Massachusetts State Senate Session for Farewell Addresses

 

Senator Jamie Eldridge’s Tribute to Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz

Monday 12/12/22, Senate Chamber

 

Madam President, I rise today with the great honor of saying a few words about our colleague who is a tremendous advocate for change, a fierce fighter for social, economic, and racial justice, and a true friend, the lady from Jamaica Plain, Sonia Chang-Diaz, representing the 2nd Suffolk District.

I do so with a tremendous amount of admiration and awe for her, a great respect for how she carried out her work, a deep gulf of sadness, and a treasure chest full of wonderful memories.

Those memories began sometime in the winter of 2008, after a young Latina who I had only read about, who had won an upset Senate race in Boston, arrived at the State House to meet a State Representative from Acton, who also had just gotten elected to the Senate.

As a member of the House who had an isolated backroom office all the way down in the basement, already wondering about what was possible in the Massachusetts State Senate, I walked up to the lobby of Room 33, to see Senator-elect Sonia Chang-Diaz seated in one of the chairs wedged in between the main door and the front desk, and formally held out my hand to introduce myself to her. She quickly responded, “Come on, how about a hug?”

From that warm welcome, the lady from Jamaica Plain and I developed a fast friendship, a strong partnership in the Senate, and a comfort level to initiate, as she often says, “Good trouble.” If I remember correctly, it was the “In-state Tuition Caucus,” yes?

Madame President, on a day when we are saying farewell to 5 colleagues, I want to uplift two questions that I think runs through our minds a lot as legislators – “What are we here for? And “How do we know that we are having an impact?”

I would suggest the answers to these questions include three basic elements:

First, to serve our constituents.

Second, to earn the respect of our colleagues and advocates.

And third, to contribute to setting on a path of fundamental progress in society that makes a dramatic difference in people’s lives.

14 years ago, the Senator from the 2nd Suffolk made her vision clear, in a Senate that looked and felt very different from today. A laser focus on education inequities, and the power and moral obligation of investing in our children, our teachers, and our public schools; speaking out for those who live in the shadows of life, who have no or little political power in the corridors of Beacon Hill, and fighting for racial justice for Black and Brown people across Massachusetts.

Madam President, the true beauty of a legislative body, especially the Massachusetts State Senate, is the collaboration amongst members, how every elected official contributes in some way to creating change that impacts the lives of residents, how we collectively react to the unexpected realities of historical events, social movements, and outside forces that inform and influence public life and make history.

Taking all of these contributions and impacts into mind, what I believe is that Sonia Chang-Diaz, or as I often call her, SCD, has made a material impact on where the Commonwealth of Massachusetts stands today:

On education, we are now two years into the most significant investment in K-12 public schools in a generation and headed into a legislative session where we will have billions more to invest in education across Massachusetts. The lady from Jamaica Plan took a commission that, like most commissions, was likely to collect dust on a shelf, into a powerful grassroots movement that will get Massachusetts that much closer to a right laid out in our state constitution, that “Wisdom and knowledge, as well as virtue, diffused generally among the body of the people, is seen as being necessary for the preservation of their rights and liberties” – and is already asking for more.

In a Senate body just a decade ago that was open to attacks on immigrants, and the poor, as well as often having a failure to recognize that crime is often the result of concentrated poverty, institutional racism, and isolation, today we proudly have made strides in criminal justice reform and police accountability, and stand in support of families new to our country finally having the support of state government, including now having the peace of mind and security to get to work and to take care of their families with dignity. And we have a firm commitment now that every piece of legislation, every budget, is looked at through the lens of racial equity.

The Senator from the 2nd Suffolk District, by fighting for what is right, by advocating for her constituents, by taking her personal experiences into her battles on the floor of this chamber, to one on one conversations with members, to speaking out at rallies and protests, to attending countless community meetings and often quiet dialogue with anguished parents and activists in her Senate office, has put forward this vision that offers hope, real, tangible results, and a casting of our eyes to what is possible for the future.

Finally, directed directly to you Sonia, I want to say thank you for your true friendship, whether backing me up in my own policy passions, always inviting me to your house to spend time with your wonderful family, for your persistence in asking the tough questions about whether a particular piece of legislation made sense, and for assembling a consistent set of brilliant staff that worked day and night to carry out a progressive vision for the Commonwealth, that I know me and my staff truly enjoyed and treasured.

Whatever day is your last day leaving your office, walking through the halls of Beacon Hill, passing through the tunnel to the State House garage, headed home to JP, I’d like you to know that when I think of you, three quotes come to mind:

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” — Margaret Mead

“The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.” ― Dante Alighieri

“It is possible to become discouraged about the injustice we see everywhere. But God did not promise us that the world would be humane and just. He gives us the gift of life and allows us to choose the way we will use our limited time on earth. It is an awesome opportunity.” — Cesar Chavez

Sonia, from the bottom of my heart, thank you again, I wish you only the best, and I know that whenever I see you after today, I will always get a big hug.

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