been working on it, and you know,
pretty soon it's going to come to my committee for
us to discuss it and amend it and make it better.
It came to my committee a few months after I
got on council. We amended some things to lower the cost.
We got the cost down to three dollars per ride.
(19:28):
Can you believe it? Three dollars a ride to take
you around the entire city and to nearby universities and
colleges like UT Arlington, TCC Southeast Campus, Dallas Baptist University,
and Mountain View Campus with Dallas College. Three dollars a
ride for our residents and anyone visiting. You don't have
to live in Grand Prairie to use it, but you
have to use it within the city of Grand Prairie,
(19:50):
or to Grand Prairie, or to locations like the colleges
for example.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
Wow, that is huge, that's huge. And how long has
that been in effect?
Speaker 4 (20:03):
Since April of twenty twenty two? Really three years? Three
years now?
Speaker 2 (20:08):
Wow? And I'm wondering does everyone know about it? Like
do you send out flyers? Like how do the residents know?
I know somebody that lives in Grand Prairie, I'm sure
going to tell them.
Speaker 3 (20:18):
Oh.
Speaker 4 (20:18):
I promoted it like crazy when we were working on it, Like,
I've kept people informed, and that's one thing that's been
really important to me, using social media to inform a
lot of people. I made videos, I went on TikTok,
I rode the via van myself to see what problems
could exist and see how we could fix it so
it'd be better for our residents. We still have things
that we're working on to this day, because nothing can
(20:39):
ever be perfect, but just trying to make it better
for everybody. But I was promoting on social media. I
was putting out there, I was calling people, I was
letting them know that this is coming. I talked about
it in my town hall meetings. I pushed it out everywhere,
and thousands of people found out about it just from
social media alone, but over time, more and more people
saw it. I've had residents call me telling me that
(20:59):
they're kids take VIA to school where their kids come
home from VIA, and it just warms my heart knowing
that this program is providing a is feeling a need.
There's a need in our city. It's feeling that need
and improving the lives of many people. So, yeah, we
average about twelve to fifteen thousand rides a month on VIA.
Twelve to fifteen thousand a month, yes, ma'am, how so
(21:24):
people know, people know people. The stats are incredible. Sixty
percent of the people that ride VIA say that without
VIA they would have difficulty getting around. Fifty percent of
the people that use VIA make under fifty thousand dollars
a year, So you know, it's assisting our working class
communities and populations. Is assisting young people, but also elderly people.
(21:47):
I think a major thing that people don't ever talk
about or think about is our seniors, once they get
into retirement or the later years of their lives, aren't
able to drive. So mobility becomes an issue. And with
lack of mobility, do you see depression? You see other
issues that come up because they're not able to get
around and via has helped fill that need and fix
(22:07):
those problems.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
Oh that is so good. That is so good. See
I knew you were amazing, but I didn't know you
was this. Oh that's so freaking good. Okay, that's good.
Speaker 3 (22:21):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
Okay, okay, oh okay. Let me ask you this. So,
have you ever faced resistance? You know, maybe due to
your age, you know, due to the color of your skin,
or even due to your your new ideals that you've had, Like,
have you ever faced resistance? And if you have, what
(22:45):
have you done or what do you do about?
Speaker 3 (22:48):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (22:48):
So, I guess I'll give you two examples, both before
I got on council, when I was campaigning, and after
I got on council. So, when I was first running
back in twenty twenty one, you know, I'm a young
black man. I'm a liberal, own black man, which was
a issue for some people in our community, whether I
like it or not. I had people telling me to
go back to Africa, saying that if I got elected,
(23:09):
the city would be flooded with drugs and crime. Just
a lot of negative campaigning was done against me. It's
really disheartening, But I didn't really retaliate.
Speaker 3 (23:21):
I didn't, you know, get angry.
Speaker 4 (23:22):
I had a lady walk up to me at the
polls and I hope I can forgive me for cursing
on your on your podcast. She came up and said,
we don't need that shit here in Grand Prairie.
Speaker 3 (23:32):
Were fine. She walked up to me and said, we
don't need that shit here in Grand Prairie. We're fine.
Speaker 4 (23:37):
I said, thank you for coming to vote today, ma'am,
have a blessed day. That's all you can do. You
got to kill them with kindness because retaliating being aggravated
by unfortunate statements by unfortunate by some people that are
just having unfortunate days and having tough times does not
accomplish anything. Rather, we just both get angry at each
other and God forbid something transires. I might be in trouble.
(24:02):
So the best way I've always done it, and I
always tell people be kind and have empathy towards others.
You don't know what they're going through, and they don't
know me. If you knew me, you wouldn't talk to
me like that, guaranteed. So that's how I looked at it.
And what's so interesting now some of the folks that
were very nasty to me back in twenty twenty one,
(24:22):
in twenty twenty four came back and said, you've made
us proud. You've done well for the city. You've moved
our city in the right direction. You've shown us that
a young man can lead, and we will be supporting you.
Our whole families will be supporting. These are people that
said racist things to me, just being real with you,
but have definitely come along. And I think it's because
(24:43):
I extend grace to everyone. I don't think I'm greater
than anyone. I don't think that I'm better than anyone.
I'm just a man, just like anyone is. We're all
human beings, and we're all fallible. We can all make mistakes,
and we can all say things that we don't mean
at the time just because we're uncomfortable or scared and
we don't know you, you know. But I think it's
our job as leaders to extend grace to those that
(25:06):
don't know you, because a lot of times they just
don't know you. They don't know what you're gonna do
when you get in there. For me, once I got
on council, there have been times where me and council
members have had strong disagreements on issues. But it's the
same mindset that I have for the voters that I
have for my colleagues. We have to work together, we
have to find a way to compromise. Whether we agree,
(25:26):
we can agree to disagree, but let's find a middle ground,
let's find let's find a path forward.
Speaker 3 (25:34):
Do I have an ego? I have an ego. It's
like anybody else has an ego.
Speaker 4 (25:37):
We want to I want to get certain things done,
and I get to the point when I'm not able
to get it done. But I understand that I'm not
right one hundred percent of the time. Even if I am,
it doesn't matter because you still got a compromise with
those that you disagree with. And through that perspective, through
that humility that I have, I've been able to work
with people on issues that I thought we're going to
be very difficult to work with them and to get
(25:58):
and to move forward on.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
Wow. No, that's so good. I'm just thinking about our
Senate h and I'm thinking about the White House, and
just if everybody had that mindset, the type of world,
that's the type of world we need to live in. Yeah, yeah,
(26:21):
because that's how you get things done. But does that
frustrate you? I can turn those things off, right. I
don't look at the news every day because somebody's gonna
tell me what's going on. They're gonna tell me if
I need to get my bag and run, and when
if I need to grab my money out, they gonna
tell me. Right, I got too many people. But for
me and my mental health, I cannot. I cannot watch
(26:45):
the news every day and see all of the new
things that are new that the new administration is doing.
That is just that is for me. I'm not you,
but for me that I see, I believe it's disgusting. Right,
So I'm just one.
Speaker 3 (26:59):
I agree.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
Okay, So I'm just wondering working And you know, I
saw who I've met before, to Jazzmine Crockett, I saw you,
and she was talking about something at some point, and
she usually does show her frustration. But I'm wondering, what
do you do when you when you hear these things
(27:20):
and you see these egregious acts, like, what do you
do with all of that? Mentally?
Speaker 4 (27:27):
So, to be in politics, you have to be a
little crazy to be able to last. You have to
you have to be a little crazy, and I think
I I unfortunately I am a little crazy because for
me it's disappointing. But I don't let it get to
me because I understand that this is we have free will.
(27:47):
Let me sorry off for that we have free will.
People have made choices to support some of these candidates
that are now in elected officials that are making decisions
that I think are disgusting and horrible.
Speaker 3 (27:56):
Yes, we have to learn from this.
Speaker 4 (28:00):
We have to learn from this, and at the same time,
we have to create create policies or create plans when
we get into office, when we get elected, that will
fix these issues that we're facing. The issues that we're
facing regarding Donald Trump and regarding some of the people
in this administration are not independent of the Democratic Party,
(28:23):
which I belong to, because if the Democratic Party had
done their job, Trump wouldn't be in there. You see
what I'm saying. So we can be disappointed at Trump
all we want. He's not my biggest issue. My issue
is my party that hasn't done their job, because if
we took care of people like we're supposed to, if
(28:44):
we were transparent and on it, it's like elections elections
are a report card telling you how the people feel
about you. That's all it is. It's good when you're
doing a good job, the people going to keep you
in there. When you're doing a bad job, or you're
not doing a good enough job, people gonna look for
other options. Even if I think the other option is terrible,
(29:04):
people may consider going to that other option.
