Chicago Politics

One Summer Chicago Press Conference 3.11.25

Chapters

Description

Mayor Brandon Johnson attends the One Summer Chicago Press Conference.

Transcript

0:00 Good morning and welcome to Uplift Community High School. My name is Dr. Tyrese Graham, and I have the privilege of serving as the principal of this great Chicago public high school. Uplift is a school that has undergone dramatic change in the last several years and can be seen as a model for school transformation. Our school, one of the first two early college-themed schools in the city of Chicago, has recently graduated students who have earned their associate's degree prior to finishing their high school diploma.

0:38 We implement a model where we work closely with post-secondary institutions and industry partners to give our students real transferable education and skills so they are prepared for the workplace of the 21st century. A core piece of our model is providing students work-based learning opportunities, so I was very excited with Mayor Johnson and his team approached me about today's event and press conference, highlighting the launch of One Summer Chicago for the 2025 summer season. We know that summer employment opportunities not only keep our students safe, but they help them become more integrated into the fabric of society

1:09 and teach them valuable life skills that they will use in their careers well into the future. I thank Mayor Johnson and his team for continuing, elevating, and supporting this important work. I also want to thank him for taking time prior to the press conference to spend time with our young people who are right behind me. He spent time learning about their experiences and aspirations questions and answering questions about current events. He wanted to make sure that he answered

1:40 questions about one summer Chicago so that these employment experiences were not only developmental but truly transformative for their lives and kept them invested and hooked so that they were growing and developing. Once again, I want to welcome you to Uplift Community High School and thank you for continued support for the students of Uplift and the City of Chicago in general, Mr. Mayor. It is now my pleasure to actually introduce one of our alumni, Alderwoman Angela Clay of the 46th Ward, who is a proud supporter of the public education, and our youth of the city of Chicago.

2:17 Good morning, Chicago. Good morning, Uplift Community High School. I am so elated to be here with you all. Thank you so much, Dr. Graham. It's truly an honor to come back home. This is home for me. I graduated from this beautiful school in 2009, the first graduating class that came out of here. So I humbly welcome you to Archiva. You are sitting in what is like our auditorium. This is how we make decisions. It's based on the Native American way of community,

2:49 hence why you have rising stairs and there is no specific seat for a decision maker because we are all decision makers. So really excited to be here with you all today. It has been an amazing opportunity to bring youth employment to the city of Chicago because I don't have to tell each and every last one of you how important it is for us to empower and employ our young people. For many of our young people, summer presents the perfect opportunity to find a summer job,

3:19 to save money and also help to support their families, and also learn some valuable skill sets that they would not have the opportunity to learn elsewhere. This is why I'm so excited about the expansion of the One Summer Chicago Initiative and Mayor Johnson's goal to continue to increase youth employment throughout the entire city. Through One Summer Chicago, our youth will have the chance and opportunity to learn new skills, ideas, trades, and also work with businesses, organizations, and our sister agencies, such as After School Matters,

3:54 the Chicago Transportation, the city colleges, Chicago Park District, Chicago Housing Authority, okay, CHA, which is huge, and Chicago Public Schools. So thank you all for being invested in our young people. By making investments in our young people and their development, we are setting them up for a future where they can thrive, where they can succeed and prosper in any career that they choose. And when our young people succeed, we literally all succeed as a city.

4:27 So I look forward to seeing the difference our young people will make right here in my ward, right here in the 46th Ward and across the city of Chicago. And I'm really appreciative to have this opportunity to be right here in my fellow alma mater. This is giving me goosebumps, you all. So thank you so much. So now I'm pleased to introduce our interim commissioner of the Department of Family and Supportive Services, Maura McCauley. Hey, Maura.

