Public Affairs Julian Castro, a Democrat, is running a national campaign in his quest to become the next President of the United States in 2020. He was born in San Antonio, Texas. Following high school graduation he attended Stanford University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and communications. He continued his education at Harvard University where he graduated from law school and would in due course start his own law firm. His political accomplishments include: 1) elected to serve on the City Council of San Antonio; 2) elected to serve as Mayor of San Antonio; 3) appointed by President Barack Obama to serve as the United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. The following are excerpts taken from an exclusive telephone interview with Presidential Candidate Julian Castro on August 13, 2019. Celeste: Secretary Castro, according to social scientists researching the well-being of populations regarding education, health, and the ability to earn an income AfricanAmericans and Native Americans in Iowa are not doing very well. Contextually, as President of the United States, what would you do to improve opportunities and results for education, health, and the ability to earn an income among these populations? Castro: Thank you for the question. I would boost the ability of under served communities, especially communities of color, to get a better education, a better job, and better healthcare by investing universal pre-K for three and four year-olds, incentivizing teachers to teach in some of the most challenging public school districts in our country and by making our public state universities, community colleges, and certification programs tuition-free. Also, by expanding Universal Healthcare based off of a Medicare system and by ensuring that every American can get affordable housing. I also know that it is not enough just to provide greater opportunity, we have to provide equal opportunity. That is why I would invest in antidiscrimination enforcement efforts when it comes to housing, when it comes to healthcare, and education so that no matter the color of your skin you’re able to avail yourself of a better education, better healthcare, and good housing. I’m proud that I am the only candidate that has also addressed some of the particular challenges for, especially the AfricanAmerican and Native American communities. For instance, I am the only candidate with a police reform plan because too often young Black men and young Native men are mistreated at the hands of police. My plan would improve our criminal justice system by creating more accountability for police officers who use excessive force and investing in community groups that are trying to mend riff between the police and communities of color. In addition to that,about three weeks ago, I released a plan to improve the quality of life of the indigenous community by investing in greater education and healthcare for tribal communities. Gary: The political divide in our nation seems to be growing and resulting in considerable consequences. What plans do you have for alleviating civil tensions while promoting a more united approach to addressing the problems of our nation? September 2019 The URBAN EXPERIENCE 37
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