Wayne Messam: “I’m Running to be Your Champion”
Miramar, Fla. — Today as we mark the 51st anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s last march alongside striking sanitation workers in Memphis, Mayor Wayne Messam announces his campaign for President of the United States.
In a new video entitled “Your Champion,” Wayne shares his own story of living the American Dream paid for by the hard work and sacrifice of his immigrant parents and the urgent need to take action now to restore the American Dream for all Americans. The campaign is also releasing a Spanish language version of this video. Tune into Univision at 7:30 am ET for more details.
“There’s no question that the American Dream -- the promise of opportunity -- that drew my immigrant parents here from Jamaica is out of reach and fleeting for far too many in this country,” Wayne said Thursday. “I’m running to give Americans a second chance at reaching their dreams. We must recommit to making the American Dream an achievable reality once again -- whether someone wants to go to college, start a business, learn a trade, own a home, or start a family.”
“I've taken on challenges my entire life to make life better for people, whether beating China to create American jobs or passing a living wage for workers. I think these big issues need fresh eyes from someone who is closer to the American people on a daily basis. With the support of everyday people, we can finally bring bold ideas back into the conversation, take action to avoid crises, and plan for the future,” Wayne continued.
After a fact-finding trip to meet with leaders on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian crisis and speaking at the South Carolina Democratic Party Executive Committee last week, on Saturday, March 30, Wayne for America will kick off the campaign with an afternoon event at Florida Memorial University, the only Historically Black College and University in South Florida.
Mayor Messam plans to release the details of his first bold idea to resolve the $1.5 trillion student loan debt crisis at this event.
“Your Champion”
I grew up in the place they call "The Muck."
My mother and father came here to the United States from Jamaica. My father was a contract sugar cane cutter - very hard intense labor with machetes to cut the sugar cane in the hot sun in South Florida.
You know, I can see him looking around in these fields envisioning that his children would be successful one day and they wouldn't have to suffer the way he suffered. I'm passionate about the American Dream because it's not a fictitious thing for me. It's real for me.
Went to Florida State on a football scholarship for legendary coach Bobby Bowden and won a National Championship there. I started a construction business of my wife. We were recognized by the United States Green Building Council for building the first LEED platinum school in the Southeast United States.
I became the first African-American mayor of the city of Miramar when I unseated a 16 year incumbent. The city of Miramar actually was able to beat out China and bring jobs to our city. The problem in America as I see it is that we are not addressing these high stake problems that we must deal with today.
When you have a senior citizen who can't afford her prescription medicine, Washington is broken. When our scientists are telling us if we don't make drastic changes today, the quality of our air will be in peril, Washington is broken. Everyday people are graduating from universities with crippling debt stifling their opportunity for financial mobility, that is what's broken with this country. America belongs to all of us. The promise of America belongs to all of us. That's why I'm going to be running for president. To be your champion.
The same prospects of the American dream that my father was able to achieve, we need to bring that back. For every American.
