“We all have a social responsibility and have to be mindful of what we do and say.”
― Aja Brown
“Seeing people decide to choose love instead of hate is phenomenal.”
― Aja Brown
“Some people don’t have a home or a place where they can cook a warm meal, and so we’re thankful for the generosity of YG and the 4Hundred Waze Foundation to feed the community in the city of Compton.”
― Aja Brown
“I think when people think of Compton, of course, they always think of gangster rap. But if you ever had an opportunity to go to Compton, you would know that Compton is a beautiful city.”
― Aja Brown
“I have always believed women have so many natural leadership qualities. They just need opportunities and access.”
― Aja Brown
“Sometimes, growth isn’t always equal to success. You may fall forward and continue to make some mistakes, but it’s all about growth and really finding the lessons that needs to be learned in order to get to the next level.”
― Aja Brown
“Children in urban communities suffer from post-traumatic stress syndrome in higher proportions than veterans, and they need therapeutic outlets, which arts and drama has proven to provide.”
― Aja Brown
“Gentrification is a problem of poor planning.”
― Aja Brown
“An effective leader is able to reach people in their natural environment and extract their experiences and knowledge about the issues that impact them.”
― Aja Brown
“When we look at the investment decisions into the city of Compton, the small business community and global corporations and retailers and all of those types of services that decide to come into the community to serve it, they look at the perception, how does the brand work with the local community.”
― Aja Brown
“Having a diverse council is necessary in order to make sure that all constituents are represented well.”
― Aja Brown
“I thought I could make change by just working at ground level, but to change a community, you have to change policies.”
― Aja Brown
“Political positions do not belong to the officeholder; they belong to the people that place us in office.”
― Aja Brown
“I think every leader must possess vision, and they absolutely have to have a heart of service.”
― Aja Brown
“I didn’t have a traditional college experience. I didn’t have a social aspect to it. I was always involved in working and going to school.”
― Aja Brown
“There’s so many opportunities, economically and socially, and just the location advantage and all the great institutions that are here, that this community is definitely poised for a huge revival. And so, when I think about Compton, I think about redemption.”
― Aja Brown
“My heart is really in building coalitions.”
― Aja Brown
“When I was a kid, I thought I would be an entrepreneur and maybe at some point go into law school.”
― Aja Brown
“I’ve always understood that, as a woman and as a person of color, I would always have to work harder; I would have to have thicker skin. I would have to be more mindful of my reactions, the way I spoke to people.”
― Aja Brown
“People who come from Compton – they’re overcoming so many challenges that most people don’t have to overcome, but that creates special tenacity and different skills that you just can’t manufacture.”
― Aja Brown
“Compton is this amazing place with a rich history. I see it as a new Brooklyn.”
― Aja Brown
“I’m very tough. Come to a council meeting, and you’ll see it.”
― Aja Brown
“I research best practices and recipes for success and failure to craft personalised policies for my city.”
― Aja Brown
“I actually grew up in the City of Pasadena.”
― Aja Brown
“I’ve always been calm, and I’m very good in a crisis.”
― Aja Brown
“From a planning perspective, I thought Compton was phenomenal. It has a huge potential to be a great city, and I always bet on the underdog.”
― Aja Brown
“The Compton I knew was from my mother, and it was beautiful. It was this close-knit community, and people cared about one another, and it was safe.”
― Aja Brown
“Progress comes at a price. You have to be willing to make tough calls and take the hits.”
― Aja Brown
“I think there is always room for improvement.”
― Aja Brown
“I knew I would work in a community that I would like to live in, but I had no idea that I would ever go into politics, even though some of my classmates thought I would.”
― Aja Brown
“Compton looks a lot of different. Residents are now able to go out and grab a bite, go to dinner, go to Target, Best Buy or a gym or Marshall’s. We’re now able to experience more amenities. I want to see that grow.”
― Aja Brown
“Compton is a much safer Compton than it was in the ’80s. People play in parks. People aren’t afraid to be out at night.”