4:59 Good morning. everyone. Thank you, Mary Johnson, for bringing us here today, and Alderwoman Clay. As always, we appreciate your support of our city's young people. Dr. Graham, thank you for hosting us. My name is Maura McCauley, and I am so proud to lead the team at the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services. It's so exciting to be here with participants of the program, our staff and partners, it's really, so much work goes into this year-round, and to kick it off is

5:34 so exciting. And I'm delighted to be here today to talk about the launch of the 2025 One Summer Chicago application and the opportunity that it represents for thousands of young people across the city. Investing in our young people is a long-term investment into the future of Chicago. As we open up thousands of opportunities provided by One Summer Chicago, we believe these connections are necessary to support our youth as they find inspiration that can change their lives forever. One Summer Chicago is a city-wide collaborative effort that allows young people to

6:09 explore opportunities at nonprofit partners, city departments, aldermanic offices, and city sister agencies, including the Park District, the Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Housing Authority, CTA, and so many more. One Summer Chicago is open to all youth across the city. We especially encourage youth who identify in one of the following categories to apply. Those living with a disability, English language learners, young people who may be housing insecure, those living in foster care,

6:41 youth currently or previously involved in the justice system, or young people who might not be in school or working. In collaboration with our private, public, and non-profit employer partners, we will offer over 29,000 paid opportunities citywide for youth ages 14 to 24, thanks to Mayor Johnson's continued priority on investing in youth employment. It's exciting. Through the Summer Youth Employment Program designed for young people ages 16 to

7:16 24, youth will work 20 hours a week, earning $16.60 an hour, and they'll have a chance to learn the ins and outs of potential career paths from professionals and executives in technology, healthcare, media, and more. The goal is not just to provide young people with a job, but to really help them identify long-term career pathways. And for those young people who are interested and see a future in public service and social justice, we are proud to continue the Chicago Youth Service Corps, a year-long civic leadership program designed for youth

7:48 who want to address specific challenges and initiatives in their communities. Last year, youth were able to leverage their talents to address food insecurity, housing disparities, focus on mental health, and also learn how to design other social innovation projects that targeted a range of issues critical to our city. Over 84% of Chicago Youth Service Corps participants last year felt that they learned new leadership skills, and more than 82% felt that they had made a real impact in their communities.

8:19 which is so powerful. This year, these young people will continue to develop civic leadership skills. And for our 14 and 15-year-olds who are just curious about their career paths but not old enough to work, we are offering ChicagoAbility Career Exploration Program. Over the course of a six-week period, young people will engage with professionals from various industries through field trips, training opportunities, and project-based learning. The program will also provide a weekly stipend, totaling $480 for the summer, which allows young people to earn while they learn.

8:54 A nice incentive. One Summer Chicago begins Monday, June 23rd, and will conclude on Friday, August 1st. The application is available at onesummerchicago.org, and the deadline to apply is Friday, May 30th. But we really strongly encourage young people to start applying now. The sooner you submit your application, the chances of getting matched to an employer are much higher. The application takes less than 20 minutes to complete.

9:25 Young people will need to provide some basic information, such as contact information, educational status, and identify their areas for potential opportunities. And I'll just give a quick tutorial on how to apply. First, go to onesummerchicago.org to register. That's onesummerchicago.org. You'll create a profile and complete the One Summer application. Once you've completed your profile, you can begin applying for job opportunities,

9:56 and we really encourage you to cast a wide net. If something piques your interest, check the box. We don't want you to limit. You might be surprised what will come your way, and it's an opportunity to learn and grow. So please cast a wide net if anything that seems of interest to you. The good news is if you applied last year, you will have a profile. Your profile is saved from last year, so all you'll need to do is log in, update your information, and move on to the job opportunities. And if you're new this year, your profile will be saved for next year.

10:28 Our application system will send applicants updates every other week containing important reminders, updates, and interview notifications. Our network of one-summer Chicago provider agencies will be awarded in just a few weeks, and they will start working to match participants with summer jobs based on their interests, skills, and the neighborhoods where they live. Youth will be contacted by our employment partners directly for interviews, so we encourage you to check your email, check your phone, so that you don't miss someone who's calling with an offer of a job.

