the groundbreaking of this incredible place called the Chicago Southside Birth Center.
We want to thank you all for being here today. And so with that, I'm going to go to my notes,
okay? All right, here we go. So I'm Tiffany Gorman, and I am the board chair of the Chicago
Southside Birth Center, and it means so much that you all are here today. So please, again,
give yourself another round of applause. This is a really, really special moment. So many people
are responsible for us being here today to help seeing this vision come true.
And so we're finally here standing, beginning our construction on a birth center that is rooted in
care, in dignity, in community, in leadership, and right here in our own backyard, our own
neighborhood. This is amazing. Birth centers are not built by one person. It takes a team. It takes
a community. It takes a vision. And we've had so many people who believe in what we're doing and
have offered support and help throughout this process. And so this birth center, representing
life-affirming midwifery-led care for birthing people and families all around the South Side
of Chicago. It's a reminder of what can happen when we all come together and do things that
are for our community, right? And so we're especially grateful to some organizations,
And I want to say, as the board chair, I'm just, I'm overwhelmed right now.
I'm, like, so excited that it's beyond words.
And so one of our partners that we want to talk about and thank is Chicago Beyond.
And, yes, please, continue.
Another round.
Okay, okay.
Their leadership continues to support organizations working toward healthier futures for birthing families all throughout Chicago.
And it is my pleasure to introduce someone who is committed to community-centered investment, has helped make this possible.
Will you please join me in a warm round of applause for Ms. Liz Dozier-Sangmore.
Okay.
Can you all hear me all right?
Yes.
All right.
Good morning. Today is special. Can you all feel it? Yes. And it's not just because we're
breaking ground. It's because we're standing in the middle of something that should have
always existed. And the moment feels especially personal to me because this week actually was
Easter Sunday marks the 10-year anniversary of Chicago Beyond. It has, oh, thank you.
It's been 10 years of choosing to believe that the people who are closest to the issues are the
holders of the solutions. It has been 10 years of recognizing that sometimes the most powerful thing
that philanthropy can do is to not lead the work but it's actually to instead recognize it
to trust it to resource people with it and to help it move and that's what we're doing at
chicago beyond now not just locally here in chicago but across the country but it started
here in Chicago with leaders like Janine. Yes.
So I mentioned you, I didn't meet her through a pitch deck, I didn't meet her through some
formal introduction, I just kept hearing about her, I kept hearing about her over and over and
over again. I kept hearing about her in rooms and in conversations. At Chicago Beyond, we have always
tried to show up and notice differently. And when a name keeps coming up over and over and over again,
we pay attention. And we pay attention because we know that it usually means that there's trust
already there and that the work is already happening. And so I remember in that first
conversation was actually during the pandemic. It was on a Zoom call. Janine was actually in her
backyard. I was in my backyard. And what I remember most about that conversation was that
the conversation felt so clear and it felt so grounded and it was so calm. And it was because
we were talking about something that didn't exist and yet it already felt real and here it is
and here we all are and when I got yes right and when I got off that call I remember calling a
couple members of my team and I said that we're going to do this and we're going to support this
and not because we created the vision but because we recognize it and we recognize how powerful it
was. And that's what Chicago Beyond believes. It's what I believe personally is that is philanthropy
at its best when it sees the vision, when it backs the vision, and it helps remove the barriers to
that vision so that vision can grow and expand exponentially. And when that happens, I truly
believe that's when momentum builds. And we've already seen that. We've seen that in Janine's
leadership. We've seen that with the partnerships and with the coalitions and kind of all this work,
all this coming together. We've seen it change policy here in Illinois. We've seen it support
the birth equity movement across the country. We've seen it unlock public dollars. So this
building that is here and what will come, it's bigger than a structure. It will be a place where
families will be seen, truly seen, where care, culture, and dignity are at the very foundation
and the roots of where we are standing today.
I believe, and I told this to Janine, I said to her a long time ago, and I'll say it again,
is that this would have been built.
You know, Janine, you know this is true.
This would have been built regardless of us, with or without us.
