In 2022, video footage of a great-grandmother foiling a robbery outside her California home went viral. Faye Taylor could be seen charging out of her home and throwing a cane at a man who was allegedly trying to steal an elderly woman’s purse.
Now Taylor, 77, who works as a longshoreman at the Port of Oakland, says she’s running for Oakland City Council, District 3, after witnessing what she says is an uptick in crime in her community.
Taylor says that though her house has always been the “Kool-Aid” house of her neighborhood, a gathering place of sorts for young people, she’s never shied away from keeping kids in line.
“You got to act like you have good sense around me,” Taylor told ABC News in an interview Monday.
She’s hoping to be an example of that good sense to her district by saving her alma mater, McClymonds High School; providing housing and services for the homeless; resources for youth and education; services for senior citizens and reducing crime.
“West Oakland needs help,” Taylor said. “I grew up in West Oakland elementary school, junior high and high school here. So, I could see the changes I need. I know what needs to be done.”
One of Taylor’s goals is to make sure residents of the district do not go hungry. She hopes to provide food for the West Oakland homeless population and for local students who may otherwise have to manage on empty stomachs, like she did as a kid.
“I feel so dedicated to the homeless people, as far as food is concerned, because I was hungry when I was a kid. So that stays with me,” Taylor said. “I don’t believe that anybody should be going to bed hungry and so it’s just something that I’m dedicated to.”
When things got rough for her family, Taylor said, the pastor at the church she attended would make sure food got delivered to her family’s door. She says that the way he took care of her family still inspires her to try and take care of her community in a similar way.
“Just try to be neighborly. Watch out for your neighbors and surroundings, even for your personal self, because so many things have been happening lately,” she told KGO when the near-robbery happened in 2022. “Not just in Oakland, but all over the world. Just be aware of your surroundings. That’s all I have to say about that,” she said.
