The field for the vacant Mississippi House of Representatives’ District 38 seat grew to three contenders Friday as Cheikh Taylor, the executive director of the nonprofit Brickfire Project, announced his candidacy.
Taylor will face former Starkville Ward 2 Alderman Lisa Wynn and fashion model-turned-community activist Narissa Bradford in the Nov. 7 non-partisan, special election.
District 38’s seat became vacant after former Rep. Tyrone Ellis, D-Starkville, retired this summer to spend more time with his family.
The district covers portions of Clay, Lowndes and Oktibbeha counties.
“The call to serve was directed by … Ellis, Mississippi’s eldest statesman, who has rendered 38 years of service to District 38, whom many consider to be a national treasure. Through prayer, support of friends, my family and Rep. Ellis, it became clear the decision to serve was not only a privilege, but also my obligation to the community, which has given so much to me,” Taylor said in a release provided to The Dispatch. “As (I) conveyed to Mr. Ellis, ‘I’ve been waiting for this call all my life.’ He expressed that whomever he chose to endorse to succeed him would not be solely of his doing but urged that it must be the will of the people. I believe that there is a lesson to be learned in governing from that standpoint, and I shall remember this lesson for years to come.”
Taylor is a 1992 graduate of Starkville High School. He and his wife of 18 years, Jamila, have two children: Leilah, a junior at SHS, and Ahmir, a SHS freshman. His parents –Andre and Helen Taylor — are longtime business owners and community developers with ties to the Brickfire Project, a child-centered organization that includes a day care and after-school programs.
His experience at Howard University, Taylor said in the release, helped him become aware of deficiencies in the educational system.
“This is a defining moment in our great district when leadership is changing hands, health care is under attack, public schools are on the chopping block and our middle-class families are eroding every day. We find that many of our elected officials are lowering the bar of success in order to make the numbers work. With great passion and enthusiasm, my job is to make a difference in the lives of all Mississippians,” he said in the release. “That’s why I will fight for public education and defend it from the threat of charter schools. I will press for increased funding for not only special education and broadening the range of accelerated classes, but also to lessen the gap for struggling students. I am also a proud proponent for the arts.”
Taylor said his role as the Brickfire Project’s leader has allowed him to cultivate numerous partnerships across the area. He has also served on various groups’ boards, including Habitat for Humanity, Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors’ Advisory Council, Starkville Area Arts Council and Oktibbeha County Food Policy Council.
“Some say that the best days of the state of Mississippi are behind us; I could not disagree more. The truth is that our challenges are real, they are vast and they are many. They will not be easily met nor solved in a short span of time, but under my watch these challenges will be met,” he said in the release. “Our challenges range from education to employment; from the economy to health care; and from technology to taxes. As of today, the mantra for District 38 shall be ‘Mississippi Forward.'”
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
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