HOPE, IN ACTION.

Dear Friends and Neighbors, 

My name is Tiara Mack and I am running for State Senate District 6. I believe that all communities can, and should, have all the tools that they need to thrive. I believe we are all deserving of affordable housing, quality schools, a livable wage, clean air, and healthy communities, no matter your zip code.

I grew up in a big family with many siblings, cousins, an amazing aunt, and a wonderful mother. I grew up knowing we were poor. I grew up knowing my family had less and looked different than those of my classmates and that very few people talked about how being Black, queer or low-income impacted my lived experiences and opportunities. At the same time, I also knew that I had access to a great number of opportunities and experiences because I lived in close proximity to wealthy neighbors.

My family didn’t own a home, we rented small apartments where I always shared a room. That didn’t make us any less deserving of shelter or space to live. We didn’t live in a part of town that anyone would call “nice”, but that didn’t make me any less deserving of going to a good school with access to Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate classes and school funded sports teams. No one in my family graduated college within a decade of graduating from high school. That didn’t make me any less deserving of attending Brown University.

My mom worked hard. Unlike many of the other families I went to school with, she worked paycheck to paycheck and made many sacrifices along the way. Sometimes she would have to make the tough choice between paying rent on time or buying groceries. I knew we had less than others around us. I also knew that because we were Black, we would never have access to “luck” like my peers.

I thought I was the only Black person in all my classes because I was smart, and not because the education system pushes Black and brown students into lower level classes or into the prison system. I thought I was different because there was no LGBTQ+ representation in books or my school, but later realized LGBTQ+ voices and identities were silenced. I grew up thinking we were broke because we were unlucky, not because there are systems in place that prevent minimum wage workers from being able to live off of a single income. I thought everyone had great schools, and not just broke Black kids that lived on the outskirts of rich communities. I thought everyone signed an abstinence pledge in the sixth grade. I later understood that it was my right to learn about my body and all my health care choices. I grew up thinking doctors were only for rich people and when you were sick you went to the emergency room. I later realized health care access and affordability was the issue.

When I came to Brown, I was overwhelmed with how much I didn’t know. For the first time in my life, the ideas I had grown up with were being challenged, and I was afforded so many opportunities to act. I took advantage, and joined a group that taught high school students comprehensive sex ed. We taught them how to advocate for themselves and ask people in their lives the hard questions. I learned how to challenge myself, to change how I was taught to think, and began to introduce more and more new ideas into my life. After my first year teaching, I interned in Public Policy and Advocacy at Planned Parenthood. It was through this experience that I really embraced the power of activism. I grew more confident and learned about real issues that impacted my life and the lives of those around me. Working with others shows me that our struggles are connected and that if we work together we can build amazing communities.

Activism is the tool that I used to see how the world is shaped. Through activism, I see that injustice does not just occur, it is an intentional act of leaving people out of decisions. I also see the opposite. Justice is not passive. It takes many people and many voices standing together, making decisions with everyone in mind to achieve it. Rhode Island was the first place that I was able to see how decisions in the state house immediately impact people and their communities. Rhode Island can be a leader in the nation for tolerance, inclusivity, and people-centered decisions. That is what gives me hope. That is why I stay here, in this state, in this fight.

I have spent the last four years in the state house fighting for issues and bills that legislators tell us to wait for, like health care access, clean air, fair wages, and affordable housing. And although we have fought hard, those in power refuse to push for progress. I never felt connected to the people in power who told us to be patient. Patience is not an option. These communities have already spent decades waiting for justice, opportunity, and a fair shot. I think it’s time our representatives fight for everyone. That’s why I stopped waiting and decided to run for state senate.

In Solidarity,

Tiara Mack