Chicago Politics

Black History Month Celebration 2.19.25

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Mayor Johnson, city officials and community leaders celebrate Black History Month at the Chicago Cultural Center.

Transcript

0:00 Which I would like to introduce to you guys a phenomenal high school on the south side of Chicago that's doing amazing work above and beyond, led by Principal Dr. Shaka Ross, Leo High School Choir.

5:28 Good evening. Can you please keep it down quiet a little bit? Thank you. Thank you for having us once again. We are Leo Catholic High School on St. 9th Street. Our principal, Dr. Shaka Ross. We want to give a big shout out to the mayor, Mayor Johnson. Thank you for having us again.

5:59 We also want to give a shout out to Ms. Horton, our manager, for putting this together. All right, so we have one more song we're going to close out. Everyone should know this. Where's the Love by Black Eyed Peas. Black Eyed Peas. Yeah, Black Eyed Peas. Yeah. Yeah, here we go.

6:47 People living like they ain't got no mamas. I think the whole world's addicted to the drama. Only attracted to the things that'll bring you trauma. Overseas, yeah, we trying to solve terrorism. But we still got terrorists here living In the USA, the big CIA The Bloods, the Crips, and the KKK But if you only got love for your own race Then it only leaves space to discriminate And to discriminate it only generates hate And when you hate then you're mad and get irate Yeah, madness is what you demonstrate

7:17 And that's exactly how anger works to operate Man, you gotta have love just to set it straight Just take control of your mind and meditate And let your soul gravitate to the love People killing, people dying Children hurting, you hear them crying Can you practice what you preach? Or would you turn the other cheek? Father, Father, Father, help us Cause people got me, got me questioning Where is the world insane?

8:02 If love and peace is so strong Why are they peacefully gone so I can ask myself Really what is going wrong with this world that we living in? People keep on giving in Making wrong decisions, only visions of them living in Not responding to the truth

9:51 Sometimes I'm feeling under, that's the reason why, sometimes I'm feeling down, there's no wonder why, sometimes I'm feeling under, gotta keep my faith alive till love is found. People killing, people dying, children hurting, you're bitter crying. Can you practice what you preach, or would you turn the other cheek? Father, Father, Father, help us, get some guidance from above. Because people got me, got me questioning, where is the questioning?

11:58 All right, everyone, give Leo High School Quiet a round of applause. Give him some love, y'all. That was amazing. Absolutely amazing. All right. All right. Thank you all. So February has always been. Can we have your attention, please? Can we have your attention? Just five minutes, seven minutes.

12:34 All right. Can everybody hear me? I won't I won't do what we do in the first grade now. Y'all don't want me to start clapping. You want me to start clapping? Okay. All right, let's do a mic check, you guys. Let's do a mic check in that back. You can't hear me? All right, thank you guys again for joining us this evening. I am going to pass it off to my co-chair.

13:10 I can tell y'all ain't seen each other in a long time because you're still going back there. But bear with me, okay, because I'm going to pass this mic off, and I would love you guys' undivided attention. All right, thank you again. So I'm going to pass it over to our co-chair, Elyse Edwards. And again, that was an amazing performance by Leo High School. Yes, yes. All right, so you all, I just want to let you know that February has always been one of my favorite months of the year.

13:40 I think I see Elyse need to go to the back of the room now. Y'all listening to me? Can y'all hear me? All right. so in this political climate where our culture of blackness is up for debate i am super excited to celebrate us y'all i'm super excited to do that so i'm gonna say it loud and proud happy black history my mark okay calls on highlighting our accomplishments we have come

14:20 too far we have gone through you know too much and there are too many sacrifices that have been So as we're celebrating Black History Month 2025, we want to honor the past, we want to recognize the present, and we want to look forward to the future as black leaders, especially here in Chicago. How many of y'all know the name Harold Washington? Am I in the right room? Am I in the right room?

14:51 OK, so from the past, we remember Harold Washington, our city's first black mayor who paved the way for diverse leadership and progressive change. But today, the day that you're living in right now, we've been blessed with another black progressive mayor, a man that is breaking barriers to unite us as Chicagoans. So we celebrate you, Mayor Brandon Johnson. That's you. Come on, y'all. Give him a hand.