Speaker 3 (29:07):
So that's why I never blame the voters. I blame us.
Speaker 4 (29:10):
We gotta we got to take accountability for the mistakes,
and through a taking accountability for the mistakes, you can
be better. I never blame someone else for why this
has happened. I blame myself for allow on it. And
whenever you take responsibility, now you can improve. But if
the whole time we're like, oh my gosh, how could
he do this? How did you let him get in there,
(29:33):
you're the reason that he won. You ran You didn't
run a campaign necessary. So that's how That's how I
look at it, and it just it inspires me to
do more and to do better when my opportunity comes.
That's how I look at council. I believe I was
re elected because I've done a decent job. I don't
think I've done the best job. But I've done a
good enough job to stay here and to continue to
(29:54):
grow as a leader and to become the best leader
for my city, for my community, for this, for this
U area, for my district. City is oh some of
that large member. But yeah, that's how I look at it.
I don't get discouraged by the noise. I look at
it as inspiration for a better future, because the better
future is possible, but we have to create that future.
Speaker 2 (30:17):
Oh my gosh, that is so good. I love that.
I love that, And I'm going to say this in
addition to that, I agree with you. But in addition
to that, you know, a lot of it's frustrating to
see Democrats and I'm one also for Democrats always turning
(30:40):
the other cheek right, and and not using you know,
I like the play spade, so you know, not using
the big joker, you know, like when it's time, when
there's an opportunity to playing soft and rolling over. When
Republicans when they step in the office, I do, they
(31:02):
run the gambit, They do the whole thing, you know
what I'm saying. They take it and then to your point,
then we sit back and cry and play victim when
we had the opportunity to do to do, to go big.
Speaker 4 (31:16):
Yeah, oh my go me and you on the same page.
So this is what annoys me. Trump comes in there, right,
and he's done about seventy five to eighty percent of
his agenda. There was an interview that made me laugh.
Speaker 3 (31:29):
Right.
Speaker 4 (31:30):
They came up to him, they're like, mister president, mister president,
do you feel that you know, the American people now
that they said, mister president, mister president, the American people
feel that they didn't vote for this, these terriffs, for
these policies.
Speaker 3 (31:43):
He's like, what do you mean they didn't vote for it.
They voted for me.
Speaker 4 (31:45):
And I talked about the tariffs like he's stood on
what he was campaigning, and when he campaigned, he was
talking about the tariffs.
Speaker 3 (31:52):
He was talking about all this. My party. We get
in there and was like, hey, you.
Speaker 4 (31:57):
Know, we can't really do all of this, We can't
really do all of that, you know, the parliamentarian you know,
you know this procedural thing. Republicans get in there and
they said, we don't care. We're gonna burn the whole
thing down. We're gonna get what we're gonna get. Democrats like, well,
you know, we can't really do this because of this
issue here, dude, go and do it. I hate that
(32:18):
Trump has done this issue this thing, but at the
same time, it shows that he understands power. Trump is
doing he's violating a lot of rules that are written right,
but what he's doing.
Speaker 2 (32:28):
It which is disgusting.
Speaker 4 (32:30):
But go ahead, which is disgusting. But what he's doing
is he's requiring everything to go to court to see
where where does his power truly stop and start. Democrats
just assume that we don't have power in anything. Trump
goes and challenges everything, says, show me where, show me
the lines, What is the line? What is the legal
(32:52):
line that my party we just say we can't do it,
can't do it at all, can't do it. Trumps like, actually,
I'm gonna push the boundaries. Let me see where the
line really is. Which is a good use of power.
Although I disagree with how he uses it, He's showing
you that this is how you use power.
Speaker 2 (33:08):
No, I get it. I totally totally get it. Yep.
Because we sit around and we think too much and
we try to play good and you know, and my
belief is is there is still good and going after
what you believe in, go go for yeah, and you know,
and a lot of stuff with Trump when he does
(33:29):
stuff that he does right, like you said, like he's
a bully, so he dance them, he take me to court,
he dares them, that's the whole thing. But you know,
then he bluffs, he does a lot of because he's
a businessman, right and we know that this is what
he's done for years. So yeah, it's just I just
need Democrats to turn up.
Speaker 4 (33:47):
And but but what makes me so happy is with
this last election, I think for the first time, the
voters and I'm gonna put you in this box, right, okay,
the voters like you are like, I'm done. I'm done
with the weakness. If you're not a fighter, I don't
want you. Like I think, for so long, we've been
comfortable because we're like you know, at the end of
the day, the nice guy is always gonna win. And
(34:09):
we see being nice does not matter. Be kind, don't
be nice, be kind, don't be nice. It's two different.
It's a big difference between being nice and being kind.
I'm kind, Well, my job is not to be nice,
because my job is to create effective policy that improves
the lives of people. Now, if I have to go
to bat for that, if I have to call someone out,
(34:29):
if I have to go in the public, in the public,
the public meeting, and tell you what's happening, I would
do it because I got to take care of my constituents.
Speaker 3 (34:38):
My job is not to be missed. A nice guy?
Am I a nice guy? I am? But I'm a
kind human being.
Speaker 4 (34:43):
I ain't a nice person when it comes to the
game of politics because I gotta work for the people
and not for the acceptance of my peers.
Speaker 3 (34:51):
I ain't here to make friends. I'm here to create policy.
Speaker 2 (34:54):
Oh that's so good, that's so good. Yeah, because that's
not your intention. Your intention and is not just to
be kind. Your intention is to get a job done.
Speaker 3 (35:04):
Yeah. Yeah, that's it. That's the goal.
Speaker 4 (35:07):
And for too many of us, we're just because we're
all humans, right, we want to be liked, We want
to be loved by others. Don't care about that in politics.
Your love don't mean nothing to me. What matters to
me is the votes. And I got to take care
of the people that put me in office.
Speaker 2 (35:24):
Good, that's it. Yeah. See, that shows integrity, and that's
what I want. I want a leader who has integrity, Yeah,
who can't be bought, who can't be pushed over, and
who's not scary. I don't need that.
Speaker 3 (35:37):
Yeah, what what do we gain from scary leadership?
Speaker 2 (35:41):
Y'all lose.
Speaker 4 (35:42):
I'm tired of being on the side of the losers.
If we're gonna lose, at least lose fighting. That's right,
don't lose. One hand tied behind your back.
Speaker 3 (35:53):
It's good. Oh my goodness.
Speaker 2 (35:55):
Oh that's so good. That's so good.
Speaker 3 (35:57):
That's so good.
Speaker 2 (35:58):
What do you hope your leg.
Speaker 3 (36:04):
You know, when you get into something very young, you're
just like, what can I do to help people right now? Right?
Speaker 4 (36:10):
And that's where my focus has been. So I've been
given the legacy conversation that much spot. But I guess
two things now that we're talking about it. Number One,
somebody that opened the doors for many, opened the doors
for many, and kept the door open. I hate people
(36:31):
that climb the ladder and then kick the ladder down
so no one else in climate. I think God puts
us on this planet to help people, and not just
help people get somewhere, but help them up and keep
helping them up, and keep helping them up and that's
what I do. I work as a political consultant, that's
my day job, and many candidates I help for free,
(36:53):
just to help them get elected because I know the
impact that they can have on their communities once elected.
Because it's bigger than me, and it's bigger than me
making money. It's about moving our country, our cities, our counties,
our school districts in the right direction. So that's the
first thing. I want to be known as someone that
opened the door for many and kept that door open.
Number two, I just want to be known as someone
(37:14):
that cared. That's the biggest thing. There's a lot of
people in government on all levels, state, federal, local, they
don't care about people, and I want to be one.
I want to be known as one of those that
did care because I do. I love this work. This
work is not easy. We don't get paid to be
council members. We don't.
Speaker 3 (37:34):
We're glory. I call this glorified volunteers.
Speaker 2 (37:37):
Okay, no, I did not know that. So there is
no check for councilmen.
