Kenya Smith
La. Congressional District 2 Candidate Announcement Speech
Woldenberg Park, New Orleans, LA
5p.m., July 8, 2008

Thank you. First my obedience to the Almighty. To my parents and family without whom I would not be who I am. Thank you Rev Gable, Cesar Burgos, Paula Purvis, the Favorites and the Maestro Irvin "Jelly Roll" Mayfield, Jr. for your kind words. Thank you to all our friends and supporters, those present and those who could not be with us in body but are in spirit.
 
And to those assembled, elected and community leaders, members of the media, and otherwise interested parties, Thank YOU. Thank you for meeting us here.

 The place where almost 300 years ago, the heartbeat of this region was born. The reason that more than 200 years ago, a still young nation doubled its size in large part due to its desire to control trade along these waterways. Steps away from the place where almost 3 years ago a yet unfulfilled promise to stay as long as, and do whatever it takes to restore this region was made. Thank you for meeting us here

Thank you for coming from as far as Almonaster and Avondale

Thank you for coming from Kenilworth and Kenner

Thank you for coming from Gentilly, Gretna and Gerttown

Thank you for coming from Marerro and Mid-city

Thank you for coming from the Lower 9 and from Lower Coast of Algiers

From North, South, East and West

Together, we have come a mighty long way!

We have come- over a way that with tears have been watered

Over the long history of this great nation we have come-

Sometimes treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered

But we have come- out from a gloomy past till now we stand at last, where the white

gleam of our bright star is cast.

We have come to present our declaration of independence from the tyranny of the pre-Katrina styled politics that has held us back for far too long. We have come to reclaim our democracy and to restore a government of the people, for the people and by the people. We have come to announce our candidacy to represent you, the people of the 2nd Congressional District of the Great State of Louisiana.

Now for the obvious questions- Why you and why now? In the words of my pastor, the Rev. Fred Luter, Jr.- Thank you for asking.  You freed me up to answer.

Let me be clear... We are not running AGAINST anyone.  That’s not why you should run. We are running to continue the work begun in almost 40 missions to our nation's capitol to secure the resources needed in our recovery- for storm and flood protection, housing, infrastructure, jobs and public safety.
 

We are running to continue to work with local, regional, state and national leaders on these very important issues.

We are running to restore the relative strength and longevity of our delegation which has diminished over the years and is critical to our ability to secure needed resources.

We are running because we must collectively recognize the fierce urgency of NOW!

 
We will not be held back by those who think you have to BE elected to get elected

We will not be held back by those who say you have to work your way through the archaic political system and secure the blessings of the political fathers.

And we will not be held back by those who say you have to have a certain level of name recognition or come from a certain part of the district.

We have proven them wrong before and we will do it again this fall.

I humbly submit that in this year of change- as we seek to change the tone in Washington, we must start right here at home. For, it has been the average, everyday citizen that has been the cornerstone of this recovery. 

The homeowner who says "I will rebuild"

The teacher committed to the potential of reaching ONE student

The 1st responder who stayed through the storm and still stands guard

Those leaders of faith- who covered us in prayer at times it was needed most
 
And I believe that WE- average, everyday people- will decide this election.

So this grandson of a schoolteacher born and buried in the town of Lafitte in Jefferson Parish; This son of a retired preacher from St Tammany Parish and another school teacher born and reared in Uptown New Orleans, Yes, another skinny kid with a funny name who grew up in Gentilly with a dream about the promise of this magical place called America- still believes:
 
I believe in the power of our democracy

I believe in the will of an informed constituency

I believe that you will see what I see- our region's potential

No longer divided by the river

No longer divided by parochial and partisan politics

No longer divide into the haves and have nots

No longer divided by race, gender or any other superficial political factor

 
Realizing that our individual fortunes are inextricably woven together in the fabric of our collective future. Working together to provide true storm and flood protection to our entire region- east bank and west bank

Working together to hold HUD accountable for meeting its mandate to provide safe, affordable housing solutions for all taxpaying Americans who reside in this region

Working together to extend and enhance the tools of job creation which have been so important in this recovery

Working together to not only restore critical infrastructure to pre-Katrina levels, but to prepare for the growth that will accompany the $60 to 100 billion estimated by experts to be spent in this recovery

Working together to secure real insurance relief at the federal level- with the establishment of a catastrophic designation that will benefit not only hurricane vulnerable areas, but also our friends in flood prone parts of the Midwest and those living along fault lines and in the path of wildfires to our west.

Working together to equip local government and law enforcement professionals with the tools needed to prevent crime by educating our young people and giving them outlets and role models to help them focus their energy

Working together and also strengthening our criminal justice system to address those who do not want to be helped

Friends, we can be that region, nestled in the crescent,

Once again the queen of the South and gateway to the world

But we can only do it together as 1 region, 1 state and 1 nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you.  I love you

Let’s go change the world- starting right here at home.