Keisha Lance Bottoms to join White House staff

Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (D) will join the White House in the coming days as director of the Office of Public Engagement, a White House official confirmed to The Hill on Tuesday.

Bottoms will replace Cedric Richmond, who left the White House last month, as one of President Biden’s top advisers in the West Wing. The Office of Public Engagement is tasked with engaging with the public about the White House’s agenda.

Bottoms has committed to serve at least through the November midterm elections.

[SOURCE: THE HILL]

Biden, Haris, Warnock, Ossoff, and Stacey Abrams meet to discuss voting rights

President Biden on Friday met with Stacey Abrams and Georgia lawmakers while in Atlanta to discuss voting rights in the face of legislation introduced by state GOP lawmakers in various states that would restrict access to the ballot.

Biden and Vice President Harris met with Abrams, Sens. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms during a stop at Emory University.

"They discussed state legislation in Georgia and across the country that would make it harder for people to vote, along with possible solutions to make voting more accessible," White House deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. "The President re-affirmed his commitment to re-authorizing the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and his strong belief that every eligible voter should be able to vote and have their vote counted."

[SOURCE: THE HILL]

Election puts spotlight on HBCUs, a historic VP and two influential Georgians

Kamala Harris becoming Vice-President Elect is now a defining moment of pride for historically black colleges and universities - and how those institutions foster Black excellence in this country. And it brings the spotlight to three Black women proudly breaking barriers. Kamala Harris, Stacey Abrams and Keisha Lance Bottoms each graduated from historically black colleges and universities.

Biden campaign enlists Black mayors in get-out-the-vote ad push

Joe Biden’s presidential campaign released a new ad on Saturday featuring over a dozen Black mayors of major cities urging Black Americans to vote for Biden and Kamala Harris.

The campaign features the following local officials: Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, Flagstaff, Arizona Mayor Coral Evans, San Francisco Mayor London Breed, Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, Birmingham, Alabama Mayor Randall Woodfin, Columbia, South Carolina Mayor Steven Benjamin, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, Richmond, Virginia Mayor Levar Stoney, Stockton, California Mayor Michael Tubbs and St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter..

Watch the ad below:

Rep. Maxine Waters On Joe Biden: 'He Can't Go Home Without A Black Woman VP'

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) gave her thoughts about Joe Biden’s potential vice president pick on Friday during an ESSENCE Live townhall, saying she strongly believes Biden is going to pick a Black woman as his running mate.

“Let me guarantee you this, based on everything that I know and understand, and the help that [Biden] has already gotten from the Black community…he can’t go home without a Black woman being VP,” Waters said confidently. “We’re going to have a Black woman VP.”

Of course, Biden has yet to confirm his choice even as the Democratic National Convention draws closer, and more and more Americans continue to watch with a close eye as he is the presumptive nominee.

Names floated around as a potential pick include Sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), as well as several accomplished Black women like former national security advisor Susan Rice, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.)

Read the entire interview here: Rep. Maxine Waters On Joe Biden: 'He Can't Go Home Without A Black Woman VP'

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms Honors the Life and Legacy of Congressman John R. Lewis

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms Honors the Life and Legacy of Congressman John R. Lewis

Mayor Bottoms Orders Lowering of City Hall Flags to Half-Staff 

ATLANTA—Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms issued the following statement upon the passing of Atlanta’s revered Congressman John Lewis.

“There are no words to describe the tremendous loss that Americans, Atlantans, and I personally feel upon learning of the passing of Congressman John Lewis,” said Mayor Bottoms. “America knew him as a Civil Rights Icon, Congressional Giant, and a moral compass, but I knew him as a friend. The people of Atlanta often called upon Congressman Lewis for counsel, guidance, and assistance with getting into good trouble. No matter how busy his schedule, or important his Washington duties were, he answered. We were privileged to be represented by a leader with both a pure heart and an unshakable commitment to human rights. As we persevere in the modern fight for social justice, we should honor his legacy by continuing to hold on to hope. I pray for his family, his constituents, and all who loved and were impacted by the life of Congressman John Lewis.”

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff immediately on all City of Atlanta facilities until further notice in honor of the late Congressman.