Speaker 4 (37:43):
It depends on it depends on your city. For the
City of Grand Prairie, we get a reimbursement stipend once
a month. It's about five hundred dollars a month. In Doullas,
they get paid about sixty thousand a year for worth
of things like twenty thousand a year. But most suburban
cities in Texas they don't pay their council members agatting
like a two hundred dollars slip in or three hundred
dollars slip in once a month. They're not getting paid
(38:06):
a salary. So we all have day jobs. So to
do this job and to do it well, and you
got to really want to do it, especially when you're
a young person. You got to really want to do
it because you, yeah, I mean you have to pay
for your mortgage, you got to pay for your living expenses,
You got to pay for all these things, and it's
not easy. So that that second part of the legacy
(38:29):
would just be someone that cared about people and wanted
to make our community a better place and just was
there for was there for the community.
Speaker 3 (38:36):
That's that that would make me very happy.
Speaker 2 (38:39):
Oh that's so good. That's good. Oh gosh. So you know,
so I was just thinking I wanted I'm going to
ask you just some this kind of like some quick
little questions like about three or full little questions we
had to end of the end of you. But what
(39:02):
keeps coming up for me is like, like are you
married with children?
Speaker 3 (39:08):
No? Not yet?
Speaker 2 (39:09):
Not yet? So you are an eligible.
Speaker 3 (39:11):
Bachelor, yes, ma'am. That's right.
Speaker 2 (39:18):
Okay lady, you know, like that's all I'm like thinking about.
Like he's such a good guy and he's smart, like
you are an eligible bachelor. Okay, this is good. Okay
try okay, okay, all right, ladies. I knew you wanted
to know, so I had.
Speaker 3 (39:41):
Tell him. I said, hello, how y'all doing that day?
Speaker 4 (39:45):
That's all I'm gonna say on this call. That's You're
not You're not gonna get me in trouble. I gotta
get reelected one.
Speaker 2 (39:50):
Day, that's right, that's right. Yeah, we don't want audio
to come up some point.
Speaker 3 (39:55):
Yeah, we don't need that. We don't need that.
Speaker 2 (40:00):
See, you are a smart man. So I have four
quick questions, really quick questions that I'm just going to
ask you. He's just you know, just checking your vibe.
That's what it is, checking your vibe at the end
of the interview, and then we'll end it. Okay. So
the first question that I want to ask you is
I know Grand Prairie is your spot, but it doesn't
(40:22):
have to be in Grand Prairie. Okay, what is your
favorite local food to eat?
Speaker 3 (40:30):
Favorite local food to eat?
Speaker 4 (40:32):
So I'm a Grand Prie Council member, so I'm gonna
have to give you some Grand Prairie locations.
Speaker 3 (40:38):
In the city.
Speaker 4 (40:38):
I'm gonna give you a few to eat for a
little snack if you want a little snack that you
want to take home. Mama Morris Gourmet Popcorn. Check her out.
She's on Camp Wisdom Great Popcorn. Love it Black owned
business too. Restaurants. Love going to the Finch and GP
near Epic Central. It's called the Finch Thedora Mexican restaurant.
(40:59):
Really popular going there. Firehouse Gastro Park is not far
from City Hall on the north side near I thirty
on Main Street.
Speaker 3 (41:07):
Love going there. That's another really good restaurant.
Speaker 4 (41:10):
Billy Joe's Coffee Shop along one sixty one near Epic Central.
That's another black owned business, minority business owner. Great place
to go eat. I want to have have coffee and
grab I get tea there. I like the tea that
they have there. It's really good. Grab like a little pastry.
So those are a few that I'll give a shout
out to, and any others that I can give a
shout out to. Don't be mad at me charging to
(41:31):
my head, not my heart. That's the first one.
Speaker 2 (41:34):
No, I mean that was good. That was great. Okay,
all right, So just tell me one good book, movie,
or quote that has always inspired you.
Speaker 3 (41:50):
Quote. I'm a stoic.
Speaker 4 (41:53):
I try to follow the stoic philosophies of Marcus Aurelius
and stoicism, which Stowchism does not mean being if and emotionless.
It just means being able to control your emotions and
to make decisions that are not emotions based but rationally
and are positive. There's a quote by Marcus Aurelius where
he says, the best revenge is to not be like
(42:16):
he who offended you. The best revenge is to not
be like he who offended you, meaning once you have
that opportunity to make a difference, don't be like the
leaders that you criticized. Be better than those leaders. That's
how that's how I internalize it. Once you have that opportunity,
Like when I got elected, I wanted to be the
(42:37):
good politician. I wanted to be the good public servant,
so I can inspire the next generation to follow in
my footsteps. Book What is It Growing Up? So this
goes back to my Nigerian culture. Things Fall Apart by
China Achebe. We read that book in ninth grade in
high school. One of the greatest books I've ever read.
(43:00):
I really love the book. I recommend it to anyone
that wants to learn more about Nigerian culture and also
how Africa shifted as the European columnists colonialists came into Africa.
Speaker 3 (43:12):
It's a really good book. Things Fall Apart. And what
was the last one? Movie?
Speaker 2 (43:16):
Well, yeah, but you didn't have to give all, but
please give the movie.
Speaker 3 (43:20):
I just I just saw. What's that popular movie that
just came out? I just saw like two weeks ago.
Is it Sinners or Sinners?
Speaker 2 (43:29):
Yes?
Speaker 4 (43:30):
Yes, Centners, Yes, Centers. Centers was interesting. It was it
was interesting, it was good. It's not one of my
favorite movies, but it was a good movie. I'm just
trying to think of any I can't think of any
other movies right now, but Sinners is the first one
that comes to mind.
Speaker 3 (43:43):
Just God, just saw it.
Speaker 2 (43:44):
Okay, okay, good? Yeah, you see this is how I
know when school used to get a plus plus plus
plus you only had to choose one, So okay, I gotcha. No,
I love every bit of it. And I haven't seen
Sinners yet because at first I thought it was scary,
but then I'm told that it's not scary, so i
didn't see it. Okay, all right, okay, oh okay, here
(44:07):
we go. When we got two more questions. If you
weren't in politics, what would you be do?
Speaker 4 (44:15):
Wanted to play in the NBA growing up, but I
had an injury that kind of ruined my basketball dream.
Speaker 3 (44:20):
So hmm, what would I be doing? Wow? I was
in politics, probably in law school.
Speaker 4 (44:32):
More than likely I be in law school becoming an attorney,
or i'd be working in finance.
Speaker 2 (44:41):
I could see that. My daughter is twenty six and
she's an attorney.
Speaker 3 (44:46):
Wow, I know you're proud. I love it absolutely. What
school does she go to?
Speaker 2 (44:53):
She went to A and M and uh what first? Zaba,
you know in New Orleans? Then she went A M
and so to the law school A and M and
now yeah she's an attorney and shed la.
Speaker 3 (45:07):
Wow. Congratulations, that's wonderful. Absolutely, I'm proud of her. So
congratulations to your daughter. That's amazing.
Speaker 2 (45:13):
Yeah, she's my attorney.
Speaker 3 (45:16):
Everyone needs a good one. We all need a good
and we all need good legal advice for sure.
Speaker 2 (45:22):
Absolutely. Okay, okay, and this is the last one. All right,
so counsel, Yes, ma'am. What's one thing people would be
surprised to learn about you?
Speaker 4 (45:37):
I like to have fun. I think a lot of people,
a lot of people think it's so funny. A lot
of people think that I'm just very like focused on
my job, which I am. I have a good time.
I love to have a good time. I love to
go out with friends. Back when I was in college,
I threw parties, like I made money off being a
party from Sorry, I hate calling myself back an event organizer.
(46:01):
I threw parties, made a lot of money doing that
in college. So I mean, I like to have a
good time. So from time to time, I'll go out
with friends. But yeah, I just I like having fun.
I'm twenty six years old. That's why I will say.
You know, so don't think that all I do is work.
I work a lot, but also I'm gonna go out
with my friends and have a good time too.
Speaker 2 (46:20):
Oh that's so good. That's so good. And I love
the way you reframe that you don't want to be.
Speaker 4 (46:26):
Called the party, don't call me a party promoter, event organized?
Speaker 2 (46:34):
Hello everything? Well, thank you, thank you, thank you Counselman
for joining me today and me and family here on
the podcast. Please give everyone your information. How do they
find you? Please?
Speaker 4 (46:51):
Yeah, so you can find me on Twitter and Instagram
at call me Jr E or just type in Counselman
Junior Isanu. If you go on Facebook, type of Junior
Azonda or Counselman Junior Asonu, TikTok same thing, or just
google me you'll find me there. But yeah, just thank
you for having me. It's been a pleasure to be here,
to have this conversation and to speak to you.
Speaker 3 (47:13):
And the family. And I look forward to coming back
one day.
