Today we’d like to introduce you to Christian Baker
Hi Christian, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My story traces back to my early childhood. For as long as I can remember, I have always had a passion to care for others. In Elementary School, I would always defend my friends whenever someone tried to mess with them. Although I faced consequences, I knew that my friends would never be messed with again and they knew that I had their back. What I did not know, was that those early moments would inspire and shape the course of my life for years to come.
Having the opportunity to live overseas in Germany and Japan played a very important role in where I am today. These years helped me understand how I could respect cultural differences to learn from others and expand my perspective on life. The moment that you feel you’ve learned enough, is the exact moment that you’ve reached your ceiling.
As I have grown over the years, one thing I have realized is that life is all about satisfying your inner childhood. It can be as simple as watching a show or movie you once loved, to the complexity of fulfilling your dreams and growing up to be everything you promised yourself that you always would be. Your story is your story for a reason.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Definitely not – no road or path in life is worth traveling if it keeps you comfortable. Being uncomfortable leaves room for growth and we all know that there is no such thing as achieving greatness without growth.
To get to this point in my life, I had to overcome the biggest obstacle that I could ever possibly face: myself. Having to face and be honest with myself was not easy, but it was imperative if I wanted to reach my full potential. I kept confusing my preference with God’s purpose for my life. One thing that I can honestly say is that even when I confused my preference with God’s purpose, I always had a plan for what I knew I wanted to do with my life – I just had to be still enough to trust it. When you have a plan, you never panic, nor do you let your struggles have the say-so over your life. We often hear about the glamour of success stories from successful people, but we do not internalize the biggest factor that made them successful: they just kept going. Failure shall never overtake you if your determination to succeed is strong enough; that determination must be stronger than any doubt, hate, negativity, or procrastination.
I knew that my passion had always been to help others. I just needed to align that passion with my plan in order to reach the purpose that God had for my life. I call those the “3 Power Ps, in that order: Passion, Plan, Purpose.” I challenge you to find the happiest person you know; I can assure you that they are living their purpose with the plan they executed through their passion.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am currently a Congressional staffer on Capitol Hill. I was introduced to the political world while an undergraduate student at Florida A&M University (FAMU) in Tallahassee, Florida. What a time it was with such great people. I went to school with smart, driven, and trailblazing individuals who also will go on to change the world in their respective career fields. I always tell people to speak life into their friends, you never know what your positivity might inspire them to do or be. At the same time, I also advise them to never “sleep” on their friends either.
I will never forget the day I attended a 4/20 Marijuana Legalization panel with former Florida Governor Charlie Crist on behalf of the Upsilon Psi chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. During the panel, I spoke on the history of the criminalization of Marijuana and how it perpetuated generational systemic trauma in Black and Brown communities by separating fathers from their families. I woke up the next day to find that I was featured in a Florida Politics news article. I did not know how to feel because I never considered myself being “political” or a “politician.” I care about people, and I knew how important it was to tell the truth about what people who look like me experience daily, but never have the opportunity to be in certain rooms to have their voices heard. This day always humbles and reminds me to stand and represent a cause greater than myself no matter where I go.
Ironically, in my first political job, I interned as a Political Fellow for Governor Charlie Crist months after the 4/20 panel. This was a memorable experience, and it allowed me to meet people who continue to do great things. Immediately after, I began interning for Florida State House Representative Dianne Hart of Tampa as her student intern; this is where my unexpected love for Tampa began. During this tenure, Rep. Hart was not only my boss, but she treated me like family. While interning for Representative Hart during the 2023 Florida Legislative Session, I noticed a negative trend of political extremism – so I acted on it. I began organizing students from FAMU and Florida State to participate in marches, protests, legislative committee hearings, informational seminars, press conferences, panel events, and more to help draw attention to legislators who were attacking our educational, human, and civil rights. On campus, I used my position as a Student Government Senator to invite the University of California Los Angeles’ Student Government to stand in solidarity with ours, calling on legislators to come to their senses for human decency.
While in undergrad, my advocacy led me to collaborate and share rooms with trailblazing leaders such as Reverend Al Sharpton, Roland Martin, Attorney Ben Crump and others. I worked with the largest teacher union in the country, American Federation of Teachers (AFT) to share my organizing story and inspire my peers while building bridges to find common solutions with older generations. As an Undergraduate Representative appointee for the 7th District Florida Statewide Organization of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc., I had the opportunity to sit on the planning committee for the 84th National Grand Conclave in Tampa, Florida: “A Conclave with a Purpose” that attracted the most members in fraternity history.
After graduating in December of 2023, two weeks later I began interning for U.S. Congresswoman Kathy Castor of Tampa, Bay in her Washington, D.C. office on Capitol Hill as a spring intern. This was a full-circle blessing to still be able to serve the constituents of Tampa. After my internship concluded, I began interning for House Foreign Affairs Ranking-Member Congressman Gregory Meeks. This was truly a dream come true, and this is currently where I have just been hired as a full-time Congressional staffer. Shout out to NY-05 and our entire staff! It is a blessing to be able to work with them each day and they know how much I love doing so.
Thus far, I am most proud of the impact and legacy that I left at my university. What I accomplished was never for recognition, reward, or credit. I just wanted students to know how important it is to be informed and civically engaged on political issues that directly can affect them and their families. I prioritize impact over recognition and morals over money. I am also proud of helping students realize the importance of using their platforms for a purpose. What good does it do to have a platform without ever using it to help make someone else’s life better when you have the ability to do so? Through my work, I hope that I showed my peers that presence is power, but consistency creates real change. In life, we are not defined by what we do on occasion, but by how we show up and continue to show up. The goal should always be to create movements and not just moments – because moments fade, but movements last forever.
What sets me apart from others is that I never feel a need to have a title to make a difference. I know that I do not have to be the President, Vice President, CEO, etc. of an organization to make a change. As long as I find an injustice somewhere that I want to shed light on with my passion behind it, and a breath in my body – that’s enough for me. Another thing that sets me apart from others is the fact that I do not sit around and complain when I see something that I do not like – I take action. It is easy to talk about the problems, but finding the solutions make it worthwhile. Finally, my journey is what sets me apart from others. I might not have always had the highest GPA to obtain as many opportunities as others, but my work ethic and passion for making a change is undeniable – so it is not by mistake that I stand where I do today.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Books have helped me reach some of my highest and most peaceful moments in life. I always tell people that they should be reading several books at once: one for spiritual stimulation, one for financial literacy, one for nostalgic pleasure, and one for your passion!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @_chrisbakerr
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AJc5_MDv90
- Other: https://www.tampabay.com/news/education/2023/03/16/desantis-diversity-ban-universities-florida-famu/
