Helen Holton, a Baltimore native and longtime Baltimore City Council member, attended Johns Hopkins University, Morgan State University, and the University of Baltimore. She joined the Baltimore City Council in 1995, representing the 5th District of Baltimore, until she became the first representative of the new 8th District of Baltimore in 2004. Holton has served on numerous boards, commissions, councils, and committees for Maryland, Baltimore, regional affairs, her alma maters, and assorted service organizations. In addition to her political work, Holton is an Associate Pastor for Payne Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Church in Baltimore. In this oral history, Holton discusses the Leadership Development Program at Hopkins, the School of Professional Studies in Business and Education (SPSBE), her experiences as an African-American political official, and her work in Baltimore. This oral history is part of the Mame Warren oral histories series.