When Monica Montgomery Steppe When she was two years old, she told her family to stop calling her Pumpkin. Her name, she tells them, is Monica.
It is this self-confidence that has carried Montgomery, a city councilor, to great heights throughout her young political career.
Never one to back down their values or beliefs, board member candidate and county supervisor joins Dear San Diego to discuss her motivations; his love for music, government and community; and why it’s important for her, and people like her, to be at the table.
“There are many racial disparities across the board, and we shouldn’t defend them – we should actively oppose them. Daily,” Montgomery said in the episode. “My vision for this region is that every person who wants to be successful, every person who wants to do well, every person who wants to feed their children, every person who wants to live well in San Diego should have the opportunity to do so, we should have the choice to do so. And right now, that choice just isn’t the same for everyone.
She is expected to win the Nov. 7 county supervisor special election to replace Nathan Fletcher. If so, she would leave her position as a San Diego council member representing District 4, which includes the communities of Chollas View, Emerald Hills, Encanto, Lincoln Park, Mountain View, Paradise Hills and others.
His constituents need a strong voice at the table. Otherwise, she says, they will be neglected.
Although the challenges Montgomery faces as a Black woman representing Southeast San Diego are long, she draws on her hope and faith as she pursues her goal of ensuring opportunities are available to all who wish it.
The Dear San Diego podcast with Tony Manolatos and Juan Hernandez is produced by JC Polk of Olas Media at the digital branding company’s studios in Mission Valley.