But it is our responsibility in government and in philanthropy and all of us who are sitting here, it is our responsibility to work differently and to make sure that leaders like Janine don't have to carry the vision alone, but to ensure that leaders like Janine have the resources, the access, and ultimately the supports to move that vision in a way that just sparks the imagination and the work and the promise that exists in community.
So today I celebrate with each of you.
We see you, Janine, wherever you are.
There you are.
We see you.
I'm proud to stand with you, and I'm proud that the Chicago Southside Birth Center will serve generations.
And it is now my distinct pleasure to introduce a champion for families, a champion for maternal health,
for black maternal health here in Illinois and ultimately across our country,
our current lieutenant governor, and future United States Senator, Juliana Stratton.
Good morning, everyone.
And thank you, Liz, for the kind words.
And thank you all for being here on this glorious day
to celebrate the groundbreaking for the Chicago Southside Birth Center.
It's fitting to be here for me because on this date in 1997, I gave birth to my daughter, Ryan.
And for their entire lives on the eve of my daughter's birthdays, I called them to share the story of their birth.
And last night was no different.
In my annual reflection, I shared the joy of welcoming my third child into the world.
The fear that overcame me as my doctor identified some complications during that delivery and the ultimate relief of being able to return home with a healthy baby in tow.
As a black woman and as the mother of four black daughters, I've always fought for their right to decide for themselves whether they want to bring a child into this world.
or not. And I was proud to champion our state's birth equity initiative to expand access to the
full spectrum of reproductive care in light of the very real black maternal mortality crisis
in this state and this nation. Black women deserve healthy pregnancies. Black women deserve safe and
healthy deliveries. And black women deserve to make it home to raise their babies in healthy
environments. It's why I'm overjoyed to join in blessing this land and today's groundbreaking.
Because today is not just about construction. It's not just about shovels and dirt and blueprints.
Today is about rewriting the narrative about what's possible in maternal wellness when we
center community and follow the lead of black midwives just as i tell my daughters the stories
of the day they were born i can only imagine the stories that will emerge out of this building
stories of no longer having to get on two or three buses to access the reproductive care that
you need and deserve, because now it's available right here on the South Side.
Stories of walking into this space and being seen, heard, believed, and honored by providers
with roots in this community who are committed to culturally centered midwifery care.
Stories of how entire communities can be transformed when economic development is rooted in joy
and abundance. In addition to Governor J.B. Pritzker, I certainly want to shine a
spotlight on the elected and community leaders who have made this groundbreaking
possible. Mayor Brandon Johnson, State Senator Lakeisha Collins, City Clerk Anna
Valencia, Alderman Peter Chico, President and CEO of Chicago Beyond Liz Dozier, Commissioner
Sierra Boatwright, Director of Midwifery Nikki Helms and the Center's entire Board of Directors,
and the community partners, families, and state and local partners supporting maternal
health infrastructure. And of course, none of us would be here without Janine Valerie Logan's
book, her brilliance, her vision, and her persistent advocacy to ensure residents on the
south side of Chicago and beyond have access to the care they deserve. As the founder and lead
steward of the Chicago Southside Birth Center, Janine has been steadfast in working to expand
birth centers throughout Illinois and ensuring that maternal well-being for black women is not
the exception but the norm. Janine, as a daughter of the South Side, thank you for leading with love
and inspiration. Today's groundbreaking fills me, fills all of us with so much hope. Thank you for
having me and now it is my pleasure to turn it over to Mayor Brandon Johnson. Thank you to our
Lieutenant Governor. I will say that every time we're together, she puts extra emphasis on the
South Side. And listen, I know what side of town I'm on. What's going on, South Side?
