A little about me…
I want to tell you a quick story…
I was just going through some old photos, and it made me realize how fortunate I am to be where I am today.
That photo was taken when I was a young boy growing up in North Charleston, South Carolina. Back then, I had no idea what life had in store for me – or where I would end up.
When I was young, my grandparents took my mother, brother, and me into their home shortly after my parents split. After that, my mother worked long hours just to put food on the table and a roof over our heads.
With the guidance that came from my mother and both of my grandparents, I was taught the importance of a good education – despite the fact that my grandfather never even knew how to read. They knew education was the closest thing to magic in America and the ticket to fulfilling the American Dream.
Here’s a photo of me on the high school football team. Back then, it was my dream to play for the Dallas Cowboys when I was old enough. With a job like that, I would be able to repay my mom for all of the sacrifices she made for my brother and me – and not have to worry about keeping a roof over her head.
Simply put: football was an escape. It was my ticket out of poverty and a way for me to give back.
But as life often does, it took an unexpected turn – one night, I fell asleep behind the wheel of my mom’s AMC Gremlin, flipping it and almost dying in the process.
I thank my lucky stars that God had more of a plan in store for me because the story didn’t end there.
During college, I dedicated my life to Christ and meaningful service, and long story short, I was able to live out my mother’s American Dream!
With the help of some key mentors along the way, I found success in business – and used it to improve the lives of others.
After my time in business, I decided I wanted to run for public office and work to better the lives of people in my community. So, I chose to run in the Charleston area – as a Republican.
Since then, I have become the first black man elected to the U.S. Senate from a Southern State since Reconstruction.
Along the way, I’ve learned this: Every American can achieve their own American Dream when given an equal playing field, especially if the government can get out of the way when doing it.
It’s been my mission since Day 1 in the Senate to protect the American Dream for everyone. It’s a lot of hard work, but I have only been able to make it this far with the help of my supporters.
