Person to Know: Marcus Nelson

If you have spent any time at the YMCA in the center of Needham the last seven years, then you may know who Marcus Nelson is. For the few of you who pay attention to local politics, you would know that Marcus is running for Needham’s Select Board*. I was able to learn about his personal background, his work in Needham, and his plans for the future through a phone call a couple of weeks ago, and here is what I learned: 

Marcus is a natural when it comes to local politics. He has lived in Needham for the last seven years, and he worked at the Charles River YMCA in Needham for six of them as a fundraiser and soccer coach. Currently, he serves as the director of membership sales and service at the Greater Boston YMCA. Marcus said that “my service to others is a big part of my purpose.” He has a passion for helping people achieve their goals, such as providing youth scholarships and raising over $1.2 million for local YMCA programming. He is also a member of both the Needham Human Rights Committee and Needham Unites Against Racism. Marcus believes that there is value in every person, no matter their age, background, or ability. Working at the Y gave him “a platform to reach people,” and he believes that on the Select Board he can expand his work to help even more people. Marcus was also raised by single, Black women -- one of whom is a member of the LGBTQ+ community. He believes that his experiences growing up gave him a “unique way of connecting people and understanding different perspectives.” 

Marcus was specifically motivated to run for Needham’s Select Board by a series of realizations that demonstrated to him that Needham was ready for change, but the town was not necessarily prepared to do the hard work and the right work. He realized that “There were no leaders that looked like me,” and then realized that he could be the one to take Needham’s commitment to diversity to the next level. Marcus represents the change in perspective that many people are looking for in a politician, and which Needham could use in making the town a better place for everyone. 

It is really hard for youth to engage with the government because we cannot yet vote. But Marcus believes that every voice matters, especially that of young people. He has spent a large part of his career working with young people, and he has discovered that a person “can be a genius at any age.” Marcus wants to be the person that young people can go to with their ideas for how to make the world a better place. He stated that “if you aren’t listening to the people who will be running the country one day, then you are doing something wrong.” He continues to be impressed with the passion that young people have for making change, but he added, “if we just complain about it, what’s that going to do?” That said, it is important to start engaging with your local government even before voting age. Marcus explains that it is important to know who you can turn to when you need to get something done, because the decisions that the town makes directly affect our day-to-day lives. 

Obviously, the best way to get involved in the political process is to vote on Tuesday, April 13th. Local elections get historically low turnout rates, but you can be the person to change that trend. Sadly, a lot of you cannot vote because you are too young. Since Marcus has spent so much of his career working with youth in the community, I asked him what we can do to create the change we want to see in this world without voting. His response: “if you can’t vote, find five people who can” and tell them to go vote. Otherwise, he encourages you to read up on all of the candidates and stay on top of who can best support your needs. For those who really want to get involved, they can volunteer for their favorite candidate by phone banking and holding signs at polling places on April 13th. Marcus truly believes that every voice matters, and he would want me to tell all of you that “just because you can’t vote doesn’t mean you can’t make change.” 

*If you would like to learn more about Needham’s Select Board and the elections, please see this article.