Lanira Murphy grew up in a small southern town in NC which blessed her with a deep sense of community and the ability to overcome difficult situations. When her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer she was thrusted into a health care system that didn't want to give her mother life saving treatment because she didn't have insurance. So Lanira worked two jobs and set up long term payment plans as she demanded that her mother receive proper treatment. She is a first generation college graduate and holds a BA in Mass Communications from the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, an MS in Political Communication from North Carolina State University, and an MA in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from California State University, Northridge. Lanira moved to Los Angeles 10 years ago driven to serve students in underprivileged communities of Los Angeles. Teaching and serving as an administrator in different neighborhoods in Los Angeles made her realize how drastic the disparities are. This reality further provokes her to fight for equal opportunities to all. Being elected to the Panorama City Neighborhood Council and serving as Treasurer has re-energized in her the importance of local engagement in our government and our neighborhoods. Lanira would take this deep concern for the individual voices that combine to our collective needs with her to the legislation. She will not only fight but build coalitions of support for our fair share of resources.