CULTURE

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ‘AOC’ Covers TIME

Collier Schorr

The young democrat socialist made headlines last year and now she is on the next cover of ‘TIME’.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez aka AOC is the youngest women to be elected to Congress and she made headlines after she won the primaries last summer. This week, TIME announced that AOC is going to be on their next cover. The cover is absolutely powerful. AOC took to Instagram to reflect on her come up.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A year ago I was waitressing in a restaurant while organizing my community. In a time and place where we had been burned by so many politicians, and had grown deservedly cynical of the sad, familiar cycle of campaign promises and governance excuses, I was asking them, just once, to believe. . It was really hard, because how do you make that case? How to ask someone whose trust has been violated over and over to believe you? To believe in the movement for justice and economic dignity? . You show up. You give unconditionally. You show up when no one is looking and the cameras are off. You offer support when it’s risky, but necessary. You do it over and over again, without a need for recognition or expectation that you are “owed” something for doing the right thing. You just… engage in the act of loving your community. . Never in my wildest dreams did I think that those late nights on the 6 & 7 trains would lead to this. All this attention gives me a lot of anxiety (my staff fought to get me to agree to this cover, as I was arguing against it), and still doesn’t feel quite real, which maybe is why I remain comfortable taking risks, which maybe is a good thing. . I believe in an America where all things are possible. Where a basic, dignified life isn’t a dream, but a norm. . That’s why I got up then, and it’s why I get up now. Because my story shouldn’t be a rare one. Because our collective potential as a nation can be unlocked when we’re not so consumed with worry about how we’re going to secure our most basic needs, like a doctor’s visit or an affordable place to live.

A post shared by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@ocasio2018) on

The TIME interview is an amazing read and you get an inside look at AOC’s rise. You can read it here.