A deli kid’s homage to her parents is reflected in her life
Growing up as a deli kid, my childhood was often shaped by the people my parents encountered in their store on the Upper East Side of New York City, the highly educated and white-collar professionals they viewed as having achieved success only made possible by the American way of life. It became ingrained in my parents as they sliced ham and tossed salads that many sacrifices would have to be made to propel their daughter towards a better life with the privileges they could not directly provide. The challenging choices they have had to embrace over the years so I could stand here today were countless. Reminders of their unyielding effort and hard work remain etched across our household to this day.
Through it all, the greatest lesson my parents imparted to me is straightforward but perhaps the hardest to uphold faithfully: Fight fiercely for what you are due and keep your heart intact for what is just. As a result of their steadfast care, I have found myself walking through closed doors across hallways into worlds unfamiliar and new and crossing paths with mentors, colleagues, and friends who have embraced me for what I have brought to the table in full form. I am reminded in my current chapter of how fortunate I am and have been to learn from some of the best in my profession who have proactively strived to set me and others up for success as professionals in our own right, and more importantly, they have taught us that the right decisions must be made in the right way for the right reasons. I am deeply grateful to those who have shaped me into the advocate and person I have become.
In my journey, I have also faced instances where the lesson gifted to me could not be realized, and these instances have driven my decision to pursue civil rights and public interest work full-time. It has become my mission to fight for accountability by helping create a world where abuses resulting from the pursuit of profit and power at the expense of all else are disallowed and remedied effectively. To make society’s fundamental commitment to fairness lasting, total mutuality is required: Powerful interests must be held responsible for their misconduct and misuse of authority, and due process and proper recourse must be guaranteed to those aggrieved.
I hope the fruits of my work in this chapter and beyond, as carried out with a village, will exemplify the fullest extent of alleluia sung in embrace of my parents’ sacrifices, that have made this beloved life of mine possible.
