Soon after Robert James introduced the Honorable Otis S. Johnson as the newly installed 64th Mayor of the City of Savannah on January 2, 2008, Otis let the room know that he planned to speak the truth as he felt the spirit move him.
Click on the audio player below to hear selected excerpts from “the last inaugural speech you’ll ever hear” from Otis Johnson. (11 minutes 8 seconds)
Topics include:
Crime, economic development, the opportunity infrastructure in Savannah, bridging barriers, a call for leadership from the citizens.
“Democracy depends on the involvement and the participation of an informed and mobilized populace.”
“… we’re not mind readers, we need you to be involved…”
“… In the next four years I’m going to be off the leash. I’m going to talk about personal responsibility, about institutional barriers to people’s welfare…”
“… I’ve had a good life, so now I’m going to be a truth-talker…”
“… It’s not the liberals, it’s not the conservatives…”
“We must assume responsibility for ourselves, our families, and our communities.”
The success of the Step-up program is highlighted.
Click to see some of the national recognition of this successful Savannah anti-poverty program.
Mayor Johnson issued a challenge to recognize that “… we are not poor, we often act poor … We waste resources, we should commit ourselves to the principle that nobody is going to help us but ourselves… ”
Book cited: Race Matters by Cornell West.
Click for a wonderful review of the speech from the blog “Howards-home” (courtesy of Union Mission), a fine neighbor and one of the finest voices in Savannah:
“I am proud of the Mayor for his courage to speak out about these issues.”
