On the day of the election, I reaffirm my commitment to justice

I am very grateful for the opportunity to run for the 34th District. This campaign has provided my supporters, staff, volunteers and myself with an amazing opportunity to listen to thousands of voters in the heart of LA. I’m a community organizer at heart. And over the last 20 years, I have dedicated my career to protecting the rights of working and middle class families, advocating for immigrants, and advancing policies for social and economic justice.   

From an early age, I have sought leadership to make a difference in my community.  Whether it was leading a high school walkout against proposition 187 advocating for immigrants, or taking on my University President as a student leader for justice for professors, or taking on President Obama’s deportation program. I have always led with courage for nearly two decades.  In the process of taking on the most powerful over the years, I have built many friends and strong allies, but also foes and enemies. I became an Executive Director of a regional non-profit and a manager at the early age of 26. Over the past decade I have learned and grown, never compromising on my values to build important organizations and campaigns designed to make a difference for social and economic justice causes. 

{mosads}As a professional I have managed more than a hundred employees, often making critical hiring and difficult firing decisions. I have worked to be a manager that strives for equity, and I am proud to have worked alongside, hired and worked under many talented women, men and members of the LGBTQ community.  Many of these individuals are true leaders in our movement, and many remain my friends and teachers to this day.  Others, both women and men I have worked with, because of my hard-nosed, hands on, and tough work personality, I cannot say the same.    

In various jobs, and literally hundreds of campaigns I have been called many things, but never reaching what has come up in the last few days.  In the final days of the campaign, the issue of sexism – an issue deeply rooted in our political and economic system – has been raised. And simply clearing up these accusations and moving forward with my life is not sufficient because of my core values and beliefs.  I would like to take this opportunity to speak with you not as a candidate, but as a fellow resident and Angeleno.

My parents raised my family in a very traditional Mexican immigrant household, which I am very proud of. And growing up I saw sexism and male privilege deeply embedded in our culture. It was a norm.  This is no different than what you see in White America. And while I realize that I directly benefit from male privilege, I have learned that it’s my responsibility as a man and an advocate for justice to fight misogyny and sexism both in policy and in practice.

Fighting to dismantle the structures that uphold sexism and becoming a better ally is very important and deeply personal to me. I have a daughter, committed supporters, and inspiring and powerful women that surround me. I am committed to doing everything possible to be a better leader and create a better world for these people, especially my daughter who I, like all parents, want a better life for than my own.

I do believe that we need to respect the courage that it takes to speak out about harassment and the culture of toxic masculinity. I call on my supporters to do the same. 

Just a few days ago, supporters of my opponents issued strong statements against my candidacy, my character, and while I strongly deny the accusations against me, I do agree that we must reflect on the culture of our institutions and create space for voices to share their concerns. 

During the Bernie Sanders campaign, I managed a large and diverse staff, and whenever questions or criticisms emerged, we dealt with them within the leadership team. Could the process have been better? Yes. There were broader systemic issues of leadership integration and equity that I had little control over. Looking back on it now, I realize that more could have and should have been done to speak out and advocate for change and play a larger role in improving a culture of equity.  But I have and will continue to lead with integrity and an uncompromising commitment to improving the economic and social conditions of my community. That’s why I joined the Sanders campaign and hired the best folks that I could. 

Self-reflection always tells us we could do better–and I am committed to growth and improvement. As a member of this movement I commit to continue listening to the voices of  those who are willing to allow me to grow as a person, as a leader and as an activist.  And I commit to fighting sexism and harassment at every opportunity throughout my career.  

Arturo Carmona is candidate for California’s 34th District

The views expressed by this author are their own and are not the views of The Hill.