Chirlane McCray

“When you become first lady, it's like, 'O.K., now what do you do?'”

“I like to go to the subway and hear what people are thinking and feeling and what their concerns are. You learn so much that way. You really do.”

“A very tiny percentage of people with mental illness are also violent. We know this. The constant linking of the two together in national media is so misleading.”

“Government is not just about maintaining the status quo. It's about helping people's lives to work.”

“Some people are just quiet - they don't need to be talking all the time and aren't extroverted, but they're not necessarily afraid to talk. I'm not really a shy person.”

“Domestic violence is much more prevalent than people realize.”

“Violence against women is a huge issue. A good feminist should be working on that - making the world a safer place for girls and women, wherever they live.”

“It's tough to be a mother. At any age. It's tough. It's a lot of work.”

“I have the advantage of many perspectives as someone who has lived in different kinds of communities: as a woman, as someone who previously identified as a lesbian, as someone who is a person of color. I've had a lot of life, so that informs what I do.”

“I wish I had more time to read.”

“I was a lifeguard, camp counselor, the president of the YMCA Leaders Corps. I also took piano lessons. I was a dancer.”

“Symbols are important. It depends on how they're used.”