Inspiring The Next Generation - Kwanza Hall

Bio

Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Congressman Kwanza Hall is the son of the late Leon W. Hall, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s youngest lieutenant. He attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is an alumnus of Benjamin E. Mays High School in Atlanta. Hall dedicated the first half of his life to public service in a variety of capacities.

For 15 years, Hall served as an elected official on Atlanta City Council and on the Atlanta School Board. He represented the city’s most socially and economically diverse council district. As Councilman for District 2, Hall has been recognized for leadership in many arenas, including economic inclusion, workforce development, urban design, and arts and culture. In 2013, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation recognized his initiative to expand opportunities to families in an Atlanta neighborhood with the highest concentration of poverty in the southeastern United States.

Prior to his election to the Atlanta City Council, Hall served as Vice-Chair of the Audit Committee for the Atlanta Board of Education and the appointee to the Atlanta Development Authority. Hall has been a member of the City of Atlanta Pension Board and is the past chair of the Atlanta City Council’s International Relations Committee. He has been a fellow of the German Marshall Fund and a number of U.S. State Department programs. Hall served on the numerous nonprofit board of directors including but limited to the World Affairs Council, Leadership Atlanta, and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights.

Previously, Hall worked as Vice President of Technology for GoodWorks International LLC, a public affairs consulting firm co-chaired by Ambassador Andrew Young. He also worked as Director of Business Development for MACTEC Engineering and Consulting, Inc.

Kwanza was appointed as a Senior Fellow of the Global Federation of Competitiveness Councils. In 2012, Georgia State University honored him with the Pioneer Award, its highest recognition for leadership promoting arts and culture in downtown Atlanta. In 2011, Atlanta’s Park Pride honored Kwanza for governmental leadership in parks and greenspace advocacy. He was also voted by an independent media panel as one of the 100 Most Influential Atlantans. Atlanta’s American Institute of Architects chapter created the Kwanza Hall Award for civic leadership in architectural design. In 2009, Creative Loafing named Kwanza Atlanta’s “Best Local Political Figure.”

Most recently, Hall served as United States Representative for Georgia’s 5th district, completing the late Congressman John Lewis’ term. Although he only served 33 days, many historians have said this period has proven to be one of the most consequential periods in US history. In the spirit of continuing the legacy of leadership and activism passed down from Ambassador Andrew Young and Congressman Lewis, Hall introduced 6 pieces of legislation requesting $55million dollars for transit-oriented development on Atlanta’s Southside, cosponsored 14 additional bills, advocated on the floor of Congress 18 times and voted on 25 separate occasions for over $3trillion in the combined Covid Relief, Omnibus and Military budgets. The hallmark of his service has been about being a bridge for the next generation of leaders in social justice, job creation and equal economic opportunity for all.

Previously, Hall worked as Vice President of Technology for GoodWorks International LLC, a public affairs consulting firm co-chaired by Ambassador Andrew Young. He also worked as Director of Business Development for MACTEC Engineering and Consulting, Inc.

Kwanza was appointed as a Senior Fellow of the Global Federation of Competitiveness Councils. In 2012, Georgia State University honored him with the Pioneer Award, its highest recognition for leadership promoting arts and culture in downtown Atlanta. In 2011, Atlanta’s Park Pride honored Kwanza for governmental leadership in parks and greenspace advocacy. He was also voted by an independent media panel as one of the 100 Most Influential Atlantans. Atlanta’s American Institute of Architects chapter created the Kwanza Hall Award for civic leadership in architectural design. In 2009, Creative Loafing named Kwanza Atlanta’s “Best Local Political Figure.”

Most recently, Hall served as United States Representative for Georgia’s 5th district, completing the late Congressman John Lewis’ term. Although he only served 33 days, many historians have said this period has proven to be one of the most consequential periods in US history. In the spirit of continuing the legacy of leadership and activism passed down from Ambassador Andrew Young and Congressman Lewis, Hall introduced 6 pieces of legislation requesting $55million dollars for transit-oriented development on Atlanta’s Southside, cosponsored 14 additional bills, advocated on the floor of Congress 18 times and voted on 25 separate occasions for over $3trillion in the combined Covid Relief, Omnibus and Military budgets. The hallmark of his service has been about being a bridge for the next generation of leaders in social justice, job creation and equal economic opportunity for all.

Why I’m Running

Georgia needs leadership that is focused on serving Georgians.

My public service is rooted in my family’s history of community service. From my mother and her dedication to being a beacon of hope in the community that raised me to my father, Leon Hall, who worked directly for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to my own time on the school board, city council and then in Congress, my life has been about purposeful service that pushed against the grain and fights for what is right. Service is what we do and I have inherited a legacy of leadership.
Georgia is at a crossroads. Far too many Georgians are struggling while elected officials like Burt Jones and Butch Miller are busy serving a former president and pushing the Big Lie. I was in DC during the period when Trump was trying to steal the election. I was in Congress fighting for the people back home while Donald Trump was pressuring our civil servants here in Georgia to change the outcome. I watched it unfold in the days leading up to the Insurrection. I was gone by January 6th but I saw the build up. It was scary then and it is scary now. We have to stop the madness and put the real issues first.
I am running to protect our teachers and education. The Republicans are ok with images of Congressman Lewis dancing to Happy, but they don’t want us to remember a battered and bruised John Lewis on Bloody Sunday. They are ok with the King Day celebrations on Peachtree, but want us to forget the assassination in Memphis and the jailing in Birmingham and right here in DeKalb County. They are attacking our history and calling it Critical Race Theory. Our educators, at all levels, must be safe to do what they do without pressure from politicians who are using our children as stepstools for their own ambitions. Our children deserve better than what Miller and Jones are offering.
I am running to help Georgians live. That means living a financially secure life by having the skills and training to work in the traditional or the new economy. That means being able to literally live because we are going to reopen medical facilities in areas that have closed. I had COVID in the early days and was fortunate to survive it. Over a million Americans and thousands of Georgians did not. Other issues that plague Georgians like heart disease and diabetes require access to medical care that Georgians simply do not have because of electeds like Jones and Miller who refuse to expand Medicaid. Helping Georgians live also means working to protect our beautiful parks, ensure clean water and air.

It's time for Georgia’s elected officials to put Georgians first. As Lieutenant Governor, I will put people first.

It’s time to end the culture wars and time to make sure that all of Georgia, from border to coast, from the south to the north, has the economy to support keeping our best and brightest here, affordable housing so we can raise our families in our community of choice and better infrastructure to move us from place to place.
It’s time for “A better Georgia for all of Georgia.”

About

Kwanza Hall is a former U.S. Congressman representing District 5, the seat previously served by the late John Lewis. He also served in elected positions on the Atlanta City Council and the Atlanta Board of Education for a total of 15 years.

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