Speaker 2 (47:15):
Absolutely please come back if you have something that we
need to know. Please, because I see you in the
White House. I'm just saying one day projection.
Speaker 3 (47:25):
I appreciate it. Why not you?
Speaker 4 (47:28):
Absolutely you, Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank.
Speaker 2 (47:32):
You so much for spending this time with us and family.
Thank you again for joining me here in our spot
on the Mental Health is a lifestyle podcast, and I
will see you next week. On the next episode, And
don't you ever forget fam I love you
This podcast is not a substitute for our relationship with
your mental health professional. Hello, Hello, Hello family, and welcome
back to another episode of The Mental Health Is a
lifestyle podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
With your girl, Andrea wise Brown. And if you have
not become a part of the family because of yet,
what are you holding out for? Please do so. It's
so easy and it doesn't cost you anything. All you
have to do is just click this little subscribe button
(00:41):
like the podcast, share the podcast, and then I would
love for you to get froggy and jump and put
a nice little comment. If you're watching on YouTube, please
come on join the family. So family, this is another episode,
and let me just tell you, this episode is going
(01:03):
to be as powerful as any other episode so far.
This is gonna be good. But this is a different twist.
So lately you've been seeing a lot of women up
here on this podcast. But I had to reach out
and jump in those dms to try to get this
brother up here because I want y'all to meet this
(01:27):
trailblazer here. So here I go. I'm going to do
my best right now to try just to introduce him
and then as we start to talk, you will learn
more about him, his story, is one to be admired. Okay,
so today I'm beyond honored to sit down with a
(01:51):
trail blazer, A true trail blazer, Councilman Junior Zondu, the
youngest African American councilman ever appointed Deputy Mayor pro tim
of Grand Prairie, Texas. At an age when most are
(02:15):
just figuring things out, he's already reshaping policy, inspiring you,
and making history. Everybody, please give him a gift. This
councilman a hand sh absolutely absolutely, Oh my goodness. Well,
(02:37):
hello counselman. How are you today?
Speaker 3 (02:41):
I'm doing very well. Andrea, how are you doing?
Speaker 2 (02:44):
I am doing well and I am excited to talk
to you. So here we go. I'm going to start
off just by telling everyone how we met each other.
I don't know if you remember, but I do. So
we were at a friend of mine, Kendri. She was
doing a charity event, fashion show kind of thing, and
(03:07):
if we just happened to be sitting next to each
other at a table, and we were just having light conversation,
just talking, and then all of a sudden, I had
no idea. So I'm just like, Okay, see this handsome
young man sitting next to me, and then all of
a sudden they introduced it counselmen Grand Prairie, and then
they call you to the citizen and I'm like, okay,
(03:33):
well look at this. Hends like he seems too young
to be a counselman. So I have to ask you this.
You don't have to answer, but I would like you to,
so please, counselmen Izanu, how old are you? Can I
ask you your age?
Speaker 3 (03:52):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (03:52):
Of course, I'm twenty six. I just turned twenty six
back in March, about two months ago. When I was
first elected, I was twenty two. I was elected at
twenty two and been on council for four years now
at the Ripe Age, and been blessed to be able
to serve and try to get things done for our community.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
That is a That is astadshit. You know what's so
crazy is that I can remember. I believe when you
came back to the table, life you did you little thing.
I think I may have asked you because there was
another woman at the table who was saying to me.
She was like, I'm so proud of him. She said,
(04:30):
my sons grew up with him, they went to school,
and I'm like, well, how did he? I asked you,
and I think you told me then and I was
shocked in and let me just say this, I live
that literally is gone. Okay. So now I knew you
were young, but not that young, and so now it
just hits me again like that, like that is freaking amazing. Okay, okay.
(04:52):
And I'm just gonna ask you this even though I
believe I know the answer to this. But you are
originally from Nigeria, correct, yes, ma'am? Okay, okay, good, So
please tell the family. Okay, I want you to take
us back, take us back to where it all started, right.
(05:13):
What was your journey like into public service? And the
reason why I am asking that because I'm wondering like
if there was a defining moment, if it was, or
if it was and or if it was a person
who sparked your interest to get into into leadership.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
Yeah. No, thank you for the question.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
And number one, thank you for the opportunity to come
on your podcast today and to talk about this. It's
really a great story I think for anybody, especially young
men in our community, young women whoever, especially people of color,
to hear my story.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
And for me, I was born in Nigeria.
Speaker 4 (05:53):
I moved here when I was two years old, just
a few days before my third birthday. Growing up, I
loved I loved school right. I was a big nerd.
I played basketball, but it was a humongous nerd. Loved school,
and I had a teacher in third grade. I'll never
forget her, Miss Showman. She told me, junior, one day,
you're going to be president. I told her, I can't.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
That's what she said.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
That's what she said in third grade.
Speaker 4 (06:17):
She said that in third grade, and I told her,
you know, I can't because I'm a natural, live citizen.
I wasn't born in this country. She said, don't worry.
By the time you're you're of age. Once you're thirty five,
you have to be thirty five to be president. She said,
once you're thirty five, the law's going to change. And
you know, I'm getting closer to thirty five, and it
seems like Trump and the people trying to make the law.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
Change in the other way. So we're going to see
what happens.
Speaker 4 (06:40):
But it's so interesting, you know, educators, adults, mentors often
see something in you and can foresee you becoming something
that you never could imagine. But also they can plant
those seeds in you that can possibly grow one day.
And I think Miss Showman definitely did that for me
because she just she saw how much I loved social studies,
(07:01):
loved history, loved geography, things of that nature. I was
just fascinated by it really was. And it wasn't until
high school, my junior year in high school back in
twenty sixteen, during the Democratic primary, that's when I decided
for sure. During that election back in twenty sixteen, I
was like, one day, I'm going to run for office.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
I'm definitely going to run for office. This is the
path I'm going to use to make my community a
better place.
Speaker 4 (07:25):
I'm going to use to pay it forward, to pay
back those that came before me and helped me get
to where I am. So it was definitely back in
twenty sixteen that's when I was sure I'd run for office.
Didn't plan on running for city council at twenty one
twenty two, but definitely saw a future in politics, but
didn't plan to do it this early.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Wow, And there was nothing about I mean like there
was nothing in your mind that just stopped you, you know,
where you were just like well like outside I'm talking
about it being a citizen. I'm saying like, just like
I can't do that right. I don't see myself there,
like that position is too big for me.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Never a thought like that when I started running.
Speaker 4 (08:08):
So in twenty twenty one, when I started running for council,
I ran against an incumbent, someone that had been in
office for twelve years, and older white gentleman that had
been there for a long time, and I believe I
could beat them. I believed I could beat them. Growing up,
my parents would always tell me, and you know, Nigerian
African parents always say this, the people that are making
really good grades don't have two heads. Those that have
(08:29):
accomplished major things don't have two brains. Y'all are just
saying that. That's how Africans will say they don't have
two heads. And that shows you that, hey, I'm just
as good as this person if I work hard, and
that's what I did during the campaign. But I won't
come here and tell you that sometimes you did not
feel discouraged. There were on days that I did, because
you know, people would tell me you have no chance
(08:51):
too young. You know, Grand Prie hasn't at that time.
Grand Prairie had not elected an African American since nineteen
ninety two ninety one, so it had been a very
long long time that Grand Prairi had elected an African American,
and especially a young African American that's running against an
incumbent that was entrenched within the establishment of our city.
(09:11):
So at a moment, you know, you would wonder, can
I really win? But I had faith in God. I
had faith in myself, and I knew that if I
did the work, the Lord would do his half and
help me get to where I needed to be.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Oh, that is so good. Like that is so so good.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
And you won and we won. Oh it wasn't easy,
but we did it. We definitely did it.
Speaker 4 (09:34):
And we beat the incumbent in a runoff election on
June fifth, twenty twenty one.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
Wow, congratulations, thank you, that is so good. Well, look,
you didn't just do it once, right then you did
it again?
Speaker 3 (09:50):
Yeah? We yeah, Glory be to God.
Speaker 4 (09:52):
We were re elected last year on March third, on
March May third, twenty twenty four, so won that election
a little been easier than the previous selection.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
Thank the Lord for that.
Speaker 4 (10:04):
And now I've been on council for just under four
years now, and I was also appointed a Deputy mayor
pro tem of the city last year, becoming not just
the youngest African Americans to ever service Deputy mayor pro tem,
but the first African American the service Deputy mayor pro tem.
