Chicago Politics

Westside Community Stakeholders Annual Thanksgiving Celebration and Food Drive 11.21.25

Description

Mayor Johnson attends the Westside Community Stakeholders Annual Thanksgiving Celebration and Food Drive.

Transcript

0:00 I need my tarp clear please, I need them, if you are on the tarp, I need you to be behind that red light for the seat. Y'all feel it over there, I'm going to meet you up here, Sue, from Oklahoma, Dr. Barber, from Oklahoma.

0:48 BIRD MEETER CIRCLE CIRCLE There's a lot of people who are not here This is the only way that they have been in the street The only way that they have been in the street

1:32 FIND THE FLOOR FIND THE FLOOR Dr. Barton?

2:08 The The The The The The The

2:42 The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The Cudorosa participates in the restaurant

3:18 The The The The The The There are seven people in the store The Trican is a restaurant The Trican is a restaurant The Trican is an restaurant The Trican is a restaurant

3:49 The The The The The The The A A A A A The The The The The It's a beautiful place to be found. It's not that easy to go to the corner. It's a beautiful place to go. It's a beautiful place to go. The The The The The The The

4:31 Akeem What's going on? Hello? They're going, they're going, they're going, they're going.

5:05 Y'all can't come back. How much time do we got now? Five minutes. Five minutes? Y'all can't come back. They're killing me.

5:37 Security by the door, so they need to open voices and then pass. We got opening the doors to bring in air.

6:07 Hey, look, we don't want to take one of those sales. One here? Yeah. What are you calling? Nate, I need you to go over there and have them open them doors. It's out of here. What's going to do? Oh, okay. We are opening the doors. Air will be flowing in. We will get started shortly. We are opening the doors to let air in. We will start shortly. Thank you all for your patience.

6:37 We are opening the doors. We're bringing air in. Thank you all for bearing with us. Where's the big fan? Where's the big fan? Where is it? I thought we did it. That's fine. It is hot. It is hot. It is hot.

7:08 Okay, okay. Air is going in. I don't know if we can see if we can actually open that back door back to you. . . . .

7:39 I didn't just have security, Albany. Oh, is there? No, she's going to open it up. And then she's going to do the president. She's going to do it for me. Yeah. You want to keep it in the back? I'm going to.

8:19 I'm going to. I think it's good to see the people who are in the house and they're very familiar with the people who are living in the house.

8:50 By the way, the shopping center is now old. What about the shopping center? T-shirt here at the

9:35 de la Br cadre de Paris de la Br ちans de la Br de la Br Thank you very much.

10:22 Alright y'all, we got to get started, come on, okay, y'all got to get started, come on, okay, y'all got to get started. Dr. Farmer, we've got a chair waiting.

11:05 All right, we're going to give this show in a row. Y'all give it up, my man. Give it up, give it up, give it up!

15:00 Chicago and we are proud to partner with them. Their work alongside the commitment of City Colleges of Chicago also demonstrates what is possible with organizations tonight around service, equity, and opportunity. While you're here today, please take a moment to explore our resource tables that are in the hallway, ask questions, and discover how City Colleges of Chicago can support your goals or the goals of someone in your household.

15:33 Before I close, I'd like to extend a very special acknowledgement to all of our distinguished guests who have joined us today. Thank you all for your presence. Thank you all for your partnership and also your commitment to uplifting families in the community. To Christmas and the awards and to all of our other partners and to every organization represented today, again, I'd like to say thank you. Your dedication makes events like this possible.

16:04 And to every family that is represented here, welcome to Kennedy King College and welcome to this event. Welcome to our campus. Welcome to our community. Welcome to the place that believes in your future. We hope today's giveaway brings warmth to your home, and we hope that you leave knowing that everyone in this room is here to support you every step of the way. Now, to begin our program, it is only fitting that we hear from the man whose heart and vision has guided this mission for nearly 30 years.

16:41 Please join me in welcoming the founder of Christmas in the Wards, Mr. Larry Huggins. This is a very happy and proud moment for me because I actually grew up in Englewood.

17:14 First in Morgan, graduated from Englewood High School. And at the end of the day, Christmas in the Wards started out as Christmas in Englewood in the 17th Ward. Today, Christmas Awards is in 43 of the 50 awards in the city of Chicago. The reason that we haven't been able to do that, I call it because of Corporate Chicago. Corporate Chicago has reached into their pockets to make sure that Christmas Awards get funded,

17:49 whether it's west side, south side, north side, all of Chicago residents. But what is important today about this event is that Community Chicago funded this operation. Alright? You know what I said? Community Chicago funded this operation, not Portland Chicago. And I just want to bring up those community partners that have made this happen. And I'm going to start out with Sue Williams, and she will introduce the rest of the team. Come on up, Sue.

18:19 Hi everybody, how are you? And thank you guys so much for coming. Let me give my mirror a hug first. And you guys, my mom's sitting right here in the front row with her white hat and white jacket. Give her a round of applause. I wanted to do this because my amazing mayor, who takes care of us all day, every day, said

18:50 when Trump took SNAP benefits and everything else, he said he wanted to make sure that we fed the community. He wanted to make sure that we stood toe-to-toe with you guys and made sure that you guys get everything that you need. Our mayor made sure that this happened today for all of you, so give him a round of applause. There's nothing that I don't do without my amazing partners in crime, which is Black Men United, who are the pillars of our community.