What an incredible day. Thank you, Lieutenant Governor, for your leadership and your
brave leadership. It is truly an honor to celebrate the start of this construction
in Chicago's South Side Birth Center. Today, we break ground in a facility that will improve
health outcomes for mothers and babies on the south side laying a true foundation for healthier
families and stronger communities this center is this center is rooted in community shaped by
advocates birth workers mothers and community leaders who understand exactly what mothers and
families need and this fight for the lack of health care throughout the city of chicago it's
so great to know that we have incredible champions who understood this the assignment and the person
who understood the assignment what can you say about janine um you know when you when you're
around janine you just feel like everything is going to be okay you just you you come in with
a different spirit a different mindset and all of a sudden you just find yourself saying ah shay
ah man so janine you want to hang around me a little bit longer
But I'm thankful for the leadership and determination and the partners, you know, our Clerk Valencia and Senator Collins.
You're going to hear from Alderman Chico here in a little bit.
But the council who understood why investing in people is so important, you're going to hear from our commissioner, Commissioner Boatwright,
because it was the city of Chicago that understood that where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
and our treasurer is in the tune of $3.3 million for the community development grant
to ensure that this $7.4 million project can become a reality.
And finally, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the person who has all the authority in the city of Chicago.
It's my wife, Stacey Johnson, is here, the first lady of our city.
You know, Stacey knows this in a very intimate way as a former doula
and a long-time advocate for equitable health care and treatment for all mothers.
She especially appreciates this commitment to birth workers across her city
who made this space possible.
And so I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart, honey.
And maybe one day we've got to figure out how to get a Westside.
So, Janine, you've got to see me afterwards.
Thank you.
Because, you know, Westsiders, we don't travel as deep, but we're real powerful.
You don't mess with us, though, I tell you that.
You know, but, you know, this is a true leap forward for the people of this city.
And thank you for leading with your values.
You know, the real harsh realities of the gaps with maternal health care that our mothers, especially black mothers, have experienced.
They're not new, but they are certainly the result of decades of disinvestment and neglect.
And now we find ourselves in a moment when our disparities in these demands for resources,
that attention is now being granted to the very people who have been calling for it.
Instead of, you know, leading, the federal government, unfortunately, is pulling back in its support of cities,
gutting funding with every single institution that supports families.
And so that's why I'm looking forward to voting for Juliana Shrett in November to take this fight to the federal government.
They have no idea what they're about to get on that U.S. and the floor.
You think you all tune into council meetings. Wait till Juliana get to D.C.
But this is a step forward. And when this is open, we expect this to happen sometime this year for babies and mothers to have access to care and dignity.
The CSSBC team will ensure that families not just survive, but they thrive in their pregnancy and their childbirth experiences and have every opportunity to leave healthy and full lives.
Because I don't think my wife should be the only woman who can give birth to children that she end up want to knock upside the head sometimes.
I think that every black mother should experience the joy and the frustration of not just the pain of childbirth, but sending them to their father to ensure that they stay alive.
But thank you, Janine, and to the CSSPC team and all the advocates and the partners who have made the south side of Chicago just a little bit healthier.
Thank you all for investing in people.
And thank you all for this incredible opportunity to serve the greatest freaking city in the world, the city of Chicago.
Put your hands together for Alderman Peter Chico.
Good morning.
Come on now, a little better.
Good morning.
I want to welcome everyone to the 10th Ward, a ward doing great things, especially here in the South Chicago community.
That's right.
When I first became alderman, one of my first meetings I had was with the Chicago Southside Birth Center and its founder, Janine Valerie Logan.
When we met, she told me of her story and her commitment to women's health.
We talked about disparities between women of color, especially black women, from their counterparts,
and their lack of options for reproductive health care right here on the Southside.
That 45-minute meeting was all I needed to support this project
and become a partner in seeing Janine's dream become a reality,
setting up the first birth center right here on the south side of Chicago.
While the lack of care options on the south side is certainly disheartening,
when we have leaders like Janine and her team stand up and do something about it
and the full force of government is there to provide resources,
success happens when we work together.
And there is no greater evidence of that work than being here today, participating in this groundbreaking event.
As someone who has been to the birth center's Latch and Stroll events just across the street at Russell Square Park,
and I know you guys see me there every year, that has provided resources for our community over the past three years,
I can tell you firsthand the excitement I feel talking to folks about this space.