11:01 Anyone with additional questions about One Summer Chicago should contact us at the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services at 312-743-0208 or email us at onesummerschicago at cityofchicago.org. This couldn't be done without the amazing work of our staff and partners, and our youth programming continues to maximize access to life-changing opportunities for Chicago's emerging workforce. We're so excited to launch the summer, and just as evidenced by Alderwoman Clay's words

11:35 and the young people in this room, the future is looking bright. I want to thank Mayor Johnson and all of our partners for their steadfast resolve to make summer jobs for youth a top priority, and we're excited to kick off summer programming on June 23rd. And now I get to introduce the first young person who's going to give you the real information about what it's like to participate in the job, what we're all here to hear about. And so next we'll hear from Roderick Winston, a current Uplift student. Good morning. Good morning, Uplift.

12:22 Hi, my name is Roderick, Roderick Winston. I'm a junior here at Uplift High School. I have taken part in after school matters programs since 2022. so I could say it was an easy decision to apply again last summer to one summer in Chicago. Being paid to learn important skills for both work and life is an amazing opportunity. Last summer, I was an intern in a basketball skills and management camp, which was way more than just playing basketball. We learned about all the jobs you can have in basketball,

12:52 such as coaching, refereeing, clock management, and training. we also learned what goes into running a basketball camp and sports program. It was a real eye-opening process, and I also made some great friends while being paid. Being a part of these programs has helped me think of what I want to do after graduation. I am not sure yet of what I want to do, but I know there are a lot of options, such as trades or just going to school to get your degrees.

13:23 I feel like this experience has helped me to grow as a person and gain confidence to know what I want to do in the future. It also helped me find myself, and I met people from all over with lots of different perspectives. I want to thank Mayor Johnson for fighting to fund these programs. They really make a difference for our Chicago teens as we figure out our futures. I support the summer job programs for young people because I know it makes a difference when teens have a productive way to spend their time.

14:04 And now, let me introduce Darion Wiley, Streets and Sanitation Trainees Program participant. Good morning. My name is Darion Wiley. I applied for the DSS training program because I wanted to gain hands-on experience in the public service while developing practical skills that could lead to a long-term career. Completing the labor training program secured me with a full-time spot working for streets and sanitation as a laborer.

14:39 I am truly grateful to Mayor Johnson for my job and had the opportunity to work in front of the city. It provides me with a steady income to support myself and my family, allowing me to contribute to the well-being of my community. Every day I ensure that I have a great job. To ensure safe and sanitary conditions for everyone, though the work might be physically demanding, I find fulfillment in knowing that my efforts make a real difference in people's daily lives.

15:12 The job has also given me stability and valuable skills, and for that I am deeply appreciative. I would have never thought of doing this if I had not gotten the opportunity to participate in the training program. During my work experience last summer, I developed valuable skills, including teamwork and problem solving. I learned how to operate various tools and equipment safely. I can listen and follow detailed instructions and work efficiently under different weather conditions. I also learned to work with different people from different backgrounds that truly represents the population in Chicago.

15:47 I have truly enjoyed meeting people daily who are grateful for the work we perform. This job has held me accountable and something as simple as being on time is something now I take seriously. My experience in the DSS training program reinforced my interests in pursuing a career in public works or a similar trade. Educationally, I am considering additional training or certificates to enhance my qualifications. I plan on using this opportunity to open more doors in the near future. I have interest in working for the city in various capacities.

16:21 Who knows, maybe someday I'll be speaking in front of you as a commissioner. Overall, the DSS training program has provided me with a strong foundation that will help me succeed in my professional journey. As a young professional, I appreciate the mentorship that has naturally developed with my coworkers who have openly shared and provided wisdom and guidance. I want to thank Mayor Johnson for funding programs like this.

16:53 All young people deserve the opportunity to develop their skills and learn new trades. Mayor Johnson understands the value that the programs like these have for young people like me. So join me in giving a warm welcome to our next speaker, our mayor, Mr. Mayor Brandon Johnson. Well, good morning, everyone. Thank you, Darion, for serving this city.

17:26 And in the back room, you know, I mentioned that Darion in this last budget, I didn't get a raise, but he did. And I told him I need to borrow $20. He didn't respond to that, by the way. But we're grateful for Darion and for all the young people in this city. And just know that the mayor of Chicago, I will never give up on our young people. No matter what people say about our young people in this city, we're always going to invest in them. We have great leadership.

