Kwanza Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kwanza Hall
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Official portrait, 2020
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia's 5th district |
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| In office December 3, 2020 – January 3, 2021 |
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| Preceded by | John Lewis |
| Succeeded by | Nikema Williams |
| Member of the Atlanta City Council from the 2nd district |
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| In office 2005–2017 |
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| Preceded by | Debi Starnes |
| Succeeded by | Amir Farokhi |
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| Born | May 1, 1971 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Kwanza Hall is an American politician and businessman. He was born on May 1, 1971. He briefly served in the United States House of Representatives. This is part of the U.S. government that makes laws.
Before that, he was a member of the Atlanta City Council. This is the local government for the city of Atlanta. He was first elected to the City Council in 2005. He represented many neighborhoods in Atlanta.
In 2017, he decided not to run for re-election. Instead, he ran for mayor of Atlanta. Later, he worked for the city's mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms.
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Early Life and Education
Kwanza Hall was born and grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. He went to Benjamin E. Mays High School. After high school, he attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). At MIT, he studied political science, which is the study of how governments work.
Early Career and Public Service
Before he was elected to public office, Kwanza Hall worked in the government of Fulton County, Georgia. He also worked for a company called GoodWorks International. This company focused on human rights and public service.
Later, he became a director at MACTEC Engineering and Consulting, Inc. This company works on engineering and consulting projects.
Serving on the Atlanta Board of Education
In 2002, Kwanza Hall was elected to the Atlanta Board of Education. This board helps manage the public schools in Atlanta. He served on the board for three years. During this time, he worked to improve school performance. He also helped close the "achievement gap," which means helping all students succeed.
Working on the Atlanta City Council
Kwanza Hall was elected to the Atlanta City Council in 2005. He represented District 2. He was re-elected two more times, in 2009 and 2013.
While on the City Council, he was involved in important projects. One major project was the Atlanta Beltline. This project turned old railway lines into parks and trails. He also focused on improving neighborhoods. This included protecting historical buildings and planning for new, sustainable developments.
Running for Mayor of Atlanta
In 2017, Kwanza Hall decided to run for mayor of Atlanta. During his campaign, he talked about important issues. These issues included making the city safer and improving transportation. He also focused on making housing more affordable for everyone. He finished seventh in the election.
Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives
Election to Congress
In 2020, a special election was held for Georgia's 5th congressional district. This election happened after the death of Congressman John Lewis. Kwanza Hall decided to run for this seat.
He won the first round of voting on September 29, 2020. However, he did not get more than half of the votes. So, he went to a second election, called a runoff. The runoff election was on December 1, 2020. Kwanza Hall won this election.
He was sworn into office two days later. He served for the final month of John Lewis's term. Another person, Nikema Williams, was chosen to run for the full term.
After Congress
After his time in Congress, Kwanza Hall ran for Lieutenant Governor of Georgia in 2022. He won the first round of the Democratic primary election. However, he lost the runoff election to Charlie Bailey.
In November 2022, Kwanza Hall supported Republican Governor Brian Kemp for re-election. He was one of a few Democrats who supported a Republican in that election.
Personal Life
Kwanza Hall lives in the Martin Luther King Historic District in Atlanta. He is divorced.
See also