I leave there always with a smile on my face, knowing we are improving the quality of life
for the people on the South Side. I lastly want to share a story that I've shared before,
but I think it's worth sharing again. When we gathered here a few years ago to announce
that this would be the home of the South Side Birth Center, I was so proud that day,
my chest out and smiling. I shared photos of that day in my family group chat.
And I put it up, and my cousin responded very quickly, hey, that's Janine.
I said, yeah, that's my friend, but how do you know her?
And she replied, she was my doula during my pregnancy.
And it's that week from my family to the birth center family that I will always value.
So every time I see my cousin's beautiful daughter, I think about Janine.
I think about this building, and I think about all the women that will be positively impacted by this space.
My community will be eternally grateful for the leadership of the team here at the center,
and I look forward to all the great work it will do in the future.
And now, I'd like to welcome a great leader from the Department of Planning and Development,
Commissioner Sierra Boatwright.
Good morning.
On behalf of my staff, I want to share how thrilled we are to support this $7.4 million investment in South Chicago and the future of the South Side.
So much of what we do at DPD is about community wealth building and empowerment and helping residents to thrive regardless of where they live.
So it's uniquely gratifying to support facilities like this because fundamentally, health is wealth from birth and beyond.
As a mom and the city's planning commissioner, I can unequivocally state that reproductive care is essential to the success of future Chicagoans,
their mothers, their families, and their neighborhoods.
So huge shout out to Tiffany Gordon, the board chair, Janine, of course, and the entire project team for their dedication to the birth center and the work that's starting here today.
Thanks to the mayor, we have a great tool in the housing and economic development bond to offer assistance.
Allocations are highly competitive, which is why I want to credit my incredible staff for helping to deliver bond proceeds where they're most impactful, like right here on South Shore Drive.
Shout out to Tim Jeffries and Emily Kish, who's somewhere here in the crowd.
Congratulations to the development team on a great project that will truly be generational.
Now I have the distinct pleasure and honor of introducing Janine Valerie Logan.
Okay, I ain't going to look at y'all.
I thought about this day for, this is so random, but I thought about this day for a long time,
and I said, what am I going to do?
And then I saw these dig boxes, I was like, I should throw myself on them like a Tyler Perry movie,
and just crying, but I'm going to keep it together so I can get through this speech.
Good morning, y'all.
So, I want to just take a moment, though, to take it all in.
I was talking to someone how, like, you know, this has been a long journey and a long process,
and we just keep going over one period over the next one.
So, I just want for a second to take it in so that I can remember and make this last a little bit longer.
I'm going to take a selfie, too.
Hold on.
This is my mom and my Aunt Marcia.
So, I'm going to take a selfie with them.
Make some noise.
and then i'm gonna take a real selfie hold on how do i do this okay i got it i got it
I can't get everybody, but I'll do my best.
But, no, thank y'all.
Something came to me this morning.
I was preparing to get ready, so I had to change my speech a little bit.
It's actually a word that keeps coming up over this whole journey, and the word is legacy.
People on my board, on my team, those very close to me in the birth center have heard me talk about that the birth center is a legacy.
What we're creating here at Chicago's Southside Birth Center is truly legacy,
not only for ourselves, but for our whole community.
This work we're doing together involves actualizing the visions and dreams of those who have come before us.
I personally don't like the saying, I am my ancestors' wildest dreams,
because I've seen unimaginable dreams actualized.
What I do believe, though, is that we are actualizing those dreams that had to be deferred.
side note this is my mama she's so cute
her name is artist
Moffin and she taught me how to read
reading Langston Hughes poetry
I still have that same book that I learned
how to read on but my favorite poem was
A Dream Deferred and she always told me
that if you get a dream
it is absolutely possible
because only impossible dreams
you will never receive those dreams
am I making sense
y'all my great grandfather was a pastor so come on
Am I making sense? He built a church. He built a church in Mobile, Alabama, after he was emancipated himself.
His name was Wally Valerie Sr. So I'm not going to do that today, though, but I just had to let y'all know.