17:57 Thank you to the alderwoman, Angela Clay. Thank you, Maura, for your leadership. Dr. Graham, thank you for your commitment to our young people. And all of our commissioners that are here today, they're well represented and I'm grateful that we also have the World Business Chicago Vice Chair is here, Charles Smith but to our commissioners Escareno from the parks let's give her a round of applause we have Chris Brown

18:28 with the libraries, thank you Chris Paul Stoller with Streets of Sanitation but I often talk about the diversity of our economy and Charles and I have this conversation a lot it's why the city of Chicago has been the destination for corporate relocation. It's because our economy is so diverse. It's not one industry that makes up more than 14% of our economy.

18:59 And in fact, we have the best universities in the world. We have a quarter of the world's fresh water supply in our front door. Chicago's greatest potential, though, and our greatest resources, it's our city's young people. We have a wealth of untapped talent that is often overlooked and undeveloped due to a lack of resources and opportunities. You know, our young people are the reason why I'm optimistic about the future of Chicago. I was sharing with the young folks that I won by roughly 26,562 votes,

19:31 and there were 27,000 new voters that voted in April that did not vote in February. I'm mayor of the city of Chicago because of young people, and that power is reflective here. So if there's anybody that I owe and I have to show up for, it's for the people who know that this city is better, stronger, and safer when our young people are loved and supported and invested in. And so I've had the opportunity to visit a number of schools across the city and I was just in an incredible engaged conversation with our young people of Uplift.

20:11 Let me tell you, we discussed everything from restaurants to Donald Trump's desire to defund public education. These young people are incredibly gifted and sophisticated and they know exactly what's going on, but they don't just speak about their rights. They speak about their power, and that's why creating opportunities around jobs for them and their peers is so important. We know that young people want to work. 51,000 young people applied for jobs last year. I believe that every single young person who wants to work in Chicago deserves a chance to work.

20:47 And that is why, for the third year in a row, I'm proud to announce that we are expanding our One Summer Chicago program. Since taking office, we have had the privilege of increasing youth employment by nearly 40%. In 2024 alone, we were able to hire almost 28,000 young people between the ages of 14 and 24. And this year, you all, we are going to hire, we're prepared to hire 29,000 young people.

21:17 That's 1,000 more positions this year. But to meet this goal, you all, it's going to take everyone. All levels of government, community organizations, the private sector, educational institutions, philanthropic organizations. We're grateful that the One Summer Chicago partners, like through DFSS and After School Matters, and Chicago Park District, DSS, CTA, CPS, city colleges, the Chicago Public Library,

21:48 just to introduce our young people to finding their purpose. We're also working with small businesses and large corporations, city departments, and sister agencies. And the truth is, you all, we will work with anyone who's willing to work with us. Anyone who is willing to work and employ our young people have a space in my administration. Because the reality is it's not just an investment into our economy. This is also an investment into community safety. It's an investment into the soul of who we are. And that's why, to that end, we're going to expand our collaboration with Good Kids Mad City by hiring 210 young people to complete the Peacekeepers training program.

22:28 We know safer communities start with young people, so we're putting them into the center of the solutions. I'm proud that we are continuing to build on the progress that we've made, and I'm truly grateful for those who have stepped up to fight for our young people, hiring them and getting them opportunities and advocating for them, especially our city council member, Angela Clay. She is bad, y'all. And I mean, she is bad. So Uplift and this community is very proud to have someone who helped us pass a budget

23:01 that included these jobs. And then finally, our young people are truly our greatest resource. We must continue to make investments in them by ensuring that they have access to services and resources, after school programs, jobs, giving them the best chance for a brighter future. You all, let's not give up on our young people. Let's keep going. Thank you all very much. And with that, I'll take any questions. So the mayor's got 10 minutes for questions. We're going to start with on-topic questions.

