Hi, I’m Terry. I am a poet, slam champion, community organizer, and social democrat born and raised in Southwest Berkeley. Before being elected to represent District 2 on the City Council, I served as Vice-Chair of Berkeley’s Transportation Commission and a California Assembly District 15 associate member of the Alameda County Democratic Party Central Committee. I’ve previously served the City of Berkeley on the Grants Committee of the Children, Youth, and Recreation Commission and the Grants Committee of the Civic Arts Commission.

As an openly gay, working-class Black man raised in West Berkeley by a single mother, I am no stranger to stigma and prejudice. Fortunately, I have been able to grow up in a city that champions justice and social change. I have always had influential teachers and mentors, especially women of color, women, and religious minorities, all of whom instilled me with courage and dedication to advocacy and civic engagement.

For these reasons, I am immensely proud to be an alumnus of Berkeley Public Schools, Berkeley City College, and Saint Mary’s College of California. My great-grandfather was a Texan farmer who fled racial violence in the South, my grandfather was a Navy vet, and my grandmother is a retired nurse. My father is a retired accountant who served BUSD and the City of Richmond. My mother is a retired in-home elder care provider. My husband is a psychiatric nurse, and my sister is an IHSS care provider. Social justice and compassionate service have always been core beliefs of mine.

As your District 2 City Councilmember, I will build upon and amplify my role as a champion of racial justice and social equity in the City of Berkeley.

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Latest Updates

  • Notes from Community Safety Popup Meeting – September 4, 2021
    BPD is investigating the shooting at George Florence Park; their investigation is at initial phases, with no details to share yet. How can the community help? Provide tips to the BPD non-emergency line at (510) 981-5900 or contact Area Coordinator, Officer Brian Hartley (bhartley@cityofberkeley.info) or (510) 981-5774 You can register your home security camera with BPD here. What […]
  • Office Hours in the Park!
    Join Councilmember Taplin for Outdoor Office Hours! 12:00 – 2:00pm! First Saturdays:George Florence Second Saturdays:Dreamland at Aquatic Park Third Saturdays:San Pablo Park(North side of Frances Albrier) Fourth Saturdays:Strawberry Creek Park
  • Community Safety Pop Up Sept 5
    Sept 5th, 12-2pmGeorge Florence Park Join Councilmember Taplin for a community safety pop up!
  • Councilmember Taplin Statement on Shooting at George Florence Park
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Diego Aguilar-Canabal (DAguilarCanabal@cityofberkeley.info) (510) 981-7120 “I am deeply disturbed by reports of a shooting near George Florence Park this morning. West Berkeley has seen a terrifying uptick in gun violence over the past year. I empathize with community members who are losing patience with the violence erupting in our neighborhoods, threatening their households, and […]
  • Councilmember Taplin Statement on Texas Abortion Ban
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Diego Aguilar-Canabal (DAguilarCanabal@cityofberkeley.info) (510) 981-7120 “I stand in solidarity with women, nonbinary, and trans Texans who will lose access to critical lifesaving healthcare due to the Texas legislature’s draconian abortion ban and the conservative Supreme Court’s decision to uphold it. It is impossible to ignore that the Republican Party’s aim is to use its […]

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