Full Video Transcipt
Hi. I’m Holly Mitchell, proudly representing LA County’s Second Supervisorial District. I’m a third-generation native Angelino, born and raised in the South Los Angeles community of Leimert Park. My parents met as eligibility workers working for LA County Department of Public Social Services. Watching my family work at the county and knowing people in my own community who relied on the County that taught me at an early age about the powerful role the County plays in transforming lives and shaping the trajectory of our communities.
Wanting to be a part of making a transformative impact has always driven me to public service in every position I’ve had the honor of holding, whether it be a nonprofit leader fighting for our most vulnerable children and their families, or passing over 90 bills on advancing social and economic justice in the California Legislature. I’ve served with the commitment to disrupt the cycle of poverty, correct longstanding injustices, and invest in children and communities of Los Angeles County.
A question I often reflect on is what role does government play and help to ensure all residents can thrive. These past two years of fighting a pandemic that has disrupted every aspect of our lives has shown us how fragile our safety net is and shown a bright light on our hard reached communities and their daily struggle with access to health care, housing and true justice. We’ve been through so much and deep down we know that we can’t go back to business as usual.
As we prepare for a new year and begin the road to recovery from COVID-19 with a once in a generation investment from the American Rescue Plan, our role as a County is to build back equitably.
Last year I had the honor of being elected to the LA County Board of Supervisors, and I quickly saw the resiliency and commitment of this board, of our public health and County departments and the over 100,000 County workers who stepped up when our residents needed government to stand in the gap and serve the most.
This year alone, we saw our immediate past Board Chair Supervisor Hilda Solis galvanizing support to help bring the vaccine and recovery funding to LA County. Supervisor Janice Hahn helping to set a national precedent for reparations by leading the County’s return of Bruce Beach to its rightful owners. Supervisor Sheila Kuehl strengthening the County’s commitment to care first and jails last and by fighting to reduce the incarceration of women and the LGBTQ + community and Supervisor Kathryn Barger expanding mental health services across our communities and in our schools. I’m motivated by what I know we are capable of.
This year, with your support, my office passed one of the largest guaranteed income initiatives in the nation, began the process of phasing out oil drilling across LA County and supported investments to close the digital divide. Our work together is just getting started.
Serving as your Board Chair during a time such as this when every step towards our recovery must intentionally build on the progress we’ve made and make a better tomorrow a reality is a responsibility I welcome, and I do not take for granted. We have structural challenges to address. This includes increased transparency in governance and how we’re tackling the moral and economic crisis of serving our unhoused residents, ensuring our children and transitional age youth that the County is responsible for, are being cared for and infuse investments in the small businesses and local economies that have carried the brunt of this pandemic.
When I think of the needs of the Second District and the communities throughout LA County, we share a common fundamental goal. We want thriving communities where we can raise our children and grow old with dignity. Our path to making this real for the 10 million residents that call LA County home will require us to have the courage to face the shortcomings within our health, justice, and economic systems so that we can build stronger, more effective, and inclusive public service models for protecting and serving our communities. This is what Building Back with Equity looks like. To the residents of LA County and the over 100,000 dedicated workers who serve you each and every day, I’m honored to work alongside you in Building Back with Equity.
I ask what the role of government is in ensuring all residents can thrive, and some of you answered that our role should be responsive, inclusive, accessible, safe, segura, bold, multigeneration, kind, imaginative, effective, courageous, equitable. So let’s hold on to all that we are capable of being and doing as we journey towards recovery. The road ahead will have its fair share of challenges, but it’s also filled with immense promise. I’m ready, I hope you are too.
