Why I'm Running for 6th Ward Alderman

     In 1989, I was 31 years old, single, and had worked for Sears Roebuck and Co. corporate security for 8 years. I'd earned enough to be able to afford ownership of my own apartment building, and I felt that I was beginning to make some progress in life. By fall of that year, everything started to become chaotic and unraveled. The tenant in my building had decided to move, which presented me with a financial burden that I was unprepared for. Sears announced that they were beginning to consolidate departments in a way that ultimately left 50,000 of us unemployed at the end of 1992. My soon to be wife and I lost twin sons due to their being born prematurely, and less than 4 weeks later, my Mother was murdered.
     As I attempted to make some sense of those tragedies, and find a way to cope with the seemingly not-so random nature of gross misfortunes that tend to be concentrated in Chicago's African American communities, I decided that the only sure way to become a force for positive change in the city of my birth, was to seek elective office. At the Aldermanic level, I could represent a core community of people that I'd see on a daily basis. I'd know how it feels for them to step outside of their homes and wonder if they'd hear squealing tires followed by gunshots and sirens, instead of playing children. I'd know who was engaged in self-destructive activities, and I would therefore have a handle on how to reach the youngest generation of at-risk neighbors, and find ways to keep them focused on self empowering pathways to relative peace and prosperity, instead of that same old treadmill that's kept multiple generations of our people mistrustful of one another, and bound to repetitive cycles of unemployment and underemployment, self destructive violence, ongoing economic decline, and institutionalized mis-education. I'd know which Police Department employees had our backs, and which ones were simply exercising their own brand of self-hatred, by alienating the very people they'd sworn to protect.
     For the last two months, I've been studying. I've studied lectures by Dr. Francis Cress Welsing, Dr. Amos Wilson, Dr. Claud Anderson, Alton Maddox Jr., Steve Cokely, Malcolm X, and others. It struck me as very interesting that many of these enlightened Brothers and Sisters had come to pretty much the same conclusion. Historically, we've successfully been conquered as a People because it's been possible for others to divide us, and keep us in a frame of mind whereby we refuse to trust in one another. At the same time, popular media throws utter nonsense in front of us on a constant 24 hour basis, in the guise of "entertainment". Over the years, I almost never watched professional sports, because, as I put it to someone many years ago: "If all of the professional sports teams suddenly ceased to exist, what would be different"? Nothing at all would change, because the only reason for these teams to exist is to place many, many, millions of dollars in the accounts of the few, while the masses are entertained with "games", while children go neglected, and men and women chase after unrealistic icons of physical perfection, and who turn on one another in a heartbeat, rather than stand by one another regardless of the obstacles in their path.
     I found online references to something called "The Willy Lynch Letter, and the Making of a Slave". It was presented to whites as a way to ensure the subjugation of the many African Americans, by a small minority of whites in America. This letter put forth valuable tools which were used to have Blacks assist in keeping themselves powerless. Some of these tools were Fear of one another, Distrust of one another, Envy of one another, self-discrimination based upon the shade of our skin, and of our perceived status in society. Part of this letter taught whites to "Keep ones eye on the female, who will break the free will of the offspring. Strip the strongest male of his clothes, draw him in half, in front of others. Beat the remaining males in front of the females. Test females for submissive behavior. Oddly enough, I've seen some bizarre examples of this strategy at work. A friend once told me he never raised his hand in class, as a way to have some sort of power over the Teacher. By holding back the fact that he "knew the answer", he could gain the upper hand in some fashion. All it actually did was to make the teacher feel that she was wasting her time on people deemed incapable of critical thinking.
     Back to the present: Gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner attempted to court the Black vote by pledging $1,000,000 to the Southside Community Credit Union. That would increase their assets by 25% overnight. From the comments made by community members attending his announcement, the overall attitude was "wait and see". He'd talked the talk, but the question was whether or not he'd follow through with the check. From his own statements, and past actions, it appears that this candidate would say whatever is necessary to place himself in the Governors Mansion, and do whatever he felt like doing once he gets there. Just a bunch of smoke and mirrors without substance. Might as well let Mr. Quinn hold down the mansion until someone of real intelligence and moral fiber seeks the office.
     I'm running for 6th Ward Alderman because I want revenge against the system of divide and conquer that has plagued Southside Black residents all of my life. I'm running because I want to see a Southside Co-Op supermarket in the 6th Ward. I'm running because I love my people, and I love a good fight for a just cause!