Speaker 3 (10:20):
So it's been a blessing.
Speaker 4 (10:21):
It's been a blessing to serve and being a young
person definitely makes it different because you have a different
perspective than a lot of the folks that have come
before you and are serving. But it's a blessing to
serve with people to have wisdom, have a different kind
of political wisdom that they can pass on to you,
and you can also bring to them because there's so
many things that they know that I don't know. And
(10:42):
in this new technological age, there's certain things that I
know that they don't know. We can collaborate and make
our city a better place.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
Oh that's so good, that's perfect. Yeah, that's what I
was doing because I'm thinking, right, it has to get
annoying since you're young, when you have you know, your
when they can't work their phones and they can't work
their computers.
Speaker 4 (11:06):
See, I won't say that that they can work the phones.
It just it's some other things that they need help
with from time to time. And that's why I'm there,
you know, to provide that perspective and provide that assistance.
And you know they're providing it for me in other
ways too, with just with mentorship and wisdom.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
Oh that's so good. Oh okay, that's so good. That's
so good. M okay. So yeah, okay, So you've broken
barriers right at such a young age.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
What drives you to keep going?
Speaker 3 (11:38):
Wow, that's a really good question. I gotta really think
about that.
Speaker 4 (11:42):
I think for me, it's the passion to be able
to help people and to make people's lives better. I
feel that God puts each and every one of us
on this planet to serve in some form of fashion.
Speaker 3 (11:53):
We're not all going to do it through public service.
Speaker 4 (11:55):
Some of us will do it as educators, some will
do it as physicians, as nurses, do it as researchers.
Others may do it as public safety workers are police
and fire. I think for me, God put me on
this planet to create public policy that impacts and improve
the lives of thousands, hundreds of thousands, and maybe one
day millions of people. So what drives me is just
(12:16):
the goal to be better and to help more people.
That's the main thing. I just want to help you.
God has given me everything I needed. I'm alive, I'm healthy,
my heart works well, my legs work well. I'm able
to do the basics. Now that I have those necessary
tools for life. What can I do to impact those
that can What can I do to speak out for
(12:38):
those that can't speak for themselves? What can I do
to craft policy that will make life easier and better
for thousands, if not millions of people one day? That's
what drives me. And just to be just excellence. Really,
I want to be the best leader that I could be.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
Oh that's so good. Okay. So and when you say that,
I'm just wondering, is there something on the agenda you
know that you really are focused on creating change with
right now? Like, is there something that comes up for you? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (13:10):
So for me in the future. I'm twenty six right now.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
The major policy thing that I.
Speaker 4 (13:15):
Want to change one day that I can't do on
the city level, I'm gonna answer big picture now'ma come
back to the city level. Big picture. The number one
issue that has always drove me is healthcare in our country.
The health care system is just we have great health care,
people's access and ability to afford it is just.
Speaker 3 (13:34):
It's insane, It's ridiculous.
Speaker 4 (13:36):
It should not be as expensive as it is, and
should not be as difficult as it is to navigate
the health care industry, to navigate your insurance, to meet
the deductible, to afford the copay.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
I mean, the whole.
Speaker 4 (13:49):
System needs to revamps and it doesn't have to be
this difficult. It have to be this expensive. On the
city level, some of the things that I've been just
so proud to see myself and our council accomplished is
number one, raising the minimum wage for all part time
at full time city employees to fifteen dollars an hour
for part time and seventeen dollars and eighty two cents
(14:10):
an hour for full time city workers.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Okay, wait, hold on counciling. So what is it now?
I don't even know what minimum wage is now?
Speaker 3 (14:18):
Statewide is still seven to twenty five.
Speaker 4 (14:21):
In the state of Texas, the minimum wage is seven
dollars twenty five cents. Yeah, it's insane. Who can live
on that? Nobody? Nobody, and I understand people say that
the minimum wage is not for you know, families or
for people to have families. It's for like students that
are in college or working, even students that are in college.
(14:45):
My very first job I got when I was seventeen,
I worked at Kroger as a cart pusher and a
grocery bagger, who are getting paid seven to fifty five.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
This is back in twenty sixteen, so almost years nine
years ago.
Speaker 4 (14:57):
It was terrible then, but now, especially with inflation and
with the higher cost of living and the higher cost
for anything, yes, seven to twenty five an hour. Nobody
can afford to live that way. So that's why for me,
for the city or Grand Prairie, and the way I
looked at it is that we have to live our values.
We must pay people a living wage. Even fifteen dollars
(15:19):
an hour to me is too low, but it's much.
It's double what the state gives you. So I'm very
proud of that accomplishment. Another thing that I was very
proud to see is we reduce the property taxes in
our city twice. The property tax rate, we reduced it twice,
and we increase the home set exemption to seventeen point
five percent, which helps a lot of our homeowners save
(15:40):
money on their property taxes. Those are two things that
are just very important. A third that I'll talk about
and I'll allow you to continue asking questions, but so.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
No, because you know, oh my gosh, those are great
changes that you've already made. And in my head, I'm
just sitting here think, and I guess that's why my
mouth is open, because I'm like, those things affect the
every day people. Yes, ma'am, so that is a lot.
That is a big difference. You know what I'm saying
(16:12):
between seven what is it twenty five to you have
to say that again. How much now?
Speaker 4 (16:17):
Is fifteen fifteen dollars an hour for all part time
not even the full time people, just the part time
city employees. So if you work for the city, whether
it's in our parks and wreck library, city hall, utility workers,
it's fifteen dollars an hour flat, and then it's seventeen
dollars and eighty two cents an hour for all full
time city employees. That's the minimum wage. If you work
(16:39):
in full time, you're receiving all those benefits. It's so
important that we're paying people a just livable wage because
we have to honor work. Work needs to have dignity
apply to it. It's not good enough just to work.
It's important that your job values you and you feel
value through your job, so you work hard. Well, you
don't feel value through your job, you know, often ly
(17:01):
people don't work as hard as they would if it
was a job that they felt value them absolutely.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
So how do people find or look for employment in
Green Prairie? Do you have to live there? You just
have to live in tech? Like, what's the deal in
the state of Texas. What's the deal?
Speaker 4 (17:18):
Well, most of our jobs, all of our jobs for
the city are in person job, so you would need
to live close enough to be able to go and
you know, work for the city. But I if you
google City of Grand Prairie Jobs, there's a website called
government jobs dot com. Slash off this up or something
that will pop up. Click that link, and that's where
I send everybody to go to apply. And we always
(17:39):
have dozens to hundreds of jobs available for people to
apply for throughout the year and for students, young people too.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
There's internships that are that are up there from time
to time.
Speaker 4 (17:49):
I know young people that get their first big white
collar internship through our city's website. So please go and apply,
you know, apply for a job, and you know, you
never know, you might get it.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
I am going to pass that along because that for
freaking amazing. Okay, there was a third thing that you
said that you wanted to mention. You were saying two
things that you had. Yeah, okay, look at it.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (18:14):
The third thing that's really important and near and dear
to my heart has been our VIA Grand Prairie ride
share system. So the city of Grand Prairie does not
have a public transportation system like Dallas. Dallas has dark right,
the Dallas Area Regional Transportation System transit system.
Speaker 3 (18:33):
We don't have that in Grand Prairie.
Speaker 4 (18:34):
So if you don't got a car, you're relying on
Uber or Lyft or a friend.
Speaker 3 (18:40):
You're calling somebody to can pick you up.
Speaker 4 (18:42):
So when I first got on council, I spoke to
the council members our mayor about it, and I was
very proud to see that they had already been working
on it before I got on council, because I found
out about VIA when I was first going to UTA
about eight years ago, and I would see the UTA's
VIA system which was an amazing system that helped residents
get around in Arlington for about five dollars. It will
(19:04):
take yeah, the VA system of Arlington will take them
anywhere in the city of Arlinson for about five dollars.
So I was like, let's do the same thing in
Grand Prairie. I get on the city council. The mayor
tells me they've been working on it, and you know,
pretty soon it's going to come to my committee for
us to discuss it and amend it and make it better.
It came to my committee a few months after I
got on council. We amended some things to lower the cost.
We got the cost down to three dollars per ride.
(19:28):
Can you believe it? Three dollars a ride to take
you around the entire city and to nearby universities and
colleges like UT Arlington, TCC Southeast Campus, Dallas Baptist University,
and Mountain View Campus with Dallas College. Three dollars a
ride for our residents and anyone visiting. You don't have
to live in Grand Prairie to use it, but you
have to use it within the city of Grand Prairie,
(19:50):
or to Grand Prairie, or to locations like the colleges
for example.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
Wow, that is huge, that's huge. And how long has
that been in effect?
