blackfashion:

Svante Myrick, at age 24 is the youngest mayor in history of Ithaca.

In an interview with NBC News’s Kate Snow for Rock Center, Myrick describes growing up homeless, his father a crack addict, and his mother, Leslie, worked multiple low-paying jobs to support the family. “(My mother) went above and beyond. She sacrificed everything … She saved our lives,” says Myrick.

Growing up poor helped shaped Myrick’s political beliefs — he supports local food banks and free lunch programs, stating that they were the reason his family got by.

Myrick, who is biracial, says he’s been inspired by another biracial politician: Barack Obama. “Well, if this, you know, guy with that name and those ears can do it, then a guy with this name and these ears can do it,” Myrick told Snow.

via huffingtonpost.com