Booker T is interested in politics, and has his eyes set on being mayor of Houston, Texas.
Speaking to Sports Illustrated, Booker Huffman, better known as Booker T, talked about what his candidacy will be about. He feels that his goal is to help those in need, and for people to see what kind of heart he has.
"I want the citizens of Houston to see my heart,” said Huffman. “The parts of life that drive me are getting that homeless person off the street and helping people receive the education they deserve. I want to be able to help the ones that want the help, but also guide the ones who don’t so they are also in a better position.”
Huffman has had a tough past, serving time in prison as a young adult. He wants to help people who are in disadvantaged situations learn that there's more to life and wants to help them find a way out of their current situation.
"I want the citizens in Houston to know that you might be in a tough situation, but that does not determine whether you will always stay in that situation,” said Huffman. “I found myself committing a crime, getting convicted and going to prison. There are dues to pay after that. I had to gain trust all over again and rebuild myself."
“You need to be able to pick yourself up, and I learned about resiliency and perseverance," he said. "How do we tackle life, day by day? I want to help people tackle another day for their family, and our future generations need us to learn how to resolve problems."
Another thing he wants to focus on is youth. He wants to hear what the younger generation has to say on a number of topics, even suggesting a youth summit that would talk about what kind of changes need to be made.
"How many times have you heard, ‘Respect your elders’?” he asked. “Quite a lot, I certainly hope. But how many times have you ever heard, ‘Respect the young people’? Now that’s a problem. Young people can solve problems better than a lot of the old guard, and we need to tap into it. I want to create a ‘Young Person’s Summit.’ What changes do we need to make? I want young people to also be part of that process."
The next time Houston will elect their mayor will be in 2019.