Speaker 4 (20:03):
Since April of twenty twenty two? Really three years? Three
years now?
Speaker 2 (20:08):
Wow? And I'm wondering does everyone know about it? Like
do you send out flyers? Like how do the residents know?
I know somebody that lives in Grand Prairie, I'm sure
going to tell them.
Speaker 3 (20:18):
Oh.
Speaker 4 (20:18):
I promoted it like crazy when we were working on it, Like,
I've kept people informed, and that's one thing that's been
really important to me, using social media to inform a
lot of people. I made videos, I went on TikTok,
I rode the via van myself to see what problems
could exist and see how we could fix it so
it'd be better for our residents. We still have things
that we're working on to this day, because nothing can
(20:39):
ever be perfect, but just trying to make it better
for everybody. But I was promoting on social media. I
was putting out there, I was calling people, I was
letting them know that this is coming. I talked about
it in my town hall meetings. I pushed it out everywhere,
and thousands of people found out about it just from
social media alone, but over time, more and more people
saw it. I've had residents call me telling me that
(20:59):
they're kids take VIA to school where their kids come
home from VIA, and it just warms my heart knowing
that this program is providing a is feeling a need.
There's a need in our city. It's feeling that need
and improving the lives of many people. So, yeah, we
average about twelve to fifteen thousand rides a month on VIA.
Twelve to fifteen thousand a month, yes, ma'am, how so
(21:24):
people know, people know people. The stats are incredible. Sixty
percent of the people that ride VIA say that without
VIA they would have difficulty getting around. Fifty percent of
the people that use VIA make under fifty thousand dollars
a year, So you know, it's assisting our working class
communities and populations. Is assisting young people, but also elderly people.
(21:47):
I think a major thing that people don't ever talk
about or think about is our seniors, once they get
into retirement or the later years of their lives, aren't
able to drive. So mobility becomes an issue. And with
lack of mobility, do you see depression? You see other
issues that come up because they're not able to get
around and via has helped fill that need and fix
(22:07):
those problems.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
Oh that is so good. That is so good. See
I knew you were amazing, but I didn't know you
was this. Oh that's so freaking good. Okay, that's good.
Speaker 3 (22:21):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
Okay, okay, oh okay. Let me ask you this. So,
have you ever faced resistance? You know, maybe due to
your age, you know, due to the color of your skin,
or even due to your your new ideals that you've had, Like,
have you ever faced resistance? And if you have, what
(22:45):
have you done or what do you do about?
Speaker 3 (22:48):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (22:48):
So, I guess I'll give you two examples, both before
I got on council, when I was campaigning, and after
I got on council. So, when I was first running
back in twenty twenty one, you know, I'm a young
black man. I'm a liberal, own black man, which was
a issue for some people in our community, whether I
like it or not. I had people telling me to
go back to Africa, saying that if I got elected,
(23:09):
the city would be flooded with drugs and crime. Just
a lot of negative campaigning was done against me. It's
really disheartening, But I didn't really retaliate.
Speaker 3 (23:21):
I didn't, you know, get angry.
Speaker 4 (23:22):
I had a lady walk up to me at the
polls and I hope I can forgive me for cursing
on your on your podcast. She came up and said,
we don't need that shit here in Grand Prairie.
Speaker 3 (23:32):
Were fine. She walked up to me and said, we
don't need that shit here in Grand Prairie. We're fine.
Speaker 4 (23:37):
I said, thank you for coming to vote today, ma'am,
have a blessed day. That's all you can do. You
got to kill them with kindness because retaliating being aggravated
by unfortunate statements by unfortunate by some people that are
just having unfortunate days and having tough times does not
accomplish anything. Rather, we just both get angry at each
other and God forbid something transires. I might be in trouble.
(24:02):
So the best way I've always done it, and I
always tell people be kind and have empathy towards others.
You don't know what they're going through, and they don't
know me. If you knew me, you wouldn't talk to
me like that, guaranteed. So that's how I looked at it.
And what's so interesting now some of the folks that
were very nasty to me back in twenty twenty one,
(24:22):
in twenty twenty four came back and said, you've made
us proud. You've done well for the city. You've moved
our city in the right direction. You've shown us that
a young man can lead, and we will be supporting you.
Our whole families will be supporting. These are people that
said racist things to me, just being real with you,
but have definitely come along. And I think it's because
(24:43):
I extend grace to everyone. I don't think I'm greater
than anyone. I don't think that I'm better than anyone.
I'm just a man, just like anyone is. We're all
human beings, and we're all fallible. We can all make mistakes,
and we can all say things that we don't mean
at the time just because we're uncomfortable or scared and
we don't know you, you know. But I think it's
our job as leaders to extend grace to those that
(25:06):
don't know you, because a lot of times they just
don't know you. They don't know what you're gonna do
when you get in there. For me, once I got
on council, there have been times where me and council
members have had strong disagreements on issues. But it's the
same mindset that I have for the voters that I
have for my colleagues. We have to work together, we
have to find a way to compromise. Whether we agree,
(25:26):
we can agree to disagree, but let's find a middle ground,
let's find let's find a path forward.
Speaker 3 (25:34):
Do I have an ego? I have an ego. It's
like anybody else has an ego.
Speaker 4 (25:37):
We want to I want to get certain things done,
and I get to the point when I'm not able
to get it done. But I understand that I'm not
right one hundred percent of the time. Even if I am,
it doesn't matter because you still got a compromise with
those that you disagree with. And through that perspective, through
that humility that I have, I've been able to work
with people on issues that I thought we're going to
be very difficult to work with them and to get
(25:58):
and to move forward on.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
Wow. No, that's so good. I'm just thinking about our
Senate h and I'm thinking about the White House, and
just if everybody had that mindset, the type of world,
that's the type of world we need to live in. Yeah, yeah,
(26:21):
because that's how you get things done. But does that
frustrate you? I can turn those things off, right. I
don't look at the news every day because somebody's gonna
tell me what's going on. They're gonna tell me if
I need to get my bag and run, and when
if I need to grab my money out, they gonna
tell me. Right, I got too many people. But for
me and my mental health, I cannot. I cannot watch
(26:45):
the news every day and see all of the new
things that are new that the new administration is doing.
That is just that is for me. I'm not you,
but for me that I see, I believe it's disgusting. Right,
So I'm just one.
Speaker 3 (26:59):
I agree.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
Okay, So I'm just wondering working And you know, I
saw who I've met before, to Jazzmine Crockett, I saw you,
and she was talking about something at some point, and
she usually does show her frustration. But I'm wondering, what
do you do when you when you hear these things
(27:20):
and you see these egregious acts, like, what do you
do with all of that? Mentally?
Speaker 4 (27:27):
So, to be in politics, you have to be a
little crazy to be able to last. You have to
you have to be a little crazy, and I think
I I unfortunately I am a little crazy because for
me it's disappointing. But I don't let it get to
me because I understand that this is we have free will.
(27:47):
Let me sorry off for that we have free will.
People have made choices to support some of these candidates
that are now in elected officials that are making decisions
that I think are disgusting and horrible.
Speaker 3 (27:56):
Yes, we have to learn from this.
Speaker 4 (28:00):
We have to learn from this, and at the same time,
we have to create create policies or create plans when
we get into office, when we get elected, that will
fix these issues that we're facing. The issues that we're
facing regarding Donald Trump and regarding some of the people
in this administration are not independent of the Democratic Party,
(28:23):
which I belong to, because if the Democratic Party had
done their job, Trump wouldn't be in there. You see
what I'm saying. So we can be disappointed at Trump
all we want. He's not my biggest issue. My issue
is my party that hasn't done their job, because if
we took care of people like we're supposed to, if
(28:44):
we were transparent and on it, it's like elections elections
are a report card telling you how the people feel
about you. That's all it is. It's good when you're
doing a good job, the people going to keep you
in there. When you're doing a bad job, or you're
not doing a good enough job, people gonna look for
other options. Even if I think the other option is terrible,
(29:04):
people may consider going to that other option.
Speaker 3 (29:07):
So that's why I never blame the voters. I blame us.
