In The Shadow of Senator Lester Jackson
During the Georgia Legislative 2017 session, I had the pleasure of serving as an aide to Senator Lester Jackson of district 2 (Savannah). During a week's span, I got a great prospective of what it would be like to be a Georgia legislator and was proud to assist in the effort to make Georgia a better place to live, work, and play. Thanks Senator Jackson for the experience, I am sure it will serve me will in the future.
Senator Jackson is the Chairman of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus which is the largest and most progressive in the United States. The Caucus addressed issues surrounding healthcare and racism this week. In regard to healthcare, the Caucus meet with the president of Morehouse School of Medicine to find avenues for Black students to become healthcare professionals. Of all 18,000 students admitted to medical school in 2016 only 500 were Black. To remedy the lack of African American students in the field, Morehouse is launching scholarship programs to close the gap.
In terms of racism, the Caucus held a press conference to call for the resignation of Commissioner Tommy Hunter of Gwinnett County after calling Congressman John Lewis a "racist pig".
On March 15, the Georgia Black Legislative Caucus will be hosting its annual Heritage Dinner.
Notably I was able to attend senate meetings and pick the brains of many Georgia lawmakers. Much enlightenment came from Senator Freddie Sims of 12th district about the OSD (Opportunity School District), a bill that held much controversy due to the state's decision to help failing school districts. Senator Sims represents counties were OSD will be put in place. After reading the proposed bill, it is hard for one not to support the passage of this years bill because it places technology and resources in the classroom for both teacher and students to excel.
In closing, the time at Georgia's Capitol was rewarding and I encourage everyone to visit the Capitol before session ends March 30th to learn how Georgia lawmakers will keep Georgia the best place to do business and make it the best place to live, work, and play. Can't wait to represent you!!