― Aja Brown
“I think – everything just in the political realm – women are usually perceived to be more trustworthy and compassionate. And they usually fare well against their male counterpart.”
― Aja Brown
“I believe the people of Compton are ready for change. They’ve spoken. Their voice has clearly been heard that they don’t want to go backward. They want to go forward.”
― Aja Brown
“Kendrick Lamar is a phenomenal artist whose work has served as a catalyst to raise a new level of consciousness for this generation. His message challenges the status quo and motivates listeners to rethink our society’s institutions.”
― Aja Brown
“I believe Kendrick Lamar is not only an artist but an influencer of an entire generation. He represents Compton with great pride, and I am honored to present him with the Key to the City, which symbolizes our deep appreciation for his philanthropic work and commitment to our community.”
― Aja Brown
“Kendrick Lamar represents Compton’s evolution, embodying the New Vision for Compton – Purpose, Prosperity, and Progress.”
― Aja Brown
“The perpetuation of gangster rap has really put a negative image on the city of Compton… So I look forward to addressing that image, changing it and making it more accurate.”
― Aja Brown
“I really see Compton as a place with a lot of opportunity. It has a rich history, a strong community that has a strong sense of pride.”
― Aja Brown
“I think Dr Dre really evolved and really is a great role model for young people that have had to survive and thrive against all odds. He was able to turn his life around and create an empire and become a successful family person.”
― Aja Brown
“In California, they’re not making any more land. And with the high cost of land, from a business standpoint, being able to move your goods quickly and cheaply makes Compton an attractive place to be.”
― Aja Brown
“I think Compton is a really attractive place for young families.”
― Aja Brown
“The days of pay-to-play politics is over.”
― Aja Brown
“My husband is actually biracial. He is Caucasian and African American. And my brother’s fiance is Latina. So we have a colorful family.”
― Aja Brown
“I think we are living in an age where we really need to have bilingual leaders so that we can communicate with our constituents.”
― Aja Brown
“There’s always some difference between your Latino and African-American communities. But we definitely have more similarities than differences.”
― Aja Brown
“It’s critical to be able to see things in other people that sometimes they don’t see in themselves.”
― Aja Brown
“I know what it takes to move cities forward. It’s not about rhetoric and great speaking, but it takes relationships.”
― Aja Brown
“I dedicated my career to really working in under-served communities and really just being in the trenches.”
― Aja Brown
“I think Compton is definitely a part of my, my family history – a part of me.”
― Aja Brown
“The only difference between Compton and other cities is the ZIP Code, you know, and the mindset – it’s just really about challenging people to take ownership of our community.”
― Aja Brown
“It’s almost hip to, you know, be from Brooklyn or to live in Brooklyn.”
― Aja Brown
“People are taking a second look at Compton or rethinking what they believed to be true. Even the rap stars who helped established Compton’s reputation worldwide are older now, and even their images have evolved.”
― Aja Brown
“The Resource Center will be able to map all of the resources in and around the Compton community while providing customized assistance that will be a vital asset to improving our ability to service our youth, adults, and families.”
― Aja Brown
“Thank you to Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Universal Studios, and the Grammys for telling the story of what Compton was and is becoming.”
― Aja Brown
“The majority of people, especially young people, know Dr. Dre because of Beats by Dre, not necessarily from him being a rap artist.”
― Aja Brown
“We’re asking that the Compton citizens have a zero tolerance policy against violence.”
― Aja Brown
“I don’t think it’s my job, single-handedly, to fix anything. I think it’s my job to have a vision and have a plan that is reasonable and workable and get as many people to the table to effect change as possible.”
― Aja Brown
“I was raised by a single mother. We were definitely below the median income of our area.”
― Aja Brown
“It’s all about making sure kids can have access to educational opportunities… you may not need a necessarily traditional college environment, but access to trades and employment development.”
― Aja Brown
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