15:21 He's done so much, so many initiatives that he and his administration has rolled out in support of our black community, especially for our young people. So we celebrate him for that. I'm still hearing a lot of people, but I'm going to keep going because that's what we do as black people. Hello, hello, hello, hello, hello, hello, hello, hello, hello, hello, come on. We cannot. We got it. We have a program going on here. let's show some respect for these young people that have put this together and you are we can

15:54 talk all night long but let's give another about five or ten minutes so you can finish what's going on you can talk you can drink i'll know what they got to drink back there bring me some but nonetheless let's be let's be cool right now let's finish the program thank you thank you thank you so much that's alderman irvin i'm most excited because he called me young but i'm gonna keep on going. We've honored our past, our present. But I just really want to lastly put some emphasis on our future. So if you all just look around right now, look around. These people that

16:28 you are around are our future, right? So our black leadership is in our hands. Everything that we need is inside of us. So the next generation of black leaders is right here in our schools. They're in our communities they're in our faith community right amen go ahead and give a clap it's it's very imperative though that we continue the legacy of those who came before us by standing up by speaking out not right now but also by sticking together like that's how we do it we have to stick

17:06 together you know there are always there's always been like one defining trait for us as black chicagoans and that's our resilience so i'm going to say this again we've come too far to allow anyone especially from the white house anyone from the red house or anyone from the greenhouse to stop us right i hope we're all together on that one together we've built

17:36 communities we've created culture we've shaped history together and we've thrived in business unity must be the pillar that we uphold for ourselves despite our differences i'm gonna say that again unity must be the pillar that we uphold for ourselves despite our differences Our future as black Chicagoans is up to us.

18:06 All right, so as we gather in this shared space, let us also pay tribute to the powerful legacy of activists like Fred Hampton, who fiercely advocated for social justice and community empowerment, reminding us of the ongoing fight for equality. And of course, we celebrate contemporary icons like Derrick Rose, whose journey from Englewood to becoming the number one overall pick in the NBA draft, inspiring countless of young athletes today.

18:36 Throughout this month, we invite you to engage in the stories, art, music, and conversations that bring our shared history to life. Let us uplift and support one another as we acknowledge not only the struggles faced, but also the victories won. Together, we strive to ensure that the contributions of the black community are recognized, celebrated, and woven into the narrative of our city. We would like to thank you for joining us in this important celebration of black history.

19:07 Let's honor our past, embrace the present, and work together toward a future filled with hope and possibility. We hope you guys enjoyed tonight's program. And without further ado, I would like to introduce to you guys, to my dear friend and brother and mayor of the greatest freaking city in the world, the city of Chicago, our 57th mayor, Mayor Brandon Johnson.

19:43 Wow, thank you so much, and happy Black History Month, everyone. I'm truly honored to join you all as we come together to... celebrate this important month. Our city is what it is today because of our ability to transform the world through the lens and the lenses of black folks. Many different cultures and traditions and heritages come together because of our existence. In this spirit, D-Case has established the Cultural Healing Grant program which uplifts organizations that celebrate and elevates

20:18 Cultural Heritage, and this month I am proud to present the Cultural Heritage Grant to Building Brighter Futures Center for the Arts. Building Brighter Futures works to transform the community by uplifting, empowering, and improving the lives of young people and their families through outreach support and resources. Please join me in welcoming and congratulating Building Brighter Futures Board President Jasper Hagan.

21:16 And thank you for your attention. While we strive to celebrate and uplift our black residents every day, Black History Month presents us with a special opportunity. An opportunity to honor and celebrate those that have come before us who have helped shaped our city and our nation. It allows us to reflect on our shared history, celebrate our vibrant and rich culture and traditions, and celebrate the many contributions and achievements of black Americans. And it challenges us to continue the fight, the fight that started centuries ago,

21:48 especially as our country faces a time of fear and anxiety that exists amongst too many of our residents. As we face a period of change in this country, I think about another incredible moment in our nation's history. And that was the Reconstruction era. And just like we are facing today, the Reconstruction era was not simple or an easy time for our nation. And formerly enslaved people, our ancestors, were demanding very simple opportunities for housing, education, inclusion in our democracy.

