Adrian Perkins in 2020 LA Senatorial race
On Civil Rights:
Racism is one of the heaviest issues in our community
The mayor mentioned that he's been profiled and that he gets nervous when he's pulled over by the police. "I'm not going to be fearful about talking about these issues because I know how pervasive it is in our community and how much it hurts our
community," Perkins said. "At this point, racism is one of the heaviest issues in our community." Until the community is comfortable talking about race, Shreveport is going to have incidents such as what happened to Floyd in Minneapolis, Perkins added.
Source: The Shreveport Times on 2020 Louisiana Senate race
On Crime:
Police should have guard-in mindset, not military mindset
To the question of what the city is doing to ensure what happened in the death of Floyd does not occur in Shreveport, Perkins said, "I'm confident that I've set up a culture within our city to be respectful of our citizens. When I was running for office
I talked about community-oriented policing and our police officers protecting our citizens and taking more of a guard-in mindset rather than a military type of mindset when engaging our citizens."
Source: The Shreveport Times on 2020 Louisiana Senate race
On Principles & Values:
Welcomes pastors praying during protest over police violence
How to use the momentum to make changes in Shreveport in terms of race, Perkins said, a great first step would be to support the protesters who would love to have all the pastors come out and pray over the vigil. "These are some brave
souls who are risking their lives by going out and demonstrating," Perkins said of the protesters. "How much of a humane act is it to just come out and pray for people? Things like that go a very long way in reconciling."
Source: The Shreveport Times on 2020 Louisiana Senate race
On Principles & Values:
Family taught me faith and hard work leads to accomplishment
I come from a neighborhood in Shreveport called Cedar Grove, and very often times were tough. My grandparents, my stepfather, and my brothers were always there to guide and support me. My mother worked multiple jobs so our family could make ends meet.
Even when times were toughest, she never buckled under the pressure. As a family, we persisted, and they made me the man I am today by showing me that through faith and hard work, I could accomplish anything.
Source: 2020 Louisiana Senate campaign website PerkinsForLA.com
Aug 18, 2020
On Principles & Values:
Bring Louisiana values of service, honesty, courage to DC
Our nation is being ravaged by a deadly virus and an economic crisis that's only being compounded by the political games in Washington. Times like this call for leadership, and that's why I'm running for United States Senate. It's time
to take our shared Louisiana values of service, honesty, and courage to Washington, D.C. It's time for Louisiana to have a Senator who isn't afraid to stand up to special interests and who will protect our health care, our jobs, and our kids' future.
Source: 2020 Louisiana Senate campaign website PerkinsForLA.com
Aug 18, 2020
On Gun Control:
Urge Senate to act on gun safety legislation
More than 200 mayors are urging the Senate to return to the Capitol to act on gun safety legislation amid criticism that Congress is failing to respond to back-to-back shootings that left 31 people dead. Four mayors from Louisiana signed the letter:
LaToya Cantrell (New Orleans), Sharon Weston Broome (Baton Rouge), Jamie Mayo (Monroe) and Adrian Perkins (Shreveport).
Source: The New Orleans Times-Picayune on 2020 Louisiana Senate race
Aug 8, 2020
On Civil Rights:
Supported welcoming environment for LGBTQ West Point cadets
On LGBTQ: "He was the Commandant at West Point during my stint as Class President. He worked closely with student leadership, which is where our relationship began. As Commandant, Lt. Gen Caslen was steadfast in his commitment to equal opportunity
and adamant about his belief that diversity strengthens organizations," wrote Perkins.Perkins' letter continued that Caslen worked to create a more welcoming environment for LGBTQ cadets and spearheaded a sexual assault commission with the NCAA.
Source: WLTX News-19 on 2020 Louisiana Senate race
Jul 19, 2020
On Health Care:
COVID19: Mandatory mask order, penalties for non-compliance
A Caddo District Court judge has temporarily stopped enforcement of Mayor Adrian Perkins' face mask mandate. Violations are assessed to the businesses, which face being shut down, having their water turned off or loss of liquor licenses if applicable.
During the news conference Perkins did not identify a legal basis for his order, "implicitly acknowledging the political implications of his order" by claiming his order "is not about politics."
Source: KTBS-TV ABC-3 on 2020 Louisiana Senate race
Jul 11, 2020
On Welfare & Poverty:
Supports UBI as "Mayors for a Guaranteed Income"
[Stockton Mayor Michael] Tubbs in 2018 launched the Economic Empowerment Demonstration, otherwise known as the SEED Project, with one goal: give 125 people $500 a month for 18 months and see if improves their living situations. And it appears to have
worked: People receiving the money spent nearly 40% of it on food; about 24% went to sales and merchandise; 11% went to utility bills, and 9% went to auto repairs and fuel. The rest went to a combination of medical expenses, insurance, donations,
education and more.Nearly two years after launching the program, Tubbs announced another milestone in the country's quest for Universal Basic Income: a coalition of 11 city mayors, collectively known as Mayors for a Guaranteed Income.
