蜜桃影视

New Orleans

Sen. Cory Booker鈥檚 first stop in a weekend swing through Southern states 鈥斅爏een by many as a preamble to a 2020 presidential run 鈥斅爓as at a rally Friday for some 5,000 New Orleans public school students who greeted him with chants of 鈥淩un, Cory, Run.鈥�

鈥淐ory, you always say, 鈥楲isten to the kids,鈥欌�� joked Louisiana Congressman Cedric Richmond, who prompted the students packed into Xavier University鈥檚 Convocation Center to put Booker鈥檚 possible White House aspirations front and center.

鈥淏y you standing up and challenging and inspiring others, that鈥檚 how our nation changes,鈥� Booker told the young people. 鈥淚f we work together, this nation will rise.鈥�

The event was a 鈥淩ally for Excellence鈥� hosted by InspireNOLA Charter Schools and Democrats for Education Reform. Booker acting as the headliner while also contemplating a run for the Democratic nomination stands out at a time when other 2020 Democratic contenders have distanced themselves from charter schools or school choice while embracing teachers unions, who see charter schools as a threat.

While the merits of school choice have created among Democrats, Booker has walked a line. He鈥檚 voiced support for teachers unions, including United Teachers Los Angeles, which just settled a six-day strike in which they pushed for a cap on charter schools, while recently reasserting education reforms he accomplished while he was mayor of Newark, including bolstering charter schools, saying they dramatically improved academic outcomes for low-income African-American students. 鈥淢y loyalty is to a free public school, high-quality public school education,鈥� Booker told 蜜桃影视 in September. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 care if you鈥檙e a charter school. I don鈥檛 care if you鈥檙e a magnet school.鈥�

The 49-year-old Democratic standout, who could be facing newer rising stars in his party, including the already-declared U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, spoke to the students about the importance of civic engagement and the need to fight societal injustice.

鈥淭he opposite of justice is not injustice,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 apathy and indifference.鈥�

Booker went on to tell the story of how his father rose above his impoverished upbringing in rural North Carolina to become one of IBM鈥檚 top salesmen, all the while battling racial and economic barriers that still exist today.

When his parents first moved to New Jersey, Booker recounted, they tried to buy a home in a traditionally white neighborhood, but real estate agents refused to sell to a black couple. His father eventually fought back by participating in an undercover sting operation with a local fair-housing group that exposed those discriminatory practices and allowed his parents to buy the home he grew up in.

鈥淲e still live in a country where the power of the people is greater than the people in power,鈥� he said.

Booker鈥檚 address capped a series of speeches and student performances held in honor of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday that was organized as part of 鈥淧roject Live & Achieve,鈥� an initiative of InspireNOLA and New Orleans community groups to promote nonviolence, academic success, and community service among the city鈥檚 youth.

Booker, who has not said whether he will run, was surrounded afterward by throngs of students eager for high fives and selfies.

鈥淚t鈥檚 important that New Orleans students have an opportunity to hear from a leader who looks like them and has lived similar experiences to them,鈥� Eva Kemp, Louisiana state director of Democrats for Education Reform, noted after the event. 鈥淪en. Booker鈥檚 efforts to improve educational outcomes for low-income students and his work on criminal justice reform exemplifies what it means to be a public servant.”

鈥淗opefully students come away inspired to make a difference in their own communities,鈥� she added.

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