LaTonya Tate
City Council Member
Birmingham, AL
Birmingham, AL USA
“Whimpering won’t get you anywhere. You can’t whimper and think you’re going to get results.”
Videos
By Roadtrip NationLaTonya Tate
Milestones
My road in life has been direct.
I grew up in North Birmingham, Alabama.
After high school, I went to community college, became a licensed practical nurse, and worked in healthcare for over 15 years.
When my son got into trouble and was incarcerated at 19 years old, I had no knowledge of the system in order to help.
I decided to get into law enforcement and spent nearly 10 years as a probation parole officer for the state of Florida.
As I learned more about the criminal justice system, I found myself wanting to become more involved with reentry.
I struggled to find a job in reentry until being accepted into the Open Society-U.S. Soros Justice Fellowships program—I was one of 16 people selected out of almost 2,000 applicants!
I started the Alabama Justice Initiative in 2018 with the mission of activating people directly impacted by the criminal justice system in order to end mass incarceration.
In addition to my work with Alabama Justice Initiative, I decided to run—and was elected—for Birmingham City Council because I wanted to have a greater impact on my community.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Associate's Degree
Licensed Practical Nurse
Bevill State Community College
Licensed Practical Nurse
Bevill State Community College
Career
City Council Member
I work to dismantle mass incarceration and racial injustices through policy work and civic engagement.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Politics
Government
Helping People
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Peers:
"Nobody knows you. Where did you come from?"
Challenges I Overcame
Family Stress
Interviewed By
Being Free
Formerly incarcerated people find purpose