We are building or actually we are actualizing the dreams and liberatory visions that our ancestors could and did not have access to.
We are building and fortifying this dream and our legacy for the future of birth together today.
I do this work every single day for Artis and Marcia, for my daughters, and for all of us.
The Chicago Southside Birth Center has always been about building something families have been asking for,
a place where pregnancy and birth and reproductive health care can happen in relationship, in dignity, and close to home.
We're here today because our community.
We're here because of midwives and birth workers and advocates who spoke up and organized.
We're here because of the partners who believed this was possible even when it was just an idea.
We are so deeply grateful for the leaders who have helped move this vision forward.
Thank you, Senator Collins and Representative Gable for carrying HB 738.
Thank you, Lieutenant Governor Stratton and Governor Pritzker for always listening to us
and what we need and all of our concerns.
Thank you, Mayor Johnson.
Thank you, City Clerk Valencia Clark.
Thank you, Commissioner Burkwright.
And thank you, First Lady.
Thank you, Autumn and Chico, for hearing our voices and standing for reproductive justice
and equity in our state and in our city.
We are so honored that we have so many partners across the city who recognize how important it is for families to have access to community midwifery care.
This milestone would not have been possible without our donors, foundation partners, and supporters who believe in our vision and walked with us step by step from day one.
You know, Carrie knows we were getting $5 donations, $1 donations, like every little bit got us to this place here today.
because of this belief we completed our capital campaign and are now preparing to open our doors
and serve our community for generations to come that is legacy to our board directors
our extraordinary team the many organizers clinicians educators and community members
my friends and family who've been holding me down and our awesome building and design team
I think I saw Marianne and Amy and Sarah.
And especially I want to acknowledge the families on the south side.
Your voices help guide us and guide this creation from the very beginning.
This center belongs to you, to you, to you, to you, and to all of us.
As we begin building here, we also recognize that we are building on this land
and with its own history and meaning.
we cannot honor this space without honoring this lamb so I like to honor
I'm sorry it is my honor
to now invite our friends and partners Andrew and Marnie from the Chicago American Indian
Community Collaborative to offer land acknowledgement and blessing as we begin
this work together. Thank y'all. What a tough act to follow. Thank you, Janine.
I am Marnie Smiley. I am the facilitator for the Chicago American Indian Community Collaborative
and I am honored to be here today.
I'm excited to be here to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Southside Chicago Birthing Center.
Where we are gathered here today, this area has been an important place for gathering for many tribes,
including the Three Fires people, the Adawa, the Ojibwe, and the Pottawatomie,
as well as the Menominee, the Miami, the Waya, Ho-Chunk, Sauk, Meskwaki,
Muscootin, Kickapoo Nations, and the Illinois Confederation, the Peoria and the Cascadia.
As you can tell by the many tribal nations I have named, Illinois and these lands and territories
have been an important place of gathering, a place of knowledge sharing, and a place of deliberate
exchange and engagement in order to build, or birth, rather, new worlds together.
This center will honor the legacy of this land and the original stewards by applying culturally grounded practices and long-held wisdom around healing, medicine, and knowledge, sharing that will support families and community, address historical harms, and build into the future in positive ways.
Everyone here today, as witnesses to today's groundbreaking ceremony, all have a commitment to bringing about healthy life into our world, to make choices, big or small, that avoid preventable deaths and bring healthy life into this world.
And in doing so, everyone here can enact the role of a midwife in their own way.
Andrew Johnson is here with me today and I'll let him explain and talk through what we're going to do
as far as our ceremony and smudging this land and honoring not only the present and the past
but the future of what we're going to be bringing into this world so Andrew OCO that's hello in
Cherokee so let's hear you say it OCO it's symbolic that we're having this ceremony in
the morning that the sun rising is representative of new birth. And what we are doing here for
blessing is what we call smudging, that we have our four medicines here in our abalone shells.
We have cedar, which symbolizes strength. We have sage for purification. We have the sweet grass,
which is the hair of Mother Earth in kindness, and we have tobacco, which is the gift,
and it shows our gratitude to our creator.
