please welcome to the stage from cleveland, ohio, mayor justin bibb.tting to you, babe ♪ ♪ i set you free, i told you you can always count on me ♪ ♪ from that day on i made a vow ♪ i'll be there when you want me ♪ someway, somehow ♪ ♪ because, baby, there ain't no mountain high enough ♪ ♪ ain't no valley low enough ♪ ♪ ain't no river wide enough ♪ ♪ to keep me from getting to you, babe ♪ ♪ all, no, darling ♪ ♪ no wind, no rain or winters cold and stop me, baby. no, no, baby ♪ ♪ could you are my goal ♪ ♪ if you're ever in trouble i'll be there on the double ♪ ♪ just sent for me, oh, baby. ♪ my love is alive way down in my heart ♪ ♪ although we are miles apart ♪ ♪ if you ever need a helping hand i'll be there on the double just as fast as i can ♪ >> thank you so much. thank you so much. first, i want to shout out our president of cleveland building tradesen coalition, dave. let's give a round of applause if we can. .. his music selection, but you t an a plus with that song, so we are in good shape. ladies and gentlemen, good morning, and thank you for th

please welcome to the stage mayor justin bibb. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> thank you so much. out our president of the cleveland buildings trade coalition. let's do a round of applause if we can. i was going to judge dave for his music selection, but you get an a plus with that song, so we are in good shape. ladies and gentlemen, good morning, and thank you for the opportunity to address you today. i'm justin bibb, mayor of the great city of cleveland, ohio. that's right. and i am so honored to stand before this esteemed gathering of skilled craftsmen, all of you and the more than 3 million professionals play a vital role in shaping every aspect of our landscape and infrastructure. your dedication to excellence and commitment to your craft are the pillars upon which cleveland and the nation stand. your expertise and skill are evident in every structure and every road that connects our neighborhoods. your dedication to quality and safety ensures that the buildings you construct will stand the test of time and serve generations to come. i stand here today not just as a mayor, bu

first in my family in six generations not to live in either one of two counties in middle georgia, bibb county or twiggs county. we got there down we came down from virginia and around 1850 and 18, 12, 1815, because they were handing out free land. all right. so where did that land come from? right. this is right at. the beginning of the quote unquote, indian removal policy in the early 1800s. and so the state of georgia had set about clearing the land of cherokee. right. and them off to oklahoma. all right. the trail of tears there. this happened all over the south, all over the southeast where i grew up in mississippi, alabama louisiana, all all across the southeast. this is the story. and then effectively, like divided it up into 200 acre rectangle and handed it out to people of european descent. right. so again, what was the justifying for all that? it actually anchored in this idea that this land was given by god. right. it's a theological moral claim to owns the land who properly owns the land. so the real answer is it's kind of i think for our, you know 21st century ears. and i t