It has been an honor and a privilege to have been able to meet with two amazing candidates and state senators in the race for Louisiana’s second congressional district. I am humbled that each of these candidates took time to speak with me and Big Easy Magazine. There is no doubt in my mind that both candidates have represented their city and their respective districts with honor and integrity.
After much consideration and deliberation, I have determined that Karen Carter Peterson is the candidate who best reflects my values and the values of Big Easy Magazine. After all, I founded an unapologetically progressive publication, and there is no question that Sen. Peterson is unapologetically progressive in her fight for equal justice and opportunity for all of her constituents. She has demonstrated a profound understanding of the challenges the residents of her district face on a daily basis.
In order to effect real change, we need courageous leaders who are willing to challenge the status quo, take on the establishment, and build new coalitions. We also need more progressive elected officials representing Southeast Louisiana, and her election is critical to opening the door for that possibility. The election of Jason Williams as Orleans district attorney was a major step in moving Louisiana in a more progressive direction. This election represents an opportunity to extend that movement beyond our parish. If we continue to have the mindset that progressives cannot win in such a conservative state, then we will never be able to fulfill an unapologetically progressive vision.
If elected, Sen. Peterson will be the first woman to hold this seat since former Congresswoman Lindy Boggs, and the first Black woman to ever be elected to congress from Louisiana. The historic nature of her candidacy cannot be overstated. The prospect of Karen Carter Peterson’s election gives me hope for my daughter’s generation.
The residents of the River Parishes are suffering daily as petrochemical companies pollute with impunity. Sen. Peterson understands that we need a Green New Deal to wean ourselves off our dependence on Big Oil, and transition to a green economy with jobs that provide the kind of pay and benefits hard-working Louisianans deserve. She understands how environmental injustices are directly correlated with racial injustices, since these companies tend to locate near poor and disadvantaged communities.
She understands that paying people a living wage benefits our economy as a whole, because the economy is stimulated from the ground up, not the bottom down. Sen. Peterson believes that health care is a universal human right, not a privilege. When it comes to pay equity, LGBTQ and gender equality, racial inequities, and socioeconomic and environmental injustices, Sen. Peterson has led with passion and conviction.
There’s a reason why her former opponent, progressive candidate Gary Chambers Jr., has not only endorsed Sen. Peterson but has traveled with her to different areas in the second congressional district connecting with voters and discussing the issues that matter. Sen. Peterson’s grassroots campaign underscores the genuine commitment and connection she has with the voters.
Karen Carter Peterson inspires each of us to examine the root causes of the systemic inequities that run rampant within our communities and institutions. She believes in holding our government officials accountable to the people, not corporate interests. Karen’s life story has always been about fighting for those who have been underrepresented, with their voices often going unheard. We have an historic and unique opportunity to elect the first unapologetically progressive Black woman from Louisiana to represent us in Congress. We don’t have time to waste in addressing the socioeconomic inequities and environmental injustices that threaten the health of our democracy. As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “No, the time for justice, the time for freedom and the time for equality is always, is always right now.”
Now let’s go make HERstory and send Karen Carter Peterson to Congress.