23:31 You got on-topic? I'll take the on-topic question. Mayor, at the federal level, the future of school funding, the future of funding to cities, with the kind of pressures with so many people in public employment being laid off, how might that affect what you're trying to do here in Chicago? Yeah, that's a great question. Literally, Mike asked that question upstairs. Is Mike here? Is he still here? He went to class. Mike asked that very question, didn't he?

24:03 He did. And what I expressed to Mike was, first of all, we have to acknowledge the danger and the threat that this administration poses to cities like Chicago, and it's why I'm investing in everything from infrastructure to our education system to good-paying jobs. Look, there's no secret that the city of Chicago, our tax dollars, we send billions of dollars to the federal government. The least they can do is to return our fair share.

24:33 Despite who's in the White House, it's not going to stop what we do as a city. We're going to continue to invest in people and particularly our young folks. Thank you for that question. Mayor, what businesses or organizations are you seeing step up most this year in order to provide those extra thousand jobs? Obviously, corporate partners are a big part of why One Summer Chicago is possible. So can you talk about how you are going to be? able to create those 1,000 additional jobs when, as we know, the number of applicants

25:04 always far outpaces how many slots are available. Yeah, thanks for that question. I'm going to turn it over to Charles Smith, our vice chair of our World Business Chicago. Thank you, Mayor. Well, at World Business Chicago, what we've tried to do is a tremendous amount of outreach to our CEOs. As you probably know, we have about 100 CEOs that are board members of World Business Chicago, and we understand the importance of the infrastructure and the economic growth that this program provides. So we have a strategic effort to incorporate more of our corporate partners in addition to all the partners that you see on the stage.

25:35 Are there more corporations stepping up this year compared to last? Absolutely. A part of this is efficiency, and a part of it is wherewithal and where to go to get the applications and to match the young people up with these corporations. So that is part of the role World Business Chicago is taking. Good morning, Mr. Mayor. Good morning. Could you explain how a temporary six-week summer job program translates to sustainable violence reduction? Because that's part of the goal of this. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I think that the numbers bore witness last year.

26:08 Austin hired, there were 1,672 young people who were hired from Austin. The 15 police districts saw a decline in certain crimes as much as 57%. And so we don't think that's a coincidence. There's a direct correlation between communities that have W-2s and safe environments. In fact, I've said this repeatedly, and this was a part of my vision when I ran for office. The safest cities in America all have one thing in common. They invest in people, and we're already seeing the return of those investments.

26:42 And if you can look in the room, I would humbly submit that our young people can speak to that better than any data point because these are young people who are not just being employed. They're finding their purpose. They're also contributing to their family's financial stakes. So all of that is bearing out as we see violence continues to go down in the city of Chicago and youth employment continues to go up. We believe that that's not a coincidence.

27:14 One follow-up if you'll indulge me. With the Peacekeeper Training Program, will those people who are trained be placed in nonprofits or other areas? That's a very good question. So as a result of their training, they actually will be dispersed in a variety of spaces. The goal is to help these young people have the training and the skills to go back into their communities, particularly their school communities, to create culture of calm and peace, to help young people recognize that their behavior and mental health serenity is crucial to a safe environment.

27:50 Unfortunately, there are too many of our young people who struggle with conflict resolution, but our school communities are getting stronger in that regard. And by training young people peer-to-peer, we believe that that's a surer way to create calm in school. I can tell you this on a personal note, and I'm sure Dr. Graham can relate to this, when I was a public school teacher in Chicago Public Schools, if I couldn't get through a message to a particular group of students, sometimes I would tap another student to interpret for me.

28:25 So I remember one of my favorite students, I can say this now because he's 30, but one of my favorite students, Ronnell, sometimes I would try to explain myself, and the class could not just get it together, and Ronnell would interpret. In fact, I might call Ronnell to, hey, how you doing? I might have Ronnell come and do some interpretation in my press conferences if it gets real rough. Thank you for that question. I'd like to ask off-topic, given our time is tight. Okay.

28:55 I mean, I can. Yeah. How many young people have applied for the summer program? So the application process has just started. When did it open last week? We did a soft launch at the end of February. Do you know how many folks have applied so far? We can get that back to you, but I can say this the last couple of years, since 2023, since I've been mayor, we've averaged about 50,000 applicants. I was going to say, it's definitely more than 29,000. It is, and that's why, thank you for that question. It's why I've been working and pushing with city council.

