Growing up in a poor, single-parent household in North Charleston, South Carolina, a young Tim Scott became a successful businessman and leader.
Through the lessons taught by his mentor, Scott has a mission statement: to positively affect the lives of a billion people. That led him to public service, where he was elected to Charleston County Council, the South Carolina House of Representatives, the United States House of Representatives, and the United States Senate.
Q: How did growing up in a poor, single-parent household form your values as an adult and senator?
Growing up in a single-parent household, I watched my mother work to keep food on the table. She worked 16-hour days, and I knew she wanted to provide a better life for both my brother and me. I had to work hard in school because I learned that education was going to be the way for me (and my family) to overcome poverty. But watching my mother struggle throughout the years really taught me the value of hard work.
Around that same time, I met a great guy named John Moniz who later became my mentor. John taught me the importance of standing up for those who can’t stand up for themselves and of making a positive impact on those around you. He also taught me that having a job was a good thing, but creating jobs was even better. Having a mentor like John gave me the inspiration to start my own business someday to create jobs in my community.
Q: You've mentioned that your personal mission is to positively affect the lives of a billion people. How did you put that mission into practice?
My mother has always been the person that I’ve strived to be more like every day. Her willingness to sacrifice for my brother and I so that we could live out her American Dream fuels my passion to give back tenfold. There are so many ways that I have been able to work on my personal mission to positively affect a billion people with the message of hope and change.
When I was a business owner, I was able to create opportunities in the community, and as an elected official, I am able to do the same thing, just at a different level. Whether it’s Opportunity Zones or another piece of legislation in my Opportunity Agenda, I let my faith in the Lord guide my decisions so that I can be a better servant.
Q: As a senator for South Carolina, how have your experiences as an African American affected your policies and values?
My experiences have impacted my policies. With my JUSTICE Act, I put that together based on what was happening in the world and my own experiences. I know what it’s like to be stopped and treated unfairly by law enforcement. But I also know what it’s like being helped by law enforcement and what they need to do their jobs successfully.
Same thing with tax reform. When we put together the language for the bill, I thought of my mother who struggled as a single parent. We made sure that the changes we made to the individual code would help folks struggling as my mom had. I thought of myself as a youngster looking for new opportunities, and from there I created Opportunity Zones.
Q: What do Opportunity Zones do?
Opportunity Zones create an incentive for private investment in our nation’s most distressed communities. Anyone can start an Opportunity Fund, which is what the investments must run through, for a variety of purposes – from broadband access and infrastructure projects to providing capital for small businesses and entrepreneurs. We have seen $75 billion in private-sector dollars committed to zones across the country, including a project in South Carolina that will create at least 1,500 jobs in Hampton County.
Q: How do you plan to continue to "bring opportunity to every American family" in the future?
I am going to continue to work on legislation that helps create opportunities for American families – regardless of race or socioeconomic status. Besides my Opportunity Zones, I worked on legislation to create permanent funding for HBCUs, we helped farmers in South Carolina, and we’re working on broadband and connectivity issues. I also have my Opportunity Agenda which focuses on Opportunity Zones, quality education, bridging the wealth gap, empowering the innovation economy, and balancing the scales of justice.
Q: What else, in your opinion, can we do as a country to recover from the challenges of this year or heal as a nation?
The best way to heal as a nation is by making every effort to work together in unity. We’re not going to agree on every issue, and that’s okay. But when we focus on what we do agree on and find common ground, that is how we can make progress toward creating a more perfect union.
During my time in Washington, I became best friends with former Congressman Trey Gowdy – someone whose background differed from mine. My friendship with Trey exposed me to different perspectives. Every American has a different outlook based on his or her experiences, and that’s why I think all Americans can benefit from learning from each other. It is those unlikely friendships that teach us so much and challenge us as people – and one way we can help heal this nation.
"In 2020, I hosted an event for Black History Month called 21st Solutions: Same Challenge, Multiple Paths. The focus was on how to better our future. Black History Month is about celebrating the accomplishments and contributions of African Americans, but it’s also about honoring the past to better our future."