The City of Atlanta’s Congressman Lewis is an American hero and one of the pillars of the Civil Rights Movement. Congressman Lewis was also revered as the dean of the Georgia Congressional delegation whose passionate call to "make good trouble" became a generational rallying cry for nonviolent activism in the pursuit of social justice and human rights.

From his early days as a student activist, an original Freedom Rider, and a founder and leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, John Lewis became a symbol of perseverance and strength even as he endured physical violence and imprisonment. The sit-ins that he organized at segregated lunch counters and peaceful protests that he led, marching across the South, including "Bloody Sunday" in Selma, Alabama, became a beckon of hope in the pursuit of equal rights.

As one of the Civil Rights Movement's "Original Six," this son of an Alabama sharecropper, at age 23, was the youngest speaker at the March on Washington on August 28, 1963. During that speech, he implored government leaders to wake up to the evils of segregation, closing with words that still resonate today: "We must say, 'Wake up, America! Wake Up! For we cannot stop and we will not and cannot be patient.”

John Lewis began his political career as a member of the Atlanta City Council and was re-elected 16 times to the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia's 5th Congressional District, where he became known as the conscience of the U.S. Congress. The City hopes his courage, sacrifice, and leadership continue to inspire the best in us and all that America has to offer. 

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms to defy Kemp ban on mask mandates

Several Georgia mayors including Keisha Lance Bottoms have lashed out over Gov. Brian Kemp’s (R) Wednesday order overriding local mandates requiring residents to wear a mask or face covering amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, vowing to continue enforcing local rules.

Bottoms said in a Thursday news conference that “it’s my belief that the city of Atlanta still has the appropriate standing to mandate masks,” specifically citing city-owned buildings and other areas.

"I believe that our city mask ordinance, and I believe those across the state, are defensible, and it is not just my posture but the posture of many mayors across this state that our policies are enforceable and they stand,” Bottoms said Thursday.

Kemp’s office has called local mask mandates “unenforceable.” The governor’s Wednesday order voids local mandates and instead “strongly” encourages all residents and visitors to wear face coverings in public.

When asked if she feared a lawsuit from the state, Bottoms, who announced that she tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this month, said she was not concerned .

"You all know I love to quote Audre Lorde, she says 'I am deliberate and afraid of nothing.' So I am not afraid of the city being sued," Bottoms said Thursday. "And I'll put our policies up against anyone's any day of the week."

[SOURCE: THE HILL]

Atlanta mayor, Keisha Bottoms speaks on new restrictions to mitigate coronavirus

Keisha lance Bottoms,the Atlanta mayor spoke with the local Atlanta CBS station, CBS46 on new restrictions to mitigate coronavirus.

Clyburn urges Biden to pick black woman as running mate

House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) urged former Vice President Joe Biden on Wednesday to pick a black woman as his running mate to "reward" them for loyalty to the Democratic Party if he is its presidential nominee.

Clyburn, who endorsed Biden ahead of his South Carolina primary win late last month, told NPR, "I really believe that we've reached a point in this country where African American women need to be rewarded for the loyalty that they've given to this party."

He named a number of black women who he thinks would be good choices to share a ticket with Biden, including Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and Georgia Democratic gubernatorial nominee and voting rights activist Stacey Abrams.

Clyburn also mentioned Democratic Reps. Marcia Fudge (Ohio), Val Demings (Fla.) and Karen Bass (Calif.) as potential choices, as well as Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.

[SOURCE: THE HILL]

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms To Deliver Spelman College Commencement Address

The Honorable Keisha Lance Bottoms, current mayor of Atlanta, has been named keynote speaker for the Spelman College 132nd Commencement ceremony. The 60th Mayor of Atlanta will address 474 graduates in the Class of 2019 and 9,000 of their family and friends on Sunday, May 19, 2019, at 3 p.m., at the Georgia International Convention Center in Atlanta. Mayor Bottoms will also receive the National Community Service Award in recognition of her service as a lifelong public servant and commitment to addressing local, state and national issues.

Mayor Bottoms is the only mayor in Atlanta's history to have served in all three branches of government, serving as a judge and city councilmember before being sworn in as mayor. Leading with a progressive agenda focused on equity and affordable housing, Mayor Bottoms serves as chair of the Community Development and Housing Committee for the United States Conference of Mayors.