29:26 So many of you all know that my goal was to get to 30,000 positions. Members of the city council pushed back. We didn't fall back to 2024 numbers, but we did increase it by 1,000, but there's a lot more work to be done. That's why the partnerships with the business community is so paramount. Mayor, off topic, if I may, you've talked a lot about transparency and accountability. There's some new reporting today about some friction between CCPSA and COPA, leadership issues maybe between the two sides. Can you give us some insight onto where you come down on the issues that's unfolding?

30:00 bubbling up between accountability as it pertains to, you know, monitoring the Chicago Police Department. Look, we all want a police department that delivers constitutional policing. My superintendent that I appointed, Larry Snelling, is committed to constitutional policing. We have seen the trust within communities grow. Is there work and more work to be done? Of course there is. Am I confident that we can get to a point where there is the type of accountability that allows for, again, constitutional policing and strengthened relationships within the communities in which these brave women and men serve?

30:37 Of course. Look, there's no secret, particularly in the 80s, where you had commanders torturing black and brown men. You had state's attorneys that were prosecuting people that clearly the evidence wasn't there. It's a long, dark history, but we are transforming this city into a more just, equitable society. And no one is going to argue that there's more work to be done, but I'm absolutely confident as we're seeing positive results where we have a diverse workforce, our police department is becoming more and more diverse. Interesting known fact, people should know, that there are more Latine individuals that are applying for these positions.

31:11 There are more still black candidates that are applying for these positions. I believe that type of diversity is important. 30 percent, almost 30 percent of the workforce are women in our police department. This is not the 80s police department, right? And so that's why you're hearing my level of confidence work to be done, but I feel confident that we're going to get to a point where there's absolute, not just accountability, but constitutional policing that we can all be proud of. All right, we've got time for two more questions. We go Bennett, Rose, and then we'll get everyone else tomorrow, right? Yep. Mayor, I'll be brief, Mayor, because I want to give my counterparts some time.

31:42 Okay, and I'll try to go faster. A couple of weeks ago, I asked about whether or not the city was able to get out of its licensing agreement at Brighton Park. I was told your office would get back to me. I've reached out two or three times now, never heard back. Do you know what happened with that? I'll make sure someone gets back to you. I apologize for the delay. We'll get somebody to get back with you. So you don't know at this point? Someone will get back with you, and I apologize for the delay. Sure. The other quick follow-up, you mentioned you had success with finding people who needed shelter requests. I'm hearing there's still friction with that. How have you guys noticed?

32:12 I mean, if you're asking me if we've solved poverty in the city of Chicago, we have not solved poverty, right? There are poor people who live in this city, and homeless folks have been neglected in this city for decades, right? We built a one-system initiative out of a crisis. No other administration has been able to do that. Now, look, we've increased the amount of shelter beds by 126%. If you're asking me that the 70,000 people who are unhoused, who are doubling up, that we have solved that crisis, we have not. That's why I get to be mayor for more than one term, because the investments that we are making in ensuring that we're building more homes,

32:46 building more affordable homes, responding to this crisis requires investment. And yes, there's a long way to go, but I don't want people to get discouraged, because if we weren't making those investments, it would be a far more severe circumstance that we were talking about. There was another young man, I can't remember his name now, but he raised this very question upstairs. And, look, many people know my own personal story. My brother died addicted and unhoused. We're working hard every single day to address this crisis, and we'll continue to do that.

33:17 Hi, Mayor. Just quickly want to ask you about what happened in Streeterville over the weekend. Alderman Hopkins has said that he wants to move the curfew up to 8 p.m., and he said that that's currently stalled in the rules committee. Do you think it's time to have that discussion, given what happened in Streeterville? Well, look, the shootings in Chicago are still very much a problem, right? No one's going to disagree with that. Violent crime is down. Shootings are down. Homicides are down. Every single major category of violent crime in the city of Chicago is down.

