Khan’s DPOC Acceptance Speech Serves as Reminder for Unity

The rumor mill was swirling Friday and Saturday morning that Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan would not be accepting a Truth Award from the Democratic Party of Orange County’s Gala.  Those whispers weren’t true.  The Party raised close to $300,000 marking the event as a success and Khan’s speech was a reminder call that this party needs to be unified to continue to move forward and put more distance between Blues and Reds.

The remarks are brief and to the point.

Here’s the speech:

Thank you everyone for this recognition.  From a global pandemic, climate change, criminal justice reform and combating misinformation – our world has fundamentally changed.  But in the OC we know it is changing for the better because of Democrats like all of us here tonight. I am proud to be the only Mayor in OC to sign the Mayors for Medicare pledge so we can finally have universal healthcare as a human right.

We also became the first city locally to pass HERO pay for grocery workers, created a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee led by the BIPOC community to ensure we root out systemic racism in every corner of our city, and we have pledged to go carbon neutral by 2030 because our planet cannot wait any longer.

There is always more work to be done, and sometimes we as leaders, myself included, may not always get things right.  But, let’s never forget that we are in this fight TOGETHER – and it will take all of us working TOGETHER to cross the finish line successfully. My challenge to you tonight, is that we as grassroots activists, dem club presidents and elected officials not get caught up in bullying tactics or cancel culture.  We ALL have something to learn from those within our party who may or may not share the same beliefs or have the same lived experience.  Let’s use those differences to break bread with one another and not tear each other apart. 

Thank you and congratulations to all the awardees.