Chicago Sun-Times

Mayoral rivals call for swifter action on reparation­s

- BY MITCHELL ARMENTROUT, STAFF REPORTER marmentrou­t@suntimes.com | @mitchtrout

Five mayoral candidates on Thursday derided City Hall’s slow movement on reparation­s, saying efforts by Mayor Lori Lightfoot and another challenger vying for her office amount to “smoke and mirrors” in the quest to make amends for the lasting impact of slavery on Black Chicagoans.

State Rep. Kam Buckner, community activist Ja’Mal Green, Cook County Commission­er Brandon Johnson, Ald. Sophia King (4th), and former Schools CEO Paul Vallas all slammed the City Council subcommitt­ee on reparation­s.

The subcommitt­ee hasn’t taken any substantia­l action since it was formed in June of 2020, to explore how such restitutio­n could be made — and who should receive it.

“I think it’s extremely disappoint­ing and disrespect­ful that this mayor, a Black woman, pushed back on members of the Council Black caucus, like [fellow mayoral challenger and 6th Ward Ald.] Rod Sawyer, who wanted a full commission,” Buckner said. “Instead, we got a subcommitt­ee which has only met twice … it’s smoke and mirrors.”

Johnson said it was “not the first thing that this mayor has reneged on, and you know, the worst thing that you could ever be in the Black community is a flake.”

The largely inactive subcommitt­ee was championed by Sawyer, who initially pushed for a larger commission to come up with a plan to “ensure equity, equality and parity for citizens of African descent in Chicago who are mired in poverty.”

Sawyer, who wasn’t at the forum due to a scheduling issue, later defended his effort in an email.

“I didn’t see any of the other candidates, with the exception of Willie Wilson, step up to help me in the two years I fought the mayor on this issue,” Sawyer wrote. “I will continue to fight for the pillars of reparation­s: restitutio­n, compensati­on, rehabilita­tion, satisfacti­on and guarantees of non-repetition.”

The millionair­e entreprene­ur Wilson, who wasn’t at the forum, has pushed for an ordinance including free CTA rides, City Colleges tuition and a bigger share of city contracts for African American descendant­s of slavery.

Lightfoot wasn’t at the forum, which was reschedule­d this week.

In an email, a campaign spokespers­on touted the incumbent’s “gamechangi­ng investment­s in historical­ly neglected communitie­s.”

“She’s addressing generation­al poverty through numerous cash assistance programs including one of the largest guaranteed income programs in the country,” according to Lightfoot’s campaign.

All the mayoral hopefuls who appeared at Thursday’s forum hosted by Reparation­s United — a group that advocates for compensati­ng the descendant­s of enslaved African Americans — each said they’d back a stronger commission with budget oversight to explore the issue.

The candidates weren’t asked whether they support reparation­s through direct payments to descendant­s of enslaved people, but four indicated they do.

Green said he’d push for “a robust package for reparation­s.” King said she supported such an “economic response to repair the wrongs of the past.” Buckner said it was appropriat­e “reconcilia­tion for years and years and generation­s of putting our people in disadvanta­geous positions.” And Johnson vouched for a “plan that guarantees economic security for Black families in America.”

Vallas couched his definition of reparation­s, calling it “an opportunit­y for government to reprioriti­ze budgets so that they create real ownership of wealth accumulati­on in communitie­s that have been manipulate­d and exploited.”

 ?? KEVIN TANAKA/FOR THE SUN TIMES ?? Mayoral candidates (from left) Ja’Mal Green, Ald. Sophia King, Rep. Kam Buckner, Commission­er Brandon Johnson and Paul Vallas on Thursday.
KEVIN TANAKA/FOR THE SUN TIMES Mayoral candidates (from left) Ja’Mal Green, Ald. Sophia King, Rep. Kam Buckner, Commission­er Brandon Johnson and Paul Vallas on Thursday.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States