Voters go to the polls April 2, and Lori Lightfoot or Toni Preckwinkle will make history.
A pedestrian crosses Howard Street in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago on March 7. Chicago residents will elect the city’s first African American female mayor on April 2 after Lori Lightfoot and Toni Preckwinkle advanced to a runoff election.
White liberals have flocked to Lightfoot, 56, who casts herself as an outsider and candidate of change, but her background as a federal prosecutor worries many black voters. Preckwinkle, 71, also touts herself as a reformer who has pushed for stricter rent control laws and a reduction in the county jail population. But some black residents blame her for facilitating a wave of gentrification that has pushed working-class residents out of Chicago’s South Side.
Chicago mayoral candidate Lori Lightfoot appears at the Hideout bar on the city’s North Side during a political talk show hosted by Ben Joravsky, center, and Mick Dumke on March 5. Lightfoot largely won the North Side in the February primary. In a contest where violent crime and police reform loom large — and the incoming mayor will have to deal with mandated reform of the Chicago Police Department — Lightfoot has also had to account for her time serving as president of the Chicago Police Board, an independent body that oversees disciplinary cases. Activists have been critical of her tenure, saying too many officers avoided punishment.
On the North Side, many voters are enthusiastic about Lightfoot. Mohammed Arzek, who recently moved here from New York, said he was eager to vote for a liberal candidate and was pleasantly surprised to see black women in the race. Wilson said he thinks Lightfoot will do more to help businesses there succeed, noting that she plans to boost vocational education programs and has proposed creating more tax increment financing districts, where a portion of property tax dollars are earmarked for investments to revitalize neighborhoods.Preckwinkle, he said, “is the old guard.”Lightfoot’s call for unity received a major boost when former opponent Willie Wilson announced that he is backing her for mayor.
Solidly middle-class neighborhoods have emptied out, hit hard by the 2008 housing crisis and Emanuel’s decision in 2013 to close dozens of low-performing schools. In some black and Latino neighborhoods, 10 to 25 percent of the housing stock was abandoned, according to a 2017 study by the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy.
But Stephanie Hart, whose Brown Sugar Bakery is on 75th Street in Chatham on the city’s South Side, said local businesses are in need of more urgent help. The city has done little to spur a mini-revival in the area after several older businesses closed following the 2008 recession, she said. And several employees and customers have been affected by gun violence tearing across the area.
France Dernières Nouvelles, France Actualités
Similar News:Vous pouvez également lire des articles d'actualité similaires à celui-ci que nous avons collectés auprès d'autres sources d'information.
‘To Black Women With Love’ creates a space for black men to show their supportCreated by Frederick Joseph, who also launched the Black Panther Challenge, 'To Black Women With Love' showcases a series of short videos by black men who are uplifting and affirming black women. - NBCBLK
Lire la suite »
A veteran Chicago detective killed himself, the latest suicide among the city's policeA Chicago police detective took his own life on Sunday, the department's spokesman said in a tweet, marking at least the second suicide by an officer on the force this year.
Lire la suite »
Lincoln the goat sworn in as Vermont town's new mayor, immediately defecatesThe election was a way to raise money for a school play ground. Kids were allowed to nominate an animal of their choice for the position of mayor.
Lire la suite »
Black trans woman charged with hate crimes after NYC pepper spray attacksA black transgender woman has been charged with multiple hate crime felonies and misdemeanors following a series of pepper spray attacks in New York City.
Lire la suite »
Black women's groups 'demanding a return on our voting investment' for 2020 presidential electionsBlack women’s groups take their clout to the next level, commanding a presence on the national stage before the 2020 presidential elections.
Lire la suite »