“When people ask me who I am, the first thing I can think of is ‘I am the son of Mercedes and Brian Francis.’ The sacrifices they have made at such a young age [help me] know my ‘why,’ why I wanted to pursue not just criminal law but government in general… I want to take care of people who have been incarcerated because they were forced to take plea bargains because they couldn’t afford to stay in jail… I want to not only help them in that capacity, but to dismantle all systems of oppression.”

Mar’Quon is a grooving Cornell in sophomore in KAPi who has lived everywhere, and people call him Sweetness on the roller rink. Listen to his conversation with Daniel James II about his ‘why,’ his calling to pursue a career in criminal justice, the sacrifices his parents have made to give him opportunities like attending Cornell, his work fighting incarceration, housing, and other justice issues in Ithaca, how money dictates political power, and so much more.