We’ve seen the yard signs, we’ve heard some advertisements, but we haven’t seen the mainstream media coverage. Who is Dr. Willie Wilson? Where is he from? What are his policies?

Democratic Presidential Candidate, Dr. Willie Wilson is a 50-year resident of Chicago, having moved to the city in 1965. He was born on June 16, 1948 in Gilbert, Louisiana. He grew up in impoverished conditions and rose to found multiple successful enterprises in Chicago and the first nationally syndicated African-American owned and produced Gospel program on commercial television that broadcasts internationally on WGN-TV. He recently entered the political scene and gained notoriety after earning nearly 11 percent of the votes in the 2015 Chicago mayoral election. Wilson’s candidacy sparked an historic run-off election and secured his place in the Windy City’s rich political history.

After working with McDonald’s for 10 years, Wilson decided he wanted to open a McDonald’s himself and resolved to meet with McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc about the issue. Kroc agreed to give Wilson a McDonald’s restaurant after a discussion at an annual shareholders’ meeting in 1979, and with capital provided by South Shore Bank, Wilson took a suffering Chicago franchise and turned it around within a year.

In a recent South Carolina Town Hall, Wilson told supporters: “I’m not bought, I’m using my own money”. “I am not and will not accept money from any major corporation.”

Referring to his relative lack of publicity, he said: “Someone said to me: ‘But we’ve never heard of you.’ And I said: ‘They had never heard of Jesus either.’

“Jesus came to town to do good. I came to town to do good. I came to town not looking for anything from anybody but a vote.”

Wilson soon followed that up with: “I believe America should have free education for its citizens. If third-world countries like Cuba can have free education, or China can have free education, why not America?”

“It makes us proud and awake to have a black candidate running for the White House,” said one South Carolina Resident at the town hall meeting. White liked “his commitment to represent the black community as their voice and not being [funded] by anyone”.

Wilson said he was aiming to be a voice for “the poor, people of color, and all people”.  Although he is extremely unlikely to win the Democratic nomination he’s bringing up some very important issues related to race and poverty.

“I’d like people to know that every minute of the way I’ve been working 100% on behalf of the people, without wanting anything for myself,” he said.

“And I want them to know that I tried for them. I tried to help them.”

In many states, Wilson has not made the ballot. He was not listed in Iowa, New Hampshire or Nevada, the first three to vote. South Carolina, however, was the first to have him on the ballot.

Wilson continues to reside in Chicago with his wife of 18 years.

His Campaign Website can be found here: http://www.williewilson2016.com/