Lawrence Robinson for Phoenix City Council
District 8 is my home. I was born here and still attend the same church where I was baptized. As a child marching in support of recognizing the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday here in Arizona, I learned first-hand the importance of standing up for what is right in our community. The woman I called 'Granny,' the first African American female judge in this city and state, and my mother, a teacher, small business owner, and single mother taught me the value of hard work, education, and faith. My family and community have molded me and have always guided my passion to fight for this city.
Currently, I serve on the Roosevelt Elementary School District Governing Board and work as a law professor at the Phoenix School of Law. I’ve been a longtime advocate for our district, serving on the Community Engagement and Outreach Task Force - working to strengthen community relationships with law enforcement agencies - as well as working as a community liaison for Greg Stanton’s successful Mayoral campaign.
As your city council representative I will fight every day to bolster our district and the neighborhoods that lie at its heart. Every day I am reminded that strong schools are at the heart of strong neighborhoods, and certainly I would not have been able to do any of the things I have done without an excellent education. We must ensure the best educational opportunities for our residents – both young and mature – because they lie at the very heart of our future successes. I will work to improve our existing schools and campuses while also attracting new facilities to the area by offering the right incentives and utilizing smarter zoning practices. Together, these will build a robust “Educational Zone” within our district that will educate our residents, and in turn attract new jobs, more development, the revitalization of our neighborhoods, and the vital services and retail to the areas that lack them.
From supporting existing local businesses to opening new ones, from expanding Metro Light Rail into our district to fighting for new bus routes, I will be laying out my priorities for our district on this website over the coming weeks. I look forward to hearing your ideas too. You can contact me at robinsonforphoenix@gmail.com.