And what we do is with the smoke, the smoke serves as a messenger.
And I want you all to collectively and individually to say a prayer to yourself.
But as your prayer is said, the smoke, in its being the messenger, will take your words up to our creator.
This is usually a singular time where we anoint your body.
It's almost like a sacrament where we anoint you with the smoke and the smoke rises.
But let's do this as a group, as a crowd.
please say your prayer and it will rise and be delivered to the Creator.
Wado, let's thank you in Cherokee. And now it is my pleasure to introduce
Lorene Neitra Brown. Good day. I'm so happy to be here to celebrate the
groundbreaking event opening up the Southside Birthing Center. It has been a
long journey but now we have been blessed with it coming to fruition with the dream and passion of
Janine Valerie Logan.
And the help of her husband, Walter Logan, and other like-minded people who, like you all,
saw the passion and dedication that she had in her project, as I did years ago.
With the grace of God who has strengthened her, connected her along the way with others
who felt the same way and wanted to see a community that's been able to help mothers and babies
to be healthy, strong, and treated with dignity and respect.
I pray that all who come through these doors are blessed with love and respect and dignity.
and all the care team has poured into this project,
we thank the Lord for blessing her and all of us who supported this mission.
And with our continued support, we'll help this mission that started out like a grain of mustard seed
to develop into a mighty oak tree to help and service this community
that will help black and brown mothers and babies receive the care and dignity and respect
and most of all, the love.
In Jesus' name, amen.
And now it's my honor to introduce Carla Coupe,
Chief Executive Officer for the Community City of Chicago
and a member of the Southside Birth Center Board of Directors.
Carla will offer our closing words as we complete this land,
complete this land blessing together.
I know we're all close, so I'm going to be quick.
Today we gather on land where many stories have already unfolded.
We honor what has come before, the lives lived, the transitions held,
and the sacredness of all who have passed through here.
This land has known many forms of holding, of life, of death, and of transitions.
And today we stand at a threshold.
We stand at the edge of yet another becoming.
As this place transforms into a center for birth and healing,
we honor both what has been and what is yet to come.
To the souls who will enter the world here, may you arrive into hands and hearts that are ready to receive you with gentleness and love.
To those who will be cared for here, may you be met with dignity, tenderness, and compassion.
To those who will serve here, may you be resourced, guided, and sustained in your calling.
May this space become a portal of life, a place where spirit meets body, where beginnings are honored and where care is given with wisdom and reverence.
May this place hold the fragility, the sacredness, and the strength of life.
And this morning I approached my sister Janine, and I asked her to blow her intentions and prayers for this creation.
and so in closing
may this place stand
as a testament to what is
possible when we build with intention
community
and devotion
and so it is
and so it is
and so it is
and now we get to the
fun part so I don't know where we line up
with the pictures but I will
Good. On three, we're going to take a few photos, starting right here.
Birth center right here.
One more.
Alright, put a little bit of dirt on your shovel. Just a little.
Just a little.
Hold it. A few more photos.
Big smiles.
Looking in the center.
Looking at the birth center.
Alright, and on three, we're going to toss.
Yes, toss on the ground.
One, two, three.
One, two, three.
Hey, good morning, everyone.
We have two questions.
Okay.
All right, so first thing is there's been reporting that you are trying to revive discussions about the Michael Reese site for the Bears.
Any thoughts about what's going to happen next?
I know the Bears have said that that's off the table.
Why are you continuing to push for it?
Well, look, my position hasn't changed.
The Bears belong in the city of Chicago.
What I've said repeatedly is that the city of Chicago was not afforded the same incentives that other parts of the state
have been presented with.
The city of Chicago deserves a fair opportunity.
As you know, a couple of years ago, the Bears were committed to the city of Chicago.
We just didn't have partners with the state of Illinois.
And if the state of Illinois is committed to offering up millions of dollars for the Bears,
the city of Chicago should be afforded that opportunity as well.
