Durham Mayor Leonardo Williams got his chance to speak at DNC. Here’s what he said

In a live speech Thursday night from the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Durham Mayor Leonardo Williams told the story of starting his first restaurant, an experience the rural North Carolina native said was how he claimed his “piece of the American dream.”

“Kamala Harris is fighting to create an opportunity economy that can break down barriers for entrepreneurs like us,” Williams said. “And as president, she will support risk-takers and problem solvers.”

The Durham mayor was part of North Carolina’s delegation to the convention, where Vice President Kamala Harris accepted the Democratic presidential nomination Thursday night.

Williams almost didn’t make the stage. He was told earlier this week he would be bumped because of time constraints, though he said Wednesday there were “a lot of moving parts” and that could change.

Gov. Roy Cooper also spoke Thursday night in a high-profile slot, immediately before Harris gave her acceptance speech.

North Carolina is considered a battleground state, though it hasn’t voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since Barack Obama in 2008. Republican victories have been narrow, however, and recent polls indicate the state is a toss-up in 2024.

What Durham mayor said at the DNC

Though it was the Durham mayor’s first stint as a convention delegate, it wasn’t his first time on a national political stage. He and his wife were invited guests of President Joe Biden at a presidential debate in 2020.

Williams’ remarks were during the 7 p.m. hour in Eastern time on the final day of the 2024 convention.

“Several years ago, my wife Zweli and I started cooking for our community. We drove to schools, doctor’s offices just to give out a few samples, and eventually our friends asked: ‘Where’s the restaurant, y’all?’” Williams said.

“It takes capital to chase a dream,” he continued. “And during the Trump administration, they did not make it easy, not for folks like us. So what I thought was, I guess not everybody can have a multi-million dollar loan from their father.”

That prompted laughs from the crowd.

Williams recounted opening Zweli’s Kitchen, “America’s first Zimbabwean restaurant” in 2018 during the Biden-Harris administration.

“Now, thanks to small business grants and all of the help that we received from them, we now have three locations, and we employ at least 30 employees with a living wage,” Williams said. “But we are not alone. Under Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, more than a half million business applications have been filed in North Carolina.”

Cheers erupted. He shouted out a couple other business owners from around the country.

“(Harris) knows that we are the backbone of our community, and when they succeed, we all succeed. Let’s win this!,” he said.

James Taylor was bumped from lineup

After Monday night’s speeches ran past midnight Eastern time, organizers said they were revising the rest of the week’s programming, bumping another person with North Carolina ties from the lineup.

Singer-songwriter James Taylor, who grew up in Chapel Hill, didn’t perform on the first night as announced because of time constraints.

Taylor wrote on social media that he was going to perform “You’ve Got a Friend” — his first No. 1 hit — with cello accompaniment and several other vocalists.

“Anyway, sorry to disappoint. But a great and inspirational, quintessentially American moment. We were honored to be there,” Taylor said in the post.

This story was originally published August 21, 2024 at 5:29 PM with the headline "Durham Mayor Leonardo Williams got his chance to speak at DNC. Here’s what he said."

Mary Helen Moore

The News & Observer

Mary Helen Moore covers Durham for The News & Observer. She grew up in Eastern North Carolina and attended UNC-Chapel Hill before spending several years working in newspapers in Florida. Outside of work, you might find her reading, fishing, baking, or going on walks (mainly to look at plants).