Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg is paying a visit to the Gulf Coast this week, making stops in downtown Mobile and Bayou La Batre, Ala.
The visit kicks off his nationwide tour as Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan seek to visit all 50 states in 2017.
The couple met and spoke with local business owners, fishermen, oyster farmers and took part in Sunday church services in downtown Mobile on Sunday. They also watched the Mobile Mardi Gras parade and spoke with families affected by the Gulf oil spill and Hurricane Katrina.
Zuckerberg’s interest in civic engagement has fueled speculation recently that he may run for public office, often indirectly sparring with President Trump and his proposed policies.
“I’m looking at more of the world through the lens of building community these days,” Zuckerberg said after his visit to Mobile. “In Mobile, we joined a baptist church for services this morning and saw how the church provides an important social structure for the community. We saw a Mardi Gras parade and met folks at a bar who were part of a women’s organization that has created a float for the parade every year for decades. We met musicians in the local music community, and restauranteurs in the local culinary community.”
Zuckerberg added, “We are all part of many communities. The strength of these local communities is what makes up our social fabric and that’s what enables us to come together as a global community as well.”