--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If not for food stamps, Medicaid, and…" description: "\"If not for food stamps, Medicaid, and various job programs, I would never have gone on to be the first in my family to go to college, the first black w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b02/nina-turner-3107_city_if-not-for-food-stamps-medicaid-and-vari_8050.jpg" --- # If not for food stamps, Medicaid, and various job… ![“If not for food stamps, Medicaid, and various job programs, I would never have gone on to be the first in my family to go to college, the first black woman to represent my ward on the Cleveland City Council, and, ultimately, a State Senator.” quote by Nina Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b02/nina-turner-3107_city_if-not-for-food-stamps-medicaid-and-vari_8050.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b02/nina-turner-3107_city_if-not-for-food-stamps-medicaid-and-vari_8050.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b02/nina-turner-3107_city_if-not-for-food-stamps-medicaid-and-vari_8050.jpg) > “If not for food stamps, Medicaid, and various job programs, I would never have gone on to be the first in my family to go to college, the first black woman to represent my ward on the Cleveland City Council, and, ultimately, a State Senator.” [Nina Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-turner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Public assistance enabled her to break socioeconomic and racial barriers, leading to historic political achievements. **In simple terms:** Social safety nets can launch leaders. Key Takeaway Support programs can catalyze upward mobility. Themes social mobility racial representation public policy education political empowerment Mood hopeful determined Type personal testimony political narrative When to use this quote - low‑income student seeking college - first‑generation political candidate - community leader overcoming barriers Key Concepts food stamps Medicaid job programs college access Practical Applications - Designing inclusive welfare policies - Mentoring first‑generation students Questions to Reflect On - How might expanding safety nets affect future leadership diversity? - What obstacles remain for similar trajectories? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [City](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/city/) [City council](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/city-council/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food/) [Woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woman/) ## Related quotes > [When I got to Grinnell College, I was part of the black turtleneck sweater and Camel cigarette crowd of poets and writers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-coyote/when-i-got-to-grinnell-college-i-was-part-of-the-black-turtleneck/) [Peter Coyote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-coyote/) > [When I became the first woman to represent the state of Texas in the United State Senate, it was with the help of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-bailey-hutchison/when-i-became-the-first-woman-to-represent-the-state-of-texas-in-the/) [Kay Bailey Hutchison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-bailey-hutchison/) > [There seems to be a notion that a single woman can't represent the interests of mothers. Frankly, there were plenty of Republican members of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neera-tanden/there-seems-to-be-a-notion-that-a-single-woman-can-t-represent-the/) [Neera Tanden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neera-tanden/) > [I am a black woman, last time I checked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-turner/i-am-a-black-woman-last-time-i-checked/) [Nina Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-turner/) > [The problem with the Democratic Party is, we're like, 'If we just get another presidential candidate in there, everything will be OK.' We should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-garcetti/the-problem-with-the-democratic-party-is-we-re-like-if-we-just-get/) [Eric Garcetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-garcetti/) > [And I would like to have a good, productive relationship with members of the City Council, but I'm not going to allow them to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-lightfoot/and-i-would-like-to-have-a-good-productive-relationship-with-members/) [Lori Lightfoot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-lightfoot/) > [It's so worth-while being a judge, because, if I make good, I can help prove that a woman's place is as much on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florence-ellinwood-allen/it-s-so-worth-while-being-a-judge-because-if-i-make-good-i-can-help/) [Florence Ellinwood Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florence-ellinwood-allen/) > [If the City Council wants to hold the police accountable, it has the subpoena power and oversight responsibility to do so. They don't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sal-albanese/if-the-city-council-wants-to-hold-the-police-accountable-it-has-the/) [Sal Albanese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sal-albanese/) > [People have got to show up, showing up at meetings, rallies, marches, City Council, courtrooms. You've got to show up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-nader/people-have-got-to-show-up-showing-up-at-meetings-rallies-marches/) [Ralph Nader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-nader/) > [Since being elected to the City Council, I have been unwavering in my commitment to address issues uniquely impacting women and girls and advance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayanna-pressley/since-being-elected-to-the-city-council-i-have-been-unwavering-in-my/) [Ayanna Pressley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayanna-pressley/) > [Open your mind up to things that have no connection with the problem you're trying to solve: subscribe to an unusual magazine; spend a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-von-oech/open-your-mind-up-to-things-that-have-no-connection-with-the-problem/) [Roger