22:20 And though people from all walks of life fought for the freedom of enslaved people, they were still fiercely reluctant to progress as well as have true equity. Change is hard. Hard times are still in front of us. But progress is made because the future of our promise depends on the work that we do in this room. And for 125 years, at the end of Reconstruction, we are still seeing our black community. And communities where we reside have to fight for the same basic rights

22:55 to have more accessible transportation, environmental protections, access to locally resourced and nutritious foods. During the Civil War, that fight for freedom was certainly a fight for equality, but today again, our fight is for equity. And that means that everyone in this room has to know this without a shadow of a doubt, that there is still more work for us to do. Standing before you today as a black man, as the 57th mayor of this city,

23:26 My administration is fulfilling many of the promises of our ancestors, from investment in housing and economic development, ensuring that small businesses can grow in our communities that ultimately hire our people, creating sustainable agricultural opportunities and reliable, accessible transportation. These are the dreams of our ancestors. having a half a million dollars dedicated to the study of restoration and reparations so that we can finally make good on a promise, a promise that was given to us over, over a century ago

23:59 to make sure that the systemic harms that we've endured as descendants of slaves, that we actually repair those damages. And today we recognize the National Reparations Awareness Day to educate people because there is certainly more work to be done. Now in working together, providing assistance and resources to support the unhoused, to ensure that we are providing mental and behavioral health support services on the west and south sides of the city.

24:33 We are making good on those investments, but we also have to ensure that we are giving our young people their very best and an opportunity for them to fulfill their purpose. And that's why I'm grateful that this past summer we hired almost 28,000 young people for summer jobs, and we'll do it again this summer. where we will hire up to 29,000 people of young folks from the west and south sides of Chicago. If there is no struggle, progress cannot be made. And listen, as the federal government works to undermine and divide our people by attacking DEI,

25:08 which is yet another attack on black leadership, make no mistake about it, it's a dog whistle for a black mayor, for a black vice mayor, for a black budget chair, for a black finance chair, for black deputy mayors, the DEI attack is on black leadership across this country, and the city of Chicago will not cower, we will not bend, we will not succumb to the ideology of those that hate our existence.

25:40 Today, today, we stand for the change that our ancestors dreamed of. As Chicagoans, we will not be divided, we will not be given to fear, we will not allow this administration to push us to actually surrender our humanity. They certainly will not push us to undermine the evolution of our democracy. And that's why it's important that we continue to educate our children to know that throughout history, black existence has always been the formation of resistance. That black existence has always been the formation

26:12 of this democracy. And it's individuals like the Reverend Jesse Jackson and Mayor Harold Washington, and Karen Lewis, who imbibed the spirit of our ancestors, where labor and faith continue to come together to lift up voices from around the globe. And let me make it emphatically clear, the threat against black people in America is also a threat against black people in Central America, in South America, on the continent of Africa. If you mess with black folks in Chicago, if you mess with black folks in South Africa, you're

26:44 going to have to deal with the full force of blackness. And so today we continue our fight for all people to ensure that we are creating a better, stronger, and a much safer Chicago for all, an inclusive economy that provides opportunities for those who have been placed in the margins. Now in closing, while we are encouraging people around the world to continue this fight, where it seems sometimes the forces are unstoppable, but Mankind, that word should have a new meaning for all of us today.

27:17 We can't be consumed by our petty differences anymore. We must be united in our common interests. We will not go quietly into the night. In fact, we will spread light throughout darkness, and we will do that right here in the city of Chicago as we fight to create a more welcoming, equitable, and thriving city for everyone. Let's continue to lift up our voices, learn all three verses to the Black National Anthem, because we will lift every voice in the first verse, in the second verse, and in the third verse for more inclusive opportunities so that we all can win.

28:04 So let's stand proud. Let's stand tall. Let's make sure that we stand empowered to ensure that rights are protected. And any threat to anybody black anywhere is a threat to our democracy everywhere. So let's hold fast to our hope. Let's continue to come together, not just this month, but throughout the next chapter of our nation to build a more inclusive economy through the lens of black resistance. God bless you all. God bless the greatest city of the world, the city of Chicago.

28:59 Over here. All right, you all. That was it.

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