Welcome Remarks by Mayor Toni N. Harp at People's World Amistad Awards

People's World Amistad Awards Saturday, December 14, 2019 at City Hall Atrium
Mayor Toni N. Harp Welcome Remarks

Good afternoon, everybody. I’m very pleased to welcome you to City Hall today.

And I’m delighted to be among you for the 2019 People's World Amistad Awards ceremony.

From the outset, I’m struck by the theme for this year: “Rise Up – Unite 2020.”

With so much evidence to suggest backsliding on issues and ideals that are critically important to us, there’s no question but that the time to, “rise up and unite” is now – in 2020.

In this nation at this hour, we face an uphill struggle to re-purpose grossly exaggerated military spending for desperately needed social services, jobs programs, and infrastructure maintenance.

In this nation at this hour, we face a fierce struggle to retain workers’ rights, even as the promise of labor unions and collective bargaining erodes right before our eyes.

In this nation at this hour, the promise of the United States is not only denied to more and more would-be immigrants, who simply seek a peaceful, productive life, but they’re denied, and the people humiliated, with families separated and children literally kept in cages.

And in this nation at this hour the global climate on the only planet we have is deteriorating measurably, and – unbelievably – the discussion is somehow still about whether it’s even happening, and not about how to reverse what is the very definition of unsustainable.

As if this isn’t enough to worry about, we now face a Constitutional crisis, wherein a President has hoodwinked a major political party to overlook a laundry list of egregious behavior in the name of loyalty or worse: fear of retribution.

To effectively repel this multi-faceted affront on the ideals that unite us, we must – simply – rise up and unite.

We must restore people to their proper place before profits, we must prioritize our common good ahead of personal gain, and we must convince others to join us in this collective effort for the good of the planet – and for the good of all that depends upon it.

The three award-winners we celebrate at this gathering are leading the way in the work they do – and in the way they do their work.

It’s important for them to be recognized for this – not to feather their nest, in a manner of speaking – but to hold their manner up so it is emulated, imitated, and serves to inspire the rest of us.

I offer sincere congratulations to the award winners, I thank them for their labors, and I pray their work motivates others, and is multiplied one hundredfold in all of us as we rise up – and unite.

Congratulations again. Thank you very much.

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