Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and First Lady Michelle Obama (photo credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

 

Written by Danny J. Bakewell, Jr.

Special to the NNPA from the Los Angeles Sentinel

 Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has been tapped by President Barack Obama to be the gavel to gavel Chairman of the 2012 Democratic National Convention to begin Monday, September 3, 2012 and end Thursday, September 6, 2012 in Charlotte, North Carolina.Mayor Villaraigosa is the second Californian to be appointed to this position. Senator Dianne Feinstein was appointed the 2008 Convention Chairperson in Denver, Colorado, when President Obama received the Democratic nomination over now Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

When asked about this prestigious appointment Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa had this to say. “It’s an honor to serve my party and my President as Convention Chair. Through this convention, we will focus on the importance of civic engagement. We will draw on the inspiration of people like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Cesar Chavez, as we empower people at the grassroots level and include all Americans.

“The president began his journey five years ago with a conversation-friends reaching out to neighbors, families talking around the dinner table. At this convention, we want to engage Americans in a conversation about how we can strengthen the country in a way that creates more opportunity for all.

“I’m excited to be a part of this convention – the most open and accessible in history. It’s going to be about Americans coming together. From format to funding, we want to increase the influence of the grassroots, and empower more Americans to become involved in the political process.”

When learning of the Mayor’s appointment, Reggie Jones-Sawyer, secretary of the California Democratic Party and the highest ranking African American in the party, had this to say.

“Congratulations to Mayor Villaraigosa, I know the mayor will do an excellent job as chairman, I am confident he and his committee will make sure that both the President and the party are well represented, and that there will be a spirit of inclusiveness for everyone.”