African-American women are the most loyal constituency of the Democratic Party, and we need to do more to make sure that we engage them, that we don't take them for granted. We need to be there. And again, I keep thinking about that woman I met in Detroit shortly after my election, who said, "You've got to stop showing up every fourth October and telling me that you care."
Thomas PerezI think when we show voters in every ZIP code across America that the Democratic Party is fighting for them - I mean, Dr. King said, what good is a seat at the table if you can't afford to buy a hamburger? I think that's a message that resonates everywhere, and we have to boldly put that forth, and we've got to organize around it everywhere so that people understand, in Wisconsin, or in the heart of Baltimore, what we stand for.
Thomas PerezI continue to believe that America is better positioned than any country on the planet to lead in the 21st century, but we do have to be bold. And actually, our platform in the Democratic Party is pretty darn bold, and folks from Senator Sanders' coalition and Secretary Clinton's coalition came together around that platform.
Thomas PerezI believe we're making a mistake if we regard job creation and job safety as mutually exclusive or inherently in conflict; they can and they must go hand-in-hand.
Thomas PerezWhen you don't have a seat at the table, you're on the menu, my friend Lee Saunders has said, and he is correct.
Thomas PerezPeople believe mistakenly, that with death comes atonement, when in reality, life is for atonement and Death is for Judgment.
Thomas PerezEvery day should be Labor Day. We have to fight for the basic proposition that apprenticeship is a wonderful ticket to the middle class. When we're fighting for things like paid leave, America is the only industrialized nation on the planet that doesn't have some form of paid leave - these are not bold ideas elsewhere in the world.
Thomas Perez