Speaker 4 (29:10):
We gotta we got to take accountability for the mistakes,
and through a taking accountability for the mistakes, you can
be better. I never blame someone else for why this
has happened. I blame myself for allow on it. And
whenever you take responsibility, now you can improve. But if
the whole time we're like, oh my gosh, how could
he do this? How did you let him get in there,
(29:33):
you're the reason that he won. You ran You didn't
run a campaign necessary. So that's how That's how I
look at it, and it just it inspires me to
do more and to do better when my opportunity comes.
That's how I look at council. I believe I was
re elected because I've done a decent job. I don't
think I've done the best job. But I've done a
good enough job to stay here and to continue to
(29:54):
grow as a leader and to become the best leader
for my city, for my community, for this, for this
U area, for my district. City is oh some of
that large member. But yeah, that's how I look at it.
I don't get discouraged by the noise. I look at
it as inspiration for a better future, because the better
future is possible, but we have to create that future.
Speaker 2 (30:17):
Oh my gosh, that is so good. I love that.
I love that, And I'm going to say this in
addition to that, I agree with you. But in addition
to that, you know, a lot of it's frustrating to
see Democrats and I'm one also for Democrats always turning
(30:40):
the other cheek right, and and not using you know,
I like the play spade, so you know, not using
the big joker, you know, like when it's time, when
there's an opportunity to playing soft and rolling over. When
Republicans when they step in the office, I do, they
(31:02):
run the gambit, They do the whole thing, you know
what I'm saying. They take it and then to your point,
then we sit back and cry and play victim when
we had the opportunity to do to do, to go big.
Speaker 4 (31:16):
Yeah, oh my go me and you on the same page.
So this is what annoys me. Trump comes in there, right,
and he's done about seventy five to eighty percent of
his agenda. There was an interview that made me laugh.
Speaker 3 (31:29):
Right.
Speaker 4 (31:30):
They came up to him, they're like, mister president, mister president,
do you feel that you know, the American people now
that they said, mister president, mister president, the American people
feel that they didn't vote for this, these terriffs, for
these policies.
Speaker 3 (31:43):
He's like, what do you mean they didn't vote for it.
They voted for me.
Speaker 4 (31:45):
And I talked about the tariffs like he's stood on
what he was campaigning, and when he campaigned, he was
talking about the tariffs.
Speaker 3 (31:52):
He was talking about all this. My party. We get
in there and was like, hey, you.
Speaker 4 (31:57):
Know, we can't really do all of this, We can't
really do all of that, you know, the parliamentarian you know,
you know this procedural thing. Republicans get in there and
they said, we don't care. We're gonna burn the whole
thing down. We're gonna get what we're gonna get. Democrats like, well,
you know, we can't really do this because of this
issue here, dude, go and do it. I hate that
(32:18):
Trump has done this issue this thing, but at the
same time, it shows that he understands power. Trump is
doing he's violating a lot of rules that are written right,
but what he's doing.
Speaker 2 (32:28):
It which is disgusting.
Speaker 4 (32:30):
But go ahead, which is disgusting. But what he's doing
is he's requiring everything to go to court to see
where where does his power truly stop and start. Democrats
just assume that we don't have power in anything. Trump
goes and challenges everything, says, show me where, show me
the lines, What is the line? What is the legal
(32:52):
line that my party we just say we can't do it,
can't do it at all, can't do it. Trumps like, actually,
I'm gonna push the boundaries. Let me see where the
line really is. Which is a good use of power.
Although I disagree with how he uses it, He's showing
you that this is how you use power.
Speaker 2 (33:08):
No, I get it. I totally totally get it. Yep.
Because we sit around and we think too much and
we try to play good and you know, and my
belief is is there is still good and going after
what you believe in, go go for yeah, and you know,
and a lot of stuff with Trump when he does
(33:29):
stuff that he does right, like you said, like he's
a bully, so he dance them, he take me to court,
he dares them, that's the whole thing. But you know,
then he bluffs, he does a lot of because he's
a businessman, right and we know that this is what
he's done for years. So yeah, it's just I just
need Democrats to turn up.
Speaker 4 (33:47):
And but but what makes me so happy is with
this last election, I think for the first time, the
voters and I'm gonna put you in this box, right, okay,
the voters like you are like, I'm done. I'm done
with the weakness. If you're not a fighter, I don't
want you. Like I think, for so long, we've been
comfortable because we're like you know, at the end of
the day, the nice guy is always gonna win. And
(34:09):
we see being nice does not matter. Be kind, don't
be nice, be kind, don't be nice. It's two different.
It's a big difference between being nice and being kind.
I'm kind, Well, my job is not to be nice,
because my job is to create effective policy that improves
the lives of people. Now, if I have to go
to bat for that, if I have to call someone out,
(34:29):
if I have to go in the public, in the public,
the public meeting, and tell you what's happening, I would
do it because I got to take care of my constituents.
Speaker 3 (34:38):
My job is not to be missed. A nice guy?
Am I a nice guy? I am? But I'm a
kind human being.
Speaker 4 (34:43):
I ain't a nice person when it comes to the
game of politics because I gotta work for the people
and not for the acceptance of my peers.
Speaker 3 (34:51):
I ain't here to make friends. I'm here to create policy.
Speaker 2 (34:54):
Oh that's so good, that's so good. Yeah, because that's
not your intention. Your intention and is not just to
be kind. Your intention is to get a job done.
Speaker 3 (35:04):
Yeah. Yeah, that's it. That's the goal.
Speaker 4 (35:07):
And for too many of us, we're just because we're
all humans, right, we want to be liked, We want
to be loved by others. Don't care about that in politics.
Your love don't mean nothing to me. What matters to
me is the votes. And I got to take care
of the people that put me in office.
Speaker 2 (35:24):
Good, that's it. Yeah. See, that shows integrity, and that's
what I want. I want a leader who has integrity, Yeah,
who can't be bought, who can't be pushed over, and
who's not scary. I don't need that.
Speaker 3 (35:37):
Yeah, what what do we gain from scary leadership?
Speaker 2 (35:41):
Y'all lose.
Speaker 4 (35:42):
I'm tired of being on the side of the losers.
If we're gonna lose, at least lose fighting. That's right,
don't lose. One hand tied behind your back.
Speaker 3 (35:53):
It's good. Oh my goodness.
Speaker 2 (35:55):
Oh that's so good. That's so good.
Speaker 3 (35:57):
That's so good.
Speaker 2 (35:58):
What do you hope your leg.
Speaker 3 (36:04):
You know, when you get into something very young, you're
just like, what can I do to help people right now? Right?
Speaker 4 (36:10):
And that's where my focus has been. So I've been
given the legacy conversation that much spot. But I guess
two things now that we're talking about it. Number One,
somebody that opened the doors for many, opened the doors
for many, and kept the door open. I hate people
(36:31):
that climb the ladder and then kick the ladder down
so no one else in climate. I think God puts
us on this planet to help people, and not just
help people get somewhere, but help them up and keep
helping them up, and keep helping them up and that's
what I do. I work as a political consultant, that's
my day job, and many candidates I help for free,
(36:53):
just to help them get elected because I know the
impact that they can have on their communities once elected.
Because it's bigger than me, and it's bigger than me
making money. It's about moving our country, our cities, our counties,
our school districts in the right direction. So that's the
first thing. I want to be known as someone that
opened the door for many and kept that door open.
Number two, I just want to be known as someone
(37:14):
that cared. That's the biggest thing. There's a lot of
people in government on all levels, state, federal, local, they
don't care about people, and I want to be one.
I want to be known as one of those that
did care because I do. I love this work. This
work is not easy. We don't get paid to be
council members. We don't.
Speaker 3 (37:34):
We're glory. I call this glorified volunteers.
Speaker 2 (37:37):
Okay, no, I did not know that. So there is
no check for councilmen.
Speaker 4 (37:43):
It depends on it depends on your city. For the
City of Grand Prairie, we get a reimbursement stipend once
a month. It's about five hundred dollars a month. In Doullas,
they get paid about sixty thousand a year for worth
of things like twenty thousand a year. But most suburban
cities in Texas they don't pay their council members agatting
like a two hundred dollars slip in or three hundred
dollars slip in once a month. They're not getting paid
(38:06):
a salary. So we all have day jobs. So to
do this job and to do it well, and you
got to really want to do it, especially when you're
a young person. You got to really want to do
it because you, yeah, I mean you have to pay
for your mortgage, you got to pay for your living expenses,
You got to pay for all these things, and it's
not easy. So that that second part of the legacy
(38:29):
would just be someone that cared about people and wanted
to make our community a better place and just was
there for was there for the community.
