Dennis Clark is kicking off his State House District 28 campaign with a listening tour.
The tour will begin at New Monument Baptist in the Woodmore Neighborhood Thursday at 6 p.m. It will continue at Parkridge Diagnostic Center at 6:30 p.m and Highland Park, 801 S. Orchard Knob Ave., at 7 p.m.
The tour will continue Monday at Washington Hills YFD at 5:30 p.m.; Wednesday, March 21, 6 p.m. at a seniors and veterans dinner at Sharon's Adult Day Care; Saturday at the Avondale YFD at 11 a.m.; Monday, March 26, at the Eastdale YFD at 6 p.m.; Friday, March 30, 11:30 a.m. at the Clergy Luncheon at the Front Porch Alliance and conclude Monday, April 2, 6:30 p.m. at the Good Neighbor Network at the Glass House Collective.
"I am proud to officially announce my candidacy for the TN State House District 28," said Mr. Clark. "I want to particularly thank Rep. JoAnne Favors for her dedicated years of service to the people of this community. Her legacy of courage and commitment is inspiring and as our next state representative I will persevere forward in building upon that legacy she too can be proud of.
"Here’s why I am running. There are some real challenges facing the African American community and other communities of color in Chattanooga. We live in a beautiful scenic community that’s described as the “Best Mid Size City” in America with a thriving economy, booming entrepreneurial scene and a burgeoning tech sector with the fastest internet in the world. But unfortunately, there is the tale of two cities where the quality of life for under-resourced communities of color in Chattanooga’s 28th Legislative District has gotten worse, and I believe we deserve better!
"Thirty percent of African Americans ages 18 to 24 do not have a high school diploma, and our neighborhood schools rank in the bottom 5 percent, making District 28 schools some of the lowest performing schools in the state. We can do better!
"African American households make an average of $26,787 per year, while for whites it’s $51,548. Sixty percent of Black children live in poverty, compared to 16.5 percent of white children and the unemployment rate for black males without a diploma is 53 percent. We can do better!
"I believe in the people of the 28th Legislative District, which is why prior to starting my businesses, I have spent my life and career building community and advocating for equality and social justice. We need a new generation of leaders with fresh ideas and new approaches on how to build a vibrant, more thriving community for our children, our veterans, our seniors and working-class families that struggle to make ends meet.
"My campaign will focus on four key areas: education reform, economic and opportunity development, expanding health care access and senior and veteran care. I’m running for the State
House because I have a heart committed to the people and the right kind of experiences and relationships that it will take to start working across party lines to bring hope and opportunity back to our communities and to put everyday people back into politics.
"I also believe in order to lead you, you have to listen, which is why I am kicking off my campaign with the “Impact 28 Listening Tour”. Our first stops include the Woodmore, Orchard Knob and Highland Park neighborhoods this Thursday, March 15. We will also host a special dinner for our seniors and veterans at Sharon’s Adult Day Center on March 21 at 6 p.m. and a lunch meeting with clergy members on March 30 at 11:30 a.m. at The Front Porch Alliance. For more information about our listening tour stops, please visit DennisClark.org."