19:23 And if you don't know, Reverend Harrell is running, and I am on his team. Make sure you vote, let's vote. And Dr. Farmer right here in his hands, resources. You guys, these are billboards and all the great community stuff that she does. I am going to say that we love the South Side, we love Kenny King, we thank you guys so much for allowing us to come here and to feed you, to be a part of your lives. I am going to turn it over to my amazing partner in crime, Reverend Revelle.

20:00 Y'all make some noise out there We just come to share a show and shower you all with some love No big ass, no little u's, because we realize that this game is won not by subtraction But by addition, and so we step our hats off to our great mayor, Mayor Brandon Johnson Give him a hand, Father Mary Luggins, give him a hand And to comedian Mike Nelts, let's give him a hand Black Men United, real simple, all we're trying to do is paint a different picture, tell a different story, share a different narrative about black men in America that is positive, productive, and progressive, being unapologetically black, but making sure we're not anti-nobody.

20:50 And so we just want you all to know that we love you, and certainly to our friends who introduced us here in Eaglewood, to Dr. McKenzie, the mayor of Eaglewood, we want to say we love you all, and there ain't nothing none of y'all can do about it. Dr. Farmer, I'm Dr. Nyoko Farmer. I'm the founder of Innocence Resource Center.

21:29 And the only thing I can say is we believe in true partnership. And we come together to be of service to each other and take the help and hear from each other. Love is all I know. It might have been a government shutdown, but having this economy is still open and God is still open. Please put your hands together for one of the most amazing aldermans, one of our youngest aldermans, one of the best aldermans, Alderman Ronnie Jonesy, my alderman team, you guys, here we go.

22:10 What's up, Chicago? He's outside in the house tonight. Listen, we do this because we love you. Larry Huggins loves you. Loves you. Everybody up here loves you. And this is how we make sure that love is real. We want to make sure that you are fed, that you have groceries in your homes, that you have clothes on your back, so that you can go for and keep making this city the greatest

22:42 city that it is. And that's because you all, you all are the greatest part of this city. On behalf of all the Southside Alders, I want to wish you a happy Thanksgiving. Enjoy the holidays. Be safe. And thank you, Larry Young. Thank you, Alderman. And let me just say that some years ago, Alderman Jason Urban told me that, Larry, what you do

23:14 If you're on the south side, you gotta duplicate that on the west side. If they were on the south side, the west side is the back side. One thing for the west side, we have a mayor that truly represents all sides of the spirit of Chicago.

24:10 Been around for a long time, I'm old school. Been working under eight mayors, and this is my ninth mayor that I worked up under. But Brandon, I've got to say that there's nobody that has the heart that you have and the will and determination to help keep Chicago being the greatest city in America.

24:42 This is the greatest city in America. And without further ado, let me bring up Mayor Brandon Johnson. What's going on, Thanksgiving? It's so good to be with you. Y'all, boy, y'all make a one-sided feel real good. But our city is coming together. When D.C. steps back, the city of Chicago steps up. And we're going to make sure we protect all of our people.

25:14 Thank you, Larry, for your leadership and your years of service. Of course, to Pastor John Harrell and to our brothers, Black men, who are united. Of course, we cannot do this without our partners, S2 Brill. Every time the city of Chicago needs a corporate leader to step up, Susu and Hesu Grill is always there. And if you have not had those lamb chops, I'm just telling you, you might want to eat those in private. They're good.

25:47 You just get them real messy. And now give it up for our Alderman, Alderman Rodney Mosley. Thank you. And of course, the Kennedy King College, listen, I just came by today to tell you how much we're working and how hard we're working to make sure that our people have everything that they need, whether it's youth jobs, affordable housing, mental and behavior health care services, making sure that you have access to food, clothing, anything and everything that is needed in this moment, we are bringing people together to show up for the people of Chicago.

26:26 And then finally you all, I've put forth a budget to protect all of Chicago. A budget that does not raise property taxes, a budget that does not collect garbage fees or grease, a budget that does not collect grocery taxes, but a budget that challenges the ultra-rich and these big corporations who just got a tax break from Donald Trump. They have to pay their fair share in taxes. And so in this moment, we're fighting for the interest of our people, especially our young people, and investing in our public schools.

27:02 So I want you all to enjoy this moment. We're going to celebrate Thanksgiving, and y'all have to show up for me. All the way from Indianapolis, 65 North. His wife is a Westsider. He is the baddest, most dynamic, actor, comedian. I'll give it up for y'all, man, one more time, y'all.

27:44 Tell you something, man. This city right here is a bad mother's scooter right here. Okay? And I might be the only entertainer that ain't scared to come out of here. And the only reason why is I know I can get right on the highway right now and get up out of here. But you know what, man? Chicago has made some of the best people in the world, man, champions.

28:16 You hear me? I hear about, I don't like when I travel and people talk bad about Chicago, because I've been here to see it, man. Y'all got some of the best people in the world, some of the most loving people in the world, some of the most strongest people in the world, okay? Since I couldn't be from Chicago, I married a woman from here.

28:46 And she throw gang signs up at me all the time. No, but I just want to thank y'all, man, and let y'all know that I'm with y'all 100%. Anything y'all need from me, from the mayor, y'all going to always see me in the city. I've been coming to Chicago since I was a kid, going to Duke town. I love everything about the city. And I just want y'all to know, man, that God is the last and final say-saw of all. No matter what you see man do on this earth, God has the last say-so.

29:23 I want all these older guys in here, these older people in here, we're responsible for all these children in here. Make sure you're putting the right battery in their back. Make sure you take care of the senior citizens around here. Man, we need each other like nothing, like never before, man. And I just want to thank you for inviting me here in Chicago, because Englewood is where they do the most good.

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