Email from Jamie for Louisiana Baton Rouge was too big a city with too much temptation for the farm boy from the country town of Waterproof and my sophomore year I returned home with my tail between my legs John,  Both of my parents were raised on farms in Tensas Parish, Louisiana. My father by a sharecropper and my mother on a plantation. They picked cotton by hand. For them it was survival and my grandparents did not believe that a formal education was necessary. For them missing school to go to work on the farm was the norm. The only time my Dad could go to school was when the weather was so bad that nothing could be done on the farm. Kids would tease him saying, "Must be raining cause Stump (his nickname) is here and not at the farm." The highest level of education my dad reached was the 8th grade. His informal education taught him to run a successful farm and he became the first in our family to own land. One of the last surviving photos of my father. Taken at my high school graduation in 1988. Pardon the graininess. My Dad gave me the opportunity to chart a different course and I was the first person in my family to graduate from high school and I went on to attend Louisiana State University. Ultimately, Baton Rouge was too big a city with too much temptation for the farm boy from the country town of Waterproof and I returned home with my tail between my legs, sent back on academic probation with my first child on the way. My father asked me sarcastically, "What are you going to do now Mr. Man?” And I told him earnestly, "I'm going to farm just like you do." And that’s what I’ve been doing to this day. Starting off with the 220 acres that my Dad leased, we worked to grow the farm to where we stand today — farming 3,200 acres, 700 of which belong to my family. My son and I on the farm in 2021. Unfortunately, in my 55 years of life here in Louisiana much has changed for the worse. Life has been sucked out of our small towns by monopolies like Dollar General and Walmart. Agriculture has become far less profitable, dominated by big business, and I have watched all of my Dad’s friends that were black farmers go out of business. I'm too old to learn a new trick. I’ve got 13 grandkids. I’ve watched my Dad break his body down through manual labor on this farm and saw my son lose part of his leg in a farming accident here. We’ve put too much of our blood into this soil. We can’t just pick up this farm and move. Our beloved home is turning into something unrecognizable. Louisianans on both sides of the aisle recognize this and they are ready for radical change. I have to take a stand and fight for the way of life that we had when I grew up here as a boy and it’s why I am proud to be the Democrat running for Senate in Louisiana. Dems can win here statewide — look no further than our last governor Democrat John Bel Edwards. And now a blue wave is forming, putting Louisiana in play for Democrats like me who can articulate an authentic vision of FDR style economic populism that can compete with and defeat the fake populism of MAGA. Taking this seat means electing Louisiana's first black senator and statewide elected official since reconstruction. It means we reclaim the Senate with an unshakeable majority — the Trump administration goes down in flames when we pull this off. Winning Louisiana is now possible and it’s why I’m asking you to join us in this last stand with a donation of $25, $10, or even just $5 to help Democrats take this now within reach Senate seat. If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately: Donate $5 Donate $15 Donate $25 Donate $50 Donate $100 Donate Another Amount Or multiply your impact with a monthly recurring donation!   We have the opportunity to pull off something historic in Louisiana that will do a whole lot of good for people here. I couldn’t be more grateful to have you fighting alongside me. Jamie Davis Democrat for U.S. Senate DONATE Mail checks to: Jamie Davis for U.S. Senate PO Box 55 Ferriday, LA 71334 Paid for by Jamie Davis for U.S. Senate Jamie for Louisiana | PO Box 55 | Ferriday, LA 71334 US Unsubscribe | Constant Contact Data Notice