von Oech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-von-oech/) > [“Back in the days when there were still things to boast about, the city council erected a sign beside the road at the entrance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fredrik-backman/back-in-the-days-when-there-were-still-things-to-boast-about-the-city/) [Fredrik Backman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fredrik-backman/) > [To Toronto City Council: The Sam The Record Man store and sign were important fixtures in Toronto's musical landscape as well as its Civic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geddy-lee/to-toronto-city-council-the-sam-the-record-man-store-and-sign-were/) [Geddy Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geddy-lee/) > [But when my mother ran for City Council, that was the moment when I knew I wanted to be a political reporter. Some reporters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-welker/but-when-my-mother-ran-for-city-council-that-was-the-moment-when-i/) [Kristen Welker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-welker/) > [What we should be doing is opening up this process much more, having a vote of the Legislature, the City Council, the state Legislature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-d-weiner/what-we-should-be-doing-is-opening-up-this-process-much-more-having-a/) Anthony D Weiner ## More by Nina Turner > [What happens to one directly happens to all indirectly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-turner/what-happens-to-one-directly-happens-to-all-indirectly/) [Nina Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-turner/) > [Every step of the way, life was hard. I was supposed to be a statistic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-turner/every-step-of-the-way-life-was-hard-i-was-supposed-to-be-a-statistic/) [Nina Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-turner/) > [I've proven myself a champion of workers' rights, particularly teachers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-turner/i-ve-proven-myself-a-champion-of-workers-rights-particularly-teachers/) [Nina Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-turner/) > [If workers are overworked, or companies hire temps at low wages, this fundamentally comes down to the quality of life for a person. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-turner/if-workers-are-overworked-or-companies-hire-temps-at-low-wages-this/) [Nina Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-turner/) > [Voter fraud is almost non-existent. People don't just show up on election day, trying to impersonate other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-turner/voter-fraud-is-almost-non-existent-people-don-t-just-show-up-on/) [Nina Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-turner/) > [It is imperative that Democrats take a stand and embrace Medicare for All and other progressive policies that address the needs of millions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-turner/it-is-imperative-that-democrats-take-a-stand-and-embrace-medicare-for/) [Nina Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-turner/) > [I'll never forget when I was running, when I was knocking on doors for my first office as I served as a Cleveland city…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-turner/i-ll-never-forget-when-i-was-running-when-i-was-knocking-on-doors-for/) [Nina Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-turner/) > [Real change begins with citizens registering to vote, becoming active and engaged in their communities, and casting their ballot at every election for those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-turner/real-change-begins-with-citizens-registering-to-vote-becoming-active/) [Nina Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-turner/) > [People don't wake up to go to vote and then have their ballot not counted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-turner/people-don-t-wake-up-to-go-to-vote-and-then-have-their-ballot-not/) [Nina Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-turner/) > [It's important for women to understand that it's bad enough that we don't make dollar-for-dollar what men do, but when you distill that down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-turner/it-s-important-for-women-to-understand-that-it-s-bad-enough-that-we/) [Nina Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-turner/) > [If we want to be the big-tent party, if we want to be the party that is seen as the party that really stands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-turner/if-we-want-to-be-the-big-tent-party-if-we-want-to-be-the-party-that/) [Nina Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-turner/) > [Often in America, access to the freedoms and privileges guaranteed under the Constitution are determined by ZIP code.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-turner/often-in-america-access-to-the-freedoms-and-privileges-guaranteed/) [Nina Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-turner/) > [I stand for all people even if it causes me political heartburn - and I'm going to do that no matter what my future…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-turner/i-stand-for-all-people-even-if-it-causes-me-political-heartburn-and-i/) [Nina Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-turner/) > [The overflow of big money in politics drowns out the voices of everyday people. That is part of the conundrum in America: The more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-turner/the-overflow-of-big-money-in-politics-drowns-out-the-voices-of/) [Nina Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-turner/) > [Democracy is stronger, is better, is more robust when people participate. We should want to encourage that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-turner/democracy-is-stronger-is-better-is-more-robust-when-people/) [Nina Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-turner/) [Explore all 139 Nina Turner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-turner/) ## More City quotes > [I've seen a lot of people come out of Carol City, but I had this distinct vision for Carol City, just me coming out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-curry/i-ve-seen-a-lot-of-people-come-out-of-carol-city-but-i-had-this/) [Denzel Curry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-curry/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [I've been to Manchester enough to know it's a real place. It's not Factory Records and the Smiths bicycling around. I get it. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-murphy/i-ve-been-to-manchester-enough-to-know-it-s-a-real-place-it-s-not/) [James Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-murphy/) > [Though 'Fat City' was written long before cellphones or the Internet, its human apparatus is state of the art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-dunn/though-fat-city-was-written-long-before-cellphones-or-the-internet/) [Katherine Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-dunn/) > [I get paid to play, to win, to give the city pride, so maybe everybody can forget for a little while how hard life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-cunningham/i-get-paid-to-play-to-win-to-give-the-city-pride-so-maybe-everybody/) [Randall Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-cunningham/) > [In my first 100 days as Ontario's Minister of Transportation, I found a willing municipal partner in the City of Toronto that shares our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-mulroney/in-my-first-100-days-as-ontario-s-minister-of-transportation-i-found/) [Caroline Mulroney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-mulroney/) > [Even after my family moved West, I would come back to Long Island as a teenager, stay with aunts and go to the city…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/everlast/even-after-my-family-moved-west-i-would-come-back-to-long-island-as-a/) [Everlast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/everlast/) > [We all got driven out of Manhattan. It was a very conducive place for artists when I was growing up, and now it's definitely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaby-hoffmann/we-all-got-driven-out-of-manhattan-it-was-a-very-conducive-place-for/) [Gaby Hoffmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaby-hoffmann/) > [I was always attracted most to joining City, and I am pleased to be at such a good club with such a big ambition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edin-dzeko/i-was-always-attracted-most-to-joining-city-and-i-am-pleased-to-be-at/) [Edin Dzeko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edin-dzeko/) > [“Poor people do not go on holiday; they go home.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/poor-people-do-not-go-on-holiday-they-go-home/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [I know of not one Republican candidate that would not appear publicly with Mitt Romney and I know many Democrats that don't even want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-sessions/i-know-of-not-one-republican-candidate-that-would-not-appear-publicly/) [Pete Sessions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-sessions/) > [We have an obligation at the local level to do everything we can with the resources we have. And we do those things. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-wheeler/we-have-an-obligation-at-the-local-level-to-do-everything-we-can-with/) [Ted Wheeler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-wheeler/) > [I didn't know the city at all, but I was so happy to be in New York I cried. I was so excited.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-gerwig/i-didn-t-know-the-city-at-all-but-i-was-so-happy-to-be-in-new-york-i/) [Greta Gerwig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-gerwig/) > [I loved 'Chicago Code;' I watched that a lot. It was great because it really captured the city - I'm from Chicago, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessy-schram/i-loved-chicago-code-i-watched-that-a-lot-it-was-great-because-it/) [Jessy Schram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessy-schram/) > [Vienna is a handsome, lively city, and pleases me exceedingly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-chopin/vienna-is-a-handsome-lively-city-and-pleases-me-exceedingly/) [Frederic Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-chopin/) [Browse all 5,394 City quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/city/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If not for food stamps, Medicaid, and various job programs, I would never have gone on to be the first in my family to go to college, the first black woman to represent my ward on the Cleveland City Council, and, ultimately, a State Senator.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nina Turner" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-turner/if-not-for-food-stamps-medicaid-and-various-job-programs-i-would/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "City" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-turner/if-not-for-food-stamps-medicaid-and-various-job-programs-i-would/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b02/nina-turner-3107_city_if-not-for-food-stamps-medicaid-and-vari_8050.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b02/nina-turner-3107_city_if-not-for-food-stamps-medicaid-and-vari_8050.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b02/nina-turner-3107_city_if-not-for-food-stamps-medicaid-and-vari_8050.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If not for food stamps, Medicaid, and various job programs, I would never have gone on to be the first in my…” — Nina Turner", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Nina Turner", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-turner/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If not for food stamps, Medicaid,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-turner/if-not-for-food-stamps-medicaid-and-various-job-programs-i-would/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-turner/if-not-for-food-stamps-medicaid-and-various-job-programs-i-would/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```