There are pivotal moments in history, like now, where we see the cracks in our community and we also see all of the incredible people who band together to fight for each other and fight for justice. We are facing extraordinary challenges — and we need extraordinary leaders who will rise to the needs of this moment and fight for what is right.
As leaders in our communities, we have grown to know Carolyn Bourdeaux, running to represent Georgia’s 7th Congressional District, as she has worshipped with our congregations, spent time with our families, and listened to our concerns.
Bourdeaux has stood shoulder to shoulder with us in our battle for justice and racial equality — she understands that we all share the same aspirations for ourselves and our children, but that we face different barriers to getting there.
For these reasons and more, we are confident in her ability to lead us in Congress and fight for the key issues that impact all Georgians.
I have personally known Bourdeaux for 15 years, and I have experienced her steadfast friendship and her effective, focused leadership firsthand. Bourdeaux is a professor at Georgia State University, an institution that graduates more African American students than any university in the world.
As a former bipartisan budget expert who guided our state through the Great Recession, she brings decades of experience to this campaign at a time when we sorely need experienced leaders to get us through this crisis.
More than a year ago, I brought together a room full of African American faith leaders from across Georgia’s 7th District to hear directly from Bourdeaux about her vision for our families and neighbors. Since then, our community has faced a lot of change and heartache.
Most recently, we have felt the profound loss of the late Representative John Lewis. John and I were friends and partners in the fight for justice and John supported Bourdeaux until the end. As we honor his legacy during this challenging time, we can come together for our faith communities and for our country.
In the two years since Bourdeaux came just shy of victory, she has not stopped to rest. And we have not stopped to rest. Any time you can get ten preachers together, you can get anything done. We are a presence in this community, who need us now, more than ever. Miracles happen when we work together.
So now, it is time to finish the job. We are proud to support Bourdeaux in her campaign for Congress. We will carry this message to the thousands of people that we have organized in our faith relationships. It is going to be the strength of our faith that sees us through these many dangers, toils and snares, and God’s forgiving grace.
My friends and I have often remembered in discouraging times that “The difficult we do immediately, the impossible just takes a little time.” Last fall I said this about Bourdeaux: She’s building a campaign that will represent all of us. She understands that this is a marathon, not a sprint — and this woman is a long-distance runner.
We are fighting for good. The stakes in this coming election could not be higher — in the White House, in the Senate, and in Congress. I think that Martin Luther King and John Lewis are as much alive as they were when we were marching on Washington and I think that we are carrying on that same tradition to save this nation. And this November, we will march to the polls and make our voices heard.
Also signed:
- Pastor Marion Sailor, Christ the King Church, Dacula
- Dr. Gregory Baker, Freedom Church of Gwinnett, Duluth
- Pastor Antonio Mansogo, Ministerio Pentecostal Central de Atlanta, Suwanee
- Pastor Ben Hawks, Mt. Zion Baptist Church, Clarksville
- Pastor Elijah Collins, New Jerusalem Baptist Church, Lawrenceville
- Pastor Jesse Curney, New Mercies Christian Church, Lilburn
- The Rev. Avery Headd, Poplar Hill Missionary Baptist Church, Buford
- The Rev. Dennis Washington, Poplar Hill Missionary Baptist Church, Buford
- The Rev. Mark Thompson, Redemptive Life Christian Church, Conyers
- The Rev. Tony Williams, Redemptive Life Christian Church, Conyers
