Jevin D. Hodge

Well, I think it’s safe to say my MLB career is officially on hold. ⚾️ What an honor to represent the @evnaacp and throw out the ceremonial first pitch at tonight’s MLB Arizona Fall League game! Now, did the ball make it anywhere near the catcher’s mitt? Absolutely not. Clearly, I have some practicing to do! All jokes aside, grateful for this opportunity and excited about the partnership and the work ahead. Baseball may not be my calling, but bringing our community together certainly is!

Somebody bled so you could vote. Somebody is praying you’ll show up today. For our mothers fighting to survive. For our children who deserve to feel safe. For our ancestors who never stopped fighting. Vote like someone’s life depends on it. Because it just might. The future is watching. 🗳️🇺🇸

ARIZONA: Get off your ass and go VOTE. Story time.

The best leaders don’t just talk about change. They roll up their sleeves and make it happen. Incredible morning conversation with Dr. Richard Daniel, President of Mesa Community College, one of Arizona’s largest community colleges and an institution playing a critical role in shaping the future of our state. President Daniel is the kind of innovative, forward-thinking leader I deeply admire. Someone who understands that real leadership is about building partnerships, breaking down barriers, and creating opportunities for the communities we serve. I’m proud to partner with him on several exciting initiatives, particularly at the intersection of early childhood education, workforce development, and economic mobility. There is tremendous opportunity in connecting these efforts to strengthen families and build pathways to prosperity. Great things happen when leaders are willing to move beyond conversation and into action. Excited for what’s ahead!

Today, one of our greatest elders became an ancestor. And America lost a giant. Dolores Huerta was more than a civil rights icon. She was a freedom fighter, a movement builder, and a woman whose courage helped bend the moral arc of this nation toward justice. She stood in the fields alongside farmworkers who fed America but could barely feed their own families. She challenged powerful institutions, organized generations of activists, and reminded the world that dignity is not a privilege reserved for the powerful. It is the birthright of every human being. Her life’s work gave us more than the words “Sí, se puede.” She gave us the courage to believe them. I had the extraordinary privilege of meeting Dolores several times over the years, but one memory will remain with me for the rest of my life. In 2020, she believed in a young Black man running for the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. She lent her name, her voice, and her support to our campaign. When we lost that election by just 0.01%, she called me. And I cried. I cried on the phone with a woman who had spent her entire life fighting battles far greater than my own. A woman who understood that the struggle for justice is never defined by a single election, a single defeat, or a single generation. I will never forget that moment. I will never forget her kindness. And I will forever be grateful that someone who helped change the course of American history believed in me. Today, we mourn her passing at 96, but we must also recognize the extraordinary debt of gratitude this nation owes her. Every worker who has demanded dignity, every woman who has refused to be silenced, and every young organizer who has dared to challenge injustice walks a path that Dolores helped pave. The greatest tribute we can offer Dolores Huerta is not simply to remember what she fought for, but to continue the fight. Rest in power, Dolores. Thank you for believing in us. Thank you for believing in me. Your work on Earth is done, but your spirit will march with us forever. ¡Sí, se puede! Siempre. ❤️

Some of the greatest lessons in life aren’t learned in a classroom. They’re learned from the people who take the time to invest in you. Always a joy catching up with my dear friend and mentor, Dr. Kris Vijay, an internationally recognized cardiologist and leader in cardiovascular medicine. One of the best in the world. Over the past decade, Dr. Vijay has taught me more about medicine, healthcare, and the human heart than I could have ever imagined. I may not have a master’s degree in cardiology, but I’ve had the privilege of getting a degree from the master! Grateful for his friendship, mentorship, and the exciting work we’re doing together to build healthier, more informed communities. The best relationships don’t just change your life. They empower you to change the lives of others.

Strong men build strong families. Strong families build strong communities. I’m honored to be featured in AnchorMEN, a powerful documentary exploring the importance of faith, leadership, brotherhood, and the role men play in shaping the next generation. Grateful to Jerry Woods for his vision and commitment to creating space for conversations that too often go unspoken. This Wednesday, I’m inviting men across the Valley to join us for a special screening and an opportunity to connect, reflect, and grow together. 📍 Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church, Phoenix 📅 Wednesday, October 28 🕡 6:30 PM Learn more: anchormenministry.com Our communities are stronger when men show up. Let’s show up together.

770,000 Arizonans started college but never finished. That’s not just a statistic. That’s 770,000 stories of potential waiting to be realized. We spend so much time asking how to get students into college. We need to be just as focused on helping them finish. The future of Arizona’s workforce, economy, and communities depends on it. Proud to join Isaac Abbs of Pima Community College in today’s Arizona Daily Star to make the case for a more connected, responsive higher education system. Because student success shouldn’t depend on who knows how to ask for help. It should depend on our willingness to listen. Read our op-ed below. 👇🏾 tucson.com/opinion/column/ar… #HigherEducation #StudentSuccess #Arizona

This is what international trade and diplomacy look like in action. 🌎🇦🇷🇺🇸 Proud to work alongside Doug 🌎 Bruhnke and The Global Chamber to facilitate a meaningful conversation between U.S. Senator Mark Kelly’s office and an Argentine delegation led by Sergio Aladio, President of FUCEIT and a prominent labor and transportation leader. FUCEIT is advancing important conversations around economic development, infrastructure, innovation, and international investment. Great partnerships begin with meaningful conversations. Grateful to help build bridges between Arizona and Argentina, strengthen international relationships, and turn dialogue into opportunity. Construyendo puentes, creando oportunidades. 🇦🇷🤝🏽🇺🇸 #GlobalTrade #EconomicDevelopment #Arizona

