Lt. Gov.-elect Winsome Sears knows a thing or two about adversity.
A first-generation immigrant, Sears came to the United States determined to make a better life for herself. After three years in the U.S. Marine Corps and managing a homeless shelter, she became the first Republican to represent a majority Black district in Virginia since Reconstruction!
Now she represents more than eight million Virginians. In an interview with the Washington Examiner, Sears outlined her vision to uplift her fellow citizens who find themselves struggling at this very moment.
Here are some of the highlights:
“I want people to come and ask [minorities] for our vote, to talk to us about the issues. If people always assume that we’re Democrats, then they walk on by us. The country loses because we were not part of the process. It is not good for democracy. This is America. We are about freedom. I can be whoever I want.
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“Seventy percent of crimes are committed by young black men. We have the highest abortion rate. Incarceration rates among black people is astronomical compared to the greater population. Denzel Washington said, ‘If there are no fathers in the home, the streets become their fathers, the judge becomes their mother, and homes become the prison system.’ When it comes to education, if they’re bored in school, nobody cares, they’re not learning anything, and no opportunities to succeed, society is failing us.
“Where are churches and other houses of worship? We need hearts that care. The government is this big bureaucracy [that can’t do everything]. We need people in our community to adopt children, be mentors, or come alongside a mother or father that are single parents. In Virginia, we have passed legislation where you can get a good job through a leadership certificate program in cybersecurity or medical technology. It doesn’t take a four-year degree. You can go to a community college for free, learn a trade.
“Plumbers are making $80 an hour. Electricians, truck drivers, carpenters. My grandfather grew up during the Depression. He said, ‘A college degree is wonderful, but get a trade.’ That’s what got him through the Depression. So, you can have a good job without having $48,000 that it takes to go to college. We need to stop shaming our children and let them be whatever they want to be. If you have a law degree, and your toilet is not working, you’re going to need a plumber. I had a school superintendent say to me, ‘Winsome, you can get your BA, your MA, and your Ph.D., but after a while, you’re gonna need a J-O-B.'”