Downtown Phoenix native Lawrence Robinson has been in tune with the city’s history, politics and diverse population for most of his life.
As a child raised in a politically active family, he learned about the city’s history from the first black female lawyer in Arizona: his grandmother. Robinson eventually found himself in leadership positions as well.
Robinson is running to fill the District 8 City Council seat that was vacated after Kate Gallego stepped down to run for mayor, a race which will be decided on Nov. 6. However, the election for the vacant city council will happen in March of next year.
Robinson, with prior positions in educational and LGBT organizations and experience in helping pass the city’s anti-discrimination protections, hopes to bring progressive ideologies to Phoenix City Council to promote a better quality of life for people from all backgrounds.
On the issues
Robinson has built his campaign on supporting the protection of historic buildings, promoting business ownership for women and underrepresented communities, and “creating transit and connectivity” through trains, busses, and promoting technologies like fiber optics to get broader internet connection.
Robinson said that historic buildings are critical to preserve in downtown Phoenix because they are important markers of the city’s past, including the city’s mistakes and triumphs.
Some historic buildings in downtown are tied to the city’s segregationist and homophobic past. Robinson said to tear those buildings down would hinder the ability to reflect and learn from them.
“I think if you forget your past, often you’ll make the same mistakes in the future,” he said. “And if you don’t remember, this was a city that was segregated. This was a southern city where … gay people were pulled out of the first gay bar in Phoenix up until the 70s and beat by cops with batons.”
Robinson also supports the South Phoenix light rail extension.
“I think it makes commutes quicker and makes working-class families’ lives easier,” he said.
Robinson has served on the Roosevelt School Board District and thinks schools should stay open later to accommodate working-class parents who can’t pick up their kids.
“I think that they should stay open… so that parents have childcare options that don’t make them go broke,” he said.
Robinson said that he plans to fund urban development through public financing in order to get “near zero” rates of interest. He said this would create a downtown that is safe and desirable for all people “to get together, communicate, and build a city that’s vibrant.”
His background
Robinson’s family has many political ties in the city. His mother was the head of daycare licensing for the state, his father was the president of Phoenix’s Black Chamber of Commerce, and his grandmother served in Phoenix’s court system.
Robinson has been a board member of Equality Arizona and Planned Parenthood. He drafted an anti-discrimination ordinance for the city of Phoenix on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, or any other factors that may be cause for discrimination.
Jennifer Longdon helped Robinson pass the anti-discrimination ordinance. She is also running for the state House of Representatives District 24. She said the ordinance was largely based on Robinson’s vision.
“Lawrence was the chief architect, I think it’s fair to say, of the language for that ordinance,” she said.
Robinson believes the community will pay attention to his campaign because people are tired of being divided and will support someone who promotes bringing people together.
“I’m not talking about things that scare us,” he said. “I’m talking about ways that we can all move forward and have better opportunities in this city.”
Contact the reporter at eswhitfi@asu.edu.