Look, it's the top tourist destination of the entire state, right,
to unlock that campus, the museum campus, is a benefit.
The entire state of Illinois benefits from the economic prowess of the city of Chicago.
So, you know, any incentive, you know, that would drive the Bears out of the city of Chicago,
I don't know why anyone who represents Chicago would support that.
So my position is the same. The Bears belong in the city of Chicago.
And on another topic, there's been several teen takeover incidents over the last couple days.
There was a property damage last week.
I know they're still hoping, the council is still hoping to revive discussions about the curfew.
Has your position changed on that?
Do you still, you know, veto anything that would come before you?
Well, as you've seen, this has been a challenge all over the country, quite frankly, all over the globe, right?
So this is not unique to the city of Chicago.
This is not even, quite frankly, the first time the city of Chicago has experienced this.
This has gone on for decades.
What we have done, though, we have intercepted the vast majority of these gatherings
that are being promulgated or spread on social media.
My position is this.
We have to create opportunities for young people.
We know that.
And if people behave and work outside the confines of the law,
we should hold them accountable.
But to do anything unconstitutional at a time in which our city budget is weighted
by abuse of power, right, that quite frankly has harmed the trust of people.
So what we're looking at, as I've said before, we're going to continue to look at opportunities where we can hold these big tech companies accountable,
particularly as they work to spread this type of information on social media.
I had the largest team gathering at Navy Pier.
Over 1,100 students were there, not one incident.
So it's evident that we can actually do something constructive.
That's what we have to do.
And if people work outside that constructive opportunity, we hold them accountable.
Hey, man.
Hey.
The bond plan that helped fund this project first passed almost two years ago, reflecting
here today, what do you think of its progress?
Did you imagine it would be further along?
Did anything get in the way of spending on different projects?
Well, look, the $1.25 billion...
It's the largest investment in the history of Chicago.
This is exactly why I pushed for it, right?
To create more opportunities for not just housing, but small businesses,
and particularly businesses that are supporting the well-being of families,
especially, you know, mothers, black mothers in particular.
My wife is a former doula.
She can tell you firsthand how important it is to have quality health care.
This is exactly what we envision for this investment,
and we're going to continue to build safe and affordable communities.
And there's a new lawsuit today by activists against the CHA over the claiming process.
I mean, your office won't file its own lawsuit, or is that still on the table?
And what do you think about that lawsuit?
Well, look, it's clear that there was a disregard or a lack of understanding
and not having a full grasp of the law.
There are some real serious irregularities that occurred there.
Look, we have to have a government that is open and transparent.
This process wasn't.
And so, you know, it's well within the rights of advocates who believe in public housing, as I do, that when entities act, you know, with unilateral behavior or actions that dismiss an open, transparent process, we should have mechanisms in place that hold people accountable.
And so it looks like that's what the motivation of this lawsuit is.
Did you really sue yourself?
What's that?
Will you sue?
Look, here's what my focus is. My focus is making sure that the residents of the city of Chicago have a chance to weigh in on a process that will determine who the next leader of CHA would be.
We've seen when residents and leadership are not on the same page, you know, why would anybody push an effort that would drive residents out from the process?
There's some serious concerns there, and, you know, I'm going to continue to push for open and transparent government.
That's why I was quick to replace the chair, now the former chair, with someone who actually believes in an open, fair, transparent process.
Mr. Mayor, I was going to ask about the CHA, but we talked about that a little bit.
I'd like to know if you've been in touch, then, on a different topic with Chicago's Iranian community, doing what's happening with the war.
Well, you know, as I've said, you know, repeatedly, I mean, these illegal, endless wars that the Trump administration continues to declare is not only disruptive, but I find it to be immoral.
I'm always in constant conversation with communities that are impacted by war, right, because we have a very strong, diverse community here.
I've been very vocal about, as Dr. Keen described them, as three evils, militarism being one in particular.
What the Trump administration is doing is absolutely abhorrent, and it's important that all of us across this country speak out against these endless illegal wars.
Thank you all very much.