We Expect our Black Elected Officials to Deliver for Us
The late Congressman John Lewis stated: “Democracy is not a state. It is an act…Ordinary people with extraordinary vision can redeem the soul of America by getting into what I call good trouble, necessary trouble. Voting and participating in the democratic process are key. The vote is the most powerful nonviolent change agent you have in a democratic society.”
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We Expect our Black Elected Officials to Deliver for Us
We have voted for and helped, in many ways, elect or appoint the following individuals in the State of Illinois. It should be their understanding that we expect and insist that they act in our best interest.
FEDERAL Hon. Danny Davis, U.S. Congressman Hon. Robin Kelly, U.S. Congresswoman Hon. Jonathan Jackson, U.S. Congressman Hon. Lauren Underwood, U.S. Congressman STATE Hon. Joy V. Cunningham, Justice – State Supreme Court Hon. Scott P. Neville, Justice – State Supreme Court Hon. Lisa Holder White, Justice – State Supreme Court Hon. Julianna Stratton, Lieutenant Governor Hon. Kwame Raoul, Attorney General Hon. Christopher Belt, State Senator Hon. Napoleon Harris, State Senator Hon. Mattie Hunter, State Senator Hon. Adriane Johnson, State Senator Hon. Emil Jones III, State Senator Hon. Kimberly A. Lightford, State Senator Hon. Willie Preston, State Senator Hon. Mike Simmons, State Senator Hon. Elgie Sims, State Senator Hon. Doris Turner, State Senator Hon. Patricia Van Pelt, State Senator Hon. Carol Ammons, State Representative Hon. Kambium Buckner, State Representative Hon. Lakesia Collins, State Representative Hon. William Davis, State Representative Hon. Kimberly du Buclet, State Representative Hon. Marcus C. Evans Jr., State Representative Hon. Mary E. Flowers, State Representative Hon. LaShawn Ford, State Representative Hon. Jehan Gordon-Booth, State Representative Hon. Sonya Harper, State Representative Hon. Thaddeus Jones, State Representative Hon. Camille Y. Lilly, State Representative Hon. Rita Mayfield, State Representative Hon. Debbie Meyers-Martin, State Representative Hon. Cyril Nichols, State Representative Hon. Justin Slaughter, State Representative Hon. Nicholas K. Smith, State Representative Hon. Curtis J. Tarver, II, State Representative Hon. Emanuel Chris Welch, Speaker, State Representative Hon. Maurice A. West, II, State Representative Hon. Jawaharial Williams, State Representative COOK COUNTY Hon. Toni Preckwinkle, President Cook County Board Hon. Tim Evans, Chief Judge Cook County Circuit Court Hon. Kim Foxx, Cook County State’s Attorney Hon. Karen Yarbrough, Cook County Clerk Hon. Dennis Deer, Commissioner, Cook County Board Hon. Monica Gordon, Commissioner, Cook County Board Hon. Bill Lowry, Commissioner, Cook County Board Hon. Donna Miller, Commissioner, Cook County Board Hon. Stanley Moore, Commissioner, Cook County Board Hon. Tara S. Stamps, Commissioner, Cook County Board Hon. Larry Rogers, Commissioner, Board of Review Hon. Yumeka Brown, Commissioner, MWRD Hon. Kari K. Steele, President Commissioner, MWRD
| CHICAGO Hon. Brandon Johnson, Mayor – Chicago Hon. Melissa Ervin, City Treasurer- Chicago Hon. Anthony Beale, Alderman – Chicago Hon. Walter Burnett Jr., Alderman – Chicago Hon. Angela Clay, Alderman – Chicago Hon. Stephanie Coleman, Alderman – Chicago Hon. Derrick Curtis, Alderman – Chicago Hon. Pat Dowell, Alderman – Chicago Hon. Jason Ervin, Alderman – Chicago Hon. Maria Hadden, Alderman – Chicago Hon. William E. Hall, Alderman – Chicago Hon. Michelle A. Harris, Alderman – Chicago Hon. Matt Martin, Alderman – Chicago Hon. Gregory Mitchell, Alderman – Chicago Hon. Emma Mitts, Alderman – Chicago Hon. David Moore, Alderman – Chicago Hon. Ronnie L. Mosley, Alderman – Chicago Hon. Lamont Robinson, Alderman – Chicago Hon. Monique Scott, Alderman – Chicago Hon. Chris Taliaferro, Alderman – Chicago Hon. Jeanette Taylor, Alderman – Chicago Hon. Desmon C. Yancy, Alderman – Chicago SUBURBAN COOK Hon. Andre F. Harvey, Mayor – Bellwood Hon. Katrina Thompson, Mayor – Broadview Hon. Robert E. Polk, Mayor – Burnham Hon. Ronald Denson, Mayor – Calumet Park Hon. Thaddeus Jones, Mayor – Calumet City Hon. James W. Ford, Mayor – Country Club Hills Hon. Fitzgerald Roberts, Mayor – Dixmoor Hon. Tiffany Henyard, Mayor – Dolton Hon. Thomas A. Brown, Village President – East Hazel Crest Hon. Michelle Nelson, Mayor – Flossmoor Hon. Charles Griffin, Mayor – Ford Heights Hon. Rory Hoskins, Mayor/President – Forest Park Hon. Christopher J. Clark, Mayor – Harvey Hon. Vernard Alsberry Jr., Village President – Hazel Crest Hon. Jada Curry, Mayor – Lynwood Hon. Roger A. Agpawa, Mayor – Markham Hon. Sheila Y. Chalmers-Currin, Village President – Matteson Hon. Nathaniel George