In this episode, Monique Newton shares how she came to understand the significance of local politics growing up in Sacramento, California. Now a Ph.D. student specializing in urban politics, Monique crafts a compelling narrative from her formative experiences to her burgeoning research agenda and work as an educator. Monique and Mara talk about the tensions that can exist between descriptive representation and substantive representation, and Monique graciously offers words of wisdom for all of the students, teachers, and professors who are grappling with how to discuss police violence against Black bodies and challenge white supremacy culture. Ultimately, Monique shares her deep appreciation of the right to vote—a right that was so fiercely contested and fought for—but also recognizes it is only one step in bending the arc of the moral universe towards a more just and equitable world.