Speaker 3 (38:36):
That's that that would make me very happy.
Speaker 2 (38:39):
Oh that's so good. That's good. Oh gosh. So you know,
so I was just thinking I wanted I'm going to
ask you just some this kind of like some quick
little questions like about three or full little questions we
had to end of the end of you. But what
(39:02):
keeps coming up for me is like, like are you
married with children?
Speaker 3 (39:08):
No? Not yet?
Speaker 2 (39:09):
Not yet? So you are an eligible.
Speaker 3 (39:11):
Bachelor, yes, ma'am. That's right.
Speaker 2 (39:18):
Okay lady, you know, like that's all I'm like thinking about.
Like he's such a good guy and he's smart, like
you are an eligible bachelor. Okay, this is good. Okay
try okay, okay, all right, ladies. I knew you wanted
to know, so I had.
Speaker 3 (39:41):
Tell him. I said, hello, how y'all doing that day?
Speaker 4 (39:45):
That's all I'm gonna say on this call. That's You're
not You're not gonna get me in trouble. I gotta
get reelected one.
Speaker 2 (39:50):
Day, that's right, that's right. Yeah, we don't want audio
to come up some point.
Speaker 3 (39:55):
Yeah, we don't need that. We don't need that.
Speaker 2 (40:00):
See, you are a smart man. So I have four
quick questions, really quick questions that I'm just going to
ask you. He's just you know, just checking your vibe.
That's what it is, checking your vibe at the end
of the interview, and then we'll end it. Okay. So
the first question that I want to ask you is
I know Grand Prairie is your spot, but it doesn't
(40:22):
have to be in Grand Prairie. Okay, what is your
favorite local food to eat?
Speaker 3 (40:30):
Favorite local food to eat?
Speaker 4 (40:32):
So I'm a Grand Prie Council member, so I'm gonna
have to give you some Grand Prairie locations.
Speaker 3 (40:38):
In the city.
Speaker 4 (40:38):
I'm gonna give you a few to eat for a
little snack if you want a little snack that you
want to take home. Mama Morris Gourmet Popcorn. Check her out.
She's on Camp Wisdom Great Popcorn. Love it Black owned
business too. Restaurants. Love going to the Finch and GP
near Epic Central. It's called the Finch Thedora Mexican restaurant.
(40:59):
Really popular going there. Firehouse Gastro Park is not far
from City Hall on the north side near I thirty
on Main Street.
Speaker 3 (41:07):
Love going there. That's another really good restaurant.
Speaker 4 (41:10):
Billy Joe's Coffee Shop along one sixty one near Epic Central.
That's another black owned business, minority business owner. Great place
to go eat. I want to have have coffee and
grab I get tea there. I like the tea that
they have there. It's really good. Grab like a little pastry.
So those are a few that I'll give a shout
out to, and any others that I can give a
shout out to. Don't be mad at me charging to
(41:31):
my head, not my heart. That's the first one.
Speaker 2 (41:34):
No, I mean that was good. That was great. Okay,
all right, So just tell me one good book, movie,
or quote that has always inspired you.
Speaker 3 (41:50):
Quote. I'm a stoic.
Speaker 4 (41:53):
I try to follow the stoic philosophies of Marcus Aurelius
and stoicism, which Stowchism does not mean being if and emotionless.
It just means being able to control your emotions and
to make decisions that are not emotions based but rationally
and are positive. There's a quote by Marcus Aurelius where
he says, the best revenge is to not be like
(42:16):
he who offended you. The best revenge is to not
be like he who offended you, meaning once you have
that opportunity to make a difference, don't be like the
leaders that you criticized. Be better than those leaders. That's
how that's how I internalize it. Once you have that opportunity,
Like when I got elected, I wanted to be the
(42:37):
good politician. I wanted to be the good public servant,
so I can inspire the next generation to follow in
my footsteps. Book What is It Growing Up? So this
goes back to my Nigerian culture. Things Fall Apart by
China Achebe. We read that book in ninth grade in
high school. One of the greatest books I've ever read.
(43:00):
I really love the book. I recommend it to anyone
that wants to learn more about Nigerian culture and also
how Africa shifted as the European columnists colonialists came into Africa.
Speaker 3 (43:12):
It's a really good book. Things Fall Apart. And what
was the last one? Movie?
Speaker 2 (43:16):
Well, yeah, but you didn't have to give all, but
please give the movie.
Speaker 3 (43:20):
I just I just saw. What's that popular movie that
just came out? I just saw like two weeks ago.
Is it Sinners or Sinners?
Speaker 2 (43:29):
Yes?
Speaker 4 (43:30):
Yes, Centners, Yes, Centers. Centers was interesting. It was it
was interesting, it was good. It's not one of my
favorite movies, but it was a good movie. I'm just
trying to think of any I can't think of any
other movies right now, but Sinners is the first one
that comes to mind.
Speaker 3 (43:43):
Just God, just saw it.
Speaker 2 (43:44):
Okay, okay, good? Yeah, you see this is how I
know when school used to get a plus plus plus
plus you only had to choose one, So okay, I gotcha. No,
I love every bit of it. And I haven't seen
Sinners yet because at first I thought it was scary,
but then I'm told that it's not scary, so i
didn't see it. Okay, all right, okay, oh okay, here
(44:07):
we go. When we got two more questions. If you
weren't in politics, what would you be do?
Speaker 4 (44:15):
Wanted to play in the NBA growing up, but I
had an injury that kind of ruined my basketball dream.
Speaker 3 (44:20):
So hmm, what would I be doing? Wow? I was
in politics, probably in law school.
Speaker 4 (44:32):
More than likely I be in law school becoming an attorney,
or i'd be working in finance.
Speaker 2 (44:41):
I could see that. My daughter is twenty six and
she's an attorney.
Speaker 3 (44:46):
Wow, I know you're proud. I love it absolutely. What
school does she go to?
Speaker 2 (44:53):
She went to A and M and uh what first? Zaba,
you know in New Orleans? Then she went A M
and so to the law school A and M and
now yeah she's an attorney and shed la.
Speaker 3 (45:07):
Wow. Congratulations, that's wonderful. Absolutely, I'm proud of her. So
congratulations to your daughter. That's amazing.
Speaker 2 (45:13):
Yeah, she's my attorney.
Speaker 3 (45:16):
Everyone needs a good one. We all need a good
and we all need good legal advice for sure.
Speaker 2 (45:22):
Absolutely. Okay, okay, and this is the last one. All right,
so counsel, Yes, ma'am. What's one thing people would be
surprised to learn about you?
Speaker 4 (45:37):
I like to have fun. I think a lot of people,
a lot of people think it's so funny. A lot
of people think that I'm just very like focused on
my job, which I am. I have a good time.
I love to have a good time. I love to
go out with friends. Back when I was in college,
I threw parties, like I made money off being a
party from Sorry, I hate calling myself back an event organizer.
(46:01):
I threw parties, made a lot of money doing that
in college. So I mean, I like to have a
good time. So from time to time, I'll go out
with friends. But yeah, I just I like having fun.
I'm twenty six years old. That's why I will say.
You know, so don't think that all I do is work.
I work a lot, but also I'm gonna go out
with my friends and have a good time too.
Speaker 2 (46:20):
Oh that's so good. That's so good. And I love
the way you reframe that you don't want to be.
Speaker 4 (46:26):
Called the party, don't call me a party promoter, event organized?
Speaker 2 (46:34):
Hello everything? Well, thank you, thank you, thank you Counselman
for joining me today and me and family here on
the podcast. Please give everyone your information. How do they
find you? Please?
Speaker 4 (46:51):
Yeah, so you can find me on Twitter and Instagram
at call me Jr E or just type in Counselman
Junior Isanu. If you go on Facebook, type of Junior
Azonda or Counselman Junior Asonu, TikTok same thing, or just
google me you'll find me there. But yeah, just thank
you for having me. It's been a pleasure to be here,
to have this conversation and to speak to you.
Speaker 3 (47:13):
And the family. And I look forward to coming back
one day.
Speaker 2 (47:15):
Absolutely please come back if you have something that we
need to know. Please, because I see you in the
White House. I'm just saying one day projection.
Speaker 3 (47:25):
I appreciate it. Why not you?
Speaker 4 (47:28):
Absolutely you, Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank.
Speaker 2 (47:32):
You so much for spending this time with us and family.
Thank you again for joining me here in our spot
on the Mental Health is a lifestyle podcast, and I
will see you next week. On the next episode, And
don't you ever forget fam I love you
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