Jumaane Williams is a progressive activist who’s worked to change policing for years. He’s also New York City’s public advocate, its highest elected official after Mayor Bill de Blasio. He’s been a fixture at New York protests for years—from Occupy Wall Street to Ferguson to Eric Garner—and he thinks this moment could be different, if Americans are willing to have an honest conversation.
Listen to his interview with Edward-Isaac Dovere here:
Subscribe to The Ticket on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or another podcast platform to receive new episodes as soon as they’re published.
What follows is an edited and condensed transcript:
Edward-Isaac Dovere: So you refer to yourself as an “activist elected official.” Can you explain what that means?
Jumaane Williams: I very intentionally didn’t want to drop my “activist” title. I was told very often that I was too much of an activist. That I had to change when I got to the council, that I had to be different. And I always said the best elected officials are activists.
Dovere: You have been arrested in protests. You went to trial. That is not the usual thing that we get out of politicians.
Williams: I believe in using every tool in the toolbox. I’ve always been a believer in Kingian nonviolence. I believe that civil disobedience is a tool that is necessary at times. I believe I have some privilege. I’m a cisgendered straight male. I’m an elected official. And I believe the more privilege you have, you have a responsibility to try to protect folks. And I use every tool. Particularly in a time like this, if you’re still comfortable, you’re not doing enough. And we have to make ourselves uncomfortable in a time like this.