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Black and Latinx Elected Officials Unite Against the Chaos Caused by Mayor Lightfoot
A coalition of elected officials from different levels of government representing predominantly Black and Latinx communities in Chicago united today to hold Mayor Lori Lightfoot accountable for the chaos and division she’s causing through her lack of leadership.
Lightfoot unilaterally decided to house asylum seekers in a former CPS building in the Woodlawn neighborhood, causing public tension between the Black and Latinx communities that makeup Chicago.
“Lori Lightfoot’s latest maneuver proves that she’s incapable of bringing this city together,” said Kam Buckner, state representative.
“Her latest decision, executed without a thoughtful and collaborative plan, caused chaos and pitted communities against each other, while she sat back silent and unaffected.”
Buckner continued, “Our city is diverse, and we’re standing here today shoulder-to-shoulder despite various political alliances to remind Chicago that Lori Lightfoot doesn’t share our values. Lori Lightfoot is not Chicago. Those of us here today have the integrity and the power to make decisions rooted in unity and acceptance, and my hope is that the people we represent will join us and leave the vitriol to Lori Lightfoot.”
Buckner was joined by State Sen. Robert Peters (D-Chicago), Ald. Jeanette Taylor (20th), Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th) and Ald. Andre Vasquez (40th).
“Chuy García lives in Little Village, he is our line into the federal government, yet – as is the case with most things, he’s silent,” Alderman Sigcho-Lopez said. “Mayor Lightfoot and Chuy García have offered no leadership and they haven’t prioritized working with the federal government to help the asylum seekers make their home in Chicago.”
“Historically our city leaders have made decisions that intentionally pit Black and Latinx residents against each other, and the way Mayor Lightfoot has approached this process has contributed to that,” Senator Peters said. “Rather than making each community feel respected and valued and lifting them up together, Lori Lightfoot’s “my way or the highway” approach has been one of divide and conquer instead of unite and prosper. We must be bold and fight segregation and not play games with peoples lives.”
“Mayor Lightfoot’s approach has been the same from day one, despite being called out for it,” said Jeanette Taylor. She thinks she knows best and that everyone else is wrong, against her, or both. If she had valued community input, together we could have found a solution that worked for everyone.”
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Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.
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