33:50 And, of course, you know, we grieve the loss of individuals who have succumbed to violence in this city. But as far as making sure that we keep our community safe, we have to do the things that work. And what works is that we have to invest in people. Do we have to get these illegal guns off the streets? Absolutely. Do we have to create more opportunities so that individuals know that they are supported? Absolutely. Do we have to hold people accountable when they do commit crimes? Absolutely. That's why I committed to promoting 200 more detectives, right?

34:23 We've already seen our clearance rate go up, 56%. That number continues to grow. More work to be done, but I believe that by having policies in place that actually work and investing in people, that's our pathway to continue to build a better, stronger, safer Chicago. Thank you all. Mayor, there's some questions that have been raised. Yesterday you said that you were going to appoint this committee to replace Carlos Ramirez Rosa in the 35th Ward. There are some, Gil Villegas and another candidate who is interested in that position, says this whole thing that you're setting up, they're calling it, their words, not mine, just a sham.

34:57 and it's disingenuous with the people who are on there. connected to Carlos Miros Rosa. How can people be assured that there really is going to be the best person and people actually being considered for this and the fix is not already in? Look, you know, mayors before me have appointed individuals to the city council and that responsibility is something that I take seriously and I have a very clear vision for the city of Chicago and this particular community, the 35th Ward,

35:28 has long been a part of a progressive movement that calls for more investments in youth employment. They call for more housing and more affordable housing. They call for more mental and behavioral health care services. So any individual that represents those values, we will consider them. But again, we'll go through this open process, and I'm going to exercise my authority to ensure that the representation in the 35th Ward reflects the values of the 35th War.

35:58 Hi, Mayor. I wanted to ask. We'll start again. I promise you. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay, you all. I'm here. These students are here. Some of them are looking forward to getting back to class, so we've got to hurry up. I know y'all looking forward to getting back to class, right? So, yes. Real quick. So, if they start cutting up, it's not me. Commitments to black Chicagoans.

36:30 Can you talk about, does your recent focus on talking more urgently about investments like today signal that it's a priority for you to get your message across to the black community ahead of 2027? Well, look, it's my priority to invest in the people of Chicago, right? Who hears that message? You know, that is you all's responsibility to help not just record, but to get the message out, right? But, you know, this is really about what I've always done, and that's investing in people. And, you know, I would encourage you all to do community town halls like WTTW did so that more people can engage directly with me.

37:06 We think that those are great opportunities for the people of Chicago to be heard. And the reason why I think it's important is because I talk to thousands of people throughout the week. And the questions that they ask, they ask about youth employment and workforce. They ask about mental health support services. They ask about housing. They ask about the things that we can do to keep our community safe. I think the more that people know that those questions are being responded to through investments, I think it's going to engender more confidence for more people to actually engage and get involved to protect our democracy. Hi, Mayor.

37:37 Hi. This is the last question, students. This weekend, Chicago police officers were directed to protect a Tesla dealership, which was being protested by people who are upset with the way that Elon Musk is operating so-called Doge. Was that an appropriate use of Chicago police resources and that picture, which showed more than a dozen officers lined up in front of that dealership? Is that the kind of public safety response that you will continue to show for Tesla property going forward?

38:11 We want to protect everyone in the city. That's the goal of our local law enforcement. You know, whether it's students, families, you know, whether it's businesses and business owners. As you may be aware, we put together a robbery strategy a little bit over not even a year ago. And we've seen a decline in robberies by 25 percent citywide. The collective work that we're doing to secure our city is not just policing alone. That's one component of it. But I think there's no secret here. My approach has always been full force of government.

38:43 Our take back the block, our day in the ward initiatives, all of these community engagements are centered around what it takes to build safe communities. And again, Charles Smith, who is our vice chair of World Business Chicago, we have these conversations quite a bit about making sure that our neighborhoods are safe because that's going to engender more confidence, allow for businesses to benefit from a walkable business districts, and it also creates opportunities for our young people.

39:13 So it's not just one component. It's a multi-layered approach, and that's the approach that we will continue to lead. Thank you all. God bless you all. Get to class, you all.

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