As a biracial woman born to teenage parents—a Mexican-American mother and African-American father—I inherited rich cultural legacies from both of them. My mother Elaine Calderón, a West High graduate, college activist and daughter of a migrant farm worker, had me on the picket line at four years old, fighting for better working conditions for the United Farm Workers.

My father, Dempsey Pugh, Jr., earned his GED and was a U.S. Army veteran. His sister Opalanga Pugh immersed me in the traditions and celebrations of the Black community. I have a large extended family, and we attended both Denver public and Catholic schools. I am a graduate of North High School, where I was a member of the tennis and debate teams.

Unfortunately, growing up, I also experienced the brutality of poverty and discrimination. I lived in public housing, and I endured the traumas of generational abuse, homelessness and, later, interpersonal violence. I am a survivor.

As a young single parent, I struggled to make ends meet and put food on the table. Despite attending college full-time while also working as many as two part-time jobs, I turned to public assistance and public health programs to support my son. I was determined to overcome the discrimination and stigma of poverty, while also providing him with a safe and secure home.

I ultimately graduated from Metropolitan State University with a Bachelor’s degree in English. After I had my daughter, who is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, I attained my Master’s degree in Liberal Studies, focusing on Native American Studies, from the University of Denver. I later earned my law degree from the University of Colorado Boulder School of Law. Finally, I acquired my Doctorate in Education from the University of Colorado School of Education and Human Development. I am currently the Executive Director of Emerge Colorado where we recruit and train, democratic women to run for office, and I’m also a faculty member at Regis University and CU Boulder.

I have known what it feels like to not have my voice heard. Because of this, for over 30 years, I have fought for the rights of women, people of color and those on the margins of society to be treated equally and fairly.

As a nonprofit executive, I have managed staff and managed the city of Denver’s reentry program serving thousands re-entering and unhoused people with supportive services.

I have built programs to protect victims of violence and to rehabilitate offenders to create safer communities.

As a justice reform advocate, I have worked to reduce mass incarceration, while also training, law-enforcement on best practices, regarding gender, cultural, and trauma-informed responses.

It’s time to reimagine Denver. We need to move away from false choices: renters vs owners, housed vs unhoused, drivers vs bike riders, etc. Multiple truths can co-exist. We need both affordable housing and green spaces; community safety and police reform; and multimodal transportation options. Together, we can reimagine a city that works for all of us.