Booker, Mayor – Maywood Hon. Sterling M. Burke, Village President – Olympia Fields Hon. Joseph Woods, Village President – Park Forest Hon. Taylor Wells, Mayor – Phoenix Hon. Lawrence L. Jackson, Mayor – Riverdale Hon. Darren Bryant, Mayor – Robbins Hon. Derrick Burgess, Mayor – Sauk Village Hon. Joseph E. Roudez III, Mayor University Park GREATER ILLINOIS Hon. David Goins, Mayor – Alton Hon. Richard C. Irvin, Mayor – Aurora Hon. Mboka Mwilambwe, Mayor – Bloomington Hon Thomas Simpson, Mayor – Cairo Hon. Rickey Williams Jr., Mayor – Danville Hon. Charles Powell III, Mayor – East St. Louis Hon. Donna Johnson, Mayor – Libertyville Hon. Leon Rockingham, Jr., Mayor – North Chicago Hon. Rita Ali, Mayor – Peoria Hon. Billy McKinney, Mayor – Zion |
In addition to the listed officials, there are a significant number of elected and appointed Black Judges, heads of major state, county and local Agencies and Departments, City Managers and Administrators, City and Village Aldermen and Trustees, and Committeemen, across Illinois.
– Frederick Douglass
The above are all African-American. We voted them into office, or they were appointed by someone we voted for. Let us:
Demand that they make a positive, most needed, and measurable difference in Black lives;
Recommend that our caucuses at the State and local levels truly perform as a caucus. Developing strategy and plans of action, supporting each other by refraining from individual side deals that weaken the caucus, and be resolute in pushing a Black agenda, while building the necessary coalitions to deliver on a Black agenda;
Request that our Black Illinois congressmen perform as a caucus, and together develop a caucus plan, and in turn, work with our U.S. Illinois senators to deliver for the Black community;
Require, as a condition of our vote, that our elected representatives begin to coordinate their efforts at the federal, state, county and local levels (and if this is being done, that it be done at a more strategic and intentional level). There must be a Black legislative and investments agenda that our U.S. Congressman, State Officials, County Board President and Commissioners, City Mayors and alderman, and other officials, work from that deliver policies, legislation and investments that improve the lives of Black Illinoisians;
Encourage our elected representatives to recognize that in performing their job, the coordination of their efforts must be a priority, if they truly wish to deliver for their community. We do not expect that there will be agreement upon all aspects of a Black agenda, but we do demand that they work together on those priority items that we all can and do agree upon. Note: the responsibility of our representatives, to move on our community’s agenda cannot end at their district boundaries, they have a responsibility to deliver for Black Illinoisians;
Understand that there is competition among our elected officials as each maps out a course for their respective political career, but agree that this cannot supersede them working together to move an agenda that benefits our community; others do it for their people and constituencies, we expect no less of our representatives;
Insist, as a condition of our continued support, that our elected representatives work hard and smart and intentionally, to make a positive, most needed, and measurable difference in Black lives, making our tax dollars work for us.
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We cannot simply hope that our elected representatives deliver for our community. We must actively and intentionally reach out to each and every one of them to make our demands and our priorities known, to understand how and why each voted on important items, to have them detail what community investments they are pursuing, to have them explain what their priorities are and how they plan to accomplish their priorities, and if those priorities are not aligned with an agenda that benefits the Black community, then why not.
Starting today, COAL asks our members and the greater community to individually or via your clubs, sororities, fraternities, churches, associations and other organizations, to contact your elected representatives to make your requests and demands known and to ask for updates on what they are accomplishing on behalf of our community.
And if any one of our elected representatives gets upset at you or your organization for asking them to do their job or responds that they do not have the time to engage with you or your organization, then this will simplify our decisions, come next election.
The Coalition of African American Leaders, in concert with partners, will issue report cards on the performance of our elected representatives.
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