It’s Never Too Late To Be a Force for Change

When I was elected in 2016, I became the first Black LGBTQ person to serve in Colorado’s General Assembly, and I decided to do things a little differently. I have worked hard to be a force for change ever since, fighting for a more just and equitable Colorado. And guess what? You can be a force for change too.

My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together.

Real education means to inspire people to live more abundantly, to learn to begin with life as they find it and make it better.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

Openness may not completely disarm prejudice, but it's a good place to start.

Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth.

Love takes off the masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within.

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.

Black communities must look to the past to provide the light for our future by embracing the rituals, traditions, and healing modalities of our ancestors. These ways of knowing require decolonization of thought and practice.

Challenges, Demands, and Staying True

Listen to Leslie’s incredible story and learn:

Why representation is so important in politics and policy-making
How to be an effective advocate for your community
What a more equitable and just society can look like for all of us

Download the full PDF transcript of Rep. Herod’s talk:

February 2022 Timely Topic Transcript

State Representative Leslie Herod

Representative Leslie Herod was elected in 2016 as the first openly LGBTQ African American in the Colorado General Assembly. Since then, she has passed over 100 bills, addressing criminal justice reform, mental health, addiction, youth homelessness, and civil rights protections.

Some of her signature work includes:

Ending cash bail for minor offenses
De-felonizing drug possession
Giving every Colorado newborn a $100 college kickstarter account
Providing free menstrual hygiene products to inmates in Colorado’s prisons and jails
Passing a comprehensive police accountability bill following the highly public murder of George Floyd, and the nationwide movement that followed

In addition to winning reelection in 2018, Herod championed a ballot initiative, Caring for Denver, that raises $35 million annually for mental health and substance abuse treatment and services for children and adults. Herod serves as Chair of the House Appropriations Committee and is a member of the powerful Joint Budget Committee.

Learn More about Leslie:

Title	Sub-Title	Author	Content
Leslie Herod's TEDx Talk	Why I Supported Providing Tampons To Every Female Inmate	TEDx	Watch on YouTube
Leslie Herod Feature Article	State Representative Leslie Herod Has a Story to Share	5280 News	Read the Article
Black Wellness Influencers to Follow	13 Black Women In Wellness Share What Wellness & Self-Care Means To Them	The Good Trade	Read the Article
Vegan Black-Owned Businesses	A Guide to Vegan Black Owned Businesses - 2022 Black History Month, "Black Health and Wellness"	VegNews	View the Guide
Timely Topics Committee and Contributors: Terry Rubin, Janis Pluss, and Jane Gwin

More About Leslie
Leslie Herod's TEDx Talk
Leslie Herod Has a Story to Share
Vegan Black-Owned Businesses
Black Wellness Influencers To Follow
Timely Topics Committee and Contributors: Terry Rubin, Janis Pluss, and Jane Gwin

WE ARE

It’s Never Too Late To Be a Force for Change

Challenges, Demands, and Staying True

State Representative Leslie Herod

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