Striving for equality and pushing for justice
We inherit many characteristics from our parents, be it our mother’s eyes, our father’s chin, or our grandmother’s personality. My father Leon Hall was one of the youngest members of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s staff during the civil rights movement, and from him I inherited a passion for public service and community organizing.
Everyday I am motivated by my father’s legacy. The events he lived through forever shaped who I am. I learned from his experiences in the 1960s and 1970s, and channeled them to help make Atlanta – and the rest of our nation – a better place.
Despite the strides our nation has made toward racial equality, everyday there are reminders that we still have work to do. Discrimination and prejudice, from the use of excessive force by police that especially targets people of color to hate speech and expressions of white nationalism, are unfortunately still with us.
We have to keep striving for equality, pushing for justice, and fighting for our fundamental rights. I want to further my father’s legacy, and ensure the dreams that he, Martin Luther King Jr., and their movement set out to achieve. Everyday, I aim to make him proud, but I also hope that I make my supporters like you proud. Without you I would have never been elected to office and in position to bring change to Atlanta.
Today, I thank my father for instilling in me values that have made me a better man, a better father and a better son. I also want to take a minute to acknowledge single parents out there, who served as two roles models. I hope you have wonderful day celebrating with your families.
About Post Author
