08/26/2023
When a mayor actively wants to address generational disinvestment in ethnic communities - which we ALL know has been happening for decades, if not centuries - and when you hear these types of terms used, there is hope for a city, state, and the Federal government to improve the lives of their constituents. But ONLY with progressives. NO ONE else is trying to provide the same type of care, consideration, and proactive action. There are ALWAYS growing pains, but once you get through those, you're grown. We need to get grown.
"In July, Johnson’s nearly 400-person transition team, composed of activist, civic and business leaders, released a 223-page report detailing policy recommendations under eleven major themes, including arts and culture, housing, transportation and environmental justice.
The report was not reviewed or approved by the administration before its publication, but since then, 35th Ward Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa — Johnson’s new City Council floor leader — tells In These Times the report has been “our north star.”
For many progressive leaders, this moment is without precedent. “Doing actions on the mayor used to be the ceiling of what we could do because they weren’t going to listen to us no matter what we did,” says Emma Tai, the former director of United Working Families. “[Now] that’s the floor of what we can do. I don’t think we even know the ceiling.”"
Movement organizers and political strategists assess the new mayor’s record as he seeks to make Chicago a progressive beacon—while modeling co-governance.