Only the second woman to be elected to Atlanta's highest office, Mayor Bottoms has demonstrated her courageous leadership through initiatives like the citywide elimination of cash bail bonds, the closure of the Atlanta City Detention Center to ICE detainees, and the launch of Atlanta's financial transparency platform – Open Checkbook. During her time on city council, she launched Invest in Southwest , a 360-degree urban planning initiative with the goal of revitalizing and expanding economic development within the Southwest Atlanta community. She also authored panhandling legislation, which combined empathy with enforcement, and resulted in offenders receiving often-needed social services to help break the cycle of recidivism.

"Atlanta is fortunate to have such a dynamic leader as Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who has had a tremendous impact on the city, in particular on the Westside, where Spelman is located," said Spelman President Mary Schmidt Campbell, Ph.D. "She stands as an example for Spelman students of how to effectively lead the country's bedrock for civil and human rights, while navigating complex issues, prioritizing civic engagement and advancing Atlanta's progress in global commerce and equity. We look forward to Mayor Bottoms sharing her experience with the class of 2019."

Under Mayor Bottoms' leadership, the City of Atlanta recently led the successful staging of Super Bowl LIII, which included unprecedented community benefits – a $2.4 million renovation of John F. Kennedy Park on Atlanta's Westside, more than 20,000 trees planted throughout the community and the seamless coordination of 40 federal, state and local public safety agencies.

Mayor Bottoms has volunteered and served on the board of numerous community organizations, including The Children's School, the Firefighters' Pension Fund, the Andrew and Walter Young YMCA, the YWCA of Atlanta, Cure for Childhood Cancer and Central Atlanta Progress. She has been a member of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights – Women's Solidarity Society and also served on the board of Families First, where she often shared her personal story of adoption and advocates on behalf of adoption and foster care.

"Spelman College is a beacon of excellence across the globe and I am honored to stand among the many fearless women who have graced this space to share life lessons with the graduates as they journey into their next chapter," said Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. "I am equally grateful to receive the 2019 National Community Service Award. Thank you, Spelman College, for the thoughtfulness in this recognition."

Atlanta renames street after civil rights icon John Lewis

Noting U.S. Rep. John Lewis’ life of “raw courage,” Atlanta officials renamed a street for the civil rights icon Wednesday.

Freedom Parkway, a four-lane conduit to the Carter Center, will now be called John Lewis Freedom Parkway.

“John Lewis is synonymous with freedom,” Atlanta City Council member Andre Dickens said when explaining why that particular street was chosen. Dickens sponsored the resolution — which the council unanimously approved in December — to rename the street after Lewis.

“He has lived a life of raw courage,” Dickens said, calling Lewis the “conscience of Congress.”

Lewis encouraged the crowd to vote and called voting “the most powerful nonviolent tool we have in a democratic society.”

Renaming the street is just one way the task force assembled by Dickens plans to pay respect to the congressman. Plans to paint a mural of Lewis in the Atlanta airport in January ahead of the Super Bowl are in the works, Dickens said.

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms also presented Lewis with the Phoenix Award — the city’s highest honor — Wednesday for his work as both a local and national leader.

“We are one people. We are one family,” Lewis said. “We will not give up on each other.”

[SOURCE: WTOP]

Mary Norwood concedes: Keisha Lance Bottoms Officially Mayor Elect of Atlanta

Just two weeks after being narrowly defeated in the Atlanta mayoral runoff, Mary Norwood has officially conceded the race, making Keisha Lance Bottoms election night win official.

"For the future of this city, I believe it is the right thing to do to move on and hold a new administration accountable to serve this great city well," Norwood said in a video shared online.

The decision comes after a tumultuous several days following the election which was earlier in the month. Norwood first requested a recount and later challenged whether an entire recently-annexed neighborhood should be counted.

The admission, which follows the recount results showing an even bigger win for mayor-elect Keisha Lance Bottoms, further paves the way for the city's next mayor.

"I wish my opponent a term of governance that embodies all that my campaign did embracing every Atlantan and working hard for all Atlantans with grace and dignity," Norwood said in closing.

Thursday afternoon Bottoms released this statement:

“This was a long, hard fought campaign and I remain grateful for the support we received across this city. We truly are stronger together and we will move forward as one Atlanta. I appreciate the passion Ms. Norwood has shown towards our city and look forward to working with leaders across Atlanta to continue to improve our communities.”

[SOURCE]