Today, I walked into a classroom where one little boy will never return. And my heart broke all over again. I sat with his teachers. I cried with his teachers. We remembered a beautiful four-year-old boy who loved school, who brought joy into the classroom, and who had an entire lifetime ahead of him. There is something unbearable about seeing a classroom full of life and knowing one precious life is missing. His little classmates are still learning what it means to say goodbye. His teachers are trying to find the strength to carry on. And his family is living a nightmare no parent should ever know. At Booker T. Washington, we don’t just educate children. We love them. We become family. And when we lose one of our babies, a piece of all of us goes with him. We will honor his life. We will remember his joy. And we will never forget the little boy who left such a big imprint on our hearts. Please consider supporting his family during this unimaginable time. Support here: gofund.me/f6a39bf06 Rest peacefully, sweet boy. You were loved beyond words. 💔

My heart is shattered. I can’t stop crying. Tonight, I received the call that no education leader should ever have to receive. One of my children died. Four years old. Just four. A whole life that was supposed to be lived. A first day of kindergarten. A first crush. A first kiss. Prom. Graduation. Dreams that hadn’t even been dreamed yet. All gone. Tonight, a parent is going to bed without their baby. A family is facing a pain that no words can begin to describe. And one of my teachers will have to stand in front of a classroom of four-year-olds and somehow explain why their friend isn’t coming back. How do you explain that to a child? How do you make sense of something so cruel? At the Booker T. Washington Child Development Center, these aren’t just students. They’re our babies. We love them. We nurture them. We dream about who they’ll become. And tonight, one of our babies is gone. I am heartbroken. I am angry. I am devastated. And I cannot stop crying. Please, if you have the means, consider supporting this family as they navigate the unimaginable: gofund.me/4af76c646 And tonight, if you can, hold your children a little tighter. A family in our village will never get that chance again.

Student success cannot be the responsibility of one institution, one organization, or one sector. It takes an ecosystem. This Thursday, I’m proud to join my good friend and brother Jordan Stein and the team at EdSights for an important conversation about how Arizona can build a more connected student-support ecosystem. We’re bringing together leaders from higher education, state government, and the community to talk about a simple but urgent question: How do we make sure more students are seen, supported, connected, and given the opportunity to succeed? Grateful to represent the NAACP East Valley Branch in this conversation alongside an incredible group of Arizona leaders, and even more grateful that Arizona can help contribute to a larger national conversation about what student success should look like. Join us Thursday, October 8 at 1:00 PM Arizona time. Because when students fall through the cracks, our job is not to blame the student. It is to build a stronger bridge. intel.edsights.io/how-arizon…

Happy Hispanic Heritage Month!

Viva México! 🇲🇽 🇺🇸 Honored to join mi hermano, Consul General Jorge Mendoza Yescas, and our community in celebrating the 216th anniversary of Mexico’s Independence and the powerful tradition of El Grito. Arizona and Mexico share more than a border. We share history, culture, friendship, and a future. Viva México! 🇲🇽🇺🇸

One of our elders has become an ancestor. George Dean was the kind of leader whose impact reached far beyond a title. His decades of service strengthened Phoenix, advanced our community, and helped shape generations of leaders, including me. Today, NAACP East Valley honors his life, his leadership, and his legacy. Rest in power, Mr. Dean. Your work lives on with us.

I come from a union family. So for me, Labor Day has never just been a holiday. It is personal. My grandfather has given more than 45 years, and counting, to the APWU. My uncle has given more than 30 years, and counting, to UFCW. I grew up understanding that a union card represents more than a job. It represents dignity. Security. Brotherhood and sisterhood. And the belief that working people deserve a voice in the future they are helping build. America runs because working people do. Teachers. Nurses. Postal workers. Grocery workers. Firefighters. Construction workers. Public servants. The people who clock in every day, raise families, serve our communities, and keep this country moving. I love the labor movement because I love working people. And I will always stand with the people whose hands, backs, minds, courage, and sacrifice power this nation. Happy Labor Day. ✊🏾🇺🇸 -JDH

One of our elders has become an ancestor. Gloria Steinem was more than an icon of the women’s movement. She was a freedom fighter, a relentless believer in equality, and a reminder that the work of justice belongs to all of us. One of my favorite memories is sharing coffee with Gloria in New York in 2018, near her brownstone in the Upper East Side on 73rd Street. I had recently been elected Vice Chairman of the Arizona Democratic Party, and I remember being struck not by her fame, but by her fire. After all those decades, she was still curious. Still hopeful. Still ready to fight. When I introduced myself, I told her I was the son of a single mother. She looked at me and said, “That respect you have for your mother is going to carry you throughout your life.” I have never forgotten it. Neither have I forgotten what Gloria’s life taught generations of us: progress is never inevitable. Somebody has to insist upon it. Somebody has to organize for it. Somebody has to keep going. Thank you, Gloria, for showing us how. May we honor our ancestors not simply by remembering what they fought for, but by picking up the work they left behind. Rest in power. 🕊️

Congress should vote NO on the CLARITY Act unless its major anti-corruption and illicit-finance loopholes are fixed. Crypto regulation is overdue, but weak regulation can be worse than no regulation at all. Transparency International U.S. warns that the bill leaves dangerous gaps involving: - DeFi, mixers, and anonymizing services 
- Offshore crypto platforms 
- Money laundering, sanctions evasion, and illicit finance 
- Public-official conflicts of interest, including officials and their families profiting from crypto ventures
 These aren’t hypothetical risks. Transparency International U.S. has documented crypto’s use in schemes involving sanctioned governments, terrorist financing, hackers and corrupt officials.
 And no elected official, Republican or Democrat, should be able to regulate an industry while personally profiting from it. Congress should establish strong rules for cryptocurrency. But the CLARITY Act as written doesn’t get the job done. Close the loopholes, or reject the bill.