The coalition include Tubbs, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Adrian Perkins, mayor of Shreveport, La., [and several others].
Source: ABC-TV-10 on 2020 Louisiana Senate race
Jun 30, 2020
On Civil Rights:
Business district must demonstrate black lives do matter
The Mayor released [a] statement in response to the Downtown Development Authority's handling of recent incidents involving racism. "The DDA asserted "Black Lives Matter." I am calling upon the Downtown Development Authority to translate those
words into action by taking steps to ensure that DDA employees' safety concerns are addressed and that the culture within DDA is not discriminatory or otherwise hostile. Such actions are required to demonstrate that black lives do, in fact, matter."
Source: KTAL/KMSS Baton Rouge Proud on 2020 Louisiana Senate race
Jun 29, 2020
On Gun Control:
Focus on reducing number of illegal guns in city
Perkins met with law enforcement leaders and members of the city council to talk about gun violence in Shreveport. The primary focus was public safety, but specifically they focused on reducing the number of illegal guns.
This topic was already on the mayor's radar because of a general spike in crime that normally happens over the summer. Perkins and Caddo Parish [Sheriff] Steve Prator came up with strategies to reduce gun violence.
Source: KTBS-TV ABC-3 on 2020 Louisiana Senate race
Jun 26, 2020
On Principles & Values:
Awarded Sam Cooke apology; posthumous Key to the City
Legendary singer Sam Cooke received a public apology for the racially motivated mistreatment he suffered in 1963 at the hands of hotel staff and law enforcement while performing in Shreveport. Perkins posthumously awarded the "King of Soul"
the key to the city at the Let the Good Times Roll Festival. "I'm so honored that Mayor Perkins took the time to do the apology while I was performing at the festival," said the singer's daughter, Carla Cooke, accepting the honor on her father's behalf.
Source: The New York Post on 2020 Louisiana Senate race
Jun 24, 2020
On Principles & Values:
Hosted online interfaith prayer service
Perkins is continuing his efforts to offer hope to the community during these uncertain times.
Mayor Perkins will hold a second online Interfaith Prayer Service. Area faith leaders will give messages of encouragement from their respective traditions. The Mayor said there will also be a special guest that is sure to lift your spirits.
Source: The ArkLaTex Homepage on 2020 Louisiana Senate race
Apr 21, 2020
On Environment:
Renegotiate EPA consent decree that nearly tripled in cost
Perkins wants to renegotiate the terms of the original consent decree to upgrade the city's sewage and drainage infrastructure. "We want to try to mitigate any type of financial pressure on the citizens of Shreveport," Perkins said. Burns McDonnell, the
contracting firm, said that the projected amount of $350 million is closer to $1 billion. If the city is not showing adequate progress, it could potentially be fined by the EPA and Department of Justice for failure to meet completion deadlines.
Source: KTBS-TV ABC-3 on 2020 Louisiana Senate race
Dec 20, 2019
On Principles & Values:
Launched run for mayor while at Harvard Law School
Perkins launched his run for mayor during his 3L year at HLS. He expected he would practice law. But the allure of going home proved too strong, particularly when his city was losing jobs and experiencing a high crime rate. He pointed to his life
experience: the first African American class president at West Point, eight years serving in the Army, student government president at Harvard Law, and a deep history with and commitment to Shreveport. He won the election with 64% of the vote.
Source: Harvard Law Today on 2020 Louisiana Senate race
Jul 30, 2019
On Crime:
Repealed "saggy pants" law targeting people of color
Lawmakers voted to repeal a 12-year-old ordinance banning pants that sag below the waist after outcry over the death of Anthony Childs, who was stopped by police for violating the law. "It is my opinion that while the ordinance was originally
well-intentioned, it unfairly targets people of color," Perkins said. "Just like many initiatives in the war on drugs that we now realize are discriminatory against people of color, we've evolved to reach that understanding. And this is in that vein."
Source: Mother Jones newsmagazine on 2020 Louisiana Senate race
Jun 13, 2019
On Technology:
Test technology innovations in smaller cities
As an African-American law student studying innovation, I've felt isolated when reading about innovative cities that do not look like my hometown. Various forces in the tech world are denying minorities and smaller cities the chance to influence the
direction of technology's march into the future. Just as minorities deserve equal opportunities in the tech world, Shreveport and other cities like it need technology just as much as New York and San Francisco.
Source: Wired magazine on 2020 Louisiana Senate race
Jul 12, 2017
Page last updated: Oct 24, 2020