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Paul Perez was born and raised in the South Bronx. After completing high school, he decided to attend Buffalo State College, where he is now completing a graduate degree in Public Administration. He currently works for the City of Buffalo, serving as the Coordinator for the Save Our Streets Task Force. In his role, he oversees two crucial programs: Operation Clean Sweep and the BAWDY House Program.

A longtime supporter and ally, Perez recently sat down with Open Buffalo to share a picture of the city, through his eyes.

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Open Buffalo: Where did you grow up?

Paul Perez: I grew up in the South Bronx [New York City]. If I was to compare it to Buffalo, it would be the equivalent of the Fillmore District, high in poverty, health issues, STDs, violent crimes, and a lot of social issues, but that was home and it still is to me. My family was born and raised there and it exposed me to an environment that does not support growth. I grateful for all of the life lessons, trials, and tribulations that I went through, because it granted me the strength to succeed. Unfortunately, I was one out of the few; I still have a lot of friends and family that are still in the day-to-day struggles and grinds. Change, development, and gentrification have transformed neighborhoods that were once ours.

OB: How did your upbringing shape the leader that you would one day become?

PP: I think I am still trying to become that leader. Hopefully, God willing, I can make it. Growing up in an environment in which you are not given the opportunities to grow and flourish due to a lack of resources in education, health, and extracurricular activities can have an impact on development. However, when you do find something you tend to hold onto it, and it means so much to you because it’s yours. The disadvantage of living there [South Bronx] became an incentive for me to want to do something different not only for myself, but for my community and to essentially become a change maker.

OB: Who has been the biggest influence on your life? What lessons did that person teach you?

PP: My mother, definitely, but then I would also say artists that I grew up listening to like Nas, Kanye West, Jay Z. Historical leaders like Toussaint L’Ouverture, Malcolm X, Arturo Schomburg, and Prince Hall definitely had an influence on me. One of the most influential things that still resonates with me is a saying from my mother: “Be a leader, not a follower.” That has always stuck with me and has had a tremendous impact on my life.

OB: Where are you currently working?

PP: I currently work with the City of Buffalo in the Office of the Mayor, specifically the Division of Citizens Services. I am the Coordinator of the Save Our Streets Task Force. I coordinate two programs: Clean Sweeps Program and the BAWDY House Program. The BAWDY is when a landlord or a property is receiving a high amount of 911 calls regarding drug trafficking and the community is complaining about drug trafficking. I open an investigation with the Buffalo Police Department, U.S. Attorney’s Office and the City’s housing council, and we analyze the situation to determine if there is drug tracking taking place. 

OB: How did you find your way to community work?

PP: In 2011, I completed the Urban Fellows Internship Program and really enjoyed it, because it allowed me to directly witness local government. During the program, I was wrapping up my degree in history and was debating if I wanted to become a teacher. The internship not only allowed me to become familiar with local government, but allowed me to see the way people interact with their government, and the impacts of connecting people to government services. As a result, I felt really inspired to want to continue the work. The person that gave me that opportunity was Director Oswald Mestre Jr. who gave me the opportunity to create some ideas and write some grants. That experience awakened a self-advocacy that I unaware of, and it made me want to pursue it.

OB: How would you describe your experience at the 2015 Movement for Black Lives convening?

PP: I had a great time! I mean it in terms of love and really feeling empowered to make moves in your community. People of different ethnicities and races attended the convening; we were all connected because we had the same mind frame and goal. We had different ways of how we wanted to achieve it, or perceptions as to which issues were more important, but collectively we all agreed that Black Lives Matter. It really had a positive impact on me and it was an honor and privilege to be a part of history in the making.

OB: What is your greatest accomplishment?

PP: To serve and to be a connector is my greatest achievement. I plan on utilizing my skill set to the fullest extend to help people achieve an equitable quality of life. It is not just about equality, but equity of services, and I pride myself on delivering that and bringing that to the forefront.

OB: Given your involvement with Open Buffalo’s Justice and Opportunity roundtable, what is one takeaway from the community policing survey process?

PP: I think that it is a great opportunity for people to come together and talk about their concerns. The Justice & Opportunity roundtable is creating a space in which the community can voice their concerns and collectively develop solutions. It is not about the executive director, coordinators or business leaders talking about the issues, but working with community members to collectively find ways to move forward and create real justice. 

OB: What are your hopes for the future of Buffalo?

PP: First, coming from NYC, I hope that we get a better transportation system. I am blessed with the luxury of having a car, but I don’t like to drive as much as I do. As a history nerd, I learned that Buffalo was the first city of lights and was heavily involved during the Pan-American exposition, so Buffalo has the potential to truly be that Queen City. I would love for the city to be the leader in community policing and renewable clean energy. There are a lot of great leaders doing work around climate, social and economic justice along with Open Buffalo, our mayor, and countless other organizations that are laying the foundation to move our city forward. I have a lot of faith, hope, and a desire to get this work done.

OB: When the work gets tough, what motivates you to keep going?

PP: The people. The logistics, managerial and day-to-day can be a little overwhelming, but I think that it takes time to develop a skill set. It is also important to get the pulse of the people that you are working with, since they have the experience in delivering a service. For example, the Clean Sweep program allowed me the opportunity to manage a public and private partnership and address a disfranchised community’s needs. To see the reactions of those community members that we are serving and the interactions of the volunteers delivering these services motivates me to keep me going.