(ThyBlackMan.com) In todays society there are many questions regarding whether our young people care about what’s going on in the world. Many of their predecessors feel they are out of touch and more focused on personal success. However, that is not the case. There are many young people in our communities taking a stance of public service, and they have bright ideas coupled with the drive to make change. In Washington D.C., 19-year-old, Michael Woods is poised to be the change in his city as he has embarked on running for mayor. We had an opportunity to sit down with him and talk to him about his experiences running for mayor and the how his age has affected his campaign.
TBM: What knowledge have you gained while running for mayor?
MW: The knowledge I gained most was hearing people out and learning the interests and concerns of the residents. That has been the most influential part of my campaign. Listening is just as important as talking to people. There are a lot of issues, and people are frustrated with how things are with politicians and government. There are a lot of false promises, and the politicians lose focus of who really got them to where they are now. My parents always told me 
never forget the people that have gotten you to where you are. A lot of people I have talk to say this is what we are lacking, and so I bring sincerity to the table. That’s one of major things I have been building off; as I campaign I promise that if I become mayor one thing I will do is stay sincere and not forget the people that have gotten me to where I am.
TBM: Being 19, and still in school, what do you say to D.C. residents to bolster their confidence because of your age which, to them, may equal a lack of experience?
MW: People ask me about a lack of experience and I tell them throughout this campaign I have gained so much experience. I tell them you are the experts of your community, and I always go off the campaign slogan “Help Me Help You”. I know I don’t have all the answers. When I talk about experience one of the main things I have been campaigning on is working together. For example: if you have the ability, I have the money and someone else has the staff we put it all together we have ability, staff and money. When I talk to people I really want to get their feedback and insight. When I talk to older residents I don’t do much talking I asking what do you see? What is going on in your community, and how can I help you? What do you see as some solutions? That ties into the “Help Me Help You”; we all have some passion to do something in our community so let’s work together. I may be lacking in something you know of, but if we are working together I’m not lacking in anything. Alone I can only do so much, but together we can do a lot.
TBM: What do you feel public servants owe their constituents?
MW: We have lost being public servants and that ties into the lack of sincerity. Politicians are the best actors; some of them know how to act like they care about what’s going on and the people. Once we regain that sincerity we have to stop the catalyst that is money from being a focus. A lot of times money becomes an influencer for our politicians, and its time we stray from money and politics. I know it sounds like an ideal, but I want to make it a reality. Once we introduced money to politics, I feel, all the issues became money focused. Once we take the money out of politics and bring back the sincerity in it then I feel we can more effectively serve the people who elected us, trust and depend no us to have their best interest.
TBM: What are your long terms goals in terms of your future?
MW: Other than being mayor my long-term future goal is to be a civil rights lawyer. I want to go to law school, and that’s what I want to do other than running for mayor. In being a civil rights lawyer, I want to help people and give back to the community.
TBM: What would you tell another young person that aspires to run for public office?
MW: From the beginning off my campaign one of the things I have been trying to do is break the stigma around Millennials. The one that says we don’t care about what’s going on, we don’t care about the current state of affairs and are not doing anything. I try to lead by example, so I would say to someone else: don’t be afraid to stand up for an issue. Don’t get tied up in the criticism, and don’t let what other people say about you being “too young” to run for office discourage you. If you have a goal, and issue you are passionate about, and you want to run for office to do something about it I say go for it!
If we want young people involves in community change we must empower them to that end. It is important to remember that many of the civil rights leaders we admire began as college students. Michael Woods dares to make positive ideals a reality, and for that he deserves our attention and support as he endeavors to create change in a community he loves. We will definitely keep an eye on him and the progression of his campaign as he moves closer to the general election in November.
Staff Writer; Christian Starr
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