At 6 p.m. on a work night, the Albany High School Little Theater saw more intergenerational mixing than it had in years. More than 200 people – parents, seniors, and teenage students alike – flocked to see Congressperson Lateefah Simon’s (CA-12) town hall on August 20th, one of two she held this August.

Lateefah Simon on the left, Albany Town Hall.

The evening began with a welcome from Albany Mayor Robin D. López, where he remarked on the unlikelihood of both his and Simon’s presence in politics. “Scale backwards a few decades in time to see people like me, the Congressmember…You wouldn’t see us in a town like Albany,” he said.

That sense of accomplishment carried through the hour as Simon introduced herself and her policies, applying her struggles as a single parent to her desire to fight against the Trump administration’s un-American actions in the House of Representatives ,“We have to fight fire with fire,” she said twice throughout her talk. “When we say elections have consequences, they absolutely do.”

During the question-and-answer period, the crowd pressed her with questions about the defunding of research and congressional redistricting in California and Texas. Simon voiced her support for research funding, a pressing topic for professor-filled Albany, as well as her belief that California redistricting is necessary. “We will fight these bastards in Texas,” she vowed.

Simon also reiterated her stance on the war in Gaza after being asked by members of the audience, including a frequent heckler. “People are dying in Gaza,” she said. “We can hold multiple levels of grief at the same time… I will consistently and always be a conscientious objector.”

The theater where Simon spoke was full the entire night, with a large showing from both Albany community members and residents of other parts of District 12. Susie Meserve, Albany resident and Albany Unified School District parent remarked, “I am super pleased that Lateefah Simon has energy and smarts and that her heart is very much in the right place.” However, Meserve also noted, “I would’ve really appreciated more encouragement to the audience to protest, call their reps, stand up…to help us figure out concrete ways to meet this moment.”

In addition to a large community turnout, the night was remarkable because of the turnout of young people, particularly Albany High School students. Caroline Turner, an 11th grader at Albany High also shared her thoughts. “It was amazing how many people were there, especially young people. [Simon] was very well spoken and impactful and I think she left many people feeling inspired,